Sunset photos are the ones I always push couples to keep on the timeline, and they're almost always the first thing to get cut when the day runs tight. Golden hour is roughly the hour before the sun drops, when the light goes warm and soft and forgiving, and here in Toronto it's the difference between a nice portrait and the frame you hang over your bed. So before we talk styles or shot lists, let me make the case for those 15 minutes. Sunset photos almost never make it onto the planning checklist, and yet they're the ones couples point to later as their favourites from the entire day. Even 15 minutes of good light goes a really long way.
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Timing is everything
The trick is knowing exactly when the sun sets and carving out 20 to 30 minutes around it. The best window is usually the 20 or so minutes just before it drops, when the light goes soft and gold, though the exact timing depends a lot on your venue. Where the sun actually sets, whether there are trees or buildings in the way, and how your timeline is built all change when we should step out. Golden hour isn't a fixed clock time either, it moves with the season and shrinks fast in a Toronto winter, so the first thing I do when we build a plan together is look up your exact sunset time and work backward from there.
On the day I keep an eye on the light and the clock as things unfold, and if we need to nudge sunset photos earlier or later, I'll flag it to you well ahead so it never comes as a surprise. I'll also scope out the best spots before we ever head out, so when the light peaks we walk straight to them instead of wandering around hunting for a background. As much time as possible is ideal, but even 10 minutes beats nothing, and a good 10 minutes of light can carry the whole set.
Miss it by half an hour and it's gone, which is why sunset lives inside the bigger conversation about your wedding day timeline: light is the one part of the day you cannot reschedule, so everything else bends around it rather than the other way around.
Summer and fall weddings
In these seasons the sun sets late, and a Toronto summer wedding can see golden hour land close to 9pm, right in the middle of dinner or speeches. That's actually easy to work with. We build a 20 to 30 minute gap into the reception so you can slip out, grab those portraits, and be back before anyone really notices you were gone. Early fall pulls sunset earlier week by week, so we just check your date and adjust.
Honestly, a short escape like this does more than make pretty pictures. Your day moves in a blur, and stepping away for a few quiet minutes together is often the first time you actually breathe since getting ready. If we already did a first look earlier, even better, because you go into sunset loose and warmed up instead of stiff.
Winter and spring weddings
Here the sun usually sets during cocktail hour, which is honestly perfect. Your guests are mingling and happily occupied, so you've got a natural window to sneak away for couple portraits and still get back for the reception.
In the colder months that window is short, sometimes only 30 or 40 minutes from start to finish, so we pick the spot in advance and move with intention. Toronto gives us a lot to work with here, whether it's the waterfront, a downtown rooftop, or a ravine near your venue, and the light does most of the heavy lifting.
Don't forget blue hour
Right after the sun disappears there's a second window most people miss, and it's called blue hour. For about 20 minutes the sky settles into a deep, even blue, which is beautiful for a moodier frame or for catching your venue once its lights come on. If your timeline has the room, we'll often grab a few golden hour portraits first, then linger a little longer for a completely different look as the sky turns. It's two distinct moods for the price of one short step outside.
However your day is timed, just flag sunset to your photographer early so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle. It's such a small ask for some of the best frames you'll get all night. If you want help fitting it into your plan, reach out and we'll map it around your venue and season.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is golden hour?
Golden hour is the stretch of soft, warm light that shows up shortly after sunrise and again in the hour or so before sunset. For weddings we almost always mean the evening one, because that's when the light turns gold and flattering and everyone looks their best without any effort.
When is golden hour on my wedding day?
It lands in the last hour or so before your local sunset, so it moves with the season. A June wedding in Toronto might hit golden hour close to 8pm, while a November one could be closer to 4:30pm. I look up your exact sunset time and we plan the portraits right into that window.
How long do sunset photos take?
Not long at all. I usually ask for 15 to 20 minutes, which covers the short walk to our spot, the actual shooting, and the walk back. You get some of the best images of the night for barely a dent in your schedule.
Do we have to leave the reception for sunset photos?
Only for those few minutes, and most guests never clock that you stepped out. If sunset falls during dinner or cocktail hour, people are eating, drinking, and chatting, so slipping away and returning is easy and honestly kind of romantic to have that pause just the two of you.
What if it is cloudy at sunset?
Cloud cover is often a gift. It acts like a giant softbox and spreads the light evenly, so you still get gorgeous, glare free portraits. Whatever the sky is doing, the way we shoot it comes down to your style of wedding photography, and we adjust on the spot.