Wedding couple portraits do not need to take over your day. With a little thought around timing, light and the flow of your celebration, they can feel relaxed, natural and beautifully woven into everything else that is happening. The best time for portraits will depend on your ceremony time, your venue, the season, the weather and the light on the day.
When couples ask about the best time of day for wedding portraits, the honest answer is that it depends. A summer wedding with a late sunset will have very different light to a winter wedding where it is dark by late afternoon. A venue with open lawns will behave differently to a venue with courtyards, trees, covered areas or shaded gardens.
Rather than treating portraits as one fixed part of the day, I prefer to look at your timeline as a whole. My usual approach is to split portraits into smaller, more relaxed sessions so you are not away from your guests for too long, and so we are not relying entirely on one short window of light.
I usually recommend allowing around fifteen to twenty minutes for portraits during the drinks reception, followed by another short portrait session later in the day if the light is especially beautiful. This gives us a safe, sensible portrait window earlier on, while still leaving space for softer evening light if the weather and timeline allow.
This approach means we are not putting all the pressure on golden hour. Beautiful evening light is wonderful when it happens, but it depends on the weather, cloud cover, venue layout, sunset time and what else is happening in your day. By creating portraits in more than one short pocket of time, you get variety without feeling as though your wedding has turned into a photoshoot.
It also protects you from the weather. If we wait until later in the day for all of your portraits and then it rains, we may miss the opportunity to use the outdoor spaces completely. By taking a short set of portraits during the drinks reception, we know you already have beautiful images outside, even if the weather changes later.
If your collection includes signature night time portraits, we may also step outside again after dark for a few more atmospheric images. These are usually very quick, but they can add something quite special to your gallery, especially if your venue has beautiful lighting, an interesting entrance, festoon lights, a courtyard or a dramatic evening backdrop.
For most weddings, the first opportunity for couple portraits is during the drinks reception. This is usually after confetti, congratulations and any important group photographs. At this point, you are both looking lovely, your flowers are fresh, guests are happily chatting, and there is a natural pause before the wedding breakfast.
I usually suggest keeping this first portrait session to around fifteen minutes. That is normally enough time to create a lovely variety of images without making you feel as though you have disappeared from your own wedding.
This part of the day is also a good chance for you both to have a little breathing space together. It is often the first quiet moment you have had since the ceremony, and it can feel much more relaxed than couples expect.
Bright sunshine can look beautiful, but strong overhead sun is not always the most flattering light for portraits. It can create harsh shadows, make people squint and wash out softer details, especially in open spaces with very little shade.
That does not mean portraits cannot be taken on sunny days. It simply means I will look carefully at the light and choose locations that work well. Sometimes the best portrait spot is not the most obvious view at the venue. It might be a shaded wall, a doorway, a line of trees, a quiet corner of the garden or somewhere with softer, more even light.
Golden hour is the time shortly before sunset when the light can become softer, warmer and more flattering. It is often a beautiful time for portraits, especially in spring and summer when the evening light lasts a little longer.
If the weather and timeline allow, I may suggest stepping outside for another fifteen minutes later in the day. This gives us chance to create a different feel from your earlier portraits, often with softer light, a calmer atmosphere and a little more romance.
Golden hour is never guaranteed, which is why I do not like relying on it as the only time for portraits. It can be cloudy, rainy, too windy, hidden behind buildings, or fall during dinner or speeches. When it happens, it is beautiful, but the earlier portrait session means you already have a strong set of images even if the evening light does not appear.
Sometimes the prettiest light falls at exactly the same time as speeches, food service or first dance. In those situations, the timeline has to come first. I will never expect you to abandon an important part of the day just because the light outside looks beautiful - unless of course you want to.
This is why planning is helpful. If golden hour portraits are especially important to you, it is worth considering sunset time when arranging your wedding breakfast, speeches and evening plans. Even a small pocket of time can make a difference.
Winter weddings need a little extra thought when it comes to portraits. The light fades much earlier, so if you are having a later ceremony, there may be a very limited window for natural light photographs afterwards.
For winter weddings, I may need a little longer for portraits during the drinks reception, usually around twenty to thirty minutes, because it is often dark after dinner. This is especially important if you would like natural light portraits outside. Once the daylight has gone, we can still create beautiful evening or night time photographs, but they will have a very different feel to natural outdoor portraits.
This does not mean you cannot have beautiful winter portraits. It simply means we may need to be more intentional with timing. If natural light portraits are important to you, it is worth allowing space for them before the light disappears.
Weather can change the portrait plan, especially in the UK. Rain, wind, strong sun, low winter light and fast moving clouds can all affect where and when portraits happen.
I will always keep an eye on the conditions and work with what the day gives us. Sometimes it is better to wait ten minutes for a shower to pass. Sometimes a covered doorway, an indoor space or a sheltered courtyard becomes the best option. The aim is always to create portraits that feel calm and beautiful, without forcing you into weather that makes you uncomfortable.
This is another reason I prefer to create at least a small set of outdoor portraits earlier in the day where possible. If the weather changes later, you still have those photographs safely captured, and anything we manage to create afterwards becomes a lovely bonus.
If your collection includes signature night time portraits, these are usually created later in the evening once the light has dropped and the atmosphere of the venue has changed. They are very different from daytime portraits and can bring a more dramatic feel to the final gallery.
These photographs might use the venue entrance, fairy lights, festoon lighting, a courtyard, a staircase, a doorway, rain, reflections or creative lighting outside after dark. They do not usually take long, but they do need a little space in the evening and work best when we can step away for a few quiet minutes and they can add a beautiful final chapter to the story of your day.
For most weddings, I recommend around fifteen to twenty minutes for your main portraits during the drinks reception, with the option of another fifteen minutes later in the day if the light is especially lovely. For winter weddings, we may need around twenty to thirty minutes during the drinks reception instead, as it is often dark after dinner and there won't be another natural light opportunity later.
If your collection includes signature night time portraits, we may also take a few minutes after dark for something more atmospheric.
This does not mean you will be posing stiffly for long periods of time. My approach is gentle and guided, with space for natural movement, conversation and the little in between moments that often make the photographs feel most like you.
The most important thing is to allow enough time that portraits do not feel rushed, while also protecting the atmosphere of the day. I never want you to feel as though your wedding has turned into a photoshoot.
When we go through your plans before the wedding, I will look at your ceremony time, reception plans, group photographs, speeches, sunset time, evening coverage and venue layout. This helps me suggest where portraits will fit most naturally.
A thoughtful timeline means you can have beautiful portraits without feeling dragged away from the people you love. It also means we can make the most of the light, rather than trying to squeeze everything into a rushed five minutes at the busiest part of the day.
The best wedding portraits are not just about the time of day. They are about light, timing, trust and giving yourselves a little space to breathe. Sometimes that means soft afternoon shade. Sometimes it means fifteen minutes at sunset. Sometimes it means stepping outside after dark for something a little more atmospheric.
My aim is always to make portraits feel calm, natural and beautifully timed around the day you have planned. By splitting portraits into smaller sessions and staying flexible with the light, your portraits can feel effortless while still becoming some of the most treasured photographs from your wedding.