Cameron + Matt // SF Micro Wedding

Never could I have imagined that weddings would continue to be impacted in 2021, but here we are. Still pivoting, still doing our best, and taking it all one day at time. Luckily, I've been more than blessed with amazing couples who have worked so hard to ensure that I am still a part of their future wedding date, and if we're looking for silver linings, it's that I am getting more opportunities to connect with these couples, and it truly feels like we're all in this together.

Cameron and Matt had an original wedding date set in March 2021, but due to continued uncertainty, they pushed their wedding to Fall 2021 and opted for a small, four person wedding ceremony in San Francisco to officially seal the deal