Feel free to contact us with a timeline of your day. If you would like our input on lighting conditions, we would be more than happy to assist you with planning your day around optimal lighting. This is, perhaps, the most important conversation we can have with you as lighting is key.
The purpose of this post is to help our couples to choose the most flattering lighting conditions depending on time of day, location, time of year, and any other variables. We want to make planning your day around the best lighting possible as straightforward as we can. In addition, some consideration is better than no consideration! We love to talk lighting so feel free to reach out or organise a coffee (or chai or hot chocolate) to discuss the finer details of your timeline.
Furthermore, the more you have planned ahead for crucial aspects of the day - for example, lighting conditions & backup plans depending on weather - the more relaxed (fingers and toes crossed!) you will be on the day. Knowledge is power. The more you know what is going on (or, more importantly, the more the people you have trusted to keep everything on track - such as a planner, on-the-day coordinator, or family friend - know what is going on), the less likely you will be left floundering on the day trying to make big decisions as to what exactly to do next (hint: planners & on-the-day coordinators are worth their weight in gold - please trust us on this one and we are more than happy to recommend from our personal experience). We are all for spontaneity and creativity but this is the thing: it is easier to discard the plans on the day and choose to go with the flow than it is to create a plan when things seem to be going off-course. Speaking of off-course, assume that the day will run slightly behind schedule and, that way, you will be well-prepared.
As they all say, the day will fly by. We are yet to meet anyone who has said that the day dragged for them and, I guess, that is a good thing! The more prepared you are, the more seamless the day will unfold - or that is the goal anyway.
For our own wedding, we chose midday for our ceremony. Why? Well, the short answer is that we had no idea. We said it out loud! Absolutely no idea. If we can help other couples make more informed decisions around their big day, we would be thrilled.
Weddings are about love & emotion & connection - & perfect lighting, if at all possible. <3
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First things first, here is some general background information:
Lighting conditions on the day & your personal wedding timeline are interconnected. They both impact each other. Given the choice, most photographers and couples choose soft light over harsh light. Early morning and later afternoon over midday. The harsher the light, the stronger the contrast and the heavier the shadows. Furthermore, due to the fact that softer light is very often more comfortable, you will feel more at ease under these conditions than the sweat, fatigue, dehydration, and so on, that can be typically experienced under harsh lighting conditions. Therefore, if you want to discuss your timeline to work around the best lighting on the day, we would be thrilled to help out.
Honestly, it is really hard to beat warm & golden light and playful lens flares. If we have to pick one ideal time of the day to work with, it is Golden Hour - just after sunrise or just before sunset. If the day is particularly cloudy (not a bad thing as an overcast sky works like a gigantic soft box and will provide the most amount of consistent lighting for the day), this will impact on golden hour (cloudy day = you might lose 30 minutes from your schedule for post-ceremony portraits during daylight hours).
We have separated the following information specific for weddings into the following sections:
Preparation
First Look
Ceremony
Group Portraits
Couple Portraits
Reception
Feel free to let us know if we need to factor in:
A Morning Ceremony; 10 am-3 pm (main tips here are to keep the sunlight behind you wherever possible and/or seek shade, such as a tree, tall building, and so on: #MinimisingSquinting and dark circles under the eyes and shadow mustaches - a thing that sure does happen when the sun is shining down on top of the head… one of those things you can’t unsee when you see it!)
Venue-Specific Restrictions*
Religious Elements
Cultural Elements
Extensive Travel Distances
People-Free Ceremony & Reception Location & Detail Shots
Creative Night-Time Portraits (sparklers, cityscapes, and so on)
*Such as no flash in a dark church, for example
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Preparation:
Ideally, you want to plan for a light & well-lit room: so well-lit, if possible, that you do not need lights turned on. It is not uncommon for couples to book an Airbnb (or similar) to suit both the couples’ tastes and provide a clear & clean background for preparation (with all the space you desire). Of course, some couples choose homes sentimental to them, too, and we will work with whatever is important to you. At the end of the day, our suggestions are coming from a technical place of providing you with as stunning images as we possibly can. From there, you are free and welcome to work around your own unique priorities (like the comfort of Grandma’s home full of grounding memories for you on your big day!).
(Please let us know if you want detail shots to be factored in, too. We will make sure to find a suitable spot out of the way to work on some flat-lays. Having a spare window for this part of the shoot is ideal.)
Key points:
Natural window light
Flattering and negates weird colour casts on skin!
Optimal for hair & makeup, too, to ensure that the final look is well-blended to suit your natural skin tones
Avoids mixed lighting situations: such as daylight + orange tungsten bulbs, tungsten + florescent - usually a bit blue-green - light, and so on
Clean, clear background
Will not detract from your beautiful shots
However, could also add to the storytelling if the location is important to you
Suggested locations: somewhere important to you (!), Airbnb or hotel suite (preferably one without no-smoking signs, outdated chairs, tourist brochures & questionable carpet in the background!)
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First Look:
The first look is typically jam-packed with emotion. If you have decided to do a first look, this is perhaps the part of the day to get “right” lighting-wise. Some suggestions for this part of the day would be a venue garden or an empty venue hallway (you want a shaded area with natural light, if possible).
Allow the emotion to be captured under the best possible circumstances
Suggested locations: somewhere important to you (!), venue garden or empty venue hallway
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Ceremony:
The key influencer for the lighting conditions for the ceremony will be location: ?church, ?garden, ?indoor, ?outdoor. The variables associated with both of these conditions are huge so we are happy to chat about your individual circumstances.
A lot of variables so we will chat about your individual circumstances
Suggested locations: somewhere important to you (!)
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Group Portraits:
Group portraits are your call. Some couples want them. Some couples do not want them. We will take your lead. The biggest tip we can give for this part of the day is to have family members from both sides of the family to help pull together the people outlined on the shot list.
Have family members from both sides of the family pull together the guests
Suggested locations: somewhere important to you (!), ceremony site, venue garden, beach or park
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Couple Portraits:
Most couples want a mix of candid and posed. Creative and traditional. Fun & classic. We want you to have portraits (the part of the day that most couples seem to frame/look back on as time goes by) that you will only love more and more with the passing of time. A big part of the quality of the images will be lighting conditions so how about we sit down and chat about it. :)
Similar to the ceremony shots, there are a lot of variables for couple portraits - but try to make sure that golden hour is not overlooked during the planning phase!
Suggested locations: somewhere important to you (!), venue garden, beach or park
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Reception:
Aside from location & time of day, a lot will ride on the ambience/mood/tone of the reception. For example, if you have chosen to fill a cosy venue with romantic candlelight, we will not be moving around flashing and disrupting that ambience. If you have a long table with plenty of Italian string lighting draped over the top, we will not disrupt that relaxed atmosphere and, in fact, we will work delicately with the bokeh of the light in the background! So many options for lighting aside from flash. We aim to respect the vibe of your day and be mindful of how we meet the all-important balance that is not disrupting your day but, at the same time, not missing crucial moments/providing subpar images as a result.
Please feel free to talk to us about the ambience/mood/tone of your reception and that will help guide our approach to capturing it in the best possible light - while also being respectful & mindful
Suggested locations: somewhere important to you (!), well-designed cafe or restaurant or wedding venue (lots of window lighting &/or fixtures - for example, hanging chandeliers - that your day cannot do without)
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We are all about transparency at Poppy & Sage Photography and we hope that sharing this information makes it easier and more straightforward to plan out your day around the best lighting conditions possible. <3