Good to Know

Monday, September 21, 2026. Please arrive by 1:45 PM — the ceremony begins promptly at 2:00 PM. The earlier arrival gives everyone time to get through City Hall security without rushing.

Yes — City Hall is a working government building, so everyone passes through a security screening to get in: a metal detector plus a bag check, similar to an airport but quicker. A few things that help it go smoothly:

• Travel light. Anything larger than roughly 11×17×7 inches can't come through the main entrance and has to be brought in via the Grove Street loading dock instead.
• Leave anything questionable at the hotel. The city publishes a list of prohibited items if you want to check.
• Build in a few minutes. It's usually quick, but lines are unpredictable — which is why we're asking everyone to arrive by 1:45.

Full visitor information is on the City Hall website.

San Francisco City Hall, Mayor's Balcony (2nd floor), at 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place. Enter through the main entrance on Goodlett Place — we'll have someone there to guide you upstairs after security. If steps are a problem, the step-free entrances are on Van Ness Avenue and Grove Street, and there are elevators and accessible restrooms on every floor.

Cocktail attire, with a lot of latitude — it's a long day, so comfort wins.

• Ladies: a dress of any length. Think late summer into early fall — we're getting married on summer's last day, so you're dressing for the seam between the two — and wear whatever you'll feel best in from two in the afternoon through the evening.
• Gentlemen: a button-up shirt is the baseline. A suit and tie aren't required, but they're very welcome.

September is usually San Francisco's warmest month — expect the mid 70s — though it cools off after sunset, so a layer for the evening is worth having. City Hall is all marble floors, and there's a walk up Mission Street later, so shoes you can stand in are a kindness to yourself.

Three reasons, and only one of them is sensible.

• September is the best weather month in San Francisco. It seemed unkind to fly everyone to California and hand them fog.
• The numbers worked out and we couldn't unsee it. We got together at 26 and we'll both be 30 when we marry — and 9 + 21 = 30, with a 26 sitting right there in 2026.
• Now neither of us has an excuse to forget the anniversary, because there's a song about this exact date. You know the one.

Skip the rental car — Uber, Lyft, and Waymo are the way to go in SF. BART and Muni work great too; Civic Center station is a two-block walk down Grove Street. If you do drive, Civic Center Garage (355 McAllister St) is directly under City Hall, and there's also the Performing Arts Garage (360 Grove St).

The closest hotel to City Hall is San Francisco Proper Hotel (Marriott branded), just a few blocks away. For Union Square options, we'd suggest the Hilton Union Square, the Marriott Union Square, or the Holiday Inn Express Union Square. There's no room block, so you're welcome to stay wherever works best for you. Just don't walk from Union Square to City Hall — the Tenderloin is a bit unsightly :) Uber, Lyft, or Waymo will get you there in five minutes. Feel free to reach out if you'd like any other suggestions!

We'll take photos until about 3:00 PM, then there's a gap until the evening — explore the city, grab a drink, or go put your feet up. Everything picks back up at Foreign Cinema (2534 Mission St) at 5:00 PM with a cocktail hour, hors d'oeuvres, and the cake cutting, and dinner follows from 6:00 to 9:00. Everyone gets themselves to the Mission — it's about a 15-minute Uber from City Hall.

Both the cocktail hour and dinner are in the Modernism West Gallery — we have the entire room reserved for the evening, so once you're in, you're in for the night. Come through the regular Foreign Cinema entrance and ask the host, who will point you the right way. It's very easy to find, and the gallery is fully wheelchair accessible.

Yes — from 9:00 PM we're heading to Casements at 2351 Mission Street, an Irish bar with a large outdoor patio. It's two blocks up Mission from Foreign Cinema, so it's a short walk rather than another car. They're open until 2am. Entirely optional — come for one or stay for the night.

We're having a casual get-together at Presidio Bowl (93 Moraga Ave) on Sunday the 20th from 4:00 – 7:00 PM — bowling, food, and drinks on the patio. Bowling shoes are included, and there's free parking if you drive, but Uber or Waymo is the easiest way to get there. If you can only make it for the ceremony on Monday, that's more than enough. We're just happy you're there.

Beyond that, we've put a few of our favorites on the San Francisco page — and if you'd like suggestions for anything else to do while you're here, please feel free to reach out and ask. We're always happy to talk about this city.

Check it yourself on the RSVP page — type your first name and it will tell you straight away whether we have your response. The deadline was August 1, so if anything has changed since then, please let Colleen know as soon as possible: (714) 833-9879.