Post-Wedding Portrait Session: A Better Way to Get Sunset Photos (Without Missing Your Reception)

What if you didn’t have to squeeze portraits into the chaotic hour after your ceremony? One of the best alternatives for couples is scheduling a post-wedding portrait session during your wedding weekend—so you can enjoy your ceremony exit, greet your guests, and actually make it to cocktail hour.

After you’ve just kissed, walked back down the aisle, and stepped into the applause of family and friends, the last thing most couples want is to stop for “just a few quick photos.” In reality, those “few minutes” often turn into an hour. The adrenaline fades, the smile starts to hurt, your feet ache, and you get a little hangry. As a wedding photographer, I’ve seen this pattern over and over again—but it doesn’t have to be the default.

I recently photographed an incredible couple, Christin and Jacob, who married at Timber Ridge Lodge—a fantastic setting for weddings at Keystone Resort. They decided the post-ceremony portrait rush wasn’t for them.

Instead, we scheduled their post-wedding portrait sitting a couple of days after the wedding at Mount Falcon Park. We timed it for golden hour—that precious window of soft light right before sunset. The result? A relaxed, unhurried session where they could enjoy the mountains, each other, and the moment—complete with a dramatic sunset and a rising moon.

Most couples never see the sunset on their wedding day. By the time family photos wrap, cocktail hour is over and everyone is rushing inside for dinner—often while the best light of the day disappears.

Here are the results of Christin and Jacob’s post-wedding portrait session.