What is a post-wedding shootand when to do it

After the wedding comes the day when nobody asks anything of you: no timetable, no guests, no order of events. A post-wedding shoot is the couple session held in that gap, in the dress and suit from the day, in a place the wedding could not take you and in the light the programme could not offer.

What a post-wedding shoot is

It is a photography session and, if you wish, a film, held after the wedding and only for the couple. You wear the clothes from the ceremony, with no clock and nobody waiting. Its opposite is the pre-wedding shoot, which comes before, in everyday clothes, and helps you get used to the camera. Here we explain when a pre-wedding session makes sense and what to wear for it.

It is not a second wedding or a rerun of the day: no ceremony, no family, no script. You walk, you talk and you look at the landscape, and the pictures come from that.

Why it happens afterwards and not on the day

The wedding day is the one with the least free time in a couple's whole story: ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner. And the half hour of best light usually falls in the middle of the cocktail hour, when guests are asking for the couple. A post-wedding session separates the two: the day is lived with the people you love and the light is sought afterwards, unhurried.

There is another, less obvious reason. A dress, a suit and a hairstyle that took months of preparation deserve to be seen somewhere the wedding day could not go: a clifftop, the empty street of a village, a pine wood in mid-afternoon. Going there with the guests waiting is not an option; going a day later is.

When to do it: the next day and the last hour of light

Most often it is done the day after the wedding or on one of the following days. Leaving that margin has a practical advantage: if it dawns rainy or very windy, you move it. The wedding does not allow that flexibility; the post-wedding session does. If you are travelling from another country, leave one free day after the wedding before flying home: it is the simplest margin to build into the plan.

As for the hour, the most flattering light is in the last hour before sunset. A two-hour session that ends with the sun grazing the horizon therefore starts about two hours before sunset, and that time changes a great deal over the year. Here is sunset at the middle of each month in 2027:

Between one island and another the difference is a few minutes; what matters is what stands between the sun and you. A mountain range in front brings the light forward, as the guide to the light of the island explains, so look at where the sun sets at the place you have chosen, not in the capital.

Where to do it, and when you need a permit

The place is chosen for its light and its route: by the sea, on the estate itself, in a stone village, in a mountain pine wood. A wedding needs a space with room for guests; a post-wedding session needs only two people walking, so it fits places a wedding does not.

Some of those places have rules. Spain's Coastal Law declares the common uses of a beach free, such as walking or bathing, and requires authorisation for uses that need installations or have special intensity or profitability. A couple walking along the shore is a common use; bringing chairs, an arch or decoration means asking the town hall first.

In protected natural areas the rules are stricter. In the ses Salines Natural Park, between Ibiza and Formentera, the Balearic Government itself states that filming and photo sessions need prior authorisation. Before choosing a place like that, write to the park office and ask whether a couple session counts.

What to bring and how to dress

Bring the dress and suit from the day, with shoes you can walk in on earth, stone or sand: that is what most shapes the route. If the place is open, a jacket or shawl for when the temperature drops at sunset, and water. Tell the chosen place that you will be in a long-trained dress, in case there are steps, sand or uneven ground.

You do not need to know how to pose: walking, talking and not looking at the camera is enough. What helps is saying beforehand what you expect: a walk with few directions or something more guided.

How to plan it

It helps to talk about the post-wedding session before the wedding: choose the place with the same care as the banquet venue, check where the sun will set that day and leave a margin in case the weather changes. If you also want a film, it helps to think about who makes it so that both tell the same story; the guide to hiring one team explains it.

If you are planning your wedding on the island, this session fits well with what the guide says about the light in Mallorca. And if you want the post-wedding session to be part of your story, tell us the date and the place; the different ways we work are in Services.

Frequently asked questions

What is a post-wedding shoot?

A couple session held after the wedding, in the dress and suit from the day, with no schedule and no guests. It differs from the pre-wedding shoot, which comes before and in everyday clothes.

When is the best time for a post-wedding shoot?

Usually the day after the wedding or on one of the following days, in the last hour of light before sunset. Leaving a margin lets you move it if it rains or is very windy.

How long does a post-wedding shoot last?

A two-hour session that ends with the sun grazing the horizon is usually enough to walk, talk and repeat very little. It starts about two hours before sunset, which varies by month.

Do you need a permit on a beach or in a natural park?

Walking along the shore is a common use of the beach and is free; bringing installations requires authorisation under the Coastal Law. In protected areas such as the ses Salines Natural Park, photo sessions need prior authorisation from the Balearic Government. Always ask the town hall or the park office first.

Can we do it if we live in another country?

Yes, as long as you leave one free day after the wedding before flying home. That margin also lets you move the session if the weather changes.