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San Francisco City Hall.... is a dream!
So I'm not help at all, but I just had to comment! I drool everytime I see wedding recaps from City Hall & I'm sooo jealous that you're considering this! :)
i actually found one bride who had her ceremony at city hall but i think she might be on her honeymoon and ive seen pictures and its so pretty. im just hoping someone can tell me what to expect May-July-ish like the weather and tourist attractions.
Thanks for your comment! :D have u gotten ur venue yet?
Hmmm maybe I can talk my FI into making it official (for immigration purposes) in San Fran *drool*!
I've been there before... You have to go to Fisherman's Warf & Pier 39 (mmm the bread bowls)! You can't go to San Francisco and not go there!
lol ive been to SF once for work and i just remember it being so gloomy/raining so im hoping we can go elope in the summer. If you do decide to make it official in SF u have to make an appointment for the paperwork and civil ceremony.
Its so pretty and i get the chills just thinking about it lol
All the SF brides are so lucky to have this place as an option for a city hall wedding! What great picture oportunities!
Hi - I eloped at city hall and it's a beautiful, beautiful venue. The weather in San Francisco tends to be mostly foggy in the summer, actually (remember Mark Twain: "the coldest winter of my life was the summer I spent in San Francisco") and I'd recommend April-May or September - October as the sunniest, prettiest months in the area.
Our ceremony was at 3:30 in September and it was quiet, sunny, and lovely. There wasn't a lot of hustle and bustle. This photographer has some info about it: http://www.iqphoto.com/cityhall/index.htm and a lot of SF Bay Area photographers will give you a discount for a weekday wedding.
PM me if you want more info.
SF can vary widely in weather in the summer. I lived in Sacramento and every time I went to SF in the summer I would forget to bring enough layers. We went out on a boat for July 4th fireworks and I don't think I've ever been so cold in my life. On the other hand I took a tour boat one summer day when it was sunny and we were all in t-shirts, even out on the water. You can check all the weather history on wunderground.
City Hall would be an amazing place for a wedding. Just bring layers :)
For touristing - take some of the free library-run city tours - they're amazing. Take a boat trip out on the bay. Go to the new Cal Academy / Steinhart Aquarium. See the rest of Golden Gate park. Take photos at the Palace of the Fine Arts and maybe visit the Exploretorium.
I searched my reader and found this on 100 Layer Cake from a few weeks ago.. Looks beautiful!!
@ sweetlikcake I'm actually getting married at SF City Hall end of May. The website mentioned by cheerful (iqphoto) is great with lots of info and tips on having your civil ceremony at City Hall. We are actually reserving the 4th FL North Gallery for the civil ceremony because we have a larger number of guests and I want everything to be private. If you are just doing the 10 min free (well after you've paid the license + ceremony fee) the best time to do it is supposedly lunch time...when the various offices are closed for lunch thus not as many people walking around getting their city business done. Friday is the busiest day.
Like everyone said bring lots of layers! Weather is always unpredictable and there's fog although we have been getting gorgeous weather lately after a mild winter.
If you have any questions regarding SF let me know since I work here!
@baybee510: if you dont mind me asking, how much did u pay to reserve the 4th FL North Gallery for your ceremony? I noticed that they only allow you to bring/have 6 guests but i to have more guests that would like to come.
@ sweetlikcake It's pricey! Here is the link to the weekday option: http://sfgsa.org/index.aspx?page=4283
We are only reserving it for one hour but the cost is a bit ridiculous - you must pay the $352 for the event manager even if you're just reserving the space for an hour. To rent chairs it's $3.50 per chair. Nicer gold chairs were around $7 each to rent I think. You can also rent a table if you want to do a champagne toast. You have to bring in your own champagne and glasses though - which is better than City Hall's inflated prices!
I decided to go this route because we're gonna have 13 - 20 guests. Apparently they're not that strict with that 6 person rule but I'm having at least double. Plus I want something more traditional, with our families sitting down, being able to mingle, etc. I'm also quite shy about stangers watching us when we're getting married! If you decide to do this you make and pay for the license and ceremony just like you normally would - the officant just goes to your reserved location to marry you.
Here is another couple who reserved the 4th FL Gallery and then had a reception at the private room of a great SF restaurant:
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2009/12/real-wedding-ashley-michael.html
Hope this helps!
