The Complete Guide to 1-Hour Private Ceremonies at San Francisco City Hall

San Francisco City Hall is a breathtaking architectural marvel that has become one of the most sought-after wedding venues in the Bay Area. Every year, thousands of couples choose to get married within its stunning marble halls, grand staircases, and ornate rotunda.

But not all City Hall weddings are created equal! While civil ceremonies are what most people think of when considering a courthouse wedding, San Francisco City Hall offers an option to rent out a private (or more correctly, a semi-private) area within its hallowed walls.

Be sure to check out the video version of this blog post – it’s crammed with even more insights and more photo and behind-the-scenes video footage to show exactly what to expect on your wedding day here!:

As an SF City Hall wedding photographer who has documented over 400 ceremonies in this iconic building, I’ve seen firsthand the nuanced world of San Francisco City Hall weddings. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about saying “I do” in one of the most beautiful civic buildings in America.

Private ceremonies at San Francisco City Hall are a wonderful way of bridging the gap between the impersonal civil ceremony and the more expensive option of booking an entire venue for your ceremony. You’ll get the convenience of your own private area to host your ceremony (with up to 100 guests instead of just six!) but without the huge price tag.

For more of an overview of getting married at San Francisco City Hall, be sure to check out my guide linked below:

In this article, I will focus on the private ceremony option available Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm. There are buyout options available for weekends and evenings, but the vast majority of couples choose the private area option during the building’s normal working hours.

I will use the terms ‘one-hour ceremony’, ‘private area rental’ etc interchangeably.

What are the differences between civil and private ceremonies at San Francisco City Hall?

The table below summarizes the key differences between civil and private ceremonies:

If you’re looking for information about civil ceremonies instead, check out my dedicated guide linked below and accompanying video below:

What are the key benefits of a private ceremony over a civil ceremony?

A private ceremony offers:

• More privacy
• Greater customization options
• A much higher guest limit
• A dedicated area in which to marry
• The ability to book much further out (two years vs 90 days)

On every front, a private ceremony offers more benefits while remaining a relatively affordable choice.

What are the different spaces available for private ceremonies?

There are two beautiful areas available for regular private ceremony rentals. They are called the 4^th Floor North Gallery and the Mayor’s Balcony. I have detailed article on each other spaces, linked below.

The 4^th Floor is filled with natural light. It’s a spacious area with a long aisle flanked by beautiful stone arches.

The Mayor’s Balcony is located directly opposite the Grand Staircase on the 2^nd Floor. It can be a little noisier given its location in the heart of the building. It also is considerably darker at most times of the day/year, and is a little smaller too. The aisle to walk down is shorter.

What times are available for rentals?

For the 4th Floor North, the rental times are:

• 9am
• 11am
• 1pm
• 3pm

For the Mayor’s Balcony, the rental times are:

• 10am
• 12pm
• 2pm

Rentals are available Monday to Friday excluding holidays and any days that City Hall is closed due to private events. 

How much do private ceremonies cost?

Private ceremonies are priced at $1,000 to rent the area for 1 hour. Nothing else is included in the rental – you will need to add on chair rental, your own officiant, a musician, florist, photographer, etc.

Are there any additional fees beyond the base package?

You will have to pay a small cost per chair that you’re renting and the staff sets up for you. There are two different chair options: an inexpensive simple wooden folding chair and a more ornate, padded gold Chiavari chair. The price will vary depending on which chair you select and how many guests you have.

You do not have to rent any chairs (for example if you have no guests or would rather guests stand, for example if it’s a short ceremony).

How do you book a private ceremony?

To book a private ceremony, visit the SF City Hall events page at this link. There is also a public booking calendar here where you can see which dates are available, and for which a challenge is required (someone has a soft hold).

You’ll have access to your own event specialist which is also super helpful to be able to ask questions, though some reports online suggest they are not the most responsive and cannot help with more nuanced questions. More frequently asked questions are answered on this official page.

How far in advance can I book a private ceremony?

You can book up to 24 months out. Due to the amount of time needed to process contracts and payment, City Hall requires a minimum of three weeks advance notice for scheduling one-hour weddings. In reality, slots get snapped up much quicker than that. It’s common for the next available slot to be months out.

Currently, as I draft this blog post, it’s February 23. The next available slot (for which a challenge is required) is April 15 – and it’s the only opening that week. That’s nearly two months out!

How private is it – will we have random people in our photos?

