Late afternoon and sunset is a great time to have a ceremony. The best part is that, you can go straight to dinner :)
We have locations where sunset light is available throughout the year. Actually seeing the sunset on the ocean depends upon the location and time of year. We list the locations and times that work best for ceremonies.
Understand that, we do not use the sun as a background for ceremonies. Just like for your eyes, the sun is just too bright for the camera and the subjects (you) are just too dark. Additionally, the variety of shots for ceremony photos and especially video, requires that the light is shinning on you from the front and not behind you.
For these reasons, we schedule "sunset" ceremonies 60 minutes before the actual sunset to ensure that we'll have adequate direct and skylight sunlight for photos. This also allows for the vibrant colors on the subjects and backgrounds we and our clients want.
In case you think otherwise, it's important to know that, unlike higher latitudes where it's still light for hours after the sun sets, in the tropics, when the sun is low to the horizon, it's already getting dark with little to no skylight. After sunset, it's literally night.
And more times than not, there's clouds on the horizon which has the same effect as the sun setting, 15 to 30 minutes or more before the actual sunset. Basically, you and the whole scene is in the shadows, like being in the shadow of a building, and you know what that looks like in photos of people and scenics. So, even starting at 45 minutes before the sunset, you may begin your ceremony in very good light and then end it in the shadows and evn darkness.
With all that said, we can stay longer and try to do scenic photos when the sun gets low like you see on our website. What the light is like will determine the kind of shots we can do but, we can always do something dramatic (like shown on our website). If you want this, order a extra portrait session for your sunset location.
Facts:
- There is no sunset at Waialae/Kahala, Makapuu, or Waimanalo beach. They are on the wrong side of the island or the geography of the spot does not allow it.
- Sunset into the ocean is visible in the Honolulu/Waikiki area during the late Fall and Winter (late October to March).
- Sunset light is available throughout the year at Magic Island and Sand Island State Park in Honolulu/Waikiki. We use Magic Island most often given it's close proximity to Waikiki and offers the best opportunity for nice photos.
- Portlock Beach in East Honolulu is available in the late Fall and Winter only and this for actual sunset or low enough to get that look.
- Ko Olina and North Shore locations have sunset light all year. Actual sunset for North Shore will depend upon the beach.