20+ Best Places for an Elopement in San Francisco
Ultimate Guide to the 20+ Best Places for an Elopement in San Francisco
(with prices, photos, and packages)
Eloping and curious about the best places for an elopement in San Francisco? Want to say your vows in the outdoors but don’t want to drive too far away from the City? Elopement locations in San Francisco range from redwoods to rooftops, and choosing a venue setting can be just as varied.
While everyone raves about Yosemite or Lake Tahoe (with good reason), the reality is we don’t always have the time or desire to drive several hours one way to get married. This being said, I created this list of best places for an elopement in San Francisco (and locations outside of San Francisco proper) to help those who still desire an intimate and beautiful location in the San Francisco Bay Area for their wedding.
If you would like to see what an elopement might look like, check out these full galleries from previous Bay Area elopements:
SF City Hall Elopement (Mayor’s Balcony)
SF City Hall Elopement (Rotunda)
Golden Gate Park Elopement
Old Mill Park Elopement
Muir Woods Elopement
Marin Civic Center Elopement
Hastings House Garden Weddings Elopement
Where to Elope in San Francisco – My Top Picks
Where to Elope in San Francisco – My Top Picks
1) San Francisco City Hall
Marriage License : $110
Ceremony Fee : $90
1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, CA 94102
This is easily the most popular and best place to elope in San Francisco hands down. The stunning interior and exterior rival actual wedding venues and its centrally located in SF so you can easily explore the City afterwards. With over 200 weddings photographed here, I always strive to give you images that aren’t so cookie cutter and like anyone else’s. If you want to keep things as simple as possible, let San Francisco City Hall do it all for you! They will provide the officiant, standard vows, and your ceremony will be done in less than 5 minutes.
Check out my Ultimate Guide to San Francisco City Hall Weddings for more detailed information!
2) Palace of Fine Arts
Reservation Fee : $506
Hourly Rate (2 hr min) : $144
Refundable Deposit : $500
3601 Lyon St, San Francisco, CA 94123
One of the most recognizable landmarks and best places for an elopement in San Francisco, the Palace of Fine Arts is known for its rotunda and architecture in the heart of San Francisco. For such a popular and ornate location, just having your ceremony is surprisingly affordable since it belongs to SF Park and Rec.
Take a look at my ultimate guide to a Palace of Fine Arts Wedding for more detailed information!
3) Stern Grove (currently unavailable – under construction 2022)
Reservation Fee : $50 – $150
Hourly Rate (6 hr min) : $153 – $178
Outside Fees : $200
Refundable Deposit : $750
19th Avenue and, Sloat Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94132
Locals will know this location for its free summer concerts, but for most of the year it is a quiet park that occasionally holds smaller weddings. This park sits near the edge of the City and offers a small redwood grove seemingly meant for intimate weddings. The Trocadero Clubhouse can also be rented out if you want to host a little reception as well. Since it’s not the most centrally located SF venue on this list, it is one of the more forgotten wedding venues, which makes it one of the best places for an elopement in San Francisco in my opinion.
Check out my “Ultimate Guide to a Stern Grove Wedding” for more details!
4) Shakespeare Garden
Reservation Fee : $506
Hourly Rate (2 hr min) : $144
Refundable Deposit : $500
335 Martin Luther King Jr Dr, San Francisco, CA 94118
One of the more popular and best places for an elopement in San Francisco, this small garden in Golden Gate Park allows a great setting for an intimate place to say your vows. Because of its size and isolation from the other more popular gardens, this is a preferred setting for those wanting a more natural background with less natural foot traffic compared to the Botanical Gardens.
Check out this Shakespeare Garden Wedding for inspiration!
5) San Francisco Botanical Garden
Reservation Fee : $875 – $10,000 (5 locations to choose from)
Golden Gate Park
1199 9th Ave San Francisco, CA, 94122
This well manicured Garden in the middle of Golden Gate Park is a passed over gem from even San Francisco residents. With 55 acres showcasing plants from all over the world, they offer the perfect natural backdrop for your wedding ceremony. Several locations within the Garden are available for your elopement, with even a 1 hour rental package available. The more popular places to elope are the Moon Viewing Garden and the Redwood Grove.
Check out my SF Botanical Garden wedding planning guide for inspiration
6) Fay Park
Reservation Fee : $289
Hourly Rate (2 hr min) : $72
Refundable Deposit : $500
2366 Leavenworth St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Located a short walk from the crooked street that is Lombard St, this small park has gazebos that act as natural backdrops for your elopement. Blocks away from North Beach and the Marina districts, it is conveniently located in between two of San Francisco’s more popular areas for food and nightlife. If you are wondering the less known places for an elopement in San Francisco this elopement venue is not as popular for now so take advantage of it while you can!
Check out this previous Fay Park elopement gallery for inspiration
7) Fuchsia Dell
Reservation Fee : $289
Hourly Rate (2 hr min) : $72
Refundable Deposit : $500
Conservatory Drive E, San Francisco, CA 94117
This site is a hidden area in San Francisco right next to the Conservatory of Flowers. With the Conservatory garnering all the attention, it is easy to miss this secret garden in Golden Gate Park that offers a quiet escape from the more popular GGPark locations such as the Shakespeare Garden. This is more or less a large field (approx 200 x 100 feet) and from May – November the purple and red flowers are in bloom.
8) Sunnyside Conservatory
Hourly Rate : $105 – $420
Refundable Deposit : $500
236 Monterey Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94131
This site is a hidden venue in San Francisco and has a beautiful rustic conservatory for your elopement. I’m a native San Franciscan and only found out about this location a few years ago! With ample street parking and a very seldom used garden, you can be sure to have a very intimate ceremony at this location. Its seclusion and recent upgrade make it one of the more secret places for an elopement in San Francisco.
