Why Couples Love Fridays

No secret that everyone likes Fridays when it comes to San Francisco City Hall weddings. Guests don't have to go to work on the next day, there is a possibility of spending a weekend as a mini honeymoon in San Francisco or in Wine Country or even to fly to another destination in the evening as San Francisco is a major airport that connects multiple countries.

And for the most part, City Hall operates on the same schedule which means for untrained eye, all looks as calm and relaxed as on any other day. The main difference becomes obvious when the couple has high expectations from their photographer and very limited time to spend in the building.

However, the easy going couples that require just few photos and flexible with time, should not be worried: City Hall offers many angles and many photo opportunities even when it is crowded.

What happens if...

Let's assume you must have a wedding on Friday and you want the best photos possible. How can this be done?

The answer is simple, you will need not just a talented photographer but a person with sense of the building (county clerk's office workflow, special events schedule, tourist traffic patterns, etc.,) lot's of overall experience, fast reaction time, great organizational skills and more.

You will need a photographer who can manage the photo session, maintain a connection with the group and being able to control the backgrounds to make sure you get clean (paparazzi free) photos. A photographer who can work on a nice tourists-free day but not experienced in working under pressure will deliver photos that will not be consistent with his or her portfolio.

But you just need few photos...

Jackpot! You can hire inexperienced photographer who likely to charge less and being able to deliver just few photos. Today's is not hard (even with a smartphone) to get a number of decent images. City Hall has plenty of areas that provide sufficient light. However, I can't possibly recommend an inexperienced photographer when it comes to wedding. The reason is simple: the results of his or her work will be viewed many years to come and low quality work that can't convey the story of your love will be soon forgotten. It's like you never had a photographer at all. However, if you don't have budget limitations, read this article, I've put together for those who are considering getting a friend to photograph your wedding. It has many useful advises to make sure you get decent photos,

Okay, let's get back to issue of crowds

There is one easy way to deal with crowds: do not try to wait them out: they will always be right in front of your camera. Instead try to understand the flow of tourists, other photographers, couples and their friends, try to understand timing of other parties, get a sense of a county clerk's schedule. If you have an experienced photographer, all this won't be an issue.

And the best days are...

Yes, clearly not Fridays. Aim for Tuesdays or Wednesdays in the early AM. City Hall getting gradually busy after 10AM but from 8AM till 8:30AM it's practically empty so you get enjoy classic portraits on the staircase. Monday can be somewhat busy as it is an extension of the weekend and often destination couples spend a weekend in the city with plans to get married on Monday.