How to Get Married at San Francisco City Hall | 2026 Guide | Bay Area Wedding Photography

Abby E Kane

Abby E Kane Photography

Published on

February 7, 2026

San Francisco City Hall Elopements & Weddings - Guide for 2026

San Francisco City Hall is a beautiful location for any wedding or elopement! Here is your complete guide to having your special day here & getting beautiful photos.

Types of Ceremonies at SF City Hall

With options for everyone & every budget, this location is perfect for anyone. Your options are: Civil ceremonies on weekdays, one-hour rentals on weekdays & two-hour weddings on Saturdays, or an evening rental.

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1. Civil ceremonies are the most common event type and consist of a short 4-5 minute ceremony with an assigned judge! These take place Monday through Friday and are usually in the rotunda, pictured below.

Bride and groom during their civil ceremony while eloping at San Francisoc City Hall, their family is around them crying and smiling, including their dog; documentary photography at san francisco city hall — Civil Ceremony Elopement in the rotunda at San Francisco City Hall

Emotional moment during an SF City Hall civil ceremony

2. One-hour rentals take place during the week and are on either the Mayor's Balcony or one of the 4th floor galleries. These take place M-F during the day. The fourth floor gallery is pictured below.

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Fourth Floor Wedding Ceremony at San Francisco City Hall

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3. Two-Hour Rentals on Saturdays. These ceremonies ususally feature a grand staircase ceremony. Your two hour time is inclusive of set-up and tear-down, so I recommend the following estiamted timeline:
30-minute setup (we will take couples portraits during this time); followed by 45-miuntes total for your ceremony (including guest arrival); 15-minutes for family photos; and 30 minutes for tear-down and any other final photos we may need to take inside the building.

4. An evening rental. These take place during the evening, every day of the week. These ceremonies usually also feature a grand staircase ceremony.
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You can check out more about rental options on City Hall's website.

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Marriage License versus your Ceremony

Obtaining your marriage license and doing your civil ceremony are two different stages. You may obtain your marriage license at any time in the 90-days leading up to your ceremony date/time. I recommend trying to do it on a different day to avoid feeling rushed on your special ceremony day, but this may not always be possible - especially for those who may be coming from out of town to get married here. If you are coming from out of town and elect to do a same-day ceremony, I highly recommend scheduling at least 2 hours in between the two appointments. City Hall tends to be strict about timing and while they will accommodate you if possible, sometimes marriage license issues causes issues down the line (ex. forgetting your ID - this happens a lot).

What to know about SF City Hall Elopements during the weekday

This is a public location with many other ceremonies & government business going on around us!

Be prepared for there to be other people who all want a lot of the same things you do. This means we may have to wait for iconic shots like the grand staircase. It also means that it may be busy & a bit noisy!

For the best chances at an empty building, I recommend an 8am start time. I know it's early, but it's so worth it.

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Where to Park & How to Enter

I recommend parking in the underground parking garage on McAllister St! This is where I always park when I am photographing a couple here. You can expect to pay ~$12 if you are there for an hour. If you park here, you can take the elevators up the street level, where you will be see the front entrance to SF City Hall on Polk St - this is where you will enter. There is a simple security screening and you will then be able to enter! Since I will have gear with me (my cameras), I have to enter via the loading dock entrance - so I will plan to meet you in the main lobby near the base of the grand staircase!

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