Are Sunset Weddings overrated?

Daytime or Sunset weddings on Sanibel Island

Sunset Weddings might be overrated, given the vibrant and colorful scenes available during the daytime. Most weddings on Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach occur during the sunset hour. The light is a soft amber color. The problem is, everything including, people, water and landscaping all have this color at the so-called “golden hour.”

Morning Wedding at Sanibel Lighthouse Beach

Wedding at 10am on Sanibel Island

Sanibel Island Elopement

Morning Weddings on Sanibel Island

With the typical sunset ceremony at an hour prior to sunset, this gives the couple little time to greet their guests after the ceremony and still have some time for quick sunset photography. Some people might notice that at this ‘golden hour’ the sky and ocean appear warm and mellow, almost one and the same tonal range.

Visually, this can be boring as one views the prints and images. One tonal range, for skin tones and background green landscapes. Whereas during the morning and daytime, we can see brilliant and vibrant multi tones in the images.

Morning Elopement to Sanibel Island

Colorful Daytime Wedding Photography

With a daytime wedding, the visual landscape colors appear brighter and more contrasty. The daytime kelvin temperature provides this change of appearance between sunset and daytime. The sunlight is direct, embellishing the colors of the tropical green palms and landscapes. The colors of the water for the Gulf of Mexico reveals brighter and more intense colors, blue or green, depending on the season. Frank Simonetti, Wedding Photographer on Sanibel Island agrees with the visual appearance of daytime elopements.

Yes, Sunset Weddings are Overrated

Firstly, there may not be a sunset! So many times, the day is beautiful, and clouds roll in to cover the potentially beautiful sunset. With an afternoon wedding, the ceremony can be delayed 10 or 30 minutes to wait for the afternoon rains to disappear.

Afternoon Weddings on Sanibel Island

Daytime Wedding for evening dinner Celebration

Ok, let’s consider the weather, and once the sunset happens, there is no turning back, the day is done. Another problem for sunset weddings, with sunset at 8:25pm during the summer, you will hopefully arrive to your restaurant for the celebration dinner by 9:30pm after you freshen up from being on the beach. So, perhaps the celebration dinner will happen at 9:30pm. This might be an inconvenience for some and certainly we note that not many restaurants on Sanibel Island are open late into the evening.

Fun at morning wedding