Karen
@baybee510: i think i might be having like 10 people more or less. I thought they were really stict on the 6 person rule but wow i didnt know it was pricey but i guess its good it will be more private. Please share your pics with me if you dont mind! are u getting nervous at all?
@ sweetlikcake Well on that iqphoto photographer's city hall website (http://www.iqphoto.com/cityhall/index.htm), who btw I'm obessed about but sadly can't afford, he said he's witnessed many ceremonies with more than 6 guests in the rotunda area....I guess it all depends on the officiant you get and I doubt anyone would be that mean to tell an extra guest or two to go away when you're getting married! I guess even when they do enforce it the extra guests just have to go to a different area??? Since it is a public building...
Yeah it's pricey for an hour! But I really love the building's architecture and how beautiful it looks. My fiance and I decided to have a immediate family only wedding, doing the civil ceremony at SF City Hall followed by a lunch reception at Absinthe's private dining room. We're getting married May 27 and I'll definitely post pics, not sure if it'll help you much since I see you're thinking about doing it May / July.
Not getting nervous at all! Just super excited. No stress at all since everything is small but still get to do the fun stuff like the dress, bouquet, cake, etc.
Where would you and your fiance be coming from?
Dude I wrote out this long ass response and it didn't post. Anyways that iqphoto photographer said on his site that he's witnessed many ceremonies with more than 6 guests in the rotunda area...I'm sure an extra guest or two would be okay but I guess it depends on the mood of the officiant you get. Plus it's a public building so worse comes to worse the extra guests would just have to watch from a different area???
Not nervous at all! It'll be a fun day! We're doing the civil ceremony there and then a lunch reception at Absinthe's private dining room. Will just be our immediate families there so I can be myself. I'm still doing all the traiditonal stuff - bouquet, cake, photographer, etc....but because it's small I get no stress!
Will definitely post pics.
Where would you and your fiance be coming from?
we are coming from LA area and im trying to figure out if we can take the train there or should we just drive. We are just going to do the civil ceremony then walk around SF to take pics on the trolly etc
im stressing since the fiance's parents are not totally with us eloping so we will see if they do show up and show us there support.
The train takes forever! Either fly or drive - the drive on the 5 is like half the time of the train which goes along the coast (which is beautiful but long!).
Awww I hope your fiance's parents come around. In the end you just gotta do what is right for you. Easy for me to say since my fiance and I luckily don't have any family drama.
With all of the great restaurants here in SF, make sure to celebrate afterwards by going to a nice lunch or dinner. Forbes Island is a restaurant on its own "island", a short boat ride from the Wharf, with a lighthouse and everything and you eat underneath sea level - totally romantic!
Whatever you decide to do, SF is such a great city (I'm biased!) that it'll be a great time even if it's just the two of you!
o thanks for that! im just scared of the weather and tourists that might be overcorwding the city hall as i am claustrophobic :(
but that dinner thing sounds like a great idea! thanks!
@baybee510: do u know how much time they give you for photos after the civil ceremony?
I read somewhere that each couple is alloted 10 minutes, not totally sure about that....it's a public building so you can be in the building as long as you want taking photos but again, if you're doing the free thing, people are going to be walking around and there may be couples lining up to be next....
Hi there!
I was married at City Hall last April, so I'll try to answer some of your questions. We only had four guests (parents), but the people who were getting married just after us had about 10 people with them and no one cared. Really, the rotunda where most people are married is in a semi-public space (at the top of the large staircase from the main hall) so it's not like there's a way to monitor it. Renting the 4th floor area would be necessary, however, if you want chairs, and it would make the ceremony more private. We had to delay the start of ours by a few minutes while a group of elementary school students on a field trip went by on their tour. During the ceremony itself, our photographer was great at keeping people away. It's a huge space so it wouldn't feel claustrophobic, and you are definitely removed from the majority of the people walking through, but if you want it to be 100% private it might be worth it to spring for the space rental.
For photos, there is no time limit except on the time that you can be on the rotunda itself (and that will be more or less flexible depending on whether someone else is getting married right after you or not). You can go various other places in the building for as much time as you want. There's also a garden across the street that we took pictures in.
And yes, San Francisco summers are pretty unpredictable. It's been lovely here the last few days, but summer can be anywhere from the 60s-80s in terms of temperature. If you want to take pictures outside, I'd recommend a shawl to keep yourself warm if you've got a sleeveless/strapless dress. If you want the best weather, you might want to wait till September or October...but that's probably not a very compelling reason to delay getting married!
