Sutro Baths and Park - Wedding Photography
We have recently just started to take our San Francisco city hall brides and grooms to the Sutro Baths and Park areas for additional wedding pictures after the ceremony is complete. Once you arrive at Sutro Baths it is a pretty good hike down a giant hill to take pictures of the newlyweds. On one recent shoot, the couple very enthusiatically lead the way to get to the Ocean where the Sutro Bath Ruins are. They walked pretty fast and I had one heck of a time keeping up with them. We also obtained some great shots at San Francisco City Hall, but I really like the natural look of these photos at the Sutro Baths. Sutro Baths is a great place for amazing wedding photography, but the couple has to be willing to take a pretty good hike in both directions. Down and then up! We highly recommend comfortable walking shoes and then changing once we get down to the water. Alternatively, just keep the walking shoes on for a cute look like this one! Here is one of my favorite pictures captured at the Sutro Baths.
This location allows adventuresome couples to really get out close to the water for some spectacular views. There are a few tight spots that require a little balancing act, but not too bad. We can easily avoid those areas if the bride and groom prefer. If you have a fear of heights, this may not be the best place for you. UPDATE: Sutro Baths has recently been updated to take away some of the danger of falling. I think now there are only a few ways to walk across the baths and they are much safer now. The balancing act that used to be needed is no longer an issue.
Allow Some Extra Time to Arrive at Sutro Baths
The other slight problem with the Sutro Baths and Park locations are that they are all at the very far north end of San Francisco so if you want to include it in your Photo Tour, we have to allow enough time. I think the drive is well worth the effort because it's such an amazing spot, but it will take a good 30 minutes from San Francisco city hall to arrive in the parking lot. Follow that up with about a 15 minute hike down to the water and you can see that some extra time needs to be allowed for this particular San Francisco destination for wedding photos. None of our clients have ever complained and this remains a favorite spot of ours for superior wedding photography after your San Francisco city hall wedding.
Sutro Heights Park for Wedding Photography
I wanted to also briefly mention Sutro Heights Park which is right next to the Baths. Another amazing spot for wedding pictures after your SF City Hall Marriage. This park is very close to the ocean and has some amazing greenery, flowers, and even some old historic structures to place our newlyweds. It is elevated from the beach so you can also obtain some beautiful ocean views from certain parts of the park. Again, this location pretty far from San Francisco city hall so we will need to allow some extra time. It is well worth the effort!
Other Nearby Areas to Enjoy Ocean in San Francisco
If you get married in San Francisco there are a number of fun places to experience the beach. I happen to love Baker Beach because it is located in the mouth of the Golden Gate Bridge channel. It's a fantastic location to obtain great photos of the bridge with the bride and groom. In addition to Baker Beach, you can head up to the Sutro Baths area for a fun hike and some great backgrounds as we did with this newlywed couple. Marshall's Beach is another favorite spot for San Francisco wedding photography and engagement shoots. Though I have to admit, I have not photographed wedding pictures there yet. Hopefully soon! We are always looking for great new places to bring our San Francisco city hall newlyweds for great photos. So let us know if you want to try Marshall's beach! We are confident that no matter what ocean or Bay locations you choose for your San Francisco wedding photography, you will be pleased with the results.
