plan around the light
Light and seasons on Sea Island
Sunset by month, where the light falls through the day, and how I would build your timeline around the last hour before dark.
sunset by month
Sea Island sunset times
Worked out for Sea Island on the 15th of each month, in local clock time, and rounded to five minutes. Golden hour is the hour before.
- JanuarySunset about quarter to six pm
- FebruarySunset about ten past six pm
- MarchSunset about half past seven pm
- AprilSunset about five to eight pm
- MaySunset about quarter past eight pm
- JuneSunset about half past eight pm
- JulySunset about half past eight pm
- AugustSunset about ten past eight pm
- SeptemberSunset about half past seven pm
- OctoberSunset about five to seven pm
- NovemberSunset about half past five pm
- DecemberSunset about twenty five past five pm
On the coast the sky keeps going after the sun is down. Ten more minutes on the dock is often the best photograph of the night.
through the day
Where the light falls
- Morning
Soft, low light through tall windows for getting ready. Ask for a room facing the water or the oaks.
- Midday
Hard overhead sun on open sand. Under the oaks at The Lodge the canopy breaks it into soft shade.
- Late Afternoon
Warm side light on palms and lawns, the time for the ceremony and family photographs.
- Golden Hour
The hour before sunset, for twenty quiet minutes of portraits, then the blue light after.
Spring
Sunset moves from about half past seven in March to about quarter past eight in May, so evening ceremonies get long, warm light. It is the season many couples picture when they think of the Golden Isles, green oaks and blooming gardens.
Summer
The latest sunsets of the year, about half past eight in June and July. Plan an evening ceremony, keep guests in shade during the day and save portraits for the last hour of light, when the heat has eased and the sky turns gold over the marsh.
Fall
Sunset comes back to about half past seven in September and about five to seven in October, which brings the whole evening earlier. The light turns warmer and lower in the sky, which is kind to skin and to the marsh grass.
Winter
Sunset around half past five or earlier, so portraits often happen before the ceremony. A first look makes that easy, and candlelit rooms like the wine cellars carry the evening.
How I Build The Timeline
On our call I look up sunset for your exact date and build backward from it. Ceremony, then family photographs while everyone is still together, then the two of you in the last good light. For a weekend, I plan the welcome dinner and the farewell brunch the same way.
Photographs On The Beach
Golden Isles tourism says Georgia beaches are public and that no permits, photography permits included, are needed for a beach wedding, as long as public pathways and parking lots stay clear. Glynn County beaches ban fireworks, open fires and glass containers, so plan sparklers and toasts for somewhere else. Sea Island's own beach and settings follow Sea Island's rules, so check with its wedding team before planning anything on the sand. Source Golden Isles tourism.
On the sand, the best light comes late. The hour before sunset is soft and warm, and the few minutes after it turn the water and the sky pale blue and pink.
He is a master at capturing moments between people, and in seeing light.
light questions
about the Light
When is sunset on Sea Island?
Worked out for the 15th of each month, it runs from about twenty five past five in December to about half past eight in June and July, local clock time. Check the exact time for your date.
What time should our ceremony start?
Work back from sunset. Leave time after the ceremony for family photographs, then keep twenty or thirty minutes for portraits in the last hour of light.
Is a beach ceremony allowed?
Golden Isles tourism says Georgia beaches are public and no permits are required for a beach wedding, as long as public pathways and parking stay clear. Sea Island's own beach and settings follow Sea Island's rules, so ask its wedding team.
What if it rains?
Ask your setting for its rain plan when you book. Sea Island says tents are required for more than 75 guests at its starred venues, and covered verandas, ballrooms and the chapel photograph well in soft rain light.
