San Francisco is a great city in which to get married, whether you’re doing a simple City Hall ceremony, eloping on the beach or something more elaborate at one of San Francisco’s gorgeous wedding venues.
San Francisco doesn’t have many go-to indoor or covered spots for rainy days, which can make things tricky for weddings. Since we’re heading into the Bay Area’s rainy season, I wanted to share a few thoughts and ideas on how to handle it if rain’s in the forecast for your big day.
Many wedding guides suggest relying on your venue or planner for a rain plan. That’s fine for large, traditional weddings—but what if you’re eloping outdoors or having a simple City Hall ceremony followed by photos around San Francisco? With no venue or planner to fall back on, you might wonder what your options are if the weather turns.
I am happy to offer my guidance as a San Francisco wedding photographer that specializes in elopements, City Hall ceremonies and non-traditional, intimate weddings.
The truth is, there’s no single plan that works for every rainy wedding. You’ll probably need to stay flexible and get a little creative. Every option has its upsides and downsides, so it’s more about finding what feels right for you and your day.
In this article, I’ve put together a few ideas that have worked well for other couples and could help you figure out your own plan.
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Adjust your expectations and lean into it
Let’s just get one thing out of the way first. I’m not going to pretend that I believe in superstitions like the idea that rain is lucky. Frankly, rain sucks. It undoubtedly presents us with additional challenges. But though rain on your wedding day isn’t ideal, but if it happens. Though everyone envisages a lovely, warm sunny day for their wedding, sometimes that just isn’t what happens, especially if you choose to get married in the winter or shoulder seasons.
The absolute best thing you can do is decide early on that you’re going to roll with it. Attitude is everything – and that’s what you’ll remember once the wedding day is just a memory. You’ll have wet shoes, a muddy train, and your hair style will get frizzy, and that’s okay. These little imperfections often make the story even better.
Those photos of you laughing, running through puddles, or sharing an umbrella are the ones that feel alive. They show what your day really looked and felt like, instead of some version of perfection that doesn’t exist.
Once the ceremony and formal portraits are done, your outfit has already done its job. After that, it’s all about enjoying the day as it unfolds—rain, mud, and all. If rain becomes part of your wedding day story, embrace it fully. There’s something beautiful about choosing joy even when the weather doesn’t cooperate.
Bring an umbrella
If the rain is light and you don’t mind getting in the mud or wet ground, I highly recommend sticking to your original location plan and bringing an umbrella!
You can get your own cute umbrellas that are to your taste – might as well embrace the rainy wedding day.
If you’re getting married at City Hall, I suggest you provide your own umbrella(s) and have a guest or guests carry it/them!
Clear umbrellas are always my preference, so they allow ample light to reach your faces and don’t cause a color cast. The two of you can huddle together underneath one big brolly. Dark colored umbrellas won’t work as well, because you’ll be shaded and there won’t be enough light on your faces.
Purchase pashminas or ponchos for guests
With rain often comes cooler weather and that chilled-from-the-inside feeling that’s hard to shake. For women in your wedding group (particularly parents and older folks), a warm pashmina can be a stylish touch, while keeping a sense of occasion.
Outerwear can look awkward in formal group photos, so something like this ensures pretty colors and a consistent feel for the photos.
Pashminas roll up small so it’s easy to bring several of these along with you if you’re doing the San Francisco City Hall thing. They can be used as head coverings, scarves, shawls or even something to sit on, so they’re pretty versatile too.
Ponchos are nowhere near as stylish, but for a fully-outdoor ceremony may be a wise and inexpensive choice to keep your guests – and possibly yourselves! – dry.
If we’ll be doing a fair amount of walking around in heavy rain to get to a particular location (for example, the dome at the Palace of Fine Arts), then a poncho will make that walk more bearable and can be removed for the photos.
Bring a change of shoes & clothes
Want to avoid your white dress getting trashed and your shoes getting splattered with mud? A change of outfit might be a wise choice!
You could opt for a shorter white dress, or something completely different, whatever you like!
Perhaps a cheaper pair of flat, throwaway shoes would be a good idea to protect your dainty wedding shoes from getting ruined.
Keep in mind that some photos will be full-length (and show your shoes!). Only wear shoes you don’t mind being in some of the photos. I’m not going to crop your feet out at the ankle – that would be silly.
