It’s Your Golden Hour (in Tuscany): Why Timing Matters for Amazing Wedding Photos
Golden hour for L&T at Il Grande Prato, Tuscany // wp: My Lovely Weddings / flowers: CocoNoir Wedding Flowering / photos: Love Folio Photography
It was just two lovers…
When we think of the words golden hour that tingling, sparkling piano intro of the super popular homonymous song by JVKE starts playing in our heads. If you have been doing some research to work out how to book, or even organise, your wedding photography service you might have encountered the term golden hour more than once outside of your Spotify playlists. So what is the golden hour and why you should not miss it when planning your wedding phography in Tuscany? Let’s get into the nitty, gritty, and sparkly of this magical time of day.
Beautiful bride Emma during golden hour at Borgo Argiano // wp: Alfresco Wedding / beauty: Gemma Pearce makeup / photos: Love Folio Photography
Golden hour for L&T at Il Grande Prato, Tuscany // wp: My Lovely Weddings / flowers: CocoNoir Wedding Flowering / photos: Love Folio Photography
The magic of light in Tuscany: what is Golden Hour and why photographers love it
Other than being almost a photography style of its own, golden hour is a very specific time of daylight. In the early evening, when the Sun is especially low in the sky and about to disappear under the horizon, its rays become softer and paint the landscape in natural hues of red, orange and warm yellows. This unique moment of the day is especially coveted by photographers who enjoy shooting in natural light, not just in Tuscany but all over the world. The images it produces are naturally glowy, dreamy, and romantic: it’s almost like having a naturally occurring beauty filter before any post production is actually applied. But like all the beautiful things, golden hour is a fleeting moment. It only lasts for about one hour before sunset, if not less if the weather does not fully cooperate. So if you want your photographer to make the most of this magical moment you must seize the day and plan your early evening around it.
Vineyard wedding in Tuscany for A&J / wp: My Lovely Weddings
How Season,Weather and your Venue may affect Golden Hour Photos
Whether you get married in a vineyard, on top of a Florentine roof terrace, or at a historical Tuscan villa it’s important to understand what impact different factors may have on how golden hour will look on your wedding day so you can plan ahead and make the most of it. First of all take into account that the time of day for golden hour changes greatly depending on your wedding month. For early summer weddings, let’s say June 15th, golden hour happens around 8PM-9PM. On September 15th however, that time slot already shifted a whole hour backwards, so mark a 7PM-8PM slot for your golden hour photography. Planning a warm Fall wedding in Tuscany? You may have to aim for an even earlier slot to catch the golden magical light on your wedding photoshoot, between 5:30-6:30PM. Another factor that most people tend to overlook is the orientation and geography of their Tuscan wedding venue: to make the most of the last warm rays of Sun, your venue must have a Western facing point of view on the horizon that is not covered by tall trees, buildings or other light-blocking obstacles. Some of our favourite venues for golden hour photography are Borgo Argiano, Villa Catignano and Locanda in Tuscany. If your venue doesn’t have a favourable golden hour orientation, you can always ask your photographers to travel elsewhere (most venues will have a scenic spot just outside their gates and local photographers will be able to advise you). Lastly, weather plays perhaps the most important role: fingers crossed for a bright sunny day with little to no clouds! If all else fails, remember that an expert local photographer will know all the tips and be able to create magical pictures whatever the light and the weather, so choose wisely!
Magical cypress tree lane golden hour wedding photoshoot in Val D’Orcia for M&M / wp: My Dolce Far Niente / photos: Love Folio Photography
When stepping out of your venue makes all the difference… K&P on their backyard wedding in Tuscany / wp: PP Weddings / photos: Love Folio Photography
On moodier weather days, the blue hour after the sunset can be just as romantic / wp: Italian Wedding Designer / venue: Villa Gamberaia / photos: Love Folio Photography
How To Plan and Schedule for a Golden Hour Photoshoot
So, after you’ve done all the research, how do you effectively plan for a golden hour photoshoot? The most important thing is to communicate to your wedding planner and your wedding photographers that you want to have a golden hour photo opportunity. As magical as it may be, it’s definitely not a given and while we will suggest it, it’s totally up to the couple whether to schedule a photoshoot around this time of day or not. If the time of golden hour intersects with your dinner or aperitivo, always remember to involve your caterers in the planning so they can time their work accordingly. We have often accompanied couples to their golden hour photoshoot after they left their reception for a few minutes or captured a dramatic entrance to their dinner party after a longer golden hour photoshoot: everything is possible but remember that on a wedding day everything has to be planned and as such expert advice can go a long way. Likewise, if you are leaving for some time to capture golden hour photos you might want to design your guest experience around this and make sure they are well entertained while you take some time away from them. To expand your Tuscany wedding photography experience on the day, planning a first look earlier in the day may also be a great idea! And if, all things considered, you don’t want to plan a photoshoot around golden hour, this time can be used very effectively by your photographers to capture the beautiful and still pristine details of your wedding reception tables.
