Why everyone loves a sunset wedding ceremony

With Celebrant Cara Hodge of Brisbane City Celebrants

We are so excited to have our article about sunset wedding ceremonies published on the Polka Dot Bride Wedding Blog!

With weddings now becoming less traditional, and more about couples doing it their way and putting their own personal stamp on their day, there’s never been a better time for couples to really consider their wedding day schedule, in particular the time their ceremony takes place.

In Brisbane the vast majority of wedding ceremonies typically take place at around 3pm. The primary reason being this gives the photographer 1-2 hours of beautiful golden light to take advantage of during the couples post wedding photo shoot, before the bride and groom make their way to rejoin the guests at the reception, so here’s some food for thought.

Brisbane City Celebrants sunset wedding ceremony guide as published on Polka Dot Bride

With the wedding ceremony being the most special part of the day, what if it took place at the most jaw dropingly beautiful time of the day? in that gorgeous golden light, with everyone present getting to share in the stunning sunset as the bride and groom share their heartfelt vows and first kiss as husband and wife to the romantic and dramatic backdrop of a beautifully lit up sky.

Sunset Wedding Photos by Leah Cruikshank Photography

Naturally a gorgeous sunset ceremony requires a little tweaking to the traditional wedding day schedule, so here’s some tips on planning the perfect sunset ceremony.

Firstly most wedding photographers will no doubt still love the opportunity to shoot you as a couple in natural daylight. A great way to do this is as a ‘First Look’ or ‘Reveal’ shoot, a couple of hours before the ceremony takes place, at a different location when the photographer captures the grooms reaction when he sees his beautiful bride for the very first time, minus the nerves that often accompany having all the families and friends present during this special moment.

Not only does a first look shoot mean that you get to include this extra special element in your day and your photo album, and have a stunningly romantic sunset ceremony, it also means that once the ceremony has concluded you get to stay and immediately celebrate with your guests instead of being whisked away from them for photos.

Sunset Wedding Photos by Leah Cruikshank Photography

The guests will love it too not only for experiencing the most beautiful sunset ceremony, but also for being a cooler time of day and most of all for not being separated from the stars of the show (you!) and having to endure the ‘waiting around’ time that typically takes place between a ceremony and reception.

The sunset ceremony schedule also takes away the pressure of having to organise entertainment and additional refreshments to keep the guests occupied between the ceremony and reception.

As the sun sets, this is also an opportunity for the photographer to showcase their night time photography skills and creative lighting techniques with sparklers and candle lighting.

Sunset wedding photos from a gorgeous Spicers Hidden Vale wedding with Brisbane Celebrant Ciara Hodge.
Images kindly provided by  Leah Cruikshank Photography

Considerations when having a sunset ceremony, include:

• Choosing an open ceremony location that is easily accessible and will embrace the sunset;
• Considering where you will stand to get the best effect from the sunset and without the sun in your or your guests eyes;
• If the ceremony is outdoors, as it will get dark fairly quickly once the sun has set, consider assigning ushers or groomsmen to assist in promptly directing the guests on to the reception area for refreshments;
• Consider adding ambient lighting as ceremony décor, like strings of light bulbs, candles or a sparkling chandelier over the ceremony to enhance with the romance of the sunset.

If you love the idea of a sunset ceremony for your wedding, experienced Brisbane Celebrants Ciara and Jamie would love to hear from you contact us to confirm availability.

Happy wedding planning!

Love Brisbane City Celebrants x

A special thank you to the gorgeous Leah of Leah Cruikshank Photography for kindly providing the beautiful images to accompany this post from a stunning wedding with Cara that took place at Spicers Hidden Vale.