Your elopement,
captured in Leica
Photos and film from one Leica team, at your pace.
I am Aaron, a wedding photographer and filmmaker, and every frame I make is shot on Leica. I am a Leica Local Artist and an official Leica Store event photographer and filmmaker. My work is hybrid by design: one team, one vision, photographs and film captured side by side. Award winning and published in Style Me Pretty and Magnolia Rouge, I photograph with a fine art eye and a documentary patience, drawn to the quiet moments between the planned ones. San Francisco City Hall is a building I return to again and again, for the way its marble holds the light through the morning and for couples who would rather take their time inside it than hurry through. I photograph there throughout the year, in English and in Mandarin, and I would be glad to meet you under the dome.
P U B L I S H E D I N
Why Me
Four things I bring to your day
Every frame is a decision
I shoot Leica exclusively. The composition, the timing of the shutter, the aperture, the focus: each one is my choice, made deliberately, frame by frame. Nothing is sprayed and sorted later.
One team, two crafts
Photos and film come from one team with one consistent look. The photographs freeze and preserve the moments. The film carries the flow of the day, the emotion, the way you two move around each other.
In English and Mandarin
I speak both fluently and I understand the cultures behind both. For couples who want a photographer who can talk with every parent and grandparent in the room, I am the one for you.
Eleven years behind the camera
Eleven years of weddings in photography and film. I know what matters most in each hour of the day, and I know how to react when the light changes before anyone else notices it has.
My Approach
Before, during, and after
Before
We prepare together
We discuss everything during preparation: the dress, the suit, the shoes, the bouquet, hair and makeup, the timeline, and the shot list. A well prepared couple enjoys the day more, and couples who enjoy the day give me more real moments to photograph.
I keep good relationships with top bridal shops, florists, and makeup artists, and I am happy to share my vendor list. Every element in a frame matters, and each one stacks toward the final image. Shop with people I trust and you can stop worrying.
During
I give you room
I value details, and I do not rush couples. I direct poses when I sense you need the help. When a real moment is unfolding, I stay out of it and let it finish.
Everything is photographed and filmed on Leica, including by my second shooter when the day calls for added coverage. One system, one look, no visual seams between cameras.
After
I edit everything myself
No third party ever touches your photographs or your film. Every image and every frame you see on my website and social media was edited by me, and yours will be too.
Your gallery arrives hand selected, edited, and naturally retouched: skin that looks like skin, color that looks like the day you remember.
The Craft
Shot on Leica, by intention
I photograph exclusively on Leica because of how it renders light and skin: honest color, quiet depth, images that feel made rather than taken. Inside a building built from marble and daylight, that difference shows. It also tends to start conversations. Guests notice, and couples remember.
Collections
Three ways to be photographed
Every collection covers any ceremony type and any location within City Hall: the civil ceremony under the dome, or a private ceremony you have reserved anywhere in the building. Cinematic film can be added to any of them.
The Core
$2,400
- Up to 2.5 hours of coverage
- San Francisco City Hall only
- Aaron Liu as your photographer
- At least 150 photographs, hand selected, edited, and naturally retouched
The Signature
$3,200
- Up to 4 hours of coverage
- City Hall plus one outdoor location
- Two Leica photographers: Aaron Liu and his second shooter
- At least 250 photographs, hand selected, edited, and naturally retouched
The Legacy
$4,200
- Up to 5 hours of coverage
- City Hall plus two outdoor locations
- Two Leica photographers: Aaron Liu and his second shooter
- At least 320 photographs, hand selected, edited, and naturally retouched
Add Film
One team, photos and film together
The Full Day
From $5,500, shaped by conversation. Preparations through dinner, anywhere in the city, with photography and film scoped to your day. For couples planning a Saturday buyout of the Grand Staircase, or a celebration that begins long before City Hall and ends long after.
Every collection includes a planning consultation before your date, my curated vendor recommendations, timeline guidance, bystander cleanup on key frames, and an online gallery with print release. Every photograph and every film is edited personally by Aaron, never outsourced.
Booking a Private Ceremony?
Matching the collection to your ceremony
City Hall offers several ways to marry, and each one asks something different of your photographer. Here is how I would guide you.
Civil ceremony under the dome
Up to six guests, short and intimate. The Core collection is built for exactly this, with time for unhurried portraits through the building afterward.
One-hour private ceremony
The Mayor’s Balcony or Fourth Floor gallery, with seated guests, arrivals, family formals, and reactions. I recommend The Signature or The Legacy: two Leica photographers and longer coverage are the correct staffing for this day, not an upgrade.
Saturday Grand Staircase buyout
A two-hour private buyout is a small wedding, not an elopement. This belongs in The Full Day conversation, so we can scope coverage to your guest list and your plans around the ceremony.
Kind Words
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Client Names · San Francisco City Hall
Planning
Questions couples ask
What does it cost to marry at City Hall?
As of August 2026: a marriage license is $129, and a civil ceremony is $113. A one-hour private ceremony on the Mayor’s Balcony or a Fourth Floor gallery is $1,200, and a two-hour Saturday buyout of the Grand Staircase is $6,000. The county adjusts these fees from time to time, so confirm the current rates when you book.
How do we book a civil ceremony?
Civil ceremonies run Monday through Friday and can be reserved up to 90 days ahead, with the calendar refreshing each morning. You check in at Room 168 with your license and one witness. Up to six guests can join a civil ceremony.
When is the best time for photographs?
Weekday mornings are the quietest hours in the building, and the light through the upper windows is at its best. I will help you choose a time slot that gives us soft light and room to move.
Can a friend or family member marry us?
Yes. San Francisco offers a Deputy Marriage Commissioner for a Day program, which deputizes someone you love to perform the ceremony. The fee is $182 as of 2026. It is a beautiful way to make a civil ceremony personal.
Do you photograph and film with one team?
Yes, and this is the heart of how I work. Photos and film come from one team under one creative direction, so your day stays yours instead of becoming a production.
Can we talk before booking?
Please do. I am happy to schedule a video call, walk through your plans, and answer every question before you decide anything.
City Hall fees and booking rules listed above are current as of August 2026 and change periodically. Confirm current figures with the San Francisco County Clerk and City Hall Events when booking.
Begin Here
Tell me about your day
Share your date and what you are imagining. I will reply with availability and full details, and if it feels like a fit, we will schedule a video call so you can ask me anything.
InquireNow booking 2026 and 2027 San Francisco City Hall weddings