San Francisco City Hall Weddings: A Few Things to Consider
- jody holman
- Dec 9, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 8
City Hall weddings in San Francisco are often chosen for practical reasons: time. budget, simplicity or schedules that do not allow for a year of planning. But what surprises many couples is that City Hall weddings are not just efficient, they are also often deeply emotional.
I have photographed a good number of City Hall weddings over the years. Some with just two people and a witness, some with small families squeezed onto the staircase, some with parents who flew to San Francisco that morning and still had their coats on during the vows. What stays with me is not how fast these ceremonies move, but how much feeling they manage to hold.
If you are considering San Francisco's City Hall for your wedding, here are a few things to note:
1. While City Hall Is Public, the Moment Will Still Be Yours
People worry about crowds, tourists, other couples walking by, noise and echoes... all of which can happen at such a popular place. But when the ceremony begins, most of the hustle and bustle fades into the background.
If what you are hoping for is privacy and isolation, this may not be your place. If you are comfortable letting the world pass quietly beside you while you focus on one another, San Francisco's City Hall does this beautifully.
2. Timing Is Not About Rules- It Is About Rhythm
Early appointments feel calmer. The building is quieter and the staircases (and security) are easier to move through.
Late afternoon brings warmer light upstairs, but also more foot traffic.
Midday is energetic and unpredictable.
None of this is inherently better or worse. It simply changes how the day feels and how the photographs unfold. I guide couples through this based on how they want to experience the day, not based on a rigid formula.
3. You Do Not Need to Dress for an Audience
Some couples arrive at San Francisco City Hall in traditional wedding attire, and others wear what they already love. Both work.
What does not work well is clothing chosen entirely for how it might look in a photograph while ignoring how it feels on your body. In this old, regal building, stone floors are slippery, there are a lot of stairs, and you will be standing, walking, pausing, and turning throughout the course of your ceremony. Choose shoes accordingly. Also choose an outfit that lets you be you without worry- there is not much time to fuss over clothing, and the wedding photos will reflect your ease far more than your outfit.
San Francisco City Hall Weddings are Short and Sweet
Civil ceremonies are short- no long procession or drawn-out program, but that does not make the commitment smaller. It makes it sharper. You arrive. You speak. You leave married. (Yay!!)
Some couples cry before the officiant ever finishes the first sentence. Some laugh through the entire thing. All of that belongs here. But you will need to keep your schedule in mind, as the system will push you through a tight timeline.
The Best Part Often Comes After the Wedding Ceremony
This is one of my favorite moments to photograph- the post- ceremony realization that you are married! Sometimes, couples walk slowly down the grand staircase, grinning ear to ear, perhaps pausing for a hug or a kiss while family grabs snapshots. Someone might raise a toast to the couple nearby.
The unstructured time after the ceremony is often when people finally breathe. I always tell couples not to overschedule this part, but do have a plan for where to go next.
The Practical Side of City Hall Weddings in San Francisco- Step-by-Step
You cannot avoid the legal steps, but they do not need to dominate your thinking either.
Obtain a Marriage License
Both partners must appear in person with unexpired, government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, passport, etc.).
If your ID does not show your full legal name, bring a certified copy of your birth certificate or Social Security card.
Once issued, the license is valid for 90 days.
If either of you were previously married or in a domestic partnership, and it ended recently, you may need to provide certified documentation of that dissolution.
Book a Civil Ceremony Appointment
Civil ceremonies at City Hall take place Monday through Friday (excluding holidays), with time slots between 9:00 am and 3:30 pm.
You must reserve ahead of time — there are no walk-ins for weddings.
Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled slot for check-in (County Clerk’s Office, Room 168 or designated check-in room).
What to Bring on the Day
Original marriage license (photocopies not accepted)
Valid IDs for both partners
A witness (if using a public license) — just one person needed who can sign and is old enough to understand what they are witnessing.
If you opted for a confidential license, no witness is required.
Understand the City Hall Ceremony Format
A civil ceremony at City Hall is short — usually 3 to 4 minutes. Many couples exchange simple vows or just the legal declarations.
Afterward, you are free to stay in the building for photos, or move elsewhere — many couples do a mix of both.
My Role From Behind the Camera
Because City Hall is public, busy, and sometimes unpredictable, having a photographer who knows the building changes everything. I know when to ask for exactly five more minutes. I know how to work around tourists and other couples. I know where the light hits best — and when.
If you marry there with me, I become your guide, as much as your photographer.
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Jody Holman is a Bay Area photographer specializing in inclusive, natural-light photography for weddings, proposals, families, and portraits across San Francisco, Napa, Sonoma, and the California coast.
