A Clandestine Elopement in The Dome at City Hall

In a roaring red dress, no less!

ANNA & ROB

ONE SENTENCE SUM-UP OF THE WEDDING VIBE: 

A secret New Year’s Eve elopement at the top of the City Hall dome.

SOUNDTRACK FOR READING:

Matt and Kim, “Daylight”

FAVORITE THING ABOUT THE WEDDING

Our favorite: Having our friend Alan (whom Anna has known since middle school) be our officiant. He’s a former City Hall county clerk and was an absolute pro. We were also happy that Alan and our photographers Helena & Laurent, were just as excited about touring the rarely seen parts of City Hall as we were! Rob’s favorite: With such a small party and expert, laid-back photographers, we made the day our own: no schedule to keep and no rushing; as relaxed and enjoyable a sunny winter day as you could ask for. Anna suggested doing a First Look, which I hadn’t heard of and will now never forget. Anna’s favorite: Wearing a wedding dress I can wear again!

OTHER COOL STUFF WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

A few years ago, a friend invited us to an informal late-night tour of San Francisco City Hall given by her uncle, a long-time employee. The entire experience was unforgettable—an empty, partially lit City Hall at night was beautiful. The most memorable parts were ascending the inside of the dome (nearly pitch black), and soaking in the views of SF at night from outside, on top of City Hall.

When we were planning our wedding, we thought what better place to read our vows than the top of City Hall, surrounded by beautiful views of the city on all sides. We were so lucky our friend’s uncle was up for the adventure and agreed to take us up there.

Due to the close quarters, tight stairways on the way up and small space at the top of the dome, we were limited in our options in terms of invitees. With that, we thought it was best to plan everything without telling our friends and family until after the ceremony. We loved that we got to celebrate on a one-on-one basis with friends and family by getting together for celebratory dinners for weeks afterward.

Credits

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