Wedding Photography San Francisco California

Wedding Photography in San Francisco's Downtown

For an unforgettable wedding photography session in the heart of the Bay Area, visit downtown San Francisco. Begin your exploration of California's cultural capital at San Francisco City Hall. This magnificent structure has a lush green lawn in the foreground that is perfect for a photo of the entire bridal party. As you approach City Hall, your wedding photographer can arrange some group photos on the front steps, as well as an intimate portrait of the bride and groom beneath the arches at the entrance. Enter the hall and you'll be stunned by the gorgeous rotunda and marble interior. The bridesmaids and groomsmen can pose along railed stairs and the balcony is a perfect spot for a photo of the bride and groom.

After you've finished at San Francisco City Hall, cross the street to the War Memorial Opera House. The bridal party can pose for a portrait outside the building, with the beautiful French Renaissance architecture in the background. Once inside, your wedding photographer can organize photos in the elegant front lobby, with its towering columns and elevated arched ceiling. Venture upstairs and take photos in the Green Room, a stylish performance and reception hall whose shimmering chandeliers will amaze you.

Having explored the opera house, take a short limousine ride to the Palace of Fine Arts, a favorite wedding location for San Francisco couples. The domed structure can serve as a stunning backdrop, but the interior is worth perusing as well. Supported by majestic Roman columns, the palace contains a rotunda that is perfect for group or individual photos. Add in the tranquil lagoon and verdant lawns that surround the palace and you have a picture-perfect wedding photography location.

Wedding Photography in the Park

For the couple that loves the outdoors there is no place better in San Francisco than Golden Gate Park. The park boasts an acreage larger than that of New York's Central Park and offers plenty of scenic locations for your wedding photography session. Visit the Conservatory of Flowers and take photos on the large green lawn in the foreground of the building, surrounded by vibrant flower beds. Have your wedding photographer arrange the bridal party along the steps leading up to the greenhouse for a beautiful portrait. You can then walk over to the Music Concourse and take pictures beside the central fountains or with the bowl-shaped amphitheatre as a backdrop . For more colorful floral treasures, stroll over to the San Francisco Botanical Garden, where you'll find numerous natural settings for your photo shoot. A short walk from the botanical garden will lead you to the peaceful Stow Lake, a perfect background for a photo of the bride and groom (particularly in the late afternoon hours). If you venture over the connecting bridge to Strawberry Hill, the island surrounded by the lake, you can even take photos with the island's exotic waterfall as a backdrop. These are just a few of the picturesque places you'll see during your wedding photography session in Golden Gate Park!

Wedding Photography Around the City

This wedding photography itinerary will take you all around the northeastern side of San Francisco and you'll be amazed all the different sites that you visit. Start off at the luxurious Sir Francis Drake Hotel in Union Square, a favorite wedding destination for San Francisco couples. Inside the elegant front lobby, your wedding photographer can situate the bridal party along the stairs or seated on the comfortable couches. After taking some pictures at the chic bar, take the elevator up to the second floor Mezzanine Suite, where your wedding photographer can arrange the bride and groom beside the sleek grand piano or on the foyer. The suite's stylish fireplace is also a good spot for a portrait of the groomsmen.

After you've finished at the hotel, have your limousine driver take the bridal party to Pacific Heights, an affluent residential area located about 20 minutes away. Here you can take pictures near some of the area's most ornate Victorian architecture, including the Spreckles Mansion and the Leale House. But your most important destination in Pacific Heights will be the Lyon Street Steps. The steps are bordered by impressive seasonal landscaping and from the very top, at Broadway Street, you will have a breathtaking view of the bay and cityscape.

Finally, take a short limo ride over to Fort Mason, located only a few miles away in the Marina District. There are numerous parks and gardens at Fort Mason that are worth visiting and that provide great photography locations. The former army post also contains a rising path you can follow along the harbor's edge. At the very top you'll encounter stunning panoramic views of the Alcatraz, to the north, and of San Francisco's famed Golden Gate bridge, to the east. A bride-groom portrait with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background will make a perfect conclusion to your San Francisco wedding photography session.