So what exactly is the "Golden Hour"?
For many photographers, it is the best time to shoot as the sun is lower in the sky, traveling through a greater depth of atmosphere, and reducing the intensity of direct sunlight. The "Golden Hour" happens twice every day - the moments right after sunrise and right before sunset. Its name can be quite the misnomer as it isn't necessarily a full hour of perfect lighting conditions but even so, you can work an hour away from these events and experience flattering lighting. 

The image above is a great example of what Golden Hour shooting can do for portraits. This image is from a model call I did a few weeks ago so that I could train my new second shooter and we captured countless amazing portraits that day because the lighting was so soft and really complimented our couple. Notice the soft shadows and warm tone of the image - this isn't something that can be achieved during a mid-day session without the use of artificial lighting to help balance out the harsh shadows that form under the subjects' facial features. 
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Another great thing about shooting during Golden Hour is that you can utilize the sunrise/sunset in your images to create some diversity within your session! 
The image below was taken about 20 minutes after the above image. One thing to remember: Golden Hour lighting is fleeting! It doesn't last long so it's important to have a general plan for your session if you're going to shoot at this time because once the sun reaches about 10 degrees above horizon, lighting conditions vary minute to minute and if you're not careful, you'll lose your light.
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The bad part about Golden Hour shooting is that it is at a time that is not convenient for most families. Though we want to achieve that perfect lighting, we can't expect everyone to be able to shoot that early or that late, especially when they have small children or an elderly relative that doesn't move around easily.
The good news is that you can still achieve nice lighting outdoors if you at least plan close to this time. You want to avoid mid - day shooting at all costs if you plan on using natural lighting without the help of a reflector or something to that effect, but you can get away with mid - morning and mid - afternoon shooting and still have a pleasing effect on the subjects being photographed. 
The image below is from one of my favorite sessions to date and it took place in early August at 9:00am. The lighting was still great and I was able to achieve the mild warmth in - camera which has a nice and flattering effect on this adorable trio. 

So in brief - the closer you plan your session to sunrise and sunset the better your lighting will be, yielding both happy clients and happy photographers! Avoid mid - day sessions if possible (unless you're utilizing artificial lighting or a reflector) and if you must shoot mid - day, either shoot in shade, indoors, or bring a speedlite! 



And for the record, there are worse things that can go wrong than having to use a speedlite so don't be afraid to reach in your camera bag for it if you need to - I broke mine out for our model call when we started losing light and it still achieves great lighting when placed correctly and working in tandem with the soft light produced by the low sun. The image below was taken with my speedlight on a light stand reflecting off of an umbrella to my right, about 8 - 10 feet away from Abby and Brad and they still look flawless!

For many photographers, the "Golden Hour" is preferred but we can adapt to most lighting situations and it's nice to have a challenge every now and then. Don't feel like your dreams of having a mid - day session at the time when your children are best behaved are out of reach - if your photographer doesn't shoot mid - day, then find one that will! At the end of the day, you can only do so much to guarantee that everyone is happy and ready for their session and not everyone can make it happen early in the morning or late in the evening. 
If there's a will, there's a way! 
(Cliche but true!)