Bride and groom S&H golden hour photoshoot, just before making their entrance to their Indian dinner reception at Borgo Corsignano / wp: Wedding Italy / photos: Love Folio Photography
C&N share a kiss at golden hour just before joining their party for the evening reception / wp: Al Fresco Wedding / venue: Le Filigare / photos: Love Folio Photography
If you don’t want to schedule a photoshoot during golden hour, this time can be used to capture your reception decor / wp: Al Fresco Wedding / venue: Villa Catignano / photos: Love Folio Photography
Sample Tuscan Wedding Timelines for a Golden Hour Photoshoot
Here are two sample wedding timelines that include a golden hour photoshoot in Tuscany in two different seasons. Notice how timings are significantly different! Remember that these are for inspiration only! Always ask for the help of your expert wedding vendors when putting together a customised and efficient timeline for your wedding day.
Both these schedules can be captured on our Full Day Wedding Package, but you can edit these to suit your wedding style, venue, and ultimately budget.
Sample Summer Wedding Timeline
(Tuscany – Sunset ~8:45 PM)
Start: 12:00 PM → Getting ready (bride, groom, wedding party)
1:00 – 1:30 PM → First look & couple portraits in a shaded area
1:30 – 2:30 PM → Wedding party & family portraits in the same spot
break before ceremony for refreshments and touch ups •
5:30 → Ceremony (perfect light, not too hot in Tuscany evenings)
6:00 - 7:30 PM → Cocktail hour + group photos if not done earlier
7:50 – 8:30 PM → Golden hour couple portraits (sneak away during cocktail hour or during dinner, communicate with photographers, caterers and planners)
8:30 – 11:00 PM → Speeches, seated dinner al fresco under fairy lights, cake cutting, first dance
11:00 PM – 00.00AM → Dancing & party
Sample Fall Wedding Timeline
(Tuscany – Sunset ~6:30 PM)
9:00 – 11:00 AM → Getting ready
11:30 - 12.3o PM → First look & couple portraits
12:30 - 13.30 PM → Wedding party & family portraits
• break before ceremony for refreshments and touch ups •
3:30 – 4:15 PM → Ceremony (warm autumn light)
4:15 – 5:30 PM → Cocktail hour + group photos if not yet done
5:45 – 6:25 PM → Golden hour couple portraits (step away just before dinner and make a grand entrance)
6:30 – 9:oo PM → Speeches, seated dinner al fresco or in a covered area, cake cutting, first dance
9:00 PM – late → Dancing & party
Outfit change and first dance in the Italian garden for T&P on their Indian wedding in Tuscany / wp: Italian Wedding Designer / photos: Love Folio Photography
A final tip from Love Folio photographers…
You’ve set the timeline and the location. You know the venue and where you’re going to go. A final tip from us as professional wedding photographers in Tuscany for almost 15 years is… that the most successful golden hour shoots happen when couples treat it as a fun break for themselves — not just a photoshoot. A golden hour shoot gives you a moment of private time together, captured for the future, while your vendors ensure the flow for guests continues smoothly. So, more than anything, remember to have fun and don’t be shy with your emotions: let them flow and shine as the last rays of the evening Sun will paint in gold the beautiful corner of Tuscany where you will get married.
We offer a wide range of packages for wedding photography in Tuscany with a relaxed and artistic approach, from intimate elopement and microweddings to lively wedding weekends at the trendiest Tuscan venues. To inquire about availability and discover our pricing for 2026 weddings in Tuscany please visit our Contact page.