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Choosing a wedding venue is incredibly daunting, especially if you’re on a budget. As a wedding photographer and planner, I have seen the best and worst of venues. From lavish ballrooms to rustic barns, I have been in charge of planning and photographing weddings in many different types of venues. Many couples can’t afford typical luxury wedding venues, which start at $20k per event, but don’t worry. There are affordable wedding venues that allow you to have everything you need for a beautiful event without breaking the bank! The two most important factors that budget-savvy brides should consider when choosing a venue are your budget and the space you need for your guests. This blog post reveals my insider secrets about one of my favorite venues that you can rent for an intimate wedding for only $1,000!
Lisa and Juan recently chose this “secret” venue for their simple and elegant wedding. Their love story is one we all know well, boy meets girl, they fall in love and get married. However, not everyone can say they met at Chick-fil-A! While Lisa was eating her breakfast, she noticed Juan trying to be social, and he asked her if he could join her at her table. According to Lisa, they started to talk about life, and he was very sweet to her. They spoke many days later, and he eventually asked her on a date. When they finally went on a date, Lisa said she realized he was the man she sought, and the rest is history.
Wondering where this steal of a deal is? Well, here are the details! One of our most popular venues for a simple and elegant wedding is the Mayor’s Balcony in San Francisco City Hall. Not only does it offer a stunning vantage point of City Hall below, but it also rents for only $1,000 for a one-hour ceremony. That’s right, couples can get married surrounded by the golden opulence of City Hall throughout the year for just one total. When most people think of a Courthouse wedding, they think of something plain and no-frills. This could not be further from the truth with the Mayor’s Balcony! If this sounds too good to be true, then read on.
The Mayor’s Balcony is a beautiful and intimate venue for your wedding. The details are on the SF City Hall Events website (http://sfcityhallevents.org/). The Mayor’s Balcony can be rented for one hour from Monday through Friday, with the earliest ceremony beginning at 9:00 am and the latest beginning at 3:00 pm. The rental cost includes an hour of access for up to 100 guests. If you would prefer guests to be seated, chairs are an additional equipment rental, with the Mayor’s Balcony seating up to 40 guests. If you want an unconventional location with the perfect romantic atmosphere, this is the place for you!
Other significant aspects of renting the Mayor’s Balcony include having your officiant hire acoustic musicians like a harpist to play for you for just one hour. City Hall does have a preferred vendors list to help you find the right musicians for your small wedding. Corelli Strings is one of the companies we work with, and Jay Alvarez (acoustic guitarist) is also excellent. You can find a list of musicians on the http://sfcityhallevents.org/ website.
I love the atmosphere created when acoustic music is played at an intimate wedding. It can be light and airy, or it can be soft and romantic. The quiet, gentle sounds of an acoustic guitar, harp, or solo violin can set the mood of the entire event. Some acoustic music includes upright bass, violin, and harp. Several ladies on the musicians’ list play the harp, and they are incredible. The harp elevates the wedding experience as the music gently drifts through the building. Acoustic music is an excellent addition to an intimate wedding because it sounds beautiful and creates the perfect ambiance for those who want something simple and elegant.
Weddings are not only a celebration of love but also an excellent time to get together with family. You can get beautiful pictures of your parents, grandparents, siblings, best friends, and other relatives or friends. Not only are we taking your wedding pictures, but we are also happy to photograph you and your kids so that you have some beautiful family portraits of them on your wedding day. We are always going to take pictures of you, all of your family, and all of the guests that you bring with you to City Hall so that everyone can cherish that day.
Lisa’s antique French lace-themed dress is from Allure Bridal.
Juan’s dark gray suit is from Men’s Wearhouse.
3-carat white gold ring from Neil Lane Boutique.
