The Palace of Fine Arts Wedding


There are so many lovely spots around San Francisco and today we would like to tell you about one of our favorites, the Palace of Fine Arts, a San Francisco landmark. Built in 1915 for the Panama Pacific Exhibition, this stunning venue echoes ancient Greek and Roman architecture. Palace of Fine Arts features a rotunda, a lagoon, and a colonnade and is absolutely perfect for outdoor weddings, elopements and photoshoots.



If you would like to get married at the Palace of Fine Arts, there are two ways of doing it. You can simply show up and start your ceremony. If you are a spontaneous couple, this will probably work for you, but keep in mind that the rotunda may not be available and there may be a couple other weddings going on. If you are ok with it, let’s do it! The venue is open to the public and there is no entrance fee. If you are more of a planner, consider obtaining a permit through the San Francisco Department of Parks and Recreations. While the physical office remains closed, they do respond to emails and phone calls.




Let’s discuss some details. Under normal circumstances, the Palace of Fine Arts can accommodate up to 250 people. We assume that in the era of Covid this is a much smaller number, but please check with the Department of Parks and Recreations. There are a couple things to keep in mind, if you decide on getting married there. Parking can be limited so please encourage your guests to carpool or Uber. There are no restrooms on site, but there are some just across the street at the little Marina Green. Also, the venue is not private, so expect visitors at the time of your wedding. Chairs and tables are not provided, but you can always rent your own. And while amplified sound is not allowed, live musicians are more than welcome! In our opinion, they sound better anyway.





We bet you want to know more about prices. Currently, the reservation fee is $506 and an hourly fee is $144 with a 2 hour minimum. If you are interested in hosting a reception at the Palace of Fine Arts, the minimum fee would be $5,000.


What if you are getting married at another location, but want to incorporate Palace of Fine Arts into your photo session? No problem at all! In fact, taking wedding day photos at the Palace of Fine Arts is a time-honored San Francisco tradition. We would be happy to travel there with you and your guests for some incredible backdrops.





Thinking about proposing, having an engagement or family photo session at the Palace of Fine Arts? That’s a great idea! Our team has done plenty of photoshoots there and we would love to work with you!


We hope that this little article was helpful. Feel free to reach out, if you need more information.