san fransico city hall weddings
Everything you need to know before saying “I do” at one of California’s most recognizable courthouses.
From choosing a ceremony option to planning enough time for portraits, this guide will help you understand what to expect and build a City Hall wedding day that feels like more than an appointment.
A COURTHOUSE WEDDING CAN STILL FEEL LIKE A WEDDING DAY
A San Francisco City Hall ceremony may be simple, but that does not mean it has to feel rushed or impersonal.
You can exchange vows, include the people closest to you, take portraits throughout the building, celebrate outside, and continue to another San Francisco location afterward. The key is understanding which ceremony option you are booking and allowing enough time around the appointment itself.
Jolie & Rae Photography has photographed San Francisco City Hall weddingS and offers coverage for civil ceremonies, courthouse elopements, intimate celebrations, and extended portrait plans throughout the city.
sAN fRANSICO cITY hALL AT A GLANCE
LOCATION:
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, California
Civil Ceremonies:
Available by appointment through the San Francisco County Clerk
Civil Ceremony Guest Limit:
Six people or fewer, including children, witnesses, photographers, and videographers
Current Civil Ceremony Fee:
$113
Current San Francisco Marrige Liscense Fee:
$129
Marrige License Validity:
A California marriage license is valid for 90 days from the date it is issued
Private Wedding Reservations:
One-hour, two-hour, and evening wedding options are available separately through the San Francisco City Hall Events Office
Choosing your ceremony
Which San Francisco City Hall option is right for you?
City Hall offers several ceremony formats, and they create very different wedding-day experiences. The right one depends on your guest count, preferred ceremony location, budget, privacy needs, and how much time you want inside the building.
Option One: The Civil Ceremony
The standard civil ceremony is the option most people picture when they think of a San Francisco courthouse wedding. These brief ceremonies are conducted by a Deputy Marriage Commissioner on weekdays by appointment. They commonly take place near the Rotunda at the top of the Grand Staircase, although the exact location may change based on building activity and guest count.
Civil ceremonies are not private. City Hall remains open to employees, visitors, tourists, other couples, and additional photography sessions. Another ceremony may happen shortly before or after yours.
- Current ceremony fee: $113
- Guest limit: Six people or fewer, including your photographer and videographer
- Officiant: Provided by the County Clerk
- Ceremony length: Usually only a few minutes
Best for:
Couples planning a simple courthouse ceremony, elopement, or intimate wedding with a very small guest list
Important note:
Your ceremony appointment is not the same as photography coverage. Allow additional time before or after the appointment if you want portraits, family photographs, personal vows, or another San Francisco location.
Option Two: The One-Hour Wedding
A one-hour reservation provides a designated ceremony space and more room for guests, vows, music, and photographs.Couples may choose the Mayor’s Balcony or one of the Fourth Floor Galleries. The reserved area is closed to the public during the rental, although the rest of City Hall remains open.
- Current ceremony fee: $1,200
- Availability: Weekdays
- Guest limit: up to 100 people
- Ceremony locations: Mayor's Balcony or Fourth Floor Gallery
- Officiant: Not Included
- Ceremony length: up to one hour
Best for:
Couples who want more control than a standard civil ceremony without planning a full traditional venue wedding
Photography Tip:
Hold the ceremony near the beginning of the reserved hour. This leaves time to use the private space for couple, family, and wedding-party portraits before it reopens.
Option Three: The Two-Hour Saturday Wedding
The two-hour option offers a larger private City Hall wedding experience centered around the Rotunda and Grand Staircase.
City Hall is closed to the public during the reservation, giving couples more control over the ceremony and photographs. The rental time includes setup and breakdown, so the wedding timeline still needs to be planned carefully.
- Current ceremony fee: $6,000
- Availability: Select Saturdays
- Guest limit: up to 200 people
- Ceremony locations: Rotunda and Grand Staircase
- Officiant: Not Included
- Ceremony length: up to one hour
- Chairs included
Best for:
Couples who want a larger guest list, a private ceremony, and the experience of having City Hall largely to themselves
Photography Tip:
Hold the ceremony near the beginning of the reserved hour. This leaves time to use the private space for couple, family, and wedding-party portraits before it reopens.