These areas are not completely private. You will have the area cordoned off with a velvet rope and a sign with your last names. Bystanders can come up to the rope if they wish. Sometimes, it has happened that randoms have entered the ceremony space out of curiosity. Furthermore, both the private areas overlook areas of the building where other people may be standing, taking their own photos.

When you book Zoe Larkin Photography (either me or an associate photographer), we remove random background people from your final photos for the ceremony, romantic shots and group formals. Most photographers do not do this, so you would have other people in the background your wedding photos.

How many guests can attend a private ceremony?

The 4th Floor seats up 60 guests while the Mayor’s Balcony seats up to 40 guests. However, the official upper limit for both areas is 100 guests. The remaining guests stand for the ceremony.

How early should guests arrive?

Guests should arrive well before the ceremony actually starts. For a 3pm ceremony, I’d advise asking guests to be seated by 2.45pm at the latest. They can arrive as early as 2.15pm when the previous group using the space should be done, and the chairs for your party are already set up.

If you have any ‘notoriously late’ people in your group, I highly recommend telling them the ceremony starts much earlier than it actually does! It can be detrimental to your photographs if the ceremony cannot start on time due to key guests being absent. No time extensions are possible with the rental of the area, it ends exactly on the hour.

What should I let guests know in advance?

It’s up to you how much information you want to give out and hand-holding you think is appropriate for your particular group of loved ones. Here are a few ideas:

• How they are going to get to City Hall – are you providing a shuttle or transportation?
• Where they should park – I recommend sharing the address of the best parking garage to use, right across the street. It is Civic Center Parking Garage, 355 McAllister St, San Francisco, CA 94102. No parking is available on the premises.
• That it takes time to enter the building and they’ll need to allow for lines.
• Ask guests to keep personal effects to a minimum so they don’t clutter up the space.
• Not to inadvertently bring any prohibited items into City Hall (list here).
• Where guests will be going when it’s time for your romantic photos (if doing post-ceremony), and we’re asked to vacate the space. For example are they heading directly to cocktail hour at the reception, or is there downtime for them to go back to their hotel?
• How to get to your ceremony area. I’ve included some directions you can copy and paste below this list. There are no signs within City Hall showing how to get to the various areas, but there should be a sign within your ceremony with your last names.

How to find the Mayor’s Balcony

Copy and paste this to send to your guests:

Enter through the main Polk Street entrance (also known as Dr Carlton B Goodlett Place). After security, walk 25 feet in and find elevators on your left. Hit number 2 in the elevator. Turn left immediately upon exit, and you’re at the Mayor’s Balcony. You’ll see a velvet rope and sign with the couple’s names.

How to find the 4th Floor North

Copy and paste this to send to your guests:

Enter through the main Polk Street entrance (also known as Dr Carlton B Goodlett Place). After security, walk 25 feet to the elevators on your left. Hit number 4 in the elevator. Upon exiting, make a right and then an immediately left down a short corridor, until you see a large, spacious area to your left. It will be set up with chairs and a velvet rope and sign with the couple’s names.

What’s a typical timeline taking into account photos for a private ceremony?

I have a full, detailed article with information about planning your timeline for your San Francisco City Hall wedding day linked below:

But to keep it brief, below is the timeline I use for the 1-hour, private ceremony slot. This is assuming a 3pm ceremony, but can be transposed according to the timeslot you’ve booked:

There are a couple of small timeline points not mentioned in this rough guide:

• Chairs are usually set up as soon as the previous booking is done, so in this case 2pm. There is a one-hour gap between rentals in the same area (they are not back-to-back).
• I always allow for the ceremony to start a few minutes late, as is common. However, you should aim to start as soon as possible after your rental time has begun, otherwise there may not be time for all your formal group photos before you and all your guests are asked to vacate.
• Immediately after the ceremony, there are two things that should take place. I’ll normally ask you in advance to allocate a couple of guests to move the chairs to the very back or side of the space. Generally speaking, younger, stronger guys make light work of this. The space will need to be cleared of chairs in order to obtain your group photos. While the guys take care of the chairs, your photographer is able to capture some of the most special moments of the session – candid moments of your loved ones congratulating you and showing emotion.
• The staff is very strict about asking each group to leave immediately the minute the rental time is up. There is no ability to remain within the booked area after this time. If the desired portrait groupings have not concluded, I advise booking an extra half-hour with your photographer. That way, we can take all the guests needed for the remaining photos to another area of City Hall to continue. Always make sure you start with the largest groupings first. More in my guide to compiling your formal groupings linked below:

When do we take romantic photos?

