San Francisco City Hall Elopement Cost
If you’re considering eloping at San Francisco City Hall, you are probably curious about what that might entail. I’m here to help walk you through everything you need to know about getting married at SF City Hall! Maybe you have a budget of $5,000 or less for your wedding, this may be a great opportunity for you to even save money!
Marriage license
Getting your marriage licence is much easier than you might expect! First things first, you will want a public marriage licence, this is the most common type and does require you to have witnesses! But guess what? Your photographer can be your witness if you are in need of one! The marriage license is about $120 as of October 2024.
2. Name Changes
Name Change requests in California Cost about $435-$450 depending on the county. There can be extra filing fees, totaling over $500 to change your name legally.
3. Elopement Cost
For a “Civil” Ceremony with up to six guests, the actually wedding/elopement is about $103 as of October 2024. This does not include the cost of the license.
4. Times and Availability
You will also have to consider how long this might take. City hall is open from 9 AM to 4 PM Monday through Friday and are doing weddings all day. You do have to make an appointment and there usually is a wait even when you have an appointment. You will check in at your appointment time (be sure to arrive early) and then will have a 10-30 minute wait depending on how busy. I recommend scheduling a 9 AM appointment.
5. Photographers
Photography can be anywhere from $700-$2,000 depending on your photographers experience, quality of images, and number of hours hired. You will want to hire your photographer for a minimum of 2 hours to accommodate just how unpredictable City Hall is. You may want to consider investing in even more time to stop by a few of San Francisco’s Iconic locations to celebrate and document your marriage or even for getting ready photos! Book your elopement photographer now!
Totals
Costs may vary, with a low of $1,000 to a high of $5,000 depending on how you budget and what you budget for. Here’s a breakdown of everything you may want to consider:
Name Change $500+
Marriage License $120
Civil Ceremony at SF City Hall $103
Photographer $1,200
Hotel $200
Food and beverages for a celebratory weekend $500
Travel: gas, car rental, etc $300
Total: About $3000