How To Get Married at San Francisco City Hall

How To Get Married at San Francisco City Hall | Skyler Maire Photography

San Francisco City Hall is a beautiful and iconic location to tie the knot. People from all over the globe come to get married in this beautiful building. While the images you see on Pinterest and Instagram may be free of guests and strangers, the popularity of this location actually means the building is usually quite busy! You can expect to see other couples, photographers, tourists and locals meandering the halls. If you choose to get married at SF City Hall, expect to do some waiting on your wedding day as that’s usually required to get those epic photos without any people in the background. I hope you find this article on how to get married at San Francisco City Hall useful! Feel free to drop any additional questions you may have in the comments section below.

TYPES OF WEDDINGS

Public Civil Ceremony

Time: 5 minutes or less

Guests: Up to six guests including your photographer

Location: Second floor Rotunda (top of staircase)

Officiant: Provided!

Make your reservation on the County Clerk Website.

One Hour Private Wedding

Time: One hour reservation

Guests: Can accommodate up to 100

Location: Fourth Floor or Mayor’s Balcony

Officiant: Must provide your own

Call (415) 554-6079 to make a reservation

RESERVING YOUR DATE & OBTAINING YOUR MARRIAGE LICENSE

• Step 1: Reserve your wedding date and time slot.
  • You can do this as early as three months in advance. Time slots tend to fill up relatively quickly so if you have a specific date in mind, I recommend setting a reminder on your phone for three months in advance. SF Civil Ceremonies are extremely short, around five minutes or less, and take place every half hour Monday – Friday from 9am – 3:30pm. Make your reservation on the County Clerk Website. If you’re planning to make a one hour reservation, call (415) 554-6079.

• Step 2: Make an appointment on the County Clerk Website to obtain your wedding license within 90 days of your wedding date.
  • Your California Marriage License will expire after 90 days so it’s very important that you obtain it within that 90 day window before your wedding date. Be sure to bring both of your valid IDs with you and head to San Francisco City Hall, Room 168. If you plan to obtain your wedding license on the same day as your wedding, be sure to do so at least an hour before your scheduled wedding appointment.

• Step 3: Plan the rest of your wedding day!

PLANNING YOUR WEDDING DAY TIMELINE

It’s important to plan out your wedding day timeline in advance to ensure you’re leaving enough time for getting ready, transportation, your ceremony and special photos, and your celebration afterwards! I’ll walk you through this upon booking, but this is typically how a wedding Civil Ceremony wedding day looks with me as your photographer.

Let’s say that you have reserved the 3pm appointment for your wedding and that you decided to take the majority of your photos after the ceremony. You’re planning to order a Lyft for yourselves and your guests will drive. You’re planning to leave 15 minutes early in case of bad traffic to ensure everyone is on time.

• 2:40 Meet inside City Hall right past security. Dressed in your best with valid IDs and marriage license in hand, you’re ready to go! All guests are present.
• 2:45 We (as in me, Skyler – your photographer, the two of you, and your chosen witness) head to Room 168 to check in for your wedding appointment.
• 2:50 Check in (you aren’t allowed to check in more than 10 minutes before your ceremony. Literally, if you show up 11 minutes before, they’ll tell you to come back in one minute. 😁)
• 3pm You’re checked in, woohoo! We grab the rest of your guests and head to the Rotunda at the top of the staircase unless the officiant has told us otherwise. We quietly wait until the officiant calls your names and then your ceremony begins.
• 3:15 Ceremony is finished – you’re married! Congratulations!!! We’ll now head to the fourth floor and begin taking guest photos.
• 3: 45 Wrap up guest photos and begin couples portraits. At this time, guests who joined you for your ceremony are welcome to explore City Hall or head out to get some rest before your dinner reservations later this evening. Typically couples photos take another 30-45 minutes. The goal is to wrap up with enough time for you to catch a ride to your dinner reservation! If you can, I recommend leaving a little bit of buffer time between your wedding and dinner reservations.
• 4:45pm Wrap up photos!

PARKING

Street parking near SF City Hall can be tough and is probably not worth the hassle on your wedding day. I recommend parking in the Civic Center Parking Garage. It’s an underground garage and the entrance is located off McAllister St. Look for the parking sign above the entrance.

WITNESSES

Technically you’re allowed up to two witnesses, but they only allow one of them to sign the paperwork upon check-in. So I recommend only planning for one. If you need a witness on your wedding day, I am more than happy to step in as one for you! Yes – your photographer can be your witness!

GUESTS

Only six guests (including your photographer) are allowed to be present during your San Francisco City Hall Civil Ceremony. While many officiants are flexible with this number, it is best to not assume that on the day of your wedding. Should you have more than six guests on your wedding day, expect the majority of them to view your ceremony from the third floor, directly above the Rotunda.