Also, feel free to add a splash of color to your splashing-in-the-rain shoes, be that pink, rainbow, gold or whatever you like.
Here are some simple white options to consider for fun rain-proof footwear:
Book transportation in advance
I highly recommend having transportation booked, for example a town car, limo or hired bus, depending on your guest count. This ensures you and your guests are not getting around in the rain.
The bus can usually just park up directly outside City Hall on the Polk side, so it’s only a few steps to walk. A limo usually provides the best opportunities for photos on board, especially if everyone’s having fun drinking champagne and eating nibbles.
Having booked transport means you are still getting photos on your way from A to B, and if a plan doesn’t work out then we can hit the next possibility.
More info on transportation at the link below:
San Francisco City Hall
I’m writing this article primarily for couples who have booked me for their San Francisco City Hall ceremony. While you may have had ideas about hitting some stunning outdoor locations, if it’s too rainy the most practical solution is to remain at City Hall for more photos there.
It is the only location I know that is publicly accessible, really beautiful and completely covered.
It’s also a large enough area to get a variety of shots without ever feeling repetitive!
Plus, there’s no danger of us running into issues shooting there.
What I mean is, some of the privately-owned or pay-to-enter buildings might kick up a stink if they see for-profit photography occurring without a permit or advance permission. I’ll dive into more about this, later.
Locations near SF City Hall with rain cover
This may require either some pre-scouting if you have time to do so, or we can explore together day-of. For example, the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium has an overhang that could be used for photos, if you don’t mind the 30-second sprint to get there from City Hall.
Obviously, this will be different for each location! This will involve getting a bit creative and allowing yourselves to be open to whatever there is around.
For experienced photographers, this is all part of the fun and won’t be seen as an inconvenience or bad planning or anything. It’s part of the fun, so hopefully you’ll see it that way too!
The Palace of Fine Arts
This is a good one to have in your back pocket! The Palace of Fine Arts has it all in terms of architecture and beauty – it also complements City Hall really beautifully in terms of style.
The dome of the Palace offers partial sheltering against rain. However, there are a couple of things to bear in mind.
Firstly, it’s so high up that you don’t necessarily get complete protection from rain if it is heavy or coming in sideways.
Secondly, it’s a tiny area that many other photographers and their clients (not to mention tourists) could be flocking to for the exact same reason. If that’s the case, then you may not get the wide-view, clear and empty dome photos you may have seen online. Though we take care of removing background people, it can be busy there and sometimes a wait is involved.
More tips on this location at the link below:
The California Academy of Sciences
Not to brush up on science, but because this area has a larger overhang and isn’t as crowded. The California Academy of Sciences building is visible in the background, featuring a brutalist architectural style with its concrete structure.
I love the neutral, refined background palette of this building, which photographs beautifully. It lets you, as the subject, really shine instead of being overpowered by some of the more epic architectural styles.
And more photos from this shoot below if you’re curious.
The Ferry Building
The Ferry Building, situated on the Embarcadero, has a bustling downstairs area and a separate upstairs area with a completely different feel. The space is actually used for weddings!
I can’t guarantee that the upstairs area will always be open or free from other people or events, but it’s well worth a try given its proximity to City Hall.
For bonus points, take the cute Muni trolley – definitely some photo opportunities there. It’s not permitted to take photos of other patrons on public transit, so we’ll see if we can carve out our own private area while on the streetcar.
San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
The Conservatory of Flowers is a gorgeous fully-covered glasshouse filled with exotic plants and the most gorgeous light. It is on many people’s lists as a rainy-day location, but it also comes with some caveats.
According to the Conservatory’s rules surrounding permits, paid permits are required and must be obtained at least 30 days in advance. This goes for any size group. Unfortunately, I do not have information about permit prices – it may be on a per-booking basis.
Of course, as a working professional and business owner, I always recommend my clients to do what is required by the rules of the establishment where they wish to shoot. For one thing, it’s respectful – it’s only right to support the work of sometimes struggling public institutions.
For another thing, it avoids disappointment. Staff would be well within their rights to ask us to leave if it looks like we’re avoiding paying what’s due.
That said, I totally get that some couples still want to try, and sometimes it isn’t possible to go through the official channels in time. If that’s the case, I’ll simply be a ‘friend with a camera’ and we’ll see if we can grab a few shots!
