With the start of California's same-sex marriage ceremonies, officials in San Francisco have been busier than customary with brides and brides and grooms and grooms. More than 350 volunteers have assisted with 947 ceremonies and 1,573 licenses were issued in San Francisco during the last two weeks of the month.
Full details for securing a marriage license through the San Francisco County Clerk Office are available on their Web site here.
And there's a lot more cool info after the jump.
Many city-owned facilities are also rolling out the red carpet for newlyweds-to-be. At a modest fee of $67 for a simple ceremony in an architectural masterpiece, City Hall is and has always been one of the most popular sites. San Francisco's "palace for the people" was built in 1915 and is the setting for some 2,000 weddings annually. Famous couples who have tied the knot there include Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera (1940), Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio (1954) and most recently, Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin who were married just after 5 p.m. on June 16 when the May 15 decision by the California Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage took effect.
Gardens and facilities in Golden Gate Park also offer a range of options. Fragrant havens include the Rose Garden, Dahlia Garden (also San Francisco's official flower), Fuchsia Garden and Queen Wilhelmina Garden. Permits may be secured through a permitting process controlled by the Permits and Reservations division of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Dept. Performance bonds ($500) are required to reserve most sites and there is a reservation fee (ranging from $200 to $350 depending on the location) and an additional hourly fee (minimum two hours) ranging from $50 to $100 per hour. Reservations may be made up to one year in advance. Rentals of space within major buildings in Golden Gate Park such at the Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco Botanical Gardens and de Young Museum are handled by each organization and they should be contacted directly. A list of these and other venues throughout San Francisco is posted on the Web site of the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB): www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com in the Meeting Planners section.
The SFCVB has a special section in the Gay Travel section of their Web site with frequently asked questions (FAQs) specifically for same-sex marriages. Hotel packages and special offers from dozens of local businesses are also posted on the site.The SFCVB also publishes a free, annual San Francisco Meeting and Event Planner's Guide. The 264-page reference lists more than 1,420 Bay Area businesses, meeting sites, hotels and restaurant/banquet facilities.
The guide profiles major civic venues such as Davies Symphony Hall, the War Memorial Opera House and Treasure Island. Detailed floor plans and charts indicating room dimensions, square footage, ceiling height and suggested capacities for major event facilities and convention hotels are included. A comprehensive directory of sometimes hard-to-find services such as producers of custom T-shirts or operators of motorized cable cars for shuttling guests to and fro is also offered.
Individuals can obtain single copies of the 2008 San Francisco Meeting and Event Planner's Guide by contacting Convention Services at the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau by phone 415-227-2654, via email at convention-services@sanfrancisco.travel or online at OnlyInSanFrancisco.com.
