A sample Corfu wedding day, planned around the light

A good Corfu wedding day timeline in summer is built backwards from the sunset. Fix the time of golden hour first, place the ceremony about two hours before it and the portraits in the last half hour of light, and the rest of the day falls into place.

Below is a sample day for a July wedding, with notes on the heat and on where I fit in as your videographer. For spring or late-season dates, move everything earlier.

Start with the sunset, not the ceremony

In Corfu the sun sets late in summer: roughly 21:00–21:13 from June to mid-July, about 20:55 at the start of August and around 19:30 by the end of September. These times are approximate, so check the exact sunset for your date and location.

Golden hour is the last hour or so before sunset, when the light is low, warm and kind to skin. On the west coast the sun goes down into the sea and the glow lasts to the end. On the north-east coast it drops behind the hills earlier, so the bay falls into soft shade before the official sunset. My guide to Corfu wedding locations explains how each part of the island catches the light.

A sample Corfu wedding day timeline

This is for a mid-July wedding with the ceremony and dinner at the same venue, and sunset around 21:10 (approximate, check for your date).

For a late-September wedding, shift the afternoon about an hour and a half earlier: ceremony around 17:30, portraits around 18:45. If the church sets the ceremony time, build around that.

Getting ready

This is where the story starts, and it is one of my favourite parts of the day to film. Details come first: the dress hanging by a window, the rings, the shoes, the invitation. Then the people: a mother doing up buttons, a best man fixing a tie, a nervous laugh.

Two small things help a lot. Choose a room with a big window and clear the clutter from one corner, and ask hair and make-up to finish about 30 minutes before you need to leave. Timelines slip here more than anywhere else.

First look and ceremony timing

A first look is a private moment before the ceremony, when you see each other for the first time. It calms the nerves and gives us a few portraits early, in the shade, before the guests arrive. Some couples prefer to keep the moment for the aisle, and both work beautifully on film.

For the ceremony, about two hours before sunset is a good rule in summer. Earlier, and the light is hard and your guests sit in the heat; later, and the congratulations and group photos happen in the dark. For sound, a small microphone on the groom or near the officiant keeps the vows clear, so tell me early who will speak and where.

Golden-hour portraits

Twenty to thirty minutes is enough. We slip away while your guests are on drinks, walk a little, and let the low sun do the work: backlight in your hair, the sea catching the glow, real moments rather than poses.

Plan the route in advance. Heels on a cliff path, a long walk to a viewpoint or a busy beach can eat the light fast, and golden hour does not wait for anyone.

Reception, speeches and first dance

Dinner usually starts as the sun goes down. Speeches between courses keep the energy up and the food warm. Either way, tell me the order so I can be in the right place with the right microphone.

Candlelight looks beautiful, but a little warm light on whoever is speaking helps the camera; ask your venue or planner. The first dance usually opens the party, and from then on the night has its own rhythm. We agree in advance when coverage ends, so nothing important happens after the camera stops.

Beating the summer heat

July and August afternoons are hot, and your guests feel it most during the ceremony. A few things make a real difference:

• Seat guests in the shade, or face the ceremony so the sun is behind them, not in their eyes
• Have water and fans or parasols at the entrance
• Keep the ceremony short and the welcome drinks cold
• Get ready in an air-conditioned room, and leave the jacket off until the last minute
• Pack a spare shirt for the groom and blotting papers for everyone

Where the videographer fits in

I usually arrive during getting ready and stay through the key moments of the evening. A few weeks before the wedding we go through the timeline together, with your planner if you have one, so I know the order of the day, the names of the people who matter and the places where the light will be best.

You can see how I work on my Corfu wedding videographer page. If you are still choosing a date, start with the best time to get married in Corfu, and keep the rest on track with the Corfu wedding checklist.

Updated: 8 November 2026