Lovers Elope at San Francisco’s Iconic City Hall
San Francisco City Hall is one of the most luxurious City Hall buildings I’ve ever been to. You agree? Its architecture and history is what makes it so unique. Along with how accessible it is and how well the building itself is photographed. After all, your wedding venue DOES becomes your photographs. Selecting where you’ll be married is almost as important as what you’ll both wear. If you’re looking for timeless luxury with a European flair this is it.
San Francisco City Hall is known as the People’s Palace — isn’t it grand?
“..San Francisco City Hall is the seat of government for the City and County of San Francisco. It is also a destination historic landmark, frequently visited by tourists and photographers. Themed colored LEDs light up the building at night.
The City Hall you see today took two years to build. Steel, granite, and four floors of white marble interiors makeup San Francisco's symbol of resilience, built after the previous City Hall was destroyed in the Great Earthquake and Fire of April 18, 1906.
Civic leaders were determined to demonstrate the city's rebirth in time for the start of the World's Fair of 1915. Designed by architect Arthur Brown, Jr. and begun in 1913, natives and the world were suitably awed by the gilt exterior detailing, the sweeping grand staircase, and the massive dome. At 307 feet in height, the dome is a full 42 feet taller than the dome of the nation's capital.” San Francisco City Hall Website
This past week these two beautiful souls made their vows of forever. The gorgeous Bride, Rebecca absolutely blew me away in her gown which was both modern and elegant. Zack looked handsome in his classic black + white suit complete with a bowtie. Rebecca is German, originally from Hamburg and Zack is a local fun loving guy who was already living in San Francisco when they met. Rebecca recalls meeting Zack on a sunny afternoon, here in SF, On a boat with mutual friends. The two have been inseparable since then.
A short note from Rebecca about their elopement:
“Our desire was to get married as soon as we knew we were ready, instead of waiting months or even years to plan an extravagant ceremony. I am originally from Germany and it’s quite common in Germany to have a simple courthouse wedding first, followed by a grander celebration at a later date.
This tradition seemed to fit perfectly with what we wanted - an intimate and personal ceremony where the focus was on us and our love for each other.
The ceremony itself was exactly what we wanted. It was simple yet incredibly emotional. There was so much love in every look, every touch, every word, and every smile. As we held each other’s hands and exchanged our vows, it was a surreal moment of absolute bliss. The beautiful architecture of the City Hall added extra charm to our wedding day. It was a lovely blend of modern and classic elegance that mirrored our love story beautifully.”
Rebecca + Zack at San Francisco City Hall
While a majority of their portraits did take place on the 3rd and 4th floors we did manage to capture a few of the iconic staircase portraits as well after their ceremony. These will be big pieces of art in their home for years to come. For the month of December in SF City Hall there is also a Christmas Tree that has been installed on the rotunda at the top of the stairs. It was breathtaking.
Have you ever watched the movie “Age of Adeline" ? If you haven’t, you should. Not only is it a great movie but it is set in this gorgeous city and a lot of this elopement and the styling reminds me of it.
If you’d like to read more love stories you can find more on my blog and as always if you would like to inquire for your elopement or wedding please visit my contact page.
