5 Tips for Stress-Free Elopement Photography at San Francisco City Hall
The daunting task of planning a 150 person wedding can be extremely overwhelming, so many couples say “let’s skip the stress and elope!” They start their search for a location and stumble upon the gorgeous San Francisco City Hall. For good reason, so many couples choose this venue because they don’t want to plan a big wedding but they still want the moment to be beautiful and meaningful. Couples think, “We picked our venue — check! We’re good to go!” but that’s not exactly how eloping at San Francisco City Hall goes.
No need to break a sweat, planning to elope at city hall is still much less work than planning a large wedding, but there are some key factors to keep in mind. I’m going to break down five tips for a stress-free elopement at San Francisco City Hall and even share a sample photo timeline for your photography at City Hall!
Tip 1: Plan Your City Hall Photo Timeline Carefully
There are usually two different types of couples eloping at San Francisco City Hall. Couple #1 aren’t having any guests and want a very intimate elopement. Couple #2 is inviting 25-50 guests and will be having a micro wedding of sorts! Either way, there are a few major factors to keep in mind when planning your elopement timeline..
Are you getting hair + makeup done? If so, how long do they anticipate it taking?
What are your travel times? (Hotel — City Hall or Home — City Hall)
Will you have guests joining you?
Are you planning to have photos done in another location besides City Hall?
Do you have a lunch or dinner reservation?
Are wide shots in City Hall really important to you? You might want to consider arriving when City Hall opens at 8am to avoid crowds
Below are two different timelines based on two different situations to get you thinking…
City Hall Elopement Timeline 1:
5:00 Wake up alarm!
5:15 Grab a coffee / hair + makeup arrive
5:30 Hair + Makeup
6:30 Finishing touches, get dressed
7:00 Couple drives from their home in Burlingame to City Hall
8:00 Arrive at City Hall + Photos begin
8:50 Check in with the clergy
9:00 Civil ceremony
9:15 Photos finish // Couple heads off to brunch together!
City Hall Elopement Timeline 2:
7:00 Couple wakes up at hotel near City Hall
7:30 Hair + Makeup Arrive
10:00 Photographer arrives to hotel for getting ready photos
11:15 Arrive to City Hall / Photos begin
12:00 Officiant arrives, Couple + Guests go to Fourth Floor for ceremony
12:15 Ceremony
12:30 Group Photos
1:00 Photos finish // Couple + Guests go to lunch reservation in city!
Even though it seems like it would be a pretty straightforward day, it’s important to break each part of your day down. Start with the ceremony time and work out from there… Based on your ceremony time, when will you have to start getting ready? Based on your ceremony time, when will you want to have a restaurant reservation.. etc.
Tip 2: Embrace San Francisco City Hall’s Beaux Arts Architecture
If you’re getting married at San Francisco City Hall, I have to believe you love the vibe of the venue! And I totally get why! It’s so grand, romantic and just drop dead gorgeous. With this tip, I just want to remind you that you really can’t over-do it with your attire. As a seasoned City Hall photographer, I have really seen it all! From gowns with 10 ft trains to pantsuits! Let your personality shine through and just because it’s a “city hall wedding” doesn’t mean you can’t go all out with your dress or tux. You do you! Wear something you love! The venue has your back, and so do I 😉
Tip #3: Stay relaxed and flexible
It’s really important to go into your SF city hall wedding portraits with an open and flexible mind. The chaos of the venue can sometimes be a little bit overwhelming — deep breath! A busier day might mean we have to wait a bit longer for photos on the staircase or fourth floor. It’s ok! We’ll get the shot! Here are the best things you can do to set yourself up to feel relaxed and flexible:
Arrive on time (!!! cannot stress this enough)
Focus on the moment — enjoy being with your person. SF City Hall people watching is some of the best
Trust me. Trust the process. I got you!
Tip #4: Choose a Second Location Nearby for Variety
I wrote an entire blog post about choosing a second location — you can read that HERE. TLDR, San Francisco City Hall is located right in the middle of the city. This makes it central to some of it's most iconic views! If you have extra time in your timeline (maybe your ceremony is at 10am and you’re meeting family for dinner at 5pm) — adding a second location for portraits can be so easy. You’re already dressed to the nines, why not switch up the vibe and get photos by the Golden Gate Bridge or Palace of Fine Arts! I tell couples to think of the second location as a “personality choice” — pick something that feels authentic to you guys!
Tip #5: be prepared to book your ceremony time when it releases
If you are interested in booking a regular civil ceremony at City Hall, you’ll need to reserve a time slot 90 days in advance. Be sure to mark this in your calendar! Because of the popularity of SF City Hall, time lots are competitive. Once you have your ceremony time slot booked, I recommend scheduling your marriage license pick up for the day before. I highly recommend not doing them on the same day — it leads to a more stressful timeline and you’ll feel like you are waiting at a DMV for a large portion of the day. No fun! Click here to book both your ceremony time slot and marriage license pick up!
If you’re interested in booking a private space for 1 hour, 2 hours, an evening or weekend time, check out San Francisco City Hall’s booking site here. Couples who want to reserve the Fourth Floor or mayors Balcony will need to inquire here. Unlike civil ceremony reservations, if you book through SF City Hall booking site, you will have your allotted time and space reserved. It is more expensive but can be the right option for couples depending on the vision for the day. Reasons couples choose this option: They are having friends and family join them. They want seating for their guests during the ceremony. They want a space reserved so that they don’t feel rushed celebrating with their guests. They want their own officiant. They’d like to have a string quartet, extra floral decor, etc.
Bonus Tip: Work with a Seasoned San Francisco City Hall Photographer
You’re only doing this once — work with a photographer that will help you have a stress-free elopement at city hall and create gorgeous images for you to remember it by. After photographing almost 100 couples get married at San Francisco City Hall, I can confidently say that I know that building like the back of my hand. How the light changes throughout the day, the security guards + janitors, where the bathrooms are, how to trouble shoot if there’s an event going on or the space is overly crowded, where to check in for your ceremony… I may not have seen it all yet, but I’m getting pretty close. I got your back through this entire process. Ready to start planning your perfect stress-free elopement at San Francisco City Hall? Let’s do it!
