A DAY AT CITY HALL

Updated: Dec 18, 2022

The brief city hall ceremony or ‘champagne wedding’ is every bit as significant as the formal wedding planned months ahead. City hall weddings are ideal for couples who don’t want to bother with juggling florists, caterers, bands, and wedding planners. No longer considered the spontaneous events they once were, civil ceremonies have gone through new approval and popularity. Some couples simply prefer the ease of a short ceremony with a few friends and family to share in the celebration. City hall weddings offer a fast, elegant and meaningful ceremony (which most are these days) and in the case of the opulent San Francisco City Hall shown here–the use of a palace for half an hour or so for the price of the marriage license and officiant. Now that’s a real bargain! Realize though if you go with this simple ceremony, you might be dressing yourself differently than the traditional bride. Because civil weddings usually take place on weekdays when government offices are open to perform rites, chances are but not always) you’ll be in a street-length suit or dress—possibly white but it doesn’t have to be. Any color or length is fine as long as you look good in it and feel special. When these shots were taken there were two other weddings going on–one formal–the other less so with the bride in a street-length dress. Whether or not you go all out as a bride is your decision. Realize though you’ll be dressing for a lifetime of shared memories, so it’s worth the effort to opt for a few ‘bride’ touches here and there.