Most couples want to obtain professional, posed photographs of them in a variety of different locations around the building. (That’s where I come in!). I call these types of photos ‘romantics’ where it’s just the couple present and the photographer leads and guides them.

I usually recommend doing your romantics pre-ceremony for couples with morning ceremonies, and post-ceremony for afternoon ceremonies (so in the example about, it would be 4.05 – 5.00pm).

The building is at its busiest in the middle of the day (from around 10 – 2), so if your ceremony slot allows, I prefer to avoid the busy time. The graphic below helps to visualize the busy time:

However, if you prefer to take photos after your ceremony in the morning or before it in the afternoon, that isn’t a problem at all. One thing to be aware of is that because the building is so open, you may be seen by guests as they arrive while you are with your photographer taking photos.

Here’s an example of a full (2-hour base package) timeline for a 9am ceremony:

Do you have access to other public areas of the building to take photos?

Yes! You can go anywhere you like within the public accessible areas of the building. You can take photos anywhere you like, so long as it doesn’t disrupt someone else’s ceremony. Sometimes there is a wait for popular photo spots like the Grand Staircase at busy times of the day.

What is the typical ceremony process?

When you arrive on the day of your ceremony, you will not check in prior (that’s only for civil ceremony couples). You will make your way to the ceremony area just before you’d like to begin.

If you have a musician, the officiant or photographer usually lets them know you’re all set and ready to start walking. The song starts playing and you can walk down the aisle, just like at any other wedding ceremony. You can have your father walk you down the aisle. You can have various different processional groups or walk in alone – whatever you wish.

Once at the altar, the ceremony begins. Typically there’s a welcome from the officiant and some sharing of your story that got you to this point. The vast majority of couples choose to exchange personal vows which can be meaningful and tear-jerking. Then there is a ring exchange and first kiss as you’re pronounced married.

After the ceremony, you can recess back down the aisle for a couple of private minutes together as new spouses before rejoining for group photos.

Can we have a wedding party at a one-hour ceremony?

Yes, you can have a wedding party. There’s nothing to stop you having your besties stand by your side during the ceremony, dressed in your wedding colors and walking down the aisle in processional groups just like at any other wedding.

Just make sure to allot enough time to get beautiful posed photos of you with your girls/guys. These sorts of photos tend to go beyond the simple ‘smile at the camera’ photos that we do with regular family groups.

Can we personalize our ceremony beyond the standard format?

Yes! There are so many personal touches you could add to your ceremony.

Simple touches you could add that I’ve seen are:

• Your dog walks you down the aisle
• A guest gives a reading (spiritual verse, poetry etc)
• Ring-warming ritual by the guests
• A handfasting as part of your ceremony
• Seats with framed photographs to honor departed loved ones (these photos can also be held up during formal groupings)
• Your musician plays a song for your first dance after the ceremony
• A display table with photographs and a guest book
• Livestreaming your wedding for loved ones who couldn’t attend

If there’s something you’re thinking of incorporating but you aren’t sure if it’s within the rules, you can always reach out to your event specialist at City Hall.

What are the restrictions on decorations or setup?

There are many restrictions on how you can decorate and set up the space. For example:

• No use of electricity outlets
• No naked flames or incense
• No confetti of any kind
• No amplified music or vocal singing
• Only hand-supported chuppahs and with advance approval
• No food or drink service
• Any floral installations must be under 3 feet tall
• No posting of signage elsewhere in the building
• No ability to store events within City Hall prior to the event, nor store items following it

There are plenty of other little delights you can bring to make your City Hall wedding day more fun, entertaining for the guests, meaningful or photogenic. My full guide below contains many ideas that go well beyond solely the ceremony, but range from where to stay the night before to how to add more color and fun to your exit through the iconic doors. Check it out if you want to make your day feel even more special:

If you’re big on decor and special touches that require setup, I recommend hiring a dedicated wedding coordinator – more on this below.

Where do you wait before walking down the aisle?

Most couples, especially brides, do not want to be seen by guests before making their way down the aisle. There is no dedicated holding area, but there are plenty of corridor areas where you can stay hidden.

