Should You Elope at Sunrise or Sunset?
Updated January 6th, 2022
Why We Suggest Eloping at Sunrise or Sunset
When our couples begin to dream up their perfect elopement days and start picking locations, we have the discussion about whether they’d prefer a sunrise elopement or a sunset elopement. The reason behind this is simple: the light. During sunrise and sunset, the sun is at its lowest point in the sky, which makes it much less harsh, and helps to avoid “raccoon eye” shadows on your face. There is also the chance for warm, golden light and beautiful colors that stretch across the sky.
Of course, the magic of sunrise and sunset is fleeting, particularly when you are surrounded by mountains. Because of this, it’s not possible for your entire elopement adventure to take place during sunrise or sunset, but you can build a timeline that prioritizes the best light for the parts of your day that are most important to you. For most of our couples, they choose to have either their ceremony or their adventure (when we take photos of the two of them exploring together) during sunrise or sunset.
But which is better? This will vary couple-to-couple and depend on factors such as location and time of year. In this blog post, we’ve put together a list of things for you to consider when choosing between sunrise and sunset for your elopement!
The Benefits of a Sunrise Elopement
The Light
This goes without saying, but there are few things more magical than a good sunrise. For most of our sunrise elopements, we will start the day in the dark, and as we hike to our destination, the sun comes up. It is incredible to slowly see your surroundings appear all around you.
If you’re getting married in the mountains, our favorite locations have views that face east (with you facing west to see the views). The reason behind this is that those mountains will be the first to get illuminated by the sun’s light.
And if you’re lucky, you might even experience the optical phenomenon called alpenglow! This occurs just before sunrise or just after sunset and it is when the tops of the mountains glow with a red, orange, or pink hue. While alpenglow isn’t always guaranteed, it sure is a treat when it happens!
The Privacy
In our opinion, one of the biggest benefits to eloping at sunrise is the privacy it offers. Let’s be honest, most people (us included) aren’t morning people, so hitting the hiking trail at 4 AM might seem like the last thing you want to do on your elopement day. But that’s exactly why sunrise can be a great idea, because most people feel the exact same way and won’t be out yet! Pushing yourself to get out of bed early will often give you a location completely to yourself!
This is particularly beneficial if you’ve chosen a popular location such as the Windows Section at Arches National Park, Dream Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park or Loveland Pass in Breckenridge. During the day these locations are packed with people, but at sunrise, they can be nearly empty!
It is important to note that this “rule” does not apply to locations that are known for their sunrises. For example, Maroon Bells in Aspen or Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park are famous for their sunrises. So hikers, photographers, locals, and tourists flock to those locations at sunrise.
The Weather
If you’re getting married in the mountains, particularly in Colorado, it is very common for afternoon thunderstorms to roll through daily in the summer. This can not only put a damper on your elopement plans, but it can also be incredibly dangerous. Eloping at sunrise allows you to enjoy the (most often) clear weather and be off the mountaintop before the thunderstorms become a threat.
If you’re eloping in a hot climate, going out for sunrise can help you escape the heat of the day and enjoy milder temperatures.
Elopement Day Flexibility
Sometimes things run behind on an elopement day. Whether getting ready takes longer than you expect, an animal on the trail causes a delay in our hike (this has really happened before), we have to wait out some bad weather, there is unexpected traffic, or maybe you just really want to spend a little more time exploring an area.
When you elope at sunrise, things being delayed isn't as big of a deal as it is with a sunset elopement. This is because with a sunset elopement, we only have so much available light before it gets completely dark. So starting your hike or ceremony a little bit late could mean that we don’t get to capture everything you want. With sunrise, we have plenty of light to work with, so we can be a little bit more flexible on your elopement day.
What About Our Guests?
Most often, when our couples have a sunrise elopement with guests, we will head out on an adventure at sunrise with just the two of them (this could include a private vow exchange, a breakfast picnic, or just exploring for photos) and then return to their families later in the morning (for a ceremony with everyone or just to celebrate).
Sometimes guests are willing to get up early and everyone can enjoy the sunrise together!
Check Out Some Sunrise Elopements
The Benefits of a Sunset Elopement
The Light
Similar to sunrise, you really can’t beat the beauty of sunsets.
