Romantic Sunset… unless you’re in the dark?!
The first question that I ask any bride or person planning an outdoor ceremony or event in Santa Barbara is… “When is sunset?” The answer that I usually get is a loooong pause and blank stare and a momentary panic because, what happens after sunset? That’s right, DARK. It gets very, very dark about 30 minutes after sunset. The only exception are the few days around a full moon – however, that is still not enough light for your guests not to twist an ankle on the way to the bar. Especially if you are serving food outside, you will want enough lights for your guests to be able to comfortably walk from the buffet line to their table and to see their food…
After choosing to have an outdoor ceremony or reception or even if it’s just a party – before doing any more planning – go to this website: TimeAndDate.com. This is a page where you can type in the date of your wedding or event and know, down to the minute, when sunset will be! Then you can go ahead and schedule your guest shuttles or order your invitations with confidence.
If you find that you are running into a time crunch, for whatever reason, and your guests may be sitting in the dark, consider hiring a lighting company. One that I highly recommend is LBPS Events out of Santa Barbara. Ask him if he’s worked at your venue before and then ask what he recommends. Lighting can make a HUGE impact on some venues and really transform the look & feel of your event. It can also add to your budget significantly so be 100% sure that you need it if you’re on a tight budget.
