Best time for April wedding photos

You want great wedding photos? Hands down the most important thing is light. So I’m starting a series to help give you an idea of what your wedding photos will look light based on the month you are getting married. By looking at the ingredients that go into a photo (date, time, weather, etc) you can get an idea of how to you create a timeline that will deliver the best possible images for your day.

Getting married in April means you are just making it out of winter and we are seeing the first early signs of spring. That means you need to consider:

• Temperatures can vary widely with it sometimes creeping to 70 and sometimes being in the 40’s. The average high being 58 and average low being 40 in New Haven, CT. For New York City it’s 61 and 44.
• April showers bring May flowers. Be prepared for rain and clouds to make a direct impact on your day. Umbrella, rain boots and a healthy rain plan are all key ingredients for good photos. You have a 40% of having a sunny day though!
• Speaking of clouds, have some wiggle room in your wedding timeline. With rain and dark clouds, your photographer will be trying to grab any dry moment or lovely sun bursts they can get. So instead of having one block of ‘couple portrait’ time that’s 45 minutes, opt for 15-20 minute chunks that can be placed in multiple parts of your day for maximizing the chance of great weather.

Best time of day for photos: 6:00-7:00pm
Worst time of day for photos: 9:00-1:00

Special timing considerations: Break up your large block of ‘group shots’ or ‘couple shots’ into smaller 15-20 minute segments so you can have 2-3 different times of day to maximize good light.
7:14am: Don’t forget that early morning also offers great light.6:24- It was cloudy during both shoots but we scheduled time during that optimal hour of light from 6-7.
6:59- The sun is beginning to dip and go down, making for some epic sunset shots.6:25- The first shot was taken on a sunny day and the other was taken on a cloudy day. Same time, same month. Just different weather.6:54- Again different weather dictates the mood and feel of the image. The first was taken during a VERY cold April day with clouds. The second was taken late in April with warmer weather and the sun out.