A few times per year a wedding stands out that we select to be a "Featured Wedding". With this particular San Francisco city hall wedding photography session, it was the bride that really made the shoot fantastic. We loved the formal wedding gown and veil, but more importantly it was her personality that came through in the pictures. As you go through these photos realize that most of the great poses and expressions were created by her. We like to take credit for amazing photo shoots, but the truth is, the couple also makes a big difference. The affection they showed for each other was obviously genuine and I think we did a good job capturing it in their wedding photos. To receive more details about these San Francisco city hall wedding images, scroll down below the gallery.
One of the options brides and grooms are faced with when they make the decision to marry at San Francisco city hall is whether or not they want a reserved wedding ceremony. Reserved weddings differ from civil ceremonies in that they allow the couple to have a large number of guests. Not only are many guests allowed, but they even get to sit down in comfortable chairs to watch the bride and groom get married. Civil Ceremonies limit the guest count to only 6 and the couple are usually not allowed to say their own vows. Some Marriage Commissioners allow personal vows, but they have to be super short. (Note: If you want to do perform personal vows, talk to your City Hall marriage commissioner prior to the ceremony.) The other big difference is that Reserved weddings allow the couple to have privacy during their ceremony. The reserved area is roped off which prevents tourists and strangers from wandering through your ceremony. This should not happen during a civil ceremony either, but there is that chance and I have seen it occur. Of course, you do pay a premium for all of these benefits and that price is $1,000. I know that sounds like a lot, but if you compare it to other San Francisco venues it's a relative steal! Just don't forget that you also have to hire your own officiant as San Francisco city hall does not generally supply officiants for Reserved Weddings. I have seen some exceptions, but they were for emergency situations.
This is a tough decision for the bride and groom. In fact, if you polled the leading San Francisco city hall wedding photographers I know they would have a hard time deciding on which they prefer. There are good things about both locations and few minor drawbacks for each one. I personally tend to prefer the Mayors Balcony because there are more angles to obtain great photos from. In addition, I can usually position myself as the wedding photographer so I minimize strangers showing up in the background. This is also possible on the 4th Floor North Gallery, but it is a bit more challenging.