GeorgeK

Does anyone know first hand how strict SFO City Hall is on the number of guests that can attend the civil ceremony?

My partner and I and are getting married in SFO and we saw on their website that it states 6 guests. I guess we are lucky that we have 16 people that want to attend and we are worried that 10 of them won't be able to attend??

Has anyone had or attended a ceremony at City Hall that had more than 6 guests?

sfvoyage

We just got married at SF City Hall last Monday, and I don't recall seeing any party with more than 6 guests.

Having said that, I think it can be done. After you two and your witness (1 or 2) sign the paperwork with the commissioner in the smallish office, you'd be asked if you want to hold the civil ceremony in the main staircase/rotunda area. When I was there, everyone opted to do so.

In the main rotunda area, I've seen the commissioner marrying couples at the bottom or the top of the grand staircase. If you do it at the bottom, there is a lot of space, and there are other people around you, and the commissioner probably wouldn't care or necessarily notice if those other people are part of your party. If you do it at the top, space is more limited, and the commissioner may not like it. But it's such a joyous occasion, I doubt a big fuss will be raised.

Congratulations!

rjque

I wouldn't risk it. SF city government is not known for being flexible. You don't want this to be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

You can pay about $100 to have a friend deputized to do the ceremony for you, and then you can have as many people as you want wherever you want. Check the hours for deputization carefully, though, it's only a few hours a day, four days a week. My wedding is next weekend with about 25 people, so we chose to do it at a nearby restaurant with a deputized friend.

LoveChef

Hi,

My Husband and I were first married there in 2004 and we had a few more than the limit so we asked to move to the rotunda and they agreed. This was the exact spot where Jo Dimaggio and Marilyn Monroe were married as well.

We just got married again on Friday to make the deadline before the election.

Congratulations on your wedding!

LC

saint82

From NYC, and just got married in San Francisco yesterday to my better half of 20 years.

Yes, there is a limit. No, I don't know how well enforced it is.

Their marriage bureau is very well organized and very efficient.

We were treated with great respect.

GeorgeK

Congrats....glad to hear your experience was good!! We weren't going to risk it but it's just too late for us to scamble around trying to find an alternate location. Hopefully, they will let everyone attend the ceremony. I'll report back on how it turns out...

Thanks everyone for your feedback...

ibdublin

Forgive my ignorance but why would you need to be married again before the elections (presume you're talking about the Presidential election on 4 Nov)?

Flying Buccaneer

My husband and I were also married in the Rotunda. At the time, I didn't even realize that the final scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark was shot walking down the stairs from the Rotunda. My husband's parents and my brother and his wife and son were there. However, I don't think it would have been a problem had 7-8 people been there.

sfvoyage

Since the Calif. Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriages in June, conservative religious bigots have put Proposition 8 on the ballot for California. If it passes on November 4, it would eliminate same-sex marriages in California.

That's why many of us have rushed to get married prior to Nov 4, in case Prop. 8 passes. (Even if it were to pass, nobody knows for sure if same-sex marriages performed prior to Nov. 4 would still be recognized.)

ibdublin

Oh, ok, I didn't know that there was a proposal to reverse the decision...LoveChef, hope that you had a great day, congratulations!

GeorgeK

It was such a success!!!...We asked to be married at the bottom of the stairs and the person marrying us actually said "come in closer" and all 15 guest were able to gather around and here the ceremony!!!

What a great and positive experience at City Hall in SFO...everyone was very friendly and plesant!!...great venue too

ArtfullyUrs

Congrats to all of you ....

I got married in Spain two years ago to my then amazing fiance. However, we just finalized our divorce 5 months ago...

I wanna go to a gay wedding

zitsky

OK, call me clueless. My partner and I got married when Gavin Newsom started things a few years ago. We didn't make it on Valentines Day, so we came back the next day. We had friends with us that made the whole thing more meaningful. They actually convinced us to do it, and I'm glad we did.

I guess I haven't been paying attention to the current rules. I would have thought the process was like any marriage -- apply for a marriage license and then have a ceremony in a church (God forbid!), at home or wherever. Aren't clergy conducting weddings, assuming you have the marriage license from the state?

I'm glad to see folks taking advantage of this to get married. I decided not to do it again, but wait until the whole thing is decided, for better or worse. I don't like having my rights given and then taken away. Having been through this once, I don't want to get married now and have it annulled if Prop 8 passes. I've heard conflicting stories about whether marriages performed now would still be valid.

Congratulations to all of you on getting married. Yes, the rotunda is a beautiful place, more so than I expected. We were not on the ground floor, but in some ways it was nicer that way, since we could look down and see everyone. It was very emotional at the time.