9) The Olympic Club
Rental Fee : $2000 – $3300 (City Clubhouse)
Rental Fee : $1500 – $3300 (Lakeside Clubhouse)
550 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
The Olympic Club has two locations in San Francisco – the Lakeside Clubhouse and the City Clubhouse. Personally, I would recommend the Lakeside Clubhouse since it has a better skyline and ocean view as it is on the western edge of San Francisco by the ocean.
Check out my Olympic Club Walkthrough for more details!
10) Golden Gate Park (secret spot)
This is my own secret spot that I give to my Clients! It is a “little Muir Woods” in that you are surrounded by pine trees and are secluded from the city.
Check out this Golden Gate Park elopement gallery for photos from a previous celebration.
All sounds good? I’d love to discuss your elopement in San Francisco!
Best Times for an Elopement in San Francisco
Top 10 Best Places to Elope Outside of San Francisco
1) Muir Woods (Mill Valley)
Permit Fees : $60
Mill Valley, CA 94941
This popular elopement destination offers 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 next to another option in Mount Tamalpais (see below). For an outdoor venue, this is hands down my favorite place for an elopement in San Francisco.
Check out my Ultimate Guide to Planning a Wedding in Muir Woods for more details!
2) The Mountain Terrace (Woodside)
Rental Fee : $2500 – $4000 (ceremony only)
17285 Skyline Blvd, Woodside, CA 94062
With decades-old trees acting as a wedding ceremony backdrop, The Mountain Terrace is the ideal setting for anyone who appreciates natural beauty and basking in the sun and fresh air. They recently remodeled their mega deck, allowing several options for outdoor and indoor receptions. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit here privately and made a video walkthrough below to allow you a virtual tour!
Read more about The Mountain Terrace with my walkthrough
All sounds good? I’d love to chat about my elopement packages in San Francisco!
3) Hastings House Garden Weddings (Half Moon Bay)
Rental Fee : Packages start at $12,000
347 Mirada Rd, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
If you are looking for a secluded “secret” garden look no further than the Hastings House Garden Weddings for your elopement! This enchanting garden only allows for a small number of guests and is seemingly made just for elopements. You need little to no decor at this Half Moon Bay wedding venue since the beauty is all around you!
Read more about Hastings House Garden Weddings with my walkthrough
4) Shelldance Orchid Gardens (Pacifica)
Rental Fee : $1400 for a full day
2000 CA-1, Pacifica, CA 94044
With a setting seemingly straight from a movie, Shelldance Orchid Gardens is truly a one of a kind elopement setting and one of my favorite wedding venues in San Francisco. Simply looking around, there is little doubt why this is one of the most gorgeous and my favorite place for an elopement in San Francisco.
Read more about Shelldance Orchid Gardens with my walkthrough
5) Deer Park Villa (Fairfax)
Weekday Elopements for to 50 guests – inquire for pricing
Having a Deer Park Villa wedding is perfect for the couple wishing to exchange marriage vows among majestic redwoods, a few miles away from San Francisco.
Check out my Deer Park Villa wedding guide for more info
6) Old Mill Park (Mill Valley)
Rental Fee : $150 – $275 / hour
Refundable Deposit : $100 – $1000
64 Cascade Dr, Mill Valley, CA 94941
Outdoor seating and a raised stage at this quiet redwood park allows for a small gathering for your elopement under the trees. It is one of the only places I know that offers seating, so this is a perfect choice when considering other guests. The seating is roughly 25 feet away, so having a mic would be helpful if the guests are going to be seated.
Check out this Old Mill Park wedding guide for more info
7) Allied Arts Guild
One of the most popular traits of this venue are its stunning gardens, but the lesser known fact is that it offers ceremony only weddings between 10am-2pm with pricing starting at $3,000
Check out my Allied Arts Guild wedding guide for more info
You scrolled all the way here and haven’t contacted me to discuss eloping in San Francisco?
8) Marin Art and Garden Center (Ross)
Rental Fee : $2000 – $7500 (depending on hours and area rented)
30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross, CA 94957
This well maintained 11 acre garden has enough space to cater to 300 guests, but also serves intimate weddings and has multiple locations to marry. It is run by a non profit organization, so this location potentially has a lower rental rate than other similar venues of similar size. I think it is one of the best places to elope in Mill Valley for this reason with a compromise between price and setting.
9) Filoli Gardens (Woodside)
Elopement Pricing: $4,000+ (15 persons)
Just 20 minutes away from SFO, a Filoli Garden wedding allows you and your guests to enjoy one of the most elegant estates of the early 20th century. You can experience your special day among the manicured gardens and unique charms of the Filoli Estate, which offers the most variety of settings for your celebration.
Check out my Filoli Gardens Wedding guide for more info
10) Pulgas Water Temple
Rental Fee: between $550 – $600 for up to 2 hours
Capacity: contact for capacity
This venue is only available for ceremonies, as it is booked in 2 hour slots. A lot of people like to have their wedding at the Pulgas Water Temple and then move to a nearby venue for the reception.
Check out my Pulgas Water Temple wedding guide for more info
11) Elizabeth Gamble Gardens (Palo Alto)
Rental Fees : $600 – $1200
1431 Waverley St, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Having a Gamble Gardens Wedding allows you to elope in the middle of Palo Alto, perfect for those who might consider exploring the Peninsula after their wedding ceremony. It is a 2.5 acre garden that offers several areas to wed and several buildings to utilize for the reception or getting ready portion of your day.
Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below!
415 756 9335
ianchinphotography@gmail.com
