San Francisco City Hall is one of a kind wedding venue. It's incredibly beautiful and offers an easy way for couples from all around the world to get married. As soon as the pandemic is over many couples will return to San Francisco City Hall to get married there. Based on our unofficial conversations with government employees, SF City Hall reopening during COVID is unlikely to happen until the Corona Virus vaccine is widely available which is expected within three months. But there are increasing signs of a potential spring reopening.
If you wish to be notified when it is available for ceremony and marriage license appointments, or other reopening related news, please submit the form below.
And as a bonus I will share the COOLEST date to get married in 2021! Just ask!
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San Francisco City Hall holds an incredible value in our family. I got married there at a beautiful Rotunda, my brother got married there, two of my friends got married there and I have witnessed and photographed countless weddings and met many unique and interesting people who travelled to tie the knot there from all around the world.
San Francisco City Hall is currently closed so our team created an alternative list of local Bay Area venues that offer small weekday and weekend wedding packages with or without dinner reception. We also scouted parks, gardens and found many spots for a quick elopement. And of course, we've partnered up with the best local officiants who are willing to work within the scope of their City Hall packages. Our photography packages start at $795 and a full list of packages available below.
This being said, welcome to our San Francisco City Hall wedding photography dedicated page. We deliver more than just wedding pictures - we create a meaningful story. For us, every elopement at City Hall is unique so the memories should be unique too. From the moment we meet you for the first time, we will focus on capturing the natural moments, real emotions, and family love. We adore documenting joy, happy tears, and laughter that makes every wedding so special!
In addition to offering wedding photography, we can also be your guides to help you with the check-in process, selecting perfect shooting locations, and even act as your witness. All you need to do is bring a smile, relax and enjoy your big day. 1000+ couples from all around the world entrusted their most important day in IQphoto.
We offer a number of packages starting at $795 for a Ceremony and a few classic & posed portraits afterwards. Please scroll down to see our pricing options. Feel free to take a look at our previous "How to get married at City Hall in 2020" guide. To see our larger City Hall Portfolio, click here.
We photograph weddings all around the country, have traveled to four continents (see these Iceland elopements or this Rome wedding) but living in San Francisco, gives us an opportunity to participate in intimate weddings we so adore not to mention we had two family weddings at City Hall ourselves.
When it comes to City Hall Wedding editing, first of all, it is important to understand, that when you like certain photographers, you need to clearly distinguish whether you like the actual photography or the image editing. Modern editing tools allow quite a range of manipulations. For example, the images below are a very basic representation of how a photo can be soft and shiny versus moody and dramatic.
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And below is another sample taken right behind the SF City Hall at the Veterans Memorial park (Feb 2020).
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The Rotunda is the very heart of San Francisco City Hall located just above the main staircase. It is where the majority of public wedding ceremonies take place. Photo opportunities here are amazing!
Coolest perks? It is filled with soft light plus there are beautiful crystal chandeliers. It is standing right opposite the Mayor’s Balcony which means that great photo backdrops are guaranteed.
Mayor’s Balcony is a fantastic vantage point from where you can capture the most beautiful photos of San Francisco City Hall. That’s exactly why wedding photographers love it so much! Book a City Hall civil ceremony here and you will get gorgeous views of the ornate marble walls and the grand staircase.
Without a doubt, it offers the most elegant backdrops for the couple's shots. Its unique feature is the iconic golden railing which can really stand out in your wedding photos.
The 4th Floor Galleries are visually intriguing! The color palette is comprised of soft, natural shades of ivory, white, and grey. To make it even more picture-perfect, you can add some vibrant colors! Vivid bouquets, floral arrangements, and bridesmaid dresses will create wonderful contrasts. And a large wedding party can easily fit in there. Yes, this area can be rented. You will have full control over the ceremony and will be able to hire your own officiant, share your personal vows, get a sitting arrangement and even hire a musician.
Here you can easily seat 60 guests and the chairs are forming a natural aisle for your big entrance. Additionally, there is also ample space for live musicians, a small table for cupcakes, champagne, wedding gifts, etc., North is usually proffered than South as it offers a softer light.
The impressive marble staircase is the centerpiece of San Francisco City Hall and its most photographed feature. Its extraordinary beauty will strike you as soon as you walk into the building. Exuding regal elegance and timeless style, this architectural masterpiece is often compared to the iconic staircase at the Opera de Paris.
Even if there are other people in the background, a skilled San Francisco City Hall wedding photographer can still make a few good shots.
Compared to Grand Staircase and The Rotunda, South and North sides of the 4th floor, The 3rd floor is probably the most peaceful area in the building an excellent place to escape the crowds and busy areas (especially during City Hall events) and to get awesome portraits by the famous window.
