Golden Hour Calculator
Sunrise, sunset, golden hour and blue hour for Victoria and Vancouver Island locations — on any date.
Day length: . Times are Pacific time and accurate to about a minute; hills and tall trees can hide the sun earlier.
The next seven days
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset | Blue hour ends |
|---|
What is golden hour?
Golden hour is the stretch of time when the sun sits low — roughly between 6° above the horizon and sunset. Light travels through more atmosphere, turning warm and soft, and shadows stretch long and flattering. For wedding portraits it's the most forgiving light of the day.
Blue hour follows sunset, while the sun is between about 4° and 6° below the horizon: cool, even light that is perfect for city-light portraits around the Inner Harbour.
How to use this for your wedding
Pick your venue or the closest location, choose your date, and note the best portrait window. Then schedule 15–20 minutes of couple portraits inside it — our wedding timeline planner does this automatically. On Vancouver Island, summer golden hour arrives late (after 8 p.m. in June), while in December the sun sets before 4:30 p.m., so ceremony times shift a lot by season. Read more in our wedding day timeline guide.
Questions
How accurate are these times?
The calculator uses standard solar-position formulas and should be within a minute or two of published sunrise and sunset times. Local terrain — hills, tall trees, buildings — can block the sun earlier than the calculated sunset.
Does it handle daylight saving time?
Yes. All times are shown in Pacific time and switch automatically between PST and PDT.
Is golden hour the same everywhere on Vancouver Island?
No. Tofino sets several minutes later than Victoria, and further north the days are longer in summer and shorter in winter. Choose the location closest to yours.
What if it's cloudy?
Overcast skies soften light all day, which is beautiful for portraits. Golden hour still brings a subtle warmth — and sometimes a dramatic break in the clouds.
Tell us about your day
Share your date, your place and what matters most. We reply to every inquiry within two business days.