Cruz Building Wedding Sunset Timing Guide
Light is the one element a Cruz Building wedding cannot fake. Because so much of the day moves between candlelit interiors and the open rooftop, when you do things matters as much as what you do. Here is how to build a timeline around the sun rather than against it.
Know your sunset time
Coconut Grove sunsets shift across the year — roughly 5:30 p.m. in December and closer to 8:15 p.m. in June. Look up the exact time for your date before you set the ceremony. Everything downstream, from cocktail hour to the last portrait, hangs off that single number.
Golden hour comes first
The richest light arrives in the hour before sunset, not at the moment the sun dips. Aim to be on the rooftop or in the courtyard about 45 minutes ahead. That window gives a photographer warm, directional light and a videographer the soft backlighting that makes footage feel cinematic.
Build in a sunset break
The smartest move is to step away from the reception for ten minutes at sunset for couple's portraits. Guests are settling into dinner, the light is at its best, and you return with the day's most memorable frames. Tell your planner and your photo and video team to protect that slot.
Plan for the interiors after dark
Once the sun is down, the Cruz Building's chandeliers and candlelight take over. Talk to your photographer about whether they will use available light or add subtle off-camera lighting, and ask your videographer how they will keep footage clean in low light. A short test before guests arrive saves guesswork later.
A sample timeline
For a 6:00 p.m. ceremony with a 7:50 sunset: ceremony at 6:00, cocktails at 6:30, sunset portraits at 7:15, dinner at 8:00, dancing after dark. Shift each block earlier or later to match your own sunset, and leave a few minutes of slack so a late start never costs you the light.