Both the private spaces have spaces with benches out of sight of guests so you can stay tucked away while waiting for the ceremony song to start up, or if you have no musician, a signal from your photographer or helper to begin walking.

Is the justice of the peace available for the one hour ceremony?

No, a justice of the peace (aka Deputy Marriage Commissioner, or officiant) is not available as an option. Due to logistics and scheduling conflicts, an officiant is only provided by the County Clerk’s office for civil ceremonies, not private area rentals.

What vendors do couples typically book?

Most couples book a photographer. Nearly all my couples opt for a professional hair and makeup artist and floral designer for their bouquet and/ or boutonniere.

Some couples book a professional officiant, while others prefer to get a friend or family member ordained to marry them. You may also want to book a ceremony musician as only live, acoustic music is allowed – no amplified, recorded music is permitted. You cannot bring your own music, sound system, bluetooth speaker or have a guest perform live music.

A smaller minority of my couples choose to have floral installations within their ceremony space, a videographer and/ or a wedding coordinator.

Do you need a wedding coordinator/ planner for a private ceremony?

Generally speaking, a coordinator is not usually needed. It is not required in terms of your contract with City Hall. However, some couples like the extra confidence they gain by having a trusted, independent day-of coordinator to help everything run smoothly.

For context, with dozens or maybe even into the hundreds of private ceremonies photographed, there has only been a planner present for around 5, maybe 7 of them.

The reasons why you may want to consider adding a coordinator for your one-hour ceremony are:

• Have a lot of items to set up at City Hall (for example In Memoriam / display tables, guest books, ceremony items, chair decorations etc)
• Would like an exceptionally efficient day and would appreciate a coordinator to make announcements throughout the day! For example asking guests to take their seats, coordinating with the officiant and musician when for you to walk down the aisle, announcing when it’s time for group photos and calling up the groups, informing guests when it’s time to vacate, helping them make their way to the shuttle etc.
• Have a lot of guests and would like someone to welcome then in from the front door and personally escort or show them exactly where they need to be
• Are planning a reception event following City Hall and there are setup tasks associated with that – why not extend their time to also be a helping hand at City Hall?
• Are having a floral installation and the florist would need someone to be on hand to receive delivery and set it up (usually florists would do this themselves though)

How do you find vendors for your private ceremony?

Google, Yelp, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are all great places to find a photographer, officiant, hair & makeup artist and floral designer. Musicians, however, must be sourced from City Hall’s approved vendor list only.

If you go with me as your photographer, within my resources tailored for each couple you’ll find a list of all my vendor recommendations for every category, specific to private ceremonies. They are all vetted by me to provide excellent service and represent a wide variety of price points and styles. Many of them I have worked with time and time again over the course of 8+ years and they consistently provide excellent service and value.

How far in advance would you recommend booking the vendors?

As soon as possible! There’s nothing to be lost by locking in a vendor you like as early as you can (once your ceremony is booked with City Hall), but everything to lose if you wait!

If you wait too long to lock in, the most sought-after vendors will likely already be booked by someone else – especially if you have a popular date. Wedding vendors are used to working with years-long timeframes, as our other wedding clients book up to around 18 months out. So it’s highly unlikely you’ll ever be ‘too early’ to book a vendor.

Is there anything the ceremony must have to make sure we’re compliant? 

When you book a private area within City Hall, you are only renting an area. City Hall has no jurisdiction over the content of your ceremony. That means that technically you don’t need to have a legal wedding ceremony at all!

It could even be a vow renewal or a ‘ceremonial’ wedding celebration without a legal change of status involved at all!

Therefore, there is nothing you must include within your ceremony if you don’t want to.

Are witnesses required for private ceremonies?

Supposing you are having a legal ceremony, then yes, you will need to have a witness sign your marriage license. This is usually returned by the officiant at a later date – there is no need to take the time out of your wedding day to turn in the paperwork there and then.

You can have just one witness sign your license for ease, but up to 2 witnesses are allowed. If you are eloping without guests, your photographer will be your witness for no extra charge.

What happens if we need to cancel or reschedule?

If you successfully challenged a date, the deposit you paid to initiate your challenge is not refundable and not transferable to another date.

If you need to cancel an event that was not contracted through a challenge process, the rental deposit is fully refundable up to six months prior to your event date.

If you cancel an event that was not contracted through a challenge process less than six months in advance, you will not receive a refund from City Hall but will be granted one opportunity to apply your deposit to another date within 12 months of the original event date.

