San Francisco City Hall Wedding Photographer

You must have a marriage license issued by the State of California in order to get married.

On the official City Hall website, you can make two reservations. The first reservation is for your marriage license. The second appointment is for your actual ceremony time.

If you are setting your marriage license and ceremony appointments for the same day, you need 1 hour between the two appointments. For example, if your ceremony is scheduled for 1pm, then you would want to schedule your license appointment for 12:00pm.

You can acquire your marriage license from any county in California.

Ceremonies are available Monday – Friday from 9:00am – 3:30pm. Slots are available each half hour.

You are allowed to have 6 guests join you for your ceremony in the Rotunda.

Keep in mind that there will be two other couples also getting married in your time slot. Expect some time delays because it takes time for the marriage commissioner to check in each couple before their ceremony. Each couple is married one at a time in the Rotunda.

The ceremony is concise and lasts about 5 minutes long. Although brief, the ceremony itself is quite meaningful and well-worded.

Most couples have their wedding ceremony in the Rotunda. This is the area at the top of the grand staircase in the center of City Hall under the dome.

If you are having a large group of family and friends at the ceremony, you should consider reserving either the Fourth Floor or the Mayor’s Balcony.

There are many reasons why you should have a private ceremony at City Hall:

1. You have a private area for your ceremony and family portraits.
2. You can reserve your wedding date a year in advance, rather than 90 days with the Rotunda ceremonies.
3. When you have hired your own officiant, you are not at the mercy of the City Hall schedule which usually runs late.
4. You can rent chairs, therefore your guests are comfortable during your ceremony.

If you reserve either the Fourth Floor or the Mayor’s Balcony for your wedding, I highly recommend hiring your own officiant for a personalized, thoughtful ceremony.

Contact the City Hall special events coordinator to reserve either the Fourth Floor or the Mayor’s Balcony for your ceremony.

City Hall is open to the public on weekdays (Monday-Friday) from 8am-8pm. It is closed on Saturdays, Sunday, and Holidays.

City Hall is closed on the following dates…

New Years Day – January 1, 2019
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – January 21, 2019
President’s Day – February 18, 2019
Memorial Day – May 27, 2019
Independence Day – July 4, 2019
Labor Day – September 2, 2019
Indigenous Peoples Day – October 14, 2019
Veterans Day – November 11, 2019
Thanksgiving Day and the Day After – November 28, 2019 & November 29, 2019
Christmas Day – December 25, 2019

Parking
There is limited metered street parking at City Hall.

An underground parking garage is located across the street below City Hall Plaza. You can enter the parking garage at 355 McAllister Street, San Francisco.

Parking is also available at UC Hastings and the Performing Arts Garage.

Public Transportation
City Hall is located within walking distance of the Civic Center BART and Muni Station. You can use the Trip Planner or Google Maps for more info.

Ride Sharing
You can use ride sharing services like Uber or Lyft.

If you are getting married in the Rotunda, one of the official City Hall marriage commissioners will perform your ceremony.

If you are getting married in one of the reserved areas like the Fourth Floor or the Mayor’s Balcony, I highly recommend that you hire your own officiant, or have a friend or family member perform your ceremony.

Here are some of my favorite officiants that you can hire: Cynthia Gregory, Reverend Anita Joe, Virginia Van Zandt, Irene Kane, and Lissin Lev Chaya.

Are you looking for a great restaurant located near City Hall? Here are some of my favorites: Absinthe, Zuni, Lers Ros, Laguna, and Zero Zero.