Here are a few from a City Hall couple who braved it a few years ago without a permit – worked out great for this one!
The Westfield Mall in downtown San Francisco
Hear me out! The Westfield Mall San Francisco Centre is actually a beautiful place to get your photos done. One of the higher floors (that I can guide you to), has some stunning areas that are perfect for photos. This floor of the mall is tranquil, filled with light and has no shops on that level.
It is largely free of people which is one of the biggest plus points. Here are a few photos with one of my associate photographers and her partner modeling for me to demonstrate how good the mall can look for wedding photos!
Private institution (for example, museums)
There are stunning museums dotted all over the City. To name a few:
- Asian Art Museum (across the road from SF City Hall)
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
- Legion of Honor
- De Young Museum
- Contemporary Jewish Museum
Though not a museum, the San Francisco Public Library, just a hop, skip and a jump away from City Hall?
I’d recommend sticking to one of the bigger museums such as the above places.
What you need to be aware of here is that again, each museum would likely have their own fee / permission requirements when it comes to for-profit photography.
I am usually OK with skirting the rules a bit in order to make your wedding photos as amazing as I can. That said, there is every chance that if we turn up to a museum, there’s no disguising that we’re clearly two people in wedding attire and one with a large backpack filled with photography equipment.
I would imagine that many establishments would have an issue with a photoshoot. It would be somewhat down to luck if we were permitted to enter, especially as many museums force you to check large bags like I would have when I’m shooting.
Probably the entrance area (pre- fee gates) would be a safer bet than needing to get past museum gate staff. Or, ideally, you would need to call them to ask what happens in terms of fees and permissions and pay it.
I’d be happy to supply any certificate of insurance, business licenses, ID, vaccination proof etc that may be reasonably required, but it’s always on the couple to take care of applying and paying for permits.
Friend’s house, hotel lobby or your place
When I say get creative, this is what I mean.
It’s a question of being resourceful and seeing what we can pull together. For example, are you staying at a hotel in the City? Many hotels in San Francisco have stylish lobbies, cozy lounges, bars without too many patrons during the day, or covered entrances that work beautifully for portraits.
For example, if you’re staying in the suite at the Fairmont Hotel, some of the rooms such as room 520 (a suite) has this gorgeous covered adjoining terrace (shown below). It’s private and affords the most beautiful views as the backdrop for your wedding morning! It’s perfect for your first look followed by a few romantics:
If you’re not staying at a hotel, but some of your guests are, that could be a great option for photos.
You can also think outside the box. Maybe a friend nearby has a home in San Francisco with great light or an interesting interior and wouldn’t mind letting us use it for a bit. I’m always open to wherever my couples take me. As this is such a bespoke plan, it’s all about getting creative and making the most of what we happen to have open as options.
If you live in the city yourself, your home can be the perfect backup plan, just like this couple who turned their own San Francisco apartment into a warm, intimate photo spot on their rainy wedding day. Sometimes those personal spaces end up being even more meaningful!
Consider rescheduling your date
Rescheduling isn’t usually something couples need to worry about with a City Hall wedding. The ceremony is indoors, and the space photographs beautifully no matter what’s happening outside. Once you’ve booked, City Hall doesn’t issue refunds, and your guests will likely have already made plans—so moving the date isn’t practical or necessary.
That said, if you’re planning an outdoor celebration, like a casual beach elopement or a three-hour portrait session in the open air, that’s a different story. In that case, shifting your plans might actually make the day more enjoyable.
For engagement shoots, I tend to recommend rescheduling if rain’s in the forecast. There’s just no reason to be shivering in wet clothes when we can easily choose a new day.
And if you’re wondering, I don’t mind a bit of drizzle! I’m from the UK, so rain feels like home—and my gear handles it just fine. But when it comes to your experience, comfort always comes first.
When rain becomes a part of your wedding day, it’s important to keep in communication with your photographer. Everyone works differently, and each photographer’s schedule is fluid, sometimes flexible and other times not.
We’re also super open to understanding our clients’ ideas, and working around each couple’s unique preferences and priorities.
And there you have it! What would you rather do on your wedding day in San Francisco if it rains? Did I miss something? I’m hoping to add to this list with more locations and ideas as my couples take me to different spots around the City and I learn more rain-friendly wedding ideas!
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!
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