San Francisco City Hall Elopement | Documentary Elopement Photography

I photograph a lot of San Francisco City Hall elopements, and this is one from a February wedding that’s worth sharing.

Most public marriage ceremonies at San Francisco City Hall take place in the rotunda at the top of the grand staircase, unless couples reserve the Fourth Floor Gallery or the Mayor’s Balcony. On this particular day, City Hall was especially busy. A gala was being set up, and both fourth-floor balconies as well as the Mayor’s Balcony were already booked, which meant the rotunda wasn’t available for ceremonies.

We adapted and held the ceremony in one of the other areas within City Hall, which is something that happens occasionally on high-volume days. After the ceremony, once space opened up, we made our way to the Fourth Floor Gallery to take additional portraits, which gave us that classic City Hall look.

Because the couple had booked a few hours of coverage, we were able to continue the session afterward and explore another San Francisco location, complete with an outfit change. Those extra hours allowed the day to feel unhurried and gave us flexibility to capture a wider range of moments and settings.

I always love when couples want to explore San Francisco and trust me to help guide locations that fit their vision. City Hall elopements work especially well for this, offering both iconic architecture and the freedom to move through the city afterward.

Below are highlights from this San Francisco City Hall elopement.