This session was shot by GMP founder and Principal Photographer Elizabeth Millar with second shooting by associate photographer Jennifer
Amia and Derrick were married by her dad at Kraft Azalea Garden in Winter Park, during golden hour in November.
Amia’s father officiated their wedding. He walked her up the path and then turned around and married her, which is not something I get to photograph often, and the whole ceremony carried that special significance. They had a saxophonist playing and family was everywhere: kids, a couple of dogs, and lots of smiling faces.
But the thing I want to talk about is the time of day and how it affects the light at Kraft Azalea Garden. Because I’ve captured so many weddings and elopements at this park, I know exactly how to get the timing right and it’s the reason this gallery looks the way it does.
Kraft Azalea Garden in Winter Park
Kraft Azalea Garden is a five acre waterfront park on Lake Maitland, in Winter Park. Massive cypress trees, a rare banyan, azaleas that bloom in late winter, and the Exedra Monument sitting at the center of it with its columns and its carved inscription.
I shoot here often enough that I have a whole page about it, and it still hasn’t gotten old.
Want Golden Hour in November? Start Earlier Than You Think
Sunset that day was at 5:30. We started at 4:00.
Standard advice says golden hour is the last hour before sunset, and that’s true in an open field. But Kraft Azalea is not an open field. The cypress canopy and the Spanish moss filter everything, so the sun drops behind the tree line well before it actually sets. If you wait for the technical golden hour here, you’ve already lost most of it.
An hour and a half before sunset is the number. That’s when the light starts coming through the trees sideways instead of down, which is what produces those long shadows and moss all lit up. We had the full window for the ceremony, the family photos, and a portrait session afterward.
This is the kind of thing worth asking your photographer about rather than guessing at. I can tell you exactly what time to start for the location you’ve picked.
Live Music at an Outdoor Ceremony Lifts the Whole Vibe
They had a saxophonist, and it was such a great touch. Live music at an outdoor ceremony changes the whole feel of it, and if your musician can stick around for a while afterward, it sets a completely different tone for your portrait time than standing around in silence. I’ve had violinists and acoustic guitarists out here too. Even for a two person elopement it’s worth considering.
Why You May Want to Consider a Second Shooter
My associate Jennifer second shot this wedding with me, and this is a good gallery to point at if you’re trying to decide whether a second photographer is worth adding.
A second shooter is not just a person standing next to me photographing the same thing from two feet over. What you’re paying for is a different perspective on the same moments, plus coverage of everything happening while I’m occupied somewhere else. When I’m getting close-ups of one spouse during their vows, she’s getting a wider shot of the couple against the their ceremony backdrop. When I’m working the couple through portraits, she’s getting the grandmother wiping her eyes. When I’m setting up a group shot, she’s photographing the kids with the dog. Those images don’t exist otherwise.
I’ve written more about what a second shooter actually adds if you want the longer version.
FAQ: Wedding Photos at Kraft Azalea Garden in Winter Park
Two options. Reserving the Exedra Monument through the City of Winter Park runs around $600 plus a refundable security deposit of $500 and gives you exclusive use for two hours. That’s the only way to guarantee access to the monument, which matters because there are frequently other people staging proposals and sessions there. It covers up to 20 guests. The other option is a general photo session permit for $75, which covers up to six people total and doesn’t guarantee the monument, though we can use it if nobody else has claimed it. For micro weddings with 6 to 20 guests, the city requires the full event booking. Details are on the City of Winter Park’s page.
Up to twenty, and that’s a hard limit that includes you, your photographer, and your officiant. If your group is bigger the city won’t issue the permit, and they may ask you to leave. I have seen this happen.
The park has a lot of open shade, so it holds up all day, but sunrise and sunset are the strongest. Sunrise is quieter and in my opinion the better light, and I recommend meeting 15 mins after the listed sunrise time. Sunset gets busy with other photographers, but it’s beautiful, as you can see from this wedding! For a sunset session I’d start about 1.5 hours before the listed sunset time or 2 hrs if you’re having guests and will require group shots.
If you’ve reserved the monument for the full two hours, yes. Florals and candles are fine. Nothing that defaces the structure and nothing that creates litter, including fake petals. Clean up after yourselves.
No. It’s standing room only, with the exception of guests who need seating for accessibility reasons.
Yes, and I’d encourage it. Saxophone, violin, acoustic guitar have all worked well out here.
There’s no indoor option at the park itself. Your choices are umbrellas or arranging something at a nearby restaurant or hotel. In seventeen years, rain has never actually ruined one of my sessions, so don’t let the forecast panic you.
You need a Florida marriage license, which you can get up to 60 days before your ceremony. There are counties that handle the entire process online, including for international couples, so you may not need to set foot in a courthouse at all. I’ve written a full guide to getting your Florida marriage license online. After that you need an officiant, which can be a clerk, a notary, an ordained minister, or me (learn more about how I can officiate the weddings I photograph).
Kraft Azalea Garden Weddings: How Different Times & Seasons Look
If you want to see how the light behaves here at different times of day and different seasons, these are worth a look:
- Sunrise in Summer: Yasmine & Justin’s Elegant Family Elopement
- Mid-day in Autumn: Felix & Ginarys’ Clean & Natural Wedding
- Golden Hour in Winter: Nelson & Angela’s November Micro Wedding
Planning a Sunset Wedding at Kraft Azalea Garden?
Congratulations, Amia and Derrick, and thank you for having us. Getting to photograph a father marry his own daughter was super meaningful.
If you’re planning a micro wedding or elopement at Kraft Azalea Garden and want someone who knows exactly what time to start to get the best light, get in touch.
