HOW TO GET MARRIED IN SF CITY HALL – ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
Everyone wants their wedding to go smoothly and without a glitch! You want to pick the right time for the ceremony, find the best vendors, get gorgeous images… the list goes on. Of course, you should make a whole bunch of decisions. And you also need a flawless wedding day timeline. Our best wedding planning secret? Make sure to have answers to all the key questions! We give you 10 most important queries (with detailed answers below):
How do you plan San Francisco Courthouse Wedding?
What do you need to get married at the courthouse?
Do I need an appointment to get married at the courthouse?
Which location inside City Hall to choose?
How much does it cost to get married at City Hall?
How long does it take to get married at City Hall?
How to find an experienced SF City Hall wedding photographer?
How many guests can attend a City Hall ceremony?
What should I wear to a courthouse wedding?
When to hold your City Hall ceremony?
HOW TO ACTUALLY GET MARRIED IN SAN FRANCISCO CITY HALL?
Step 1 - Booking
Book your ceremony first and then make an online appointment for your marriage license
Marriage license - $107. Appointments for marriage license are available Monday through Friday from 8:15 am to 3:30 pm. When it’s time for your appointment, go to Room 168 on the 1st floor. Don’t forget to bring your ideas. Arrive their earlier taking into the account parking, security line and time to find clerk’s office.
Civil Ceremony (Public) - $86. Ceremony is typically performed in the Rotunda Area or Private Room. City Hall began to enforce the rule of 6 guests maximum for the Rotunda ceremony. If you have more than 6 guests, you will likely have the ceremony in the private room. Unless… read below
1 Hour Wedding - $1000. It includes private use of either the Mayor’s Balcony or a Fourth Floor Gallery for up to one-hour from Monday through Friday 9am - 3pm
2 Hour Wedding - $5000 - the package is offered on Saturdays only with the earliest ceremony beginning at 9:00 am and the latest beginning at 12:00 noon.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO BOOK YOUR CEREMONY
When looking for available dates and time slots, keep in mind that City Hall is a public building. If there is a major public event, some parts of the building might be inaccessible while you are there. However, an experienced photographer who knows the venue will be able to find enough great photo locations even on the busiest day.
The busiest days are Thursday and Friday. Most couples prefer to have their wedding ceremony on these days and the place is buzzing. Some like it busy, but if you don’t, then book your appointment for Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Also, remember that the building is open for the public Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm. The busiest hours are between 10 am and 2 pm. My personal recommendation is to book a late afternoon appointment (after 2PM). A 3:30 pm ceremony is a good choice because most of the people will leave by then.
Step 2 - Planning
Look for wedding vendors experienced in hosting San Francisco City Hall weddings
Choose a hair and makeup stylist close to your getting ready location (when booking an early morning ceremony, allow enough time for getting ready)
Find a restaurant nearby (make sure that it is open after your ceremony and that it serves an appropriate menu)
Guests - City Hall has an official rule of 6 guests (not including yourself) for the Rotunda wedding. If you have more guests and haven’t reserved a private use of the Mayor’s Balcony, 4th Floor North Gallery or the 4th Floor South Gallery you have an option of having your ceremony in the private room, next to the Clerk’s office. While it’s not the most optimal location as you don’t get to experience and we don’t get to photograph the ceremony in the grandness of the City Hall, it is a more private location. Even though the Rotunda is a public place, the visitors are generally cognizant of the ceremonies.
Wedding Officiant - wedding officiants are all volunteers. They have their own way of doing the ceremony and truly enjoy the process. If you’d like to have a friend or a family member officiate a wedding, they can apply for a Deputy Marriage Commissioner for a Day.
San Francisco City Hall Rules and Regulations to keep in mind
Step 3 - The Day of
Plan to arrive at least 20 minutes before your ceremony.
Uber, Lyft, Taxi or another other transportation when you don’t have to drive is our best recommendation. Parking around San Francisco City Hall can be challenging. If you are driving you’re best bet is Civic Center underground parking garage . The parking garage has a single entrance on McAllister St., near the corner of McAllister and Polk.
You will need to go through City Hall security. After that check in to Room 168 inside San Francisco City Hall located on the 1st floor.
Civil Ceremonies (the popular public ceremonies during weekdays) are performed on the Rotunda at the top of the grand central staircase.
Private ceremonies have more flexibility than civil ceremonies. For weekday private ceremonies, you can have your wedding on the Mayor’s Balcony, 4th Floor North Gallery or the 4th Floor South Gallery.Before the actual ceremony, you will be invited to the office. You will have a couple of minutes to meet the judge and let your witness sign the license. Per California state law, at least one witness needs to be present during the ceremony. This witness must accompany you when you check in to Room 168 before your ceremony time. You can have up to 2 witnesses if you chose so. If it’s just going to be the two of you, your photographer would be honored to act as your witness.
The ceremony will then typically take place at the Rotunda Area. A public City Hall ceremony lasts for about 5 minutes. There are two timeslots each 30 minutes and you can book one between 9 am and 3:30 pm.
Photos:
We don’t like to be idle. During the check-in and the ceremony we will take candid photos, catch the little moments, a smile, a nod, a tear… We try to always be aware of the surroundings and what is going on so that we don’t miss important, unique moments. If we have time before the ceremony we will do some posed/portrait photos. After the ceremony we will do group/guests photos if you have guests. And then focus on portrait photos of just the 2 of you. Our goal is to have a good mix of emotions. Location is a given. We want to make sure the location is contributing to the mood, not taking over.
Read our article on SF City Hall Natural light versus use of flash and why you should be careful choosing the right photographer.
When we are done with photos most couples head to the restaurant for reception. Take a look at our Restaurant Guide
