There are three ceremony spaces to choose from, and each comes with its own tradeoffs.

In the ballroom: The ballroom is spacious, and the fireplace makes a great backdrop for vows and group portraits. The tradeoff is the room flip. Staff need to turn the room over for the reception, which makes the logistics more challenging, limits how complex the ceremony setup can be, and can cut formal photo time short.

In the Merchants Exchange lobby: The lobby is a beautiful ceremony space, but it's tighter and not as spacious for larger guest counts.

In the banking hall: The banking hall is an added rental, but it's very large and avoids the room flip issue.

CEREMONY OPTIONS

PORTRAIT OPPORTUNITIES

The Merchants Exchange lobby is my go-to for portraits and group formals because of its depth and natural light, and it can look beautiful even at night. I often step just outside to shoot on the street and capture the feel of downtown San Francisco, and occasionally a cable car comes through the frame. I also work with the light in the bridal suite and bar areas when I can. The ballroom itself is a wonderful place for portraits before guests arrive.

LIGHTING & TIMING

The window wall brings in beautiful daylight for receptions, and the room turns romantic after sunset. The Merchants Exchange lobby has some of the best light in the afternoon, with sunlight reflecting off the buildings across the street. For lobby ceremonies, I always recommend the wash lighting the venue offers, and for the reception I suggest asking about the spotlight for the sweetheart or head table. While I often use my own off-camera flashes to highlight the action, your guests will be thankful they're able to see you with the in-house lights!

adrianne + connor

andie + john

JULIA MORGAN BALLROOM WEDDING STORIES

FOLLOW THE LINKS BELOW FOR SOME SAMPLE HIGHLIGHTS FROM PAST CLIENTS.

corinna + matthew

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