There is always something fun happening in San Francisco, so finding a date with nothing going on is virtually impossible. What can you expect from an area where the weather is consistent through out the entire year?
Luckily, San Francisco is a sprawling area so rarely is there an event that affects everyone. However, there are some major events that you will need to take into consideration when booking your date. Here’s a list of 6 events to consider when planning your wedding day in San Francisco.
Note these events take place on an annual basis around the same time period as listed, but only the 2017-18 dates were available at the moment. Please contact the organization in-charge for more info.
1. Bay to Breakers
Bay to Breakers has been going on in San Francisco every year since 1912. This annual footrace happens on the third Sunday in May and passes through nine different neighborhoods, starting at San Francisco Bay, blocks from The Embarcadero running west through the city and ending onto the Pacific Coast’s Ocean Beach. This race is known for its participants wearing costumes. This race will bring thousands of runners and spectators to the area.
If you are looking to have your wedding on the Sunday of Bay to Breakers, take into consideration this event as many hotels will be booked and there will be many road closures of the race making traffic a little nutty. Best take a look at the race route.
Dates: Third Sunday of May (annually)
2. San Francisco Pride
San Francisco Pride is an amazing event in San Francisco and of the biggest LGBTQIA events in the world! Everybody comes together to celebrate love. Over 100,000 spectators come watch the parade and march through the heart of the city. Celebrations and festivities take place in the Civic Center but overflow throughout San Francisco the entire weekend.
If you are planning on selecting a venue around the Civic Center or Market Street, make sure to check out when the various parades, celebrations and any other festivities are taking place that could cause challenges. If you happen upon a parade, embrace the fun & love with your wedding party.
Dates: June 23-24, 2018
3. Outside Lands
Outside Lands is San Francisco’s largest music and arts festival that attracts more than 200,000 visitors! It takes place at Golden Gate Park. Hotels are packed, parking is insane and many of the roads are closed.
If you are planning on hosting your wedding during this festival, talk to your wedding planner about options to keep traveling easy on your guests. If you are in the area, why not catch a concert? 🙂
Dates: August 10-12, 2018
4. Fleet Week
Fleet Week in San Francisco is the largest civic sponsored events that honors the United States Armed Forces. Throughout Fleet Week there will be air shows featuring the U.S Navy Blue Angels flying over the city which is amazing but very loud. There is also the parade of ships where visitors can climb upon hundreds of ships in the Embarcadero, where areas like the Marina, Presidio, North Beach and the Embarcadero can be very busy and chaotic.
If planning your wedding during this week make sure to think about the noise and fun chaos of Fleet Week. If you are getting married during Fleet Week take some pictures on one of the ships!
Dates: October 1-8, 2018
5. SantaCon
For all of our Christmas lovers SantaCon is the bar crawl to be. San Francisco is flooded with around 8,000 Santas roaming from bar to bar from every main area of San Francisco.
Be aware of the Santas while finalizing wedding plans. Public transportations such as Bart, Muni, Uber, Lyft etc will be over crowded.
Dates: December 9, 2017 (2018 exact date TBD)
6. Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year in San Francisco is nothing but festive and beautiful. Parades and street fairs take over Chinatown for the month of February
If you are looking to have your wedding during Chinese New Year take into consideration this event as many there will be many road closures of the race making traffic a little nutty. Best take a look at the parade route and street fair schedule.
Dates: Month of Frebruary
Research Your Wedding Date
When deciding your wedding day, consult various online local resources for specific dates and times that may affect your day. Timeout San Francisco is a great resource that lists local events and allows you to sort by date.
Simply googling San Francisco and your full wedding date may uncover additional logistics when considering potential dates for your wedding.
Bottom line, San Francisco rocks! The chances of something fun and exciting going on the same day as your wedding is likely, but it is much better to be prepared than not. Just make the best of it and enjoy your day.