Option Four: The Evening Wedding
City Hall can also host full evening weddings with space for a ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and reception.
These events involve a larger rental commitment and additional planning for staffing, insurance, security, vendors, equipment, and production. Availability and pricing are handled directly through the City Hall Events Office.
Best for couples who want San Francisco City Hall to serve as both their ceremony and reception venue
Pricing & what’s included:
Evening weddings are custom rentals, so pricing is not fixed and varies based on the date, spaces used, guest count, and production needs. Inquire with SF City Hall for your quote.
Before booking:
Request the current event guide, rental pricing, required insurance, available spaces, vendor rules, and estimated additional expenses directly from City Hall Events.
Getting your marrige license
You need a valid California marriage license before the ceremony can take place.
The license does not have to be issued in San Francisco. A public marriage license obtained from another California county may be used for a ceremony anywhere in California, as long as it remains valid on the wedding date.
A California marriage license is valid for 90 days from the date it is issued.
If you plan to obtain your license and hold your ceremony at San Francisco City Hall on the same day, the license appointment must happen first. However, scheduling the appointments on separate days can reduce waiting, paperwork, and stress on the wedding day.
You Will Need:
- Your original California marriage license
- Valid identification
- Your appointment confirmation
- Any required witness
- Your rings, if exchanging them
- A protective folder for the marriage license
Do not fold, damage, or write outside the designated areas of the license.
your wedding day timeline
A civil ceremony can be only a few minutes long, but a full City Hall experience takes longer.
Couples need time for security, check-in, potential appointment delays, movement through the building, the ceremony, family photos, couple portraits, and travel to anything else planned.
Avoid scheduling a restaurant reservation, transportation pickup, or second location immediately after the appointment. City Hall timing can shift, particularly later in the day.
Your photography coverage should also account for the images you want beyond the ceremony itself.
Do not plan around the ceremony alone
A sAMPLE tWO-hOUR tIMELINE
STEP 01
PORTRAITS BEFORE CHECK-IN
We meet inside City Hall and begin with your priority couple portraits before you enter the ceremony line. This protects your portrait time if City Hall runs behind later in the day.
STEP 02
CHECK-IN & WAIT
When it is time to check in, you will need to remain available for your name or number to be called. We photograph nearby details and candid moments when possible, but the wait time cannot be predicted.
STEP 03
cEREMONY & FAMILY PHOTOS
Once called, we photograph the civil ceremony, ring exchange, reactions, and congratulations. Your prepared family and guest combinations follow immediately so everyone is still together.
STEP 04
uSE THE TIME THAT REMAINS
Any remaining coverage is used for final couple portraits, City Hall exit photographs, exterior images, or personal vows. Longer coverage is recommended when you want extensive portraits or another San Francisco location.
Two hours is a focused option.
Want more time to explore city hall?
Two hours can work well for a civil ceremony, priority couple portraits, and a short list of family photographs. Because City Hall controls the check-in and ceremony timing, unexpected delays may reduce the time available afterward.
Couples who want portraits across multiple floors, personal vows, a larger family photo list, exterior photographs, or another San Francisco location should consider longer or custom coverage.
Where can you take your Wedding photos?
San Francisco City Hall offers more than one staircase.
Depending on public access, building activity, special events, and the time available, portraits may be created around the Grand Staircase, Rotunda, upper-floor galleries, window-lined hallways, balconies, entrance doors, exterior steps, and the surrounding Civic Center area.
Access to a specific spot cannot be guaranteed during public hours. Instead of spending your coverage waiting for one exact photograph, we work with the spaces available while prioritizing the locations that matter most to you.
looking for a photographer for your ceremony?
Send your ceremony date, appointment time if already booked, estimated guest count, and what you would like photographed. We’ll help you choose coverage that fits your plans, whether you are keeping the day simple at City Hall or adding family portraits, personal vows, another San Francisco location, or a small celebration afterward.