11 Best San Francisco Wedding Venues
The Ultimate Guide to the 11 Best San Francisco Wedding Venues
(with pricing and photos)
Interested in learning what the best San Francisco wedding venues are? I have rounded up some of my favorite wedding venues of all types to give you some insight into planning your big day. Whether you are wanting an elegant location or something more casual, the choices below will outline some of the best San Francisco wedding venues to help you decide!
San Francisco City Hall
Marriage License: $110
Ceremony: $90
Different Locations (optional): $1,000 – $5,000
The most popular wedding venue in San Francisco, San Francisco City Hall is used most every day for weddings and elopements. They hold over 30 weddings every weekday, but you can rent it out on the weekends for just you and your party. It is arguably a more stunning building than actual wedding venues, making it my favorite choice for best San Francisco wedding venues to choose from.
Take a look at my San Francisco Weddings page for more information.
The Olympic Club
City Clubhouse: $2,000 – $3,300
Lakeside Clubhouse: $1,500 – $3,300
An Olympic Club is one of the best San Francisco wedding venues and one of my personal favorites because I love the naturally lit interior with floor to ceiling windows that grace the ceremony area. Having photographed here several times, I have come to realize why it is where Barack Obama has golfed while visiting San Francisco, as the venue itself is so well maintained, the staff is on point, and the location of it by the ocean affords it some stunning views especially during sunset. This post is talking about the Lakeside Clubhouse specifically, since there is also another Olympic Club location (the City Clubhouse) in the heart of San Francisco.
Check out my Olympic Club Wedding Walkthrough.
Shelldance Orchid Gardens (Pacifica)
Rental Fee: $1,400 for a full day
With a setting seemingly straight from a movie, Shelldance Orchid Gardens is truly a one of a kind elopement setting and one of the best San Francisco wedding venues just outside the City, technically. Simply looking around, there is little doubt why this is one of the most gorgeous and best places to have a smaller wedding.
Read more about Shelldance Orchid Gardens with my walkthrough
The Conservatory of Flowers
Packages: $3,500-$20,000 (depends on spaces reserved)
Located in Golden Gate Park, The Conservatory of Flowers is the perfect Golden Gate Park wedding venue for those who want to be surrounded by rare and unique plants. Located in Golden Gate Park, the Conservatory of Flowers offers outdoor seating, allowing your guests to enjoy dining under the stars even! This offers one of the more unique experiences, making it an easy addition to the best San Francisco wedding venues for me.
California Academy of Sciences
Rental Fee: $15,000 – $45,000
Having a California Academy of Sciences wedding is definitely one of those weddings that will offer your guests a truly unique experience, and be one that they will never forget. No entertainment is needed since the entertainment is literally all around you, for 4 floors! Your California Academy of Sciences wedding can be held in an all-in-one aquarium, planetarium, and history museum. Who else can say they have wedding photos under a tank full of sea creatures or around a T-Rex? This is the most unique best San Francisco wedding venues throughout the Bay Area.
Check out my California Academy of Sciences Wedding Walkthrough
Asian Art Museum
Rental Fee: $2,000 – $13,000
Nonrefundable deposit: $5,000
Located across San Francisco City Hall, choosing an Asian Art Museum wedding provides a central location for you and your guests. One of the more elegant wedding venues in San Francisco, this location can hold several hundred guests and will easily provide a chic backdrop for your wedding photos.
Muir Woods (Marin)
Permit Fee : $60 for up to 30 guests
Muir Woods is a popular elopement destination offering the perfect escape to nature by surrounding you with redwood groves all around. It is centrally located between San Francisco and Napa, allowing your out of town guests options in how they explore northern California. In addition, it is one of the best San Francisco wedding venues outdoors and caters to nature lovers of all types.
Check out my Ultimate Guide to Planning a Wedding in Muir Woods for more details!
Palace of Fine Arts
Reservation Fee: $506
Hourly Rate (2 hour minimum): $144
Refundable deposit: $500
The Palace of Fine Arts is one of the most surprisingly affordable and grand venues for weddings in San Francisco. Run by the San Francisco Park and Recreation office, you can have a Palace of Fine Arts wedding cheaper than you expect! With such grand architecture and natural photo appeal, The Palace of Fine Arts is perfect for small elopements and larger weddings equally. Having your ceremony under the historic Dome makes it easy to choose this as one of the best San Francisco wedding venues.
Check out my Palace of Fine Arts wedding walkthrough
Julia Morgan Ballroom
Rental Fee: $6,500 – $12,500|
Located in the heart of San Francisco’s financial district, Julia Morgan Ballroom weddings appeal to those Couples that strive for elegance and class for their wedding venue. With the name of Julia Morgan attached to it, you know that this top floor wedding venue in San Francisco will be impressive in layout and design.
The Palace Hotel
Packages: $195 – $245 / person
When I think of a Palace Hotel wedding, I can imagine an elegant black-tie affair with one of the most impressive and expensive foyers in the world. You know this hotel will check all the marks for a stress-free wedding. This is one of the most upscale hotels in the City and I have even gone here for a Mother’s Day brunch because I love it so much!
Hornblower Cruises
Rental Fee : $118 / person
For one of the more unique venues for weddings in San Francisco, why not sail around the San Francisco Bay! Hornblower Cruises is a popular and unique excursion allowing you and your guests unique views of San Francisco as well as the ability to sail under the Golden Gate Bridge for some unique photographs. In addition, their food is world class from my own experiences.
If you are interested in a more extensive list of wedding locations, check out the best Venues for Weddings in San Francisco.
If you are interested in the most photogenic locations in SF, take a look at The Best Places to Take Pics in San Francisco.
If you’d like to discuss your wedding, please CONTACT ME and I’d love to chat!
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