What are some insider tips for a smooth and photo-worthy City Hall private ceremony?

• You should appoint a friend, or ask your officiant to be very clear with guests about when it’s time to get seated for the ceremony. Clear instructions will help your ceremony begin on time. This task should be delegated to someone with an authoritative presence. I am happy to help facilitate this as well.
• Guests often come with stuff. Strollers, bags, jackets, water bottles, gifts. In order to keep the ceremony photographs beautiful, and to keep the space clean, you should ask a friend to help your guests place their things out of the way of the main ceremony area. This will ensure a smooth processional, without any obstructions. And it will also make for better photographs.
• Because of the neutral color scheme of the 4th Floor Galleries, bringing a pop of color will really enhance your photographs. You could pick colorful bridesmaids’ dresses, flowers, ties, shoes, or even socks. You could even have all your guests dress in a particular theme or color! Any pop of color will look amazing when contrasted with the neutral canvas that the fourth floor provides.
• The best way to get the most out of your group and family photos is to provide your photographer with a list ahead of time. Having a clear list of formal posed groupings will help the photos get organized quickly and efficiently. I typically begin with the largest group first, and then work down to smaller and smaller groups. A shot list is not to be provided for the rest of the session – only for the desired groups of guests.
• Promptly at the end of your one-hour reservation, the City Hall facilities workers will come to collect the chairs. Guests typically leave their bags, cameras and jackets on chairs. Those will need to be collected in an orderly fashion in order to allow the facilities folks to quickly and easily collect the chairs. You should have your authoritative friend (or me, the photographer) make an announcement to your guests about what happens next. They will appreciate the guidance, and you’ll have a smoother “exodus”.
• Allow extra time. While you can’t extend the 1-hour booking of the space, sometimes extra time with your photographer beyond our 2-hour base package really helps.

If you have more questions, maybe they’re answered in my video & blog post where I answered 24 questions I found online from real City Hall brides looking for answers!

Should we hire a photographer?

For a private ceremony, a professional and experienced San Francisco City Hall wedding photographer is a must.

You’re already investing significant money into your private City Hall wedding. Between the area rental, musician, officiant, flowers, dress, rings and coordinating dozens of guests who might be traveling from across the country or the world, you’re creating a once-in-a-lifetime moment. The last thing you want is to compromise that investment with amateur photography.

A professional City Hall wedding photographer is your day’s secret weapon. We know every marble corner, every beam of light, every strategic location for stunning shots. We understand the building’s unique challenges: tricky lighting, crowded spaces, fast-moving ceremony logistics.

An experienced City Hall photographer will:

• Help to prepare you and strategize what will make the most sense according to your unique values and priorities
• Provide a valuable customized list of City Hall-specific vendors that will make your experience complete, matching you with those that best match your vision, taste, budget and personality (a manageable-sized list but with plenty of options)
• Offer a list of hotels to stay at, restaurants to have your reception at, and anything that could also help the rest of your wedding day go smoothly
• Coordinate with the other vendors when your ceremony will begin, ensuring it’s not left up to you
• Know exactly where to position you for the most dramatic architectural backdrops
• Manage your tight timeline efficiently
• Anticipate and solve potential logistical challenges before they become stressful moments, whether it’s dealing with complex family dynamics or other groups in the building
• Understand the specific 1-hour private ceremony constraints
• Organize high-spirited groups of guests with charm and confidence
• Edit out background tourists and create clean, professional images in the contracted timeframe
• Offer suggestions for anything you might need help with, either with the planning process or the day of – nothing’s off limits – if I can help, I will!
• And so much more!

Your wedding day will move incredibly quickly. In just 120 minutes, you’ll be married, take all of your wedding photos, and transition to the next part of your celebration. Do you really want to risk that precious time with an inexperienced or generalist wedding photographer who doesn’t understand the venue’s unique rhythm?

Professional City Hall wedding photographers like my team and I have shot hundreds of ceremonies in this building. We know precisely how to maximize your limited time, reduce your stress, and create images you’ll treasure forever.

To find out more about my services, click the button below when you’re ready to book, and give me a follow on Instagram in the meantime!

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Zoe Larkin

I’m Zoe, a wedding photographer based in San Francisco! My style is candid, capturing authentic moments for my couples all over the Bay Area and Northern California. Creating content is my passion! Follow along the blog and Insta!

Zoe Larkin Photography