San Francisco City Hall wedding photographer

WHERE DO WE GO FOR PORTRAITS AFTER OUR CEREMONY?

Lots of couples (I'd say ~60% of mine) opt to add on time for portraits in a pretty San Francisco location. As beautiful as SF City Hall is, there's nothing more flattering than natural light on skin. The most popular locations I'm at time and time again are the Palace of Fine Arts, Crissy Field and the San Francisco Botanical Garden. I have a guide to San Francisco photo locations and another on photo spots <3 miles from SF City Hall. It's at least 1 additional hour per each external location, and can be longer if there is extensive walking within the location. Another option is to allow me to guide you around the vicinity of City Hall for outdoor photos just near the building which only 30 minutes extra.

WHERE SHOULD WE HAVE OUR WEDDING RECEPTION AFTER THE CEREMONY?

There are so many options for what to do with your guests after the City Hall portion. Some of our couples have traditional wedding receptions with all the typical events, but most opt for something more casual yet elevated. Depending on the time of day, this might look like a relaxed brunch, a hip restaurant, drinks at a bar, or lunch/ dinner. Whether you have 6 guests or 60, be sure you bookmark my guide to the best San Francisco restaurants for after City Hall.

WHAT'S THE BEST WAY OF GETTING TO CITY HALL, PARKING AND TRAVELING AROUND?

It's a super busy area with zero street parking available sadly anywhere within walking distance. If driving, I recommend parking at the Civic Center Garage with entrances on Larkin and McAllister. For getting around the city, I recommend Uber/Lyft for the most seamless experience that doesn't waste time with parking/walking. Some couples rent limos, towncars, shuttles, trolleys and more fun options! I have a separate article on this topic here.

WILL OUR PHOTOS BE RUINED IF CITY HALL IS SUPER BUSY?

Not at all. A skilled photographer will be able to guide you to places that are not as crammed with people, and can also predict the crowd's ebb and flow throughout the day! Many, like our team, will Photoshop out background people. But there is a limit to what smart positioning and post-production can do, and you can expect to wait our turn if you want to take photos on the Grand Staircase anytime except 8 - 8:30am or after 4:30pm. This is another reason why buffer time is important.

WHAT'S THE BEST TIME FOR PICTURES AT SAN FRANCISCO CITY HALL?

The best time of day is as early as possible. The building has stunning light early in the day and it’s largely free of people. 8am is opening time. The building gradually fills up and is busiest around the middle of the day. The other opportunity is when the ceremonies are winding down for the day, the latest ceremonies being at 3.30pm. The quality of light can be darker depending on weather and time of year. Later photos may have a more orange tone during late November, December and January. 

CAN ANYONE TAKE PHOTOS AT SAN FRANCISCO CITY HALL?

Yes, any member of the public can photograph at San Francisco City Hall. You do not need any special permit or permission to take photos within the building. Flash and lighting stands are used by photographers without issue. The benefits of going with a professional photographer are our familiarity with the building, our ability to navigate you around a crowded place, posing couples which is a very specialized skill, our knowledge of typical timelines and processes, the equipment we use that can take non-grainy images even in low indoor light, and our post-production process that takes care of removing bystanders that takes a lot of experience. 

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR SAN FRANCISCO CITY HALL WEDDINGS?

The two main options are civil ceremonies and private area rentals. Civil ceremonies usually take place in the rotunda, at the top of the stairs. The private area rentals take place on either the 4th Floor North Gallery or the Mayor’s Balcony.  You can also opt for a full City Hall buyout during the weekend or evening. There are different guest counts and rental costs associated with each. I’ve outlined the options in full on this post. Generally speaking, they're Monday to Friday close-ish to office hours.

WHAT IS THE CIVIL CEREMONY LIKE AT SF CITY HALL AND HOW LONG IS IT? 

The Civil Ceremony lasts ~3 minutes. It can be shorter if you choose not to exchange rings. The vows that you will be exchanging are available in full here. There are two civil ceremony slots every half hour between 9am and 3.30pm. No personalization is permitted for civil ceremonies, only private ones. Check-in for civil ceremonies can take ~25 minutes on average - this is a normal part of the process. 

WHAT CAN WE ACTUALLY EXPECT TO HAPPEN ON OUR SF CITY HALL WEDDING DAY?

For civil ceremonies, you’ll need to check in 15 minutes before your booked ceremony time. There is no check-in for private ceremonies. After checking in first at Room 160, you’ll wait in the corridor for your name to be called out. This time you’ll go and meet your officiant in Room 168. No photography is permitted in Room 168. No flash photography is permitted in the corridor waiting area. 

HOW DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH PHOTOGRAPHY COVERAGE TO BOOK?

SF City Hall may form a small part of your day, or may be the focal point of your photography. That’s why I created upfront, transparent a la carte pricing with no surprises! The two-hour base package covers basic City Hall events. I'll help you build your custom timeline. If you're having a private ceremony with a guest count of 35+, I recommend 2.5 hours as a minimum for reasons highlighted in this Instagram post. I created a blog post about San Francisco City Hall wedding timelines here.

WHAT'S INVOLVED WITH PICKING UP OUR MARRIAGE LICENSE?

Picking up the marriage license is simple and is available from any county in California. You do not need to make a trip to SF City Hall specifically. You will need to make an appointment online to obtain the marriage license at almost all counties. The license must have been issued within 90 days of the wedding date. It can be picked up on the wedding day but I would not recommend this.

WHEN DO WE DO OUR FAMILY FORMALS AT OUR WEDDING? 

Your photographer will guide you on this. I do formal photos immediately after the ceremony, after the sweet moments of congratulation. I recommend keeping lists to a maximum of around 6-8 groupings. Here's my comprehensive guide on how to compile your family photo list.

WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT DELAYS AT CITY HALL, WHAT CAN WE DO?

Delays can happen at San Francisco City Hall, but your photographer should build enough buffer time into proceedings. To prepare for delays, such as due to a high volume of people taking photos within the building or an overly-long check-in process, you can make a firm plan with your photographer which includes buffer time. 

San Francisco City Hall - FAQs

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Further reading:
All OUR City Hall blog posts. View sample images, planning tips & tricks for a smooth and effortless San Francisco City Hall wedding day!