---
url: "https://lemusweddings.com/en/blog/sunset-times-guadalajara-wedding-golden-hour"
title: "Guadalajara Sunset Times by Month: Plan Wedding Golden Hour"
description: "Sunrise, sunset and golden hour times in Guadalajara, Jalisco for every month, with the ceremony start time that puts your portraits in the best light."
language: "en-US"
site: "Lemus Weddings"
publisher: "Enrique Lemus - wedding photographer and filmmaker, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico"
contact_whatsapp: "https://wa.me/525654900184"
contact_email: "quique@lemusweddings.com"
html_version: "https://lemusweddings.com/en/blog/sunset-times-guadalajara-wedding-golden-hour"
license: "Content (c) Lemus Weddings. Quotation with attribution and a link is permitted."
---
In Guadalajara the sun sets between about 6:13 pm in November and 7:37 pm in July, and the clock never changes because Jalisco stays on UTC−6 all year. For golden-hour portraits, start the ceremony roughly 60 to 90 minutes before sunset: about 4:45 pm from November to January, and about 6:15 pm from May to August.

**From Lemus Weddings:** The times below were calculated for Guadalajara (20.66° N, 103.35° W) with the NOAA solar algorithm for the 15th of each month in 2027, and match the published tables on sunrisesunset.io and timeanddate within a minute or two. Use them for planning, and confirm the exact date with your photographer.

## Sunrise, sunset and golden hour by month

Guadalajara’s sunset moves only about 85 minutes across the whole year, from 6:13 pm in mid-November to 7:37 pm in mid-July. Golden hour, the warm low light that photographers plan around, starts roughly an hour before sunset, and civil twilight (the blue-hour glow) ends about 24 minutes after it.

| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Twilight ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **January** | 7:32 am | 5:32 pm | 6:32 pm | 6:56 pm |
| **February** | 7:24 am | 5:52 pm | 6:52 pm | 7:14 pm |
| **March** | 7:03 am | 6:03 pm | 7:03 pm | 7:25 pm |
| **April** | 6:36 am | 6:12 pm | 7:12 pm | 7:34 pm |
| **May** | 6:16 am | 6:23 pm | 7:23 pm | 7:46 pm |
| **June** | 6:12 am | 6:35 pm | 7:35 pm | 7:59 pm |
| **July** | 6:21 am | 6:37 pm | 7:37 pm | 8:02 pm |
| **August** | 6:32 am | 6:24 pm | 7:24 pm | 7:47 pm |
| **September** | 6:40 am | 5:57 pm | 6:57 pm | 7:19 pm |
| **October** | 6:48 am | 5:30 pm | 6:30 pm | 6:52 pm |
| **November** | 7:03 am | 5:13 pm | 6:13 pm | 6:37 pm |
| **December** | 7:22 am | 5:15 pm | 6:15 pm | 6:39 pm |

Values shift by a minute or two between years and by a few minutes within a month. The 15th is a reliable midpoint; ask your photographer to check the exact date once you have it.

## Why the clock never changes in Jalisco

Jalisco stays on Central Standard Time (UTC−6) all year, because Mexico abolished daylight saving time for most of the country in October 2022. The United States still changes its clocks, so during US daylight saving time Jalisco is one hour behind Chicago and Dallas and on the same time as Denver, while in winter it matches Chicago and Dallas. Tell guests which clock the invitation uses.

## When to start the ceremony

Start the ceremony 60 to 90 minutes before sunset if you want the couple’s portraits in golden hour. That is about 5:00 pm in winter and about 6:15 pm in summer. A ceremony that starts at sunset leaves you with 25 minutes of useful light for portraits, and everything after is flash or a lit venue.

| Season | Ceremony start | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| **Nov–Jan** | 4:30–5:00 pm | Portraits at 5:15–6:15 pm, right before a 6:15–6:30 pm sunset. |
| **Feb–Apr** | 5:30–6:00 pm | Golden hour portraits between 6:15 and 7:15 pm. |
| **May–Aug** | 6:00–6:30 pm | Late light, but afternoon rain can force an earlier plan B. |
| **Sep–Oct** | 5:00–5:30 pm | Sunset moves quickly; leave a margin for a late start. |

## What the seasons do to your light

Jalisco has a dry season from roughly November to May and a rainy season from about June to October. In the dry season the sky is reliably clear and golden hour is predictable. In the rainy season storms usually build in the afternoon, so an earlier ceremony may avoid them, even if sunset is later. The weather plan is covered in [the rain backup plan](https://lemusweddings.com/en/blog/mexico-wedding-rain-backup-plan).

- **Winter:** sunsets are early and nights are cool; plan outdoor dinners with heaters or wraps.

- **Spring:** the warmest months, with the longest stretch of clear evenings before the rains.

- **Summer and early fall:** beautiful clouds, but a real chance of an afternoon storm.

## How to build the timeline backward from sunset

Build the evening backward from sunset: set the sunset time, subtract 60 to 90 minutes for the couple’s golden-hour portraits, subtract another 30 to 45 for the ceremony and family photos, and you have the latest sensible ceremony start. Work the earlier hours, including getting ready, from that single anchor. The hour-by-hour method is in [the destination wedding photography timeline](https://lemusweddings.com/en/blog/destination-wedding-photography-timeline).

If your venue is outdoors and your date is within the rainy season, also read [daytime versus evening wedding photo and video](https://lemusweddings.com/en/blog/daytime-vs-evening-wedding-photo-video) before you commit to a start time.

## Sources

1. [Sunrise and sunset in Guadalajara — sunrisesunset.io](https://sunrisesunset.io/mx/jalisco/guadalajara/)

2. [Sun and moon in Guadalajara — timeanddate](https://timeanddate.com/astronomy/mexico/guadalajara)

3. [Solar position calculations — NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory](https://gml.noaa.gov/grad/solcalc/calcdetails.html)

## Questions and answers (from this page's structured data)

**What time is sunset in Guadalajara?**

Sunset in Guadalajara ranges from about 6:13 pm in mid-November to about 7:37 pm in mid-July. The sun sets around 7:00 pm in March and September, and around 6:15 pm in December.

**When is golden hour in Guadalajara?**

Golden hour starts roughly an hour before sunset: about 5:15 pm in November and December, and about 6:35 pm in June and July.

**Does Jalisco use daylight saving time?**

No. Mexico abolished daylight saving time for most of the country in October 2022, and Jalisco stays on UTC−6 all year. During US summer it is one hour behind US Central Time.

**What time should a Guadalajara wedding ceremony start?**

For golden-hour portraits, start 60 to 90 minutes before sunset: about 4:30 to 5:00 pm in winter and about 6:00 to 6:30 pm in summer. In the rainy season, an earlier start can avoid afternoon storms.

**Is it better to marry in the dry season for photos?**

The dry season, roughly November to May, has the most reliable skies. The rainy season, June to October, brings dramatic clouds but a real chance of afternoon storms, so a written plan B is essential.