Trained in Paris at the famed Ecole de Beaux-Arts, Arthur Brown Jr has designed San Francisco City Hall meticulously and with incredible attention to detail. One of the most striking features is the main entrance itself. Bedecked with intricate ornaments in gilded bronze, the iconic "City Hall" signage makes one of the most recognizable photo backdrops.
After your online reservation and during your booked time slot, you are allowed to take your wedding photographer inside the County Clerk Office. This means getting a few extra photo opportunities.
The photographer can then take a photo of you signing or holding your marriage license. Or capture the moment when you are talking to the judge who is about to marry you.
This space may seem un-photogenic to an inexperienced wedding photographer. However, a professional San Francisco City Hall photographer who has photographed hundreds of weddings there will know exactly which moments to capture even during the wait time before the marriage license appointment..
City Hall elevators are exuding luxury and romance of bygone eras. Even the marble hallway with gleaming silver elevator doors looks gorgeous!
But the best photos can be made while the doors are open and the bride and/or groom are standing inside. We always try getting a shot inside these beautiful time capsules assuming we are alone.
A unique example of Beaux-Arts architecture, San Francisco City Hall comprises acres of pearly white marble and elegant gilded bronze. Beauty is everywhere you look and natural light is filling the entire building.
Most of it is coming from numerous skylights. Stemming from the ceilings, the sun rays are spreading around and filling even the long hallways. On a sunny day, every corner is drenched in sunlight.
And when it is cloudy or foggy outside, crisp white surfaces are still bright. Ornate walls are constantly contrasted with bold shadows. This juxtaposition always creates awe-inspiring backdrops for your wedding photography.
Check Our Palace of Fine Arts page too or....
Some alternative locations to City Hall to consider in the midst of the Corona Virus.
FULL PACKAGES - (BOTH THE THE CIVIL CEREMONY AND PORTRAITS ARE INCLUDED)
Ceremony Package 1 - $795 - This package designed for couples who prefer a simple wedding experience. It includes coverage of your wedding ceremony during which we will capture the couple and the wedding participants. All high-resolution files that were taken during the actual civil ceremony, as well as the five high resolution formal or posed files, will be available for download. This package does not include the signing of the marriage license.
Package 2 - $995 - In addition to capturing the wedding ceremony at the Rotunda, we will take some pre and post-ceremony candid photos including inside the County Clerk’s office (to capture a marriage license signing). After the public or private ceremony appointment, we will spend time taking more photos (based on the client's preferences) around the building to take advantage of the beautiful backgrounds City Hall offers. All files will be available for download. One Hour Wedding Photography Included...
Package 3 - $1,595 - This package is similar to the above One Hour Package. However, additional time helps to take full advantage of all four levels of San Francisco City Hall. It was created for those who admire unique San Francisco City Hall architecture and want more photos taken in there or prefer to visit another location within this longer time frame. All digital files/photos will be available for download. Two hours included.
Package 4 - $2,595 - This option was created for couples who would like to get the photos of the bridal preparations, the first look, the wedding ceremony, additional location (ex: beach, park) and the reception. This package offers greater flexibility than previous packages. As with the One Hour or Two Hours Packages, all files will be available for download. Four hours included.
Package 5 - $3,090 - 2 Hours of photo and video coverage. All photos included. Highlight video included as well. Can be upgraded to 8-mm real film or to 4K UHD quality recording. Full package details available here.
Clients who require the Ceremony Appointment and the signing of the marriage license to be photographed, usually pick either a one or two hours package. The first hour is dedicated to candid photography before the private ceremony, the coverage of the actual wedding ceremony, the group and formal photos afterward, and to a few posed/semi-posed images of the couple around the building. The result is documentation of the essential part of the wedding day.
While we can do a lot in the first hour, the 2nd hour results in an increased number of candid (or posed) photos. With longer packages we are able not only to photograph the essentials such as marriage license and the ceremony portion but to visit more spots, better use the natural light, visit previously unavailable locations and overall have more flexibility. To put it simply: the more time we spend, the better the image variety will be. A lot of creative light shots in our portfolio were taken within the 2-hour wedding package. However, anything beyond 2 hours would be too much for just the City Hall photography coverage. We recommend 4 hours package (we can customize 3 hours as well) for those couples who would like to capture the bridal preparations portion, considering visiting an additional location or plan to have a reception captured.
We also offer 8 hours weekday elopement coverage for $4450. Contact us for details.
And finally, we offer a combined photography and videography package that includes a separate person who will be filming alongside the photographer. This will result in a short highlight video on top of the high-resolution files included in the photography package.
Can't choose a bridal bouquet? Get some ideas here.