When is the best time of day to take your wedding photos?

Step outside at noon and try to take a selfie, what do you notice? Your eyes are most likely going to be in shadow by your brow line; you're squinting because it's so bright, there are other harsh shadows, and it's hard to maintain a good exposure. A professional photographer's camera may be able to pick up on the exposure better than your smartphone, but you're still aren't going to want the photo of yourself to look so harsh. High noon light is not when you want to take your wedding day portraits if you wish to have optimal experience and results. Instead, most seasoned photographers prefer to make the most outstanding photos on your wedding day during the golden hour.

What is the golden hour? Golden hour is the 60 minutes before the sunsets behind the horizon. This lighting is generally the best for portraits, offering angled light that doesn't cause harsh shadows. Golden hour is undoubtedly the best time of day for wedding photos! Try to coordinate your wedding schedule to allow you to use an hour or 45 minutes for these photos.

When is my favorite time for the romantic portraits of the bride and groom? To me, the ultimate moment is generally sunset and the blue hour is roughly 15 minutes long after. This is when I'm able to capture the classic sunset colors in the sky and create imagery you'll love for a lifetime. A seasoned photographer may even have a cool lighting setup that will help illuminate you and your new spouse while the sunset pops behind you!

When planning your wedding, schedule your day to create the best photos, especially if you're making a significant financial investment. I advise Googling when the golden hour and suent are on your specific date - or better yet, see if your photographer will collaborate to make a detailed plan. You'll thank yourself years down the road for this.

Here are a few other bits of advice:

• Sunset may be at a different time depending on if you're on top of a mountain or in a valley. Keep this in so you're not too off!

• Not every sky means an epic sunset. Golden hour is generally still the best time to take photos, but it doesn't guarantee grand colors.

• Photographers would prefer cloudy weather over sunny! This surprises brides all the time, but an overcast day is much easier to work with. However, this may make a golden hour end faster if it's too dark and cloudy.

• Sunrise is also a great alternative if you have the time. You get a golden hour as the sun rises too. Sunrise is excellent for elopements or intimate weddings!

• Schedule the photos that are most important to you during the golden hour. That's usually the photos of you and your new spouse, however, everyone is different and family photos or bridal parties are good too. It's up to you.

Are you planning a 2020 or 2021 wedding? Check out epic sunset photos from Colorado mountain wedding photographer Cassandra Vagher Creative LLC.