The 2023 San Francisco City Hall Civil Ceremony Wedding Guide
How do we book a wedding at SF City Hall?
There are two ways to have a civil wedding ceremony in this beautiful building. You can go online to https://sf.gov/departments/city-administrator/office-county-clerk within 90 days of the day that you'd like to get married and see if the date you want to get married is available. Often times couples go online and it looks like their date is fully booked, but in reality, the date hasn't opened for reservations yet. Book your appointment and you're all set. Almost! And if your choice of wedding dates is already sold out.....
What if my date is already sold out at SF City Hall? We're here to help! Many couples get locked out of a date that's sentimental to them or that they just really love. We've created all-inclusive packages that have a wedding officiant. Your officiant can come in and perform your short and sweet marriage ceremony in this beautiful building. We'll choose a beautiful spot that's available at that time, and hold your pop-up wedding ceremony. You can also opt to say your own vows, which you can't do with the SFCH civil ceremony. You can also book a two-hour San Francisco wedding photography package or any of our other offerings and add a wedding officiant to those packages.
What can we expect on our SF Civil Ceremony wedding day?
You'll arrive at San Francisco City Hall and enter through the Carlton B Goodlet entrance and check in through security. (All bags go through scanners and you can feel very secure in this building) once you enter the building you'll usually meet your photographer at the bottom of the Grand Staircase in the center of the building. You may start your day with a photo session, or it might be time to get ready for your wedding ceremony right away. The first step is to get in line outside of room 168, check-in, and take a number. Make sure you have your valid ID with you, and your California State Marriage License. You should also have your witness with you, and if you don't have a witness, your photographer is happy to sign your marriage license.
Next, your number will be called and both of you and your witness can head into room 168 to meet your Deputy Marriage Commissioner. They'll ask for the correct pronunciation of your names, whether you are exchanging rings, and a little small talk to get to know you before the wedding ceremony. Your witness will sign your license and you'll head to the top of the grand Staircase to The Rotunda to wait your turn to get married. Two couples are married for each half-hour slot, and your officiant will tell you where you are in line. Before you know it, you'll be standing together saying your I Do's and kissing to make it official! Your marriage license will be sent over to the County Recorder's office for processing, and three weeks later you can reach out to them to buy your official copy or copies.
What else do I need to get married at San Francisco City Hall?
You'll need to get a California State Marriage License. Follow the link above to make a separate appointment for the marriage license. (You need two appointments to get married. They can be on the same day, or on different days) If you already live in California, you can go to any County Clerk in the state and obtain your marriage license there and bring it with you to your wedding at San Francisco City Hall. Please make sure to keep your marriage license flat in a sturdy cardboard envelope and do not bend, wrinkle, fold or stain your marriage license in any way before your wedding day, or it may be rejected and you won't be allowed to get married. When you go for your marriage license appointment, you'll each need a valid ID, like a driver's license or passport. They must not be expired or they won't be accepted.
How long does it take to get married at SF City Hall?
If you've booked your civil ceremony, we suggest that couples plan on spending two hours in the building. This will give you enough time to do everything on your list. Fifteen minutes before your ceremony starting time, you'll head over to the hallway outside of room 168 and you'll get in line. You'll show the person behind the counter your documents and they'll give you a number. The two of you and your witness can wait in the hall until your number is called and then head into the office to meet the Deputy Marriage Commissioner who's going to perform your wedding.
Who are these folks? A lot of people think they're judges, but mostly they're volunteer senior citizens who enjoy the job! Every half hour two different couples will get married, so both couples need to check in one by one before all of you can go upstairs and have your individual wedding ceremonies. As a rule, it takes a full hour to check in and have your ceremony, and take your pictures with any guests that have come to your wedding. That leaves the second hour for your couple's portrait photography.
How do I change my name after our wedding?
This part of the wedding process gets really confusing for a lot of brides so we'll break it down here. When you obtain your California State marriage License, you'll be given some papers that day that you need to hold onto. You'll be given instructions on where to go after the wedding to order your official California Marriage Certificate. On your wedding day, your wedding officiant will turn in your marriage license to be processed and recorded. Usually, it takes about three weeks for the city to process the paperwork, and then you can go online to the address on the paper you took home from the courthouse you obtained the marriage license FROM. (It may not be the courthouse you got married in).
If you are changing your last name, we suggest that you order four original copies of your official Marriage Certificate. You'll mail individual original copies to get your new name on your passport, driver's license, and social security card. Once you mail these originals out, you won't see them again, but you will get some awesome new government IDs! Your house bills like the gas or electric, and your credit card bills will accept a printed copy and then they'll change your name on those bills. Nobody ever sends any of these back. This is why you want to order a fourth copy for your own safekeeping.
When is the best time to get married at San Francisco City Hall?
This answer depends on what your needs are and what your heart truly desires. The secret sauce to getting flawless images without another soul wandering around in the back of your wedding pictures is an early morning session. We often meet our couples bright and early around 8:30-8:45 and we can get those beautiful staircase shots without other guests in the building. Because we're alone, we can move through these key images a lot more quickly than later in the day when we're working in with other brides and grooms that are there that day.
There were many years where you never would have caught me up, dressed and at work as a San Francisco wedding photographer before 10 am. Things have changed at City Hall and while we used to suggest early morning and late afternoon sessions, there are now some other nonwedding photography companies camping out in the prime spots every afternoon, and we'd prefer to avoid them if we can. However, if you have a reception after your wedding, and you've got to consider guest flow and timing, then you can work in City Hall up until four or four thirty after the civil ceremonies are completed for the day at 3:30, and you might score some quiet time then as well.
Just keep in mind that over the winter months, especially December and January, you never want to be in the building later than 4 pm as it's just too dark for good photography. The rest of the year, you can stay a little later.
Where do we park for our SF City Hall Wedding?
You'll be happy to know that there's an underground garage at 355 McCallister Street, and it's located directly across the street from San Francisco City Hall. The garage has stepped up its security and now prints your license plate directly onto your parking ticket, and scans your car again on the way out. (Please remember to always leave your car 100% empty at all times in San Francisco, just to be extra safe.) The elevator will take you up to ground level and you'll be standing directly in front of City Hall.