FAQs

• When is the best day and time to book our wedding?
  • San Francisco City Hall is a popular destination for weddings so you can expect it to be busy at almost any time. However, Fridays tend to be the busiest as couples like to enjoy a three day weekend, and Mondays less crowded. For the quietest photo opportunities, either the first or last wedding slot in the day is your best bet. Earlier is typically better because sometimes there are events planned for the evenings and they will block off the rotunda and staircase in order to prepare for these. But no matter what happens on your wedding day, just know that you will receive a gallery of beautiful images no matter what! Every corner of SF City Hall is stunning and I will guide you throughout the building to get the best images possible during your chosen timeslot.

• How many guests can I bring?
  • Civil Ceremonies are limited to six guests and that includes your photographer. However, if you have more than six guests, they can always view your ceremony from the third floor directly above the Rotunda.

• Do I need to bring an officiant?
  • Not for a Civil Ceremony! City Hall will provide you with one. You’ll meet them before your ceremony when you check in and sign your paperwork. If you’ve booked a one hour timeslot for your ceremony, you will need to provide your own officiant.

• Do I get to say my own written vows?
  • Unfortunately personal vows are not permitted for Civil Ceremonies. However, if this is something you’d like to do with your partner, I recommend setting aside time either right before or after the ceremony to quietly exchange your written vows with one another in a private space in City Hall.

• Where can I park?
  • Parking near City Hall can be challenging, and I honestly don’t recommend looking for street parking on your wedding day. It’s not worth the added stress for you and your guests. I recommend parking in the Civic Center Parking Garage. It’s an underground garage and the entrance is located off McAllister Street. Look for the parking sign above the entrance! Alternatively, Lyft or Uber are always great options!

• Should we take photos before or after the ceremony?
  • This is completely up to you and should be considered ahead of time so that we can fit all the photos you want into your wedding day timeline! Most couples I photograph choose to have the majority of their images taken after the ceremony – rings are on and all guests are present. However, if you have lunch or dinner reservations shortly after your ceremony, it may be smart to arrive early and get the majority of your photos taken prior to the ceremony.

• Where will we take photos?
  • All over! Leave it to me to bring you to the most beautiful and iconic locations throughout City Hall. Some of my favorite locations include the Fourth Floor South Gallery, third floor windows, and the iconic City Hall stairs and main entrance. But I’ll document you everywhere! I’m like your own little paparazzi, capturing your love in the little nooks and crannies all over the building. I always end sessions with outdoor images in front of City Hall with the option to walk through the trees out front or even meander to the Van Ness side, across the street to the beautiful lawn and gate. Couples have the option to add a second location as well anywhere in or near SF! This is a great opportunity if you’re from out of town and want images with the Golden Gate Bridge or other iconic SF landmarks.

• What second locations do you recommend?
  • There are so many! Baker Beach, Lands End, Legion of Honor, Fort Point, Ocean Beach, Palace of Fine Arts, Crissy Field, Alamo Square, Woodline, Conservatory of Flowers, and Pier 7 are just a few of my favorite places in SF to document photos after your wedding. Battery Rathbone McIndoe, Marin Headlands, and Cavallo Point are my top North Bay recommendations. Reach out to me directly for more location inspiration!

• Do you remove people from the background of our images?
  • I always do my best, but it also depends. City Hall is an intricate building and my specialty lies in photography, not Photoshop. First and foremost, I will do my best to document images that are free from people and distractions in the background. Secondly, yes, I will remove as many people and distractions from the background as I possibly can! However, I cannot guarantee that 100% of your images will be free from people in the background. If there is a specific image that you would like cleaned up, simply let me know and I can send it out to be professionally edited by an outside source.

• When will I get my photos?
  • You’ll receive sneak peeks 2-4 business days after, and full galleries are delivered within four weeks of your wedding date!

• How many photos will I get?
  • It’s hard to put an exact number on it but I average around 100 images per shooting hour. Don’t worry, I won’t leave anything important out! You’ll get all your best images and favorite memories.

• Can I have the RAW files?
  • I do not offer RAW image files. Why not? Honestly, I think it’s a waste of money and computer space on your end! If you’ve already booked me, that means you love my work and editing style. And when I say I won’t leave anything important out, I really mean it! If there’s something you don’t love about your images or you think I may have missed something, simply reach out and let me know. I won’t be upset or offended. It’s your wedding day and I want you to be in love with your gallery of images!

• Do you offer payment plans?
  • Absolutely! Just ask and we will co-create a completely custom payment plan that fits your needs.

Have any other questions?

I hope you found this guide on how to get married at San Francisco City Hall helpful! Be sure to drop any questions you might have into the comments section below, and I’ll be sure to answer them and then update the information for future visitors!

Planning Your San Francisco City Hall Wedding? Let’s get in touch!

I’d love to be a part of your special day! If I sound like the perfect photographer for you, then inquire with me. In the meantime, check out more weddings on the blog for inspiration!

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