San Francisco City Hall Hosts Valentine's Day Weddings

- This annual Valentine's Day event is significantly larger than a typical day, with plans to marry over 200 couples, compared to the usual 28 daily ceremonies. - To accommodate the high volume of weddings, 25 Deputy Marriage Commissioners are volunteering their time to officiate the ceremonies, which will take place in multiple locations throughout the building. - The standard fee for a civil ceremony at City Hall is $111, and a marriage license costs $127 as of July 1, 2025. Couples are required to obtain their marriage license before the ceremony. - The day is a celebration of love that also commemorates a significant moment in LGBTQ+ history known as the "Winter of Love." In 2004, then-Mayor Gavin Newsom authorized the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples, a pivotal moment in the movement for marriage equality. - In addition to the ceremonies, the event often includes festive decorations, a free photobooth for the couples and their guests, and each couple may receive a rose and a souvenir marriage certificate. - This tradition has been ongoing for several years, with City Hall setting up special areas like the North Light Court to handle the increased number of ceremonies. - Due to the popularity of getting married on Valentine's Day, appointments for civil ceremonies on this day and surrounding dates fill up quickly and must be booked up to 90 days in advance.