Guide · 4 min read · Updated
Where to hold a pre-wedding session in Madrid:light first, location second
The most cited parks are not always open when the light is good. How to choose the place from the month and the hour.
If you ask where to hold a pre-wedding session in Madrid, you will almost always be given three names: the Retiro, the Temple of Debod and El Capricho park. They repeat because they are the ones written everywhere. But the list gives names and omits the essential: the opening hours. And in a historic garden, the hours decide whether there will be light at all.
The most cited place opens few days
According to the Madrid City Council schedule, El Capricho park opens only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: 9:00 to 18:30 from October to March, and 9:00 to 21:00 from April to September, closed on 25 December and 1 January. From Monday to Friday there is no entry. It is a detail that almost no guide mentions alongside the name.
Light and closing time, month by month
For Madrid, on the 15th of each month, these are the approximate times at which golden light and sunset begin, set against the park closing time.
| Month | Golden light begins | Sunset | Park closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17:29 | 18:11 | 18:30 |
| February | 18:10 | 18:49 | 18:30 |
| March | 18:44 | 19:20 | 18:30 |
| April | 20:15 | 20:52 | 21:00 |
| May | 20:44 | 21:23 | 21:00 |
| June | 21:05 | 21:46 | 21:00 |
| July | 21:04 | 21:44 | 21:00 |
| August | 20:36 | 21:13 | 21:00 |
| September | 19:49 | 20:25 | 21:00 |
| October | 18:59 | 19:36 | 18:30 |
| November | 17:18 | 17:58 | 18:30 |
| December | 17:05 | 17:49 | 18:30 |
The conclusion is plain: in seven of the twelve months the park closes before sunset, and in four of them (March, June, July and October) it closes even before the golden light begins. Only in January, April, September, November and December does the good light fall within opening hours. And this assumes a flat horizon and no clearing of the grounds before closing, so in practice there is less margin.
If you want El Capricho for a session in June, there is no sunset to be had: there is a Saturday morning, or there is another place. The Retiro and Debod are also cited often, but their hours should be checked at official sources before fixing the time.
What is published about the Retiro and Debod
The Retiro is the most generous park in terms of hours. According to Madrid City Council, it opens 6:00 to 24:00 from April to September and 6:00 to 22:00 from October to March: in every month the park is still open after sunset. That does not make it automatically a better place -- it is large, busy and has much-photographed corners -- but the opening time is not the obstacle.
The Temple of Debod works differently. Because of its limited capacity, the municipal page warns that entry without a prior booking is not guaranteed, so it is not a place to improvise inside.
A practical reminder: permits
The City Council authorises photographic reports in public parks through its filming office, which sees people by appointment only, and it offers two routes: a notified act and an occupation permit for the public road. Before choosing the place, ask there which one applies to your session.
Three questions before choosing
- Is there shade or a sheltered corner if the sky changes?
- How long is the walk between the meeting point and the area with light?
- Will it be crowded at that hour, on that day of the week?
How to choose the place when the date is set
The opposite of how the lists tell it: first the month, which you already know; then the hour at which the light falls that month; and only then which places are open at that hour. The loveliest name is decided last, not first. If you are still unsure whether you want a prior session at all, that is another question, and what we know of each area for the wedding may help you decide.