The Guide
the light In Savannah
Why this city photographs differently from anywhere else, and how to plan your wedding day around it.
Plan Around The Light
when is your Date
In October the sun sets around 6:55 PM in Savannah. I would start your portraits around 5:55 PM, while the light is still soft under the oaks.

Why It Looks Like This
Three things make Savannah light. First the live oaks. A big oak with moss hanging from it is a giant soft filter, so even in bright sun you can stand a couple in open shade and the light on their faces stays gentle. Second the moss itself, which breaks up the hard edges of shadows. Third the old brick, stucco and ironwork downtown, which warm the light as it bounces back up at you.
That is why I specialize in it. The same bride at the same spot can look washed out at one in the afternoon and glowing two hours later, without me changing anything but when we walked there.
Through The Day
Morning
The squares are quiet and the light is clean and soft. This is the time for a first look with no tourists, or for an engagement session where you want the park to yourselves.
Midday
The hardest light of the day, and in Savannah that is still workable. I keep couples under the canopy or inside a historic house near a big window. Open sky is what we avoid. Interiors with tall windows shine now.
Late Afternoon
The best part of the day for most weddings. Light comes in low under the oaks and turns the moss into a backlight. Forsyth Park is especially good, with light streaming through the trees and long shadows on the paths.
The Hour Before Sunset
This is what I guard on your timeline. Even twenty minutes alone with me here is usually what ends up framed on your wall.
After Dark
Courtyards with string lights, sparkler send offs and the river at blue hour. This is a different kind of beautiful.


Sunset In Savannah By Month
Sunset on the 15th of each month, rounded to five minutes and worked out from the sun's position for downtown Savannah. Daylight saving is included. Trees and buildings take the direct light earlier than this, so I plan portraits to start about an hour ahead.
| Month | Sunset |
|---|---|
| January | 5:40 PM |
| February | 6:10 PM |
| March | 7:30 PM |
| April | 7:55 PM |
| May | 8:15 PM |
| June | 8:30 PM |
| July | 8:30 PM |
| August | 8:10 PM |
| September | 7:30 PM |
| October | 6:55 PM |
| November | 5:25 PM |
| December | 5:20 PM |
What I Would Do With This
- Before you set a ceremony time, ask your photographer where the sun will be. Then set it.
- For a spring or fall evening wedding, try to end the ceremony an hour or more before sunset so portraits land in the good light.
- In winter sunset comes early. Consider a first look, or an earlier ceremony.
- In summer, use the shade and plan an indoor reception. Here is how I build the timeline.
Your Date
Tell me where you are getting married and I will tell you how I would photograph it.