If you’re getting married on a beach on the West Coast, you can’t beat watching the sunset over the ocean. And if you’re getting married in the mountains or most other locations, we love both east and west-facing views! East-facing views often get that direct golden hour light behind you, but the views themselves don’t get hit with direct light. West-facing views will have beautiful and even light on you and the views in the background.
And again, if you’re lucky, you might experience alpenglow just after sunset! This is when the tops of the mountains glow with a red, orange, or pink hue. In our observation, we tend to see alpenglow more often at sunrise than at sunset, but it’s still a possibility if the sky is just right!
The Atmosphere
Okay, before we lose you, hear us out. There is just something magical about the way it feels to end your elopement day at sunset. By that time of the day, you’ve had the chance to get comfortable in front of the camera and all of the nerves have completely melted away.
We love capturing sunset elopements because that calmness is palpable. Our couples get to explore, enjoy the views, and get some really incredible photos while they’re at it!
The Privacy
Often, sunsets can give you quite a bit of privacy. And while many locations may not be quite as quiet as a sunrise, you’re much less likely to run into crowds at sunset than you would during the day.
In summer, sunset times are often after 8 PM, a time when most other hikers and visitors have returned home for the night. And in spring and fall, sunset often falls between 5 PM and 7 PM, when most people have returned home for dinner.
As with sunrise, this does not apply to locations that are known for being sunset spots. So for example, if you’re looking for privacy, Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park or Delicate Arch in Arches National Park probably won’t be the best fit. Maybe try sunrise instead!
The Weather
Going out for sunset can be a great way to avoid the heat of the day if you’re in a warm climate.
And if you’re eloping in a mountainous location like Colorado, the afternoon thunderstorms have usually already passed through by this time of night.
What About Our Guests?
It’s much easier to convince your guests to stay out for sunset than it is to go out for sunrise. However, our favorite way to spend sunset is just the two of you surrounded by amazing views.
Most often, our couples will have a ceremony with their guests, followed by a dinner or picnic. Then shortly before sunset, our couple will say goodbye to their guests and the four of us will head out together. We think that this is such a perfect way to end your elopement day!
Check Out Some Sunset Elopements
What About Before Sunrise or After Sunset?
Blue Hour
You’ve probably noticed the short amount of time right before sunrise or right after sunset when the sky glows blue and everything feels quiet and soft. This is called blue hour and it usually occurs in the 15-20 minutes leading up to sunrise and the 15-20 minutes after sunset.
We love photographing during this time because the surrounding landscape is just silhouettes and it allows us to play around with headlamps and portable LED lanterns.
The great thing about blue hour is that clear skies aren’t required for amazing photos!
Stars + Milky Way
Alex is a HUGE fan of astrophotography. He loves staying out late to photograph the stars and sometimes even catch a glimpse of a shooting star or meteor shower.
Astrophotography can be such an exciting way to end your elopement day.
Having star photos taken during your elopement is a bit trickier than blue hour.
You’ll need to be willing to be out about 2 hours before sunrise or after sunset.
You’ll want to choose an elopement day that is as close to a new moon as possible. This will give you the best chance at seeing the Milky Way. If you’re eloping on a day when the moon will be out, we can still capture stars, but the Milky Way may not be visible.
You’ll want to be patient. Photographing the stars and the milky way requires quite a few steps as well as time spent standing still.
You’ll need to understand that not every night is guaranteed to have clear skies. Some nights it is too foggy/cloudy to see the stars at all and some nights we have to be patient and wait for the clouds to move.
Are You Ready to Start Your Sunrise or Sunset Elopement Adventure?
We’re Lisa + Alex
We are a husband and wife elopement photography and videography team! We live in Colorado with our pup, Poppy, and love exploring the outdoors.
We are passionate about giving our couples the most incredible elopement day possible. We work closely with each of our couples to offer location options, vendor recommendations, and fun ideas to personalize their wedding day.
Each couple who books with us will receive their own, collaborative Elopement Planning Portal. We know that planning your elopement can seem overwhelming, but we’re here to make the planning process easy and fun.
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