Tuesday, January 16, 2018

A San Francisco City Hall Wedding Will Be Something You Remember Forever

By Andrew Snyder


You and your partner have a lot of decisions to make when you start planning your nuptials. You may be looking at something simple and economical or an all out bash with no expense spared. It might be fun to tell your guests you are going to the courthouse to have a San Francisco city hall wedding. They will be in for a shock if they thought you meant a quick service in a sterile office conducted by a local judge.

If you are not familiar with this building, you will be surprised and pleased to learn that it is an iconic structure, frequently photographed and well known throughout the architectural world. You can choose a simple ceremony that takes place either on the Mayor's Balcony or in the Gallery located on the fourth floor. There is seating for a maximum of sixty guests. The basic package for this one hour service costs one thousand dollars.

If you need more room for guests and want a more elaborate affair, you can have a two hour service for around five thousand dollars. These ceremonies take place in the Rotunda on the Grand Staircase. There is room for two hundred guests. Your package includes insurance, basic services, and chairs. You will have to set up and break down the equipment within the two hour window.

A really great option, and one that is extremely popular, is the evening ceremony. Vows are taken on the Grand Staircase. Your guests can enjoy a cocktail reception in the North Light Court, and then dine and dance in style in the nineteenth century Rotunda. Services are held on weekends and all throughout the week. You will be able to set up beginning at two in the afternoon and must have everything out of the building by two the next morning.

The event coordinator will meet with you to discuss which package works best for your situation. You will probably find that you need to hire an independent vendor to handle the details. This venue is limited in what it can offer you in the way of seating and equipment. You will be billed separately for everything the staff provides that is outside the basic package.

Your package will not include the marriage license or certificate. These are obtained through the Clerk of the Court's office. Packages do not include individuals to officiate the ceremony. If you don't have a preferred official, you may contact the Clerk's office or the city for more information.

When you discuss packages with the event coordinator, you will probably receive a list of rules and regulations. Items that are not allowed will be high on the list. These include fireworks, snow and smoke machines, confetti, helium balloons, and smoking. If you want to raise a sign or banner, or install lighting, on the building's exterior, the city engineer must supervise it.

If you are getting married in San Francisco, you really should consider having the ceremony in this American Renaissance monument. It will be an experience you can relate for years to come. You will surprise everyone with the story of your city hall wedding.




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