Anyway, congratulations, and PM me if you'd like a link to our pictures.
@historienne: do u have any pics u can share with me on ur wedding day?
Thanks ladies for all your help!!
Oh, my goodness! I'm so glad I found this site! My fiancee & I are planning a SF city hall elopement, and I have sooo many questions. (OK, honestly, I'm doing the planning.) I hate to email the city government with a barrage of questions. If it's ok, I'd like to ask all of you my questions.
We plan to fly in to SF from Houston, have a city hall wedding with just my fiancee and myself, and spend the rest of the trip enjoying the city & relaxing, pretty low-key. This is wedding plan number FOUR, so I am over stressing. We've gone from a 200 guest basilica wedding, to having one at his mother's home (even more stressful), to eloping to Turkey (why not?), to cutting costs & stress by going somewhere we've always wanted, but domestic & relaxed. He is not allowed to change the plan anymore.
Do I have to reserve a time slot if it is just he & I? There are no guests or vendors, but I do want to hire a photographer. I figure in five years, all we'll remember are the trip & the pics.
If I choose the "free" option (paying for the license only), does the officant still conduct the ceremony in one of the scenic spots in the building? I do want a little more than just sitting at a counter & signing a paper. Not too much more, though.;) And would I need to reserve this 90 days in advance?
Sorry this is so long, and I greatly appreciate any advice anyone can offer. I'm a little rattled after multiple plan changes. Thank you!!!!
I'm the bride in the post @Bluestuff linked, and I can answer questions, although @sweetlikecake already PMed me.
YES, you have to make a reservation, walk-ins are not allowed. Reservations can be made in person or online.
You have to pay for BOTH a license ($90) and the ceremony ($75). Booking the ceremony does NOT guarantee the rotunda or the 4th floor, according to the City's website. They also have an ugly chapel that they might use. There is NO way to guarantee where your ceremony will be, unless you rent the whole building or something. Though I think 99% of the ceremonies are done in the rotunda (the prettiest spot) since they don't double book anything.
You MUST have an appt for your license as well, it can be the same day right before, or beforehand another day.
You don't have to book 90 days in advance, but I did because I wanted a specific day/ time. If you don't care, you can go online the day before, I imagine, or show up an hour early and get an appt for later.
Mine was on a Friday at 1:30pm, and it was crowded, there were at least 10 other brides there. If you want privacy, you'll need to pay for the 4th floor or book the whole place on a Saturday (very expensive)
When we got our license, it was a Tuesday at 10am, and there were only about 3 couples getting married. Mornings are generally quieter (confirmed by someone in the County Clerk's office)
The ceremony itself was just us, nobody tried to crowd around and watch (I would've told them to back off!) It's over in about 3 minutes, though. You can take pics in the building for as long as you want, but you have to move out of the rotunda if other couples are waiting.
The city's website has the most info, more than I can give. Check it out: http://www.sfgov.org/site/countyclerk_index.asp?id=5566
I'm also happy to answer questions if you PM me. Good Luck!
Also here's a link to my pics so you get an idea of the space: http://www.floryphoto.com/clients/kristen-alex-wed/
@Nexus-6 - Thank you very much!!! I booked the license & the ceremony - hopefully I will not be in the chapel!!! I booked the license for the day before, just to make it a little less stressful. Our ceremony is for 12 pm on a Tuesday, so maybe it won't be too bad.
It all seemed a little overwhelming, but once I found the portion of the website where you can reserve your times, it was really pretty simple. Whew! This is the first wedding plan that has fallen into place. I booked the times, then bid on a hotel room (worked perfectly), and found the dress I've always dreamed of the next day. Apparently, San Francisco is magical!!!!
Your pictures are beautiful - congratulations to you! Again, thanks for your help. I appreciate the time you've taken to answer my questions. I never understood why wedding planning makes people so crazy. Until I had to do it myself!
@Sprucie Glad I could help! I'm sure your ceremony will get to be in the rotunda; if I was able to get it on the busiest day (Friday) a Tuesday should be no problem. They have one lady who does all the ceremonies, she's really nice.
Here's a rough timeline of events that we went through on our wedding day, since I wish I had had someone to break it down for me:
-Arrive 10 minutes early to stand in line (sometimes there's no line) to check in at the desk.
-Check in and be given a number (like waiting at a deli!)
-When your number is called, you go back into the office to sit at the officiant's counter and sign the license.
-She tells you to meet her in the Rotunda (or wherever, but most often the Rotunda) for your ceremony in XX minutes.
-You hang out until she comes to the rotunda. We had about 25 minutes to kill since it was busy, so we took a lot of pics beforehand.
-Meet her in the rotunda. It's tucked towards the back at the top of the giant staircase, so it's sort of private. Nobody tried to come watch even when it was really busy. I think all the other couples are just as nervous and waiting for their turns!
-Have the ceremony! It's SO short; "do you take this man, blah blah" ring exchange, "I now pronounce you man and wife, kiss the bride, etc" It's over so quickly!
-You're married!!! Feel free to take pics anywhere else in the building for as long as you want. You're done at this point. It takes 2 weeks to get the marriage certificate, I think they mail it to you?
Getting the marriage license was even easier and shorter, all we had to do was bring our IDs; we paid online. You fill out the form, they confirm the info, and you're all set! They give you the license to bring back (IMPORTANT) on the day of your ceremony, when you sign it with the officiant. I think we were there 10 minutes. It's cool because you get to see beforehand where you'll be arriving on your wedding day :)
I know this seems like I'm asking for a lot, but do you think we could get away with about 30 guests for our ceremony at City Hall? We just couldn't manage to cut it down any more, but I can't possibly give up my dream of my wedding here.
I just toured City Hall last week and saw people EVERYWHERE, so really, no one's doing crowd control. But still... I'd hate for someone to come out and tell me that half my party needed to leave!
I've seen photos of weddings here with about 15-20 people, but not 30.
Thanks everyone!
@Nexus-6: Thanks for all the detailed info! We'll be getting married there on a weekday prior to our big Chinese banquet on the following Saturday!
@julie12: I don't know about 30 people...but I've attended a ceremony there with approximately 20 guests and nobody said anything...
Well, now we're thinking of doing the 1-hour rental just for peace of mind and to KNOW that we have the guaranteed space we want. They rent the mayor's balcony and the 4th floor for $500/hour, which allows up to 100 people. Does anyone know, if we have 40 people, do we have to purchase insurance separately, or does it include that? The website gives this information:
Fourth Floor
8:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m
Monday through Friday only $500 per hour
(for up to 100 guests)
Additional charges will apply for more than 200 guests, labor, rentals and insurance.
Insurance
All Clients, including vendors, must provide liability insurance. City Hall can provide the necessary insurance coverage at a rate of $2.00 per person with a $100.00 minimum. It is available for private wedding ceremonies and receptions only.
So it leads me to believe that the cost of insurance and chairs is separate...? So really, it would be more like $700.
Also, is the cost of the ceremony ($75) included?
hmmm, i don't know. Perhaps it'd be best if you gave them a call?
Just FYI for anyone thinking of the same thing I was - the official website is "outdated," according to the City Hall Events Center. They now charge $1,002 for an hour-long rental of the 4th floor. It does include insurance.
Too bad government doesn't work like a business and honor the listed price... I think we'll just go guerrilla style and swarm the rotunda on a weekday at lunch, when they're usually much less busy!
@julie12: Thanks for the info!! Looks like i'll be swarming there before you (if your wedding bee date is right!)...I plan on going on a weekday in May before my banquet...and i look to be having about 13 people there...i'll let you know how it goes!! :D
In case anyone ever wants to use this thread as a reference...
Since we're having about 45 guests, we decided to bite the bullet and do the 1-hour rental. If you don't want the ugly Courts on the side, the cost is $1002 for the location and insurance. It does NOT include the cost of having a marriage license ($97) or the city clerk who marries you ($73). Also, it doesn't include the cost of chairs - they are $3.50 per person for the basic chairs, or there are fancier ones for I believe $7-8. Really, I think they're cheap for not including chairs, but whatever - it's a government organization, so of course they're shady with info.
So all-in-all, our wedding at city hall will be about $1500.
Also, though you can't book the appointments for the marriage licence and officiant until 90 days before the date, you can book your space anytime if you are paying for the 1-hour or full-day rental.
It is definitely be a peace of mind that we have our spot on our given date and now we can plan the rest of the details - the reception, the hair/makeup team, etc.
Cheers to all the ladies getting married there!
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im looking for brides who are either having a civil ceremony at SF city hall or already had one there. I want to know when is a good time to go and have a civil ceremony since we are thinking about having one and wanted to know when a good time to go was (like during the month/time of day)