While most couples associate San Francisco City Hall with short weekday ceremonies, the building is also available for private evening events. A full buyout lets you host your entire wedding – not just the ceremony – in one of the city’s most iconic space, all to yourselves.
What is an evening wedding at San Francisco City Hall? An evening wedding refers to a full buyout of the space, and resembles a traditional wedding with ceremony, reception and dancing
This is where the terminology gets misleading. City Hall doesn’t allow you to rent the entire space privately during public hours (M–F, 8am–6pm). So a “full-day” wedding doesn’t mean you have access all day. It’s essentially a shorthand for a ceremony and reception event, taking place in the evening.
So yes — the “full-day” wedding people refer to online is the same as the evening wedding (ceremony + reception). It’s never literally all day (as in, the daytime).
This is the only way to host both your ceremony and reception inside City Hall. It’s grand, exclusive, and unforgettable. But it also comes with a price tag and logistical complexity that surprises most couples.
Table of Contents
The Base Rental Fee
As of September 2025, the flat rental fee for an evening wedding at San Francisco City Hall is $12,000. Up to date pricing information can be found at this link. Further fees and expenses can be found here.
The rental fee covers the use of the building’s event spaces after public hours, including the Rotunda/Grand Staircase, North Light Court (South Light Court is an additional $3,000, and is required for between 500 – 999 guests); and upper floors.
That number looks deceptively manageable — until you factor in all of the mandatory and hidden costs.
There’s hardly any information about this option online, so I did a lot of digging (thanks, Reddit!)
Mandatory Extra Costs
City Hall is a public building, which means certain expenses are unavoidable. Couples can’t negotiate these fees, and they add up fast:
- Sheriff/security fees: $6,000–$9,000, mandatory for all evening events. (This Reddit post from 2023 mentioned the Sheriff fee being $7,000).
- Processing fees: $500.
- Power usage fee: $500.
- Labor, insurance, and equipment charges: variable, customized to each wedding.
- You’ll also need a permit from the San Francisco Fire Department.
Right away, your $12,000 rental is over $20,000 before you’ve booked a single vendor.
The Approved Vendor Requirement
For catering, rentals, floral design, musicians, and AV services and more, you must use approved vendors only. These are high-end providers who are experienced with City Hall’s rules and load-in restrictions — but their prices reflect that exclusivity. You can bring your own photographer, videographer, or officiant, but the big-ticket categories are locked in.
This means you won’t be able to shop around for inexpensive vendors. Catering, rentals, and lighting all come from vendors used to servicing luxury-level events. To manage the risk of performing their services at this historic building, a world away from a traditional wedding venue, these vendors are utilized.
Real Budget Numbers From Couples
Because City Hall doesn’t publish all costs, the best insights come from couples who’ve done it. Here are some reported numbers:
- $115,000–$200,000+: the realistic total budget range for most evening weddings. [Source: Reddit]
- $280,000: one Reddit commenter’s total, with $28,000 in rentals, $12,000 in lighting, $27,000 in planner fees (due to paying for two different planning teams), $8,000 to cover the rugs in the North Light Court, and $9,000 in shuttles alone. [Source: Reddit]
- $40,000 catering: not unusual, since food must be prepared within the loading dock. There’s no commercial kitchen on site, so this is a big ask and where a good chunk of the budget ends up.
- $28,000–$35,000 rentals: tables, linens, chairs, lounge seating, bars, stages. Everything must be brought in.
- Planner fees: $10,000+, since this venue requires full-service planning.
- Also factor in: Any that you might want out of: photography, videography, officiant, hair & makeup, DJ/MC, content creator, entertainment floral design, musician (I believe florals & musicians must come from the approved vendor list only).
- There are also extra costs (all subject to approval for:
- Early access (load-in/load-out) at $500/hour
- Early access for weekday rotunda at $1,000/hour
- Early access for weekday Light Court at $500/hour
- Early access for all areas on weekends (per room) at $500/hour
- Late access (guest access) at $5,000/hour
- Set-up day, at 50% of the rental cost.
The bottom line: a $12K rental quickly scales into six-figure territory.
I broke down the Reddit posts where the figures come from in depth, and combined it with other figures and reports I found online – you can check that video out below:
If you’re interested in a private or semi-private experience at SF City Hall but without the extravagant price tag, consider a 2-hour Saturday ceremony buyout, or a 1-hour semi-private rental of a balcony during the building’s regular opening hours. I have full guides about each linked below:
Timing and Logistics
Evening buyouts only begin after the building closes to the public. Load-in typically starts for the North Light Court can start as early as 2pm, with load in of other areas possible at 4pm, and the event can run until midnight, with load-out wrapping at 2am. City Hall remains open to the public until 8am, but I believe they will close it at 6pm on the days when evening weddings take place.
- Weekdays: available most evenings, except Tuesdays.
- Saturdays: only after the morning ceremony slots (9am and 12pm) are finished and cleared.
- Sundays: not regularly listed; confirm directly with the events office. I have a feeling the building remains closed on Sundays.
The fact that City Hall is a living, breathing public building open to the public Monday – Friday, and that there are already ceremony-only timeslots on Saturday morning/early afternoon, means there’s no option to have a daytime wedding at SF City Hall. When people refer to the ‘full day buyout’, it’s strictly an evening affair.
Lighting Considerations
Here’s something most couples overlook: all of your wedding photos will be in artificial light. The natural daylight you see in almost all SF City Hall wedding photos online won’t exist during an evening buyout, except potentially during the longest days of the year.
This lack of natural light isn’t inherently bad — but it does mean you’ll need to budget heavily for professional event lighting. Uplighting the Rotunda, lighting the stage, and creating ambiance in the North Light Court can easily run $10,000–$15,000. It creates a different mood and feel to your photos. The lighting is fully artificial, but professionally staged, making it elegant and photogenic. Usually though, natural lighting is highly prized in photography, as it creates the most flattering look, but everyone is different in what they value and prefer.
My guess is that for evening weddings, you’ll want to come in during the day to take photos here while the building is open to the public, if you want to benefit from natural light.
That means that despite the high price tag, you’ll be taking photos with the masses before the 6pm closing time. It seems you’d miss out on romantics around the building as part of your rental slot. While I’ve never seen a timeline for this kind of full-buyout, I can imagine that you’d want to have guests arrive and start your ceremony close to the start of the time that you’d have access to the building. With load in complete and ceremony setup underway at 6, guests arriving at 6.30, and the ceremony by 7. There wouldn’t really be a good time to take romantics while the wedding is underway, and guests are scattered around.
Random Q&A
Are evening weddings only weekdays?
Nope, they’re offered weekdays (except Tuesdays) and Saturdays. ‘Evening weddings’ = ceremony + reception private buyout. The building is open to the public during the day, then closed down and transitioned into a private event space.
Are they full receptions?
Yes. These are full-scale weddings: ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, dancing, sometimes live entertainment. Think of it like renting a luxury hotel ballroom – except it’s City Hall. That’s why the price tag is so high.
Are there smaller-scale evening options?
No. Evening rentals are always full buyouts that include both ceremony and reception. If you’re looking for a shorter or more intimate celebration, stick with the 1-hour weekday or 2-hour Saturday ceremony-only options.
Do we have to use City Hall’s preferred vendors?
Yes. Caterers, planners, lighting companies, floral design, musician, rental providers must come from City Hall’s approved list. This ensures familiarity with the building’s strict rules and load-in logistics. You can usually choose your own photographer, officiant and videographer, but confirm with your planner first.
Can we do portraits during public hours?
Yes, you are free to enter the building anytime during its public opening hours, but there will be other people present. The building remains open to the public until the evening transition begins, and your rental doesn’t include daytime access. To find out more about getting married out City Hall, check out my guide below:
What are the restrictions?
City Hall is strict about preserving the building. No confetti, glitter, sparklers, or open flames. Décor setup is limited to what can be loaded in and out during your contracted time. Sound levels, alcohol service, and furniture placement are also tightly regulated – another reason a seasoned planner is required.
Ceremony + Reception flow
- Couples usually hold the ceremony ‘under the Rotunda’, aka Grand Staircase.
- Guests move into a Light Court (the North side) for cocktail hour.
- During cocktails, staff “flip” the ceremony space into a dinner/dancing setup (or sometimes the reception is already staged in the opposite Light Court for large events).
- It’s very much a full production requiring a planner. You can’t do this option without one. There’s absolutely nothing ‘DIY’ about this kind of wedding experience.
Timing (how do they fit it all in?)
- Load-in: Vendors can usually start loading in 2 PM in North Light Court or 4 PM in Rotunda/Grand Staircase
- Public access ends at 6pm, typically, though it could be earlier by special request. Then it’s all private.
- Ceremonies typically start around 6:30–7 PM.
- Cocktail hour ~7:30, dinner ~8:30, dancing until midnight.
- Load-out by 2am (rental time ends; strike complete)
How far in advance can we book?
Evening buyouts are typically booked 12–18 months in advance. There is no availability calendar available for this option. Saturdays and “special date” weekends (holiday weekends, numerically significant dates) can go even faster, so early inquiry is essential.
How do we book?
All evening weddings are managed through the City Hall Events Office, not the County Clerk. You’ll work directly with their event coordinators, submit an application, and pay a deposit to secure your date. Your planner usually helps facilitate this process. The email address and procedure for reaching out is detailed on this page.
Who This Option Is For
An evening buyout is perfect for couples who:
- Want both ceremony and reception in the same iconic space.
- Have a budget of at least $115,000, with most realistic events landing closer to $150,000+.
- Don’t mind rules, restrictions, and vendor limitations.
- Prefer a dramatic, nighttime celebration over daylight portraits.
It’s not for couples who want flexibility, simplicity, or affordability.
I frequently receive questions over on my TikTok like this one in which someone asked ‘Can you buy out the whole of SF City Hall and actually have a party?’ which I answered below:
Final Thoughts
Renting San Francisco City Hall for an evening wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime experience — but it’s also one of the most expensive and logistically complex options in the Bay Area. While the site may advertise a $12,000 rental fee, the reality is a six-figure event with layers of mandatory costs, approved vendors, and strict rules. If your dream is to dance beneath the Rotunda with City Hall all to yourself, it can absolutely be magical — but you’ll need to go in with eyes wide open.
I share this because it’s surprisingly hard to find real numbers. No couple should step into this thinking they can “make it work” on a $50,000 budget — that simply isn’t possible due to what we’ve discussed here. I recommend working with a planner to help guide you throughout your wedding planning journey. While I’m a photographer (with a passion for producing helpful content!), nothing can replace actual boots-on-the-ground knowledge and experience.
Other Bay Area venues could work for that, but not this one. For most couples, a 1- or 2-hour ceremony rental at City Hall with a reception elsewhere is a far more attainable way to celebrate. Still, if budget isn’t a concern, the evening buyout is as grand and unforgettable as it gets – and one that I would love to have the experience of photographing!
I specialize in weekday ceremony options (and have captured a handful of Saturday 2-hour ceremonies). While my team and I haven’t personally photographed a full evening buyout (as they are so rare), I’ve conducted extensive research to help you understand what this entails before reaching out to the SF City Hall Events Office.
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 on the blog, Instagram, TikTok & YouTube!
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 on the blog, Instagram, TikTok & YouTube!