a brief San Francisco city hall

Elopement Guide

So you want to get married at one of the coolest buildings in the city surrounded by a close cadre of your friends/family? Sounds like so much fun that it may have been exactly what I did!

Step 1: Think about what you want.

While it may seem obvious, it bears repeating: there isn’t a wrong way to do this. You can do whatever you want. That said while eloping (especially at city hall) there are a few guidelines to follow; it’s also just helpful to have a general idea of what you’re going to be doing on the day of. Even if it’s only you and me a simple outline listing the main points is useful, here’s a sample:

• 12:00-12:30 Meet up and tour around city hall

• 12:30-1:00 Obtain marriage license at clerk’s office

• 1:00-1:15 Civil ceremony - ring exchange only.

• 1:15-2:15 Wander the surrounding area (change outfit?)

• 2:15-3:00 Drive to Mount Tam (40min drive)

• 3:00-3:30 Drinks at scenic spot

• 3:30-5:00 Short hike  - exchange vows (sunset)

Nothing fancy, just a point by point of when and where with a dose of reality when it comes to travel times/traffic. This will give us a general idea, though I’m a big fan of setting timelines and watches/phones down on the day of so you can simply exist. Once the ceremony is over most people opt to head over to some other activity, whether that be having a meal with your loved ones or wandering around downtown is up to you. Since I’m a documentary photographer it’s advised you have something other than simply “take photos” for a big chunk of our time together. I’ll be taking photos the whole time, filling the space with something/someone you enjoy means you’ll get much more meaningful photos. Some ideas include: eating, drinking, wandering, picnicking, hiking, biking, striking (power to the working class).

Tip: wear comfortable shoes or bring a backup!

If you’re planning to have the ceremony out and about with friends and family there’s not a ton I can advise on beside choosing a space/time that makes the most sense. Picking somewhere not bombarded with passersby is great, though if it's just a few of us we can slip into most spaces unnoticed. When it comes to officiants a close friend will always be my top pick with any of the city hall/civic center folks a close second. The civil servants have always been incredible and consistently say it’s their favorite part of the day. As for any decorations consider the packaging since it will be in the photos, unless something is a necessity think about keeping it back. I’ll have a small amount of space in my bags set aside for essentials (phone, keys, wallet etc) and am more than happy to help lighten the load.

If you’re opting for San Francisco City Hall you have two main options to choose from depending on your party size, both of which can be planned Mon-Fri 9am-3pm:

1. Micro elopements can be scheduled here. To begin you’ll need to make an appointment with the city for your civil ceremony, this costs around $100. Make sure you have already gotten your marriage certificate, they do not allow same day purchases. On the day of they allow up to 6 people to come with you (though I had 15 and many people I’ve photographed have had around the same, as long as your group isn’t disruptive I’ve never had an issue). You’ll go to the clerk, get signed in, and have a short standing ceremony usually in the rotunda. This doesn’t take long, normally around 45 minutes total starting from your assigned appointment time. It’s a well oiled machine over there, and most workers are happy to help.

2. For slightly larger elopements you can plan a one hour wedding here. This will block off one of the fourth floor balconies where you can rent chairs through the city for up to 60 guests, the space rental costs around $1,000. Overall the experience is relatively similar to the micro elopement, just with a bit more privacy and space. You can also bring in a musician which is always enjoyable!

At the end of the day ceremonies come in all shapes and sizes, and many people opt not to have one at all. What you choose is important is entirely up to you, though one thing that is definitely of importance is getting your marriage certificate figured out prior to the day. The marriage license fee is $113 and is good for 90 days, as long as you are returning the license to the same county you got it from you do not need one specifically from San Francisco.

What we do next depends on your imagination! While a lot of photographers will want to set aside a chunk of time to take photos and run the show I don’t need much of your time at all. I’ll take a few portraits when the lighting is kind, but this is generally a simple "hey-would-you-mind-looking-my-way?” sort of interaction. We can wander the surrounding area and check out some architecture, drive to take a hike along the coast, go grab a bite to eat, have a picnic, whatever springs to mind! There’s some wonderful spots close by city hall that have a more Parisian city feel and the coast is only a short drive away. While I’m well versed in the area and am happy to play tour guide I won’t be telling you how to pose, prompting, or otherwise interjecting myself onto your time. I’m more of a professional third wheel and less of a director, so having some sort of loose activity is helpful. The focus is on presence and slowing down, being curious and freeing up time constraints helps with this immensely.

While we will absolutely grab some photos of just the two of you, if you have your friends/family around there is no need for them to hang back. There’s a reason you chose them to be included in the day and I love a good group vibe.