Minnesota Sunset Times by Month: Plan Your Wedding Timeline

Sunset time is the one variable in your wedding timeline you cannot negotiate. Everything else — hair and makeup, the ceremony, dinner service — can shift by fifteen minutes. The sun cannot. This is the reference I send couples when we start building a schedule.

Twin Cities sunset by month

Approximate mid-month sunset times for Minneapolis and St. Paul. Golden hour runs roughly the 45 minutes before each time, and usable light ends about 20 to 30 minutes after.

• January — sunset near 5:00 PM. Golden hour 4:15–5:00 PM.
• February — sunset near 5:40 PM. Golden hour 4:55–5:40 PM.
• March — sunset near 7:20 PM after the clock change. Golden hour 6:35–7:20 PM.
• April — sunset near 8:00 PM. Golden hour 7:15–8:00 PM.
• May — sunset near 8:35 PM. Golden hour 7:50–8:35 PM.
• June — sunset near 9:00 PM, the latest of the year. Golden hour 8:10–9:00 PM.
• July — sunset near 8:55 PM. Golden hour 8:05–8:55 PM.
• August — sunset near 8:15 PM. Golden hour 7:30–8:15 PM.
• September — sunset near 7:25 PM. Golden hour 6:45–7:25 PM.
• October — sunset near 6:30 PM. Golden hour 5:50–6:30 PM.
• November — sunset near 4:45 PM after the clock change. Golden hour 4:05–4:45 PM.
• December — sunset near 4:35 PM, the earliest of the year. Golden hour 3:55–4:35 PM.

Always verify the exact time for your specific date and location, since sunset shifts by a minute or two per day and venues west of the metro run a few minutes later than downtown St. Paul.

What ceremony time should you pick?

My rule: with a first look, start the ceremony about 3 hours before sunset. Without one, start about 3.5 to 4 hours before sunset so post-ceremony portraits still land in daylight.

• June or July wedding, no first look — ceremony at 5:00 PM, portraits at 6:00, sunset portraits at 8:30.
• September wedding, first look — first look at 1:30 PM, ceremony at 4:00, sunset portraits stolen at 7:00.
• October wedding — ceremony at 3:00 PM. A 5:00 PM October ceremony means every portrait after it happens in the dark.
• December or January wedding — ceremony at 2:00 PM with a noon first look, or accept an entirely indoor, flash-lit portrait set.

Why does the clock change matter so much?

Because it moves sunset by a full hour overnight. A wedding on the first Saturday of November has 4:45 PM sunset while the last Saturday of October has 6:15 PM. Two weeks apart, ninety minutes of difference. Couples planning a late-fall wedding routinely miss this and end up scheduling a 5:00 PM ceremony that finishes in full darkness.

Blue hour, and why I ask for ten more minutes

The 20 minutes after sunset produce the deepest color in the sky and are ideal for a lit portrait: the ambient light goes cobalt while flash keeps you warm and separated. Reception venues with a skyline, a lake, or exterior lighting shine in blue hour. If we get one more break in the evening, this is when I want it.

Building the timeline backward

Take your sunset time, then work backward:

1. Reserve 15 minutes for couple's portraits ending at sunset.
2. Place dinner and toasts before that window, not during it.
3. Set cocktail hour immediately after the ceremony.
4. Allow 45 to 60 minutes for family and wedding party formals.
5. Set the ceremony 3 to 4 hours before sunset based on the first-look decision.
6. Count back 2.5 hours for getting ready, or 3.5 with a first look.

Do this once on paper and the rest of your vendor scheduling falls into place.

Frequently asked questions

What time is golden hour in Minnesota?

Golden hour is roughly the 45 minutes before sunset, which ranges from about 3:55 PM in late December to about 8:10 PM in mid-June in the Twin Cities. Verify your exact date, since it moves a minute or two daily.

What time should a wedding ceremony start for the best photos?

About three hours before sunset if you are doing a first look, and three and a half to four hours before sunset if you are not. That places family formals, wedding party photos, and couple's portraits in daylight with a sunset window still available.

How late is sunset in Minnesota in June?

Around 9:00 PM in the Twin Cities in mid-to-late June, the latest of the year. Usable light lasts until roughly 9:30 PM, which is why summer couples can shoot portraits well into the reception.

Can we still get sunset photos if dinner is during golden hour?

Yes. Slipping out for 10 to 15 minutes between courses is standard and guests rarely notice. I flag the exact time on the printed timeline so your coordinator can plan around it.

Want your date mapped out precisely? Send me your ceremony time and venue through the contact page and I will build the hour-by-hour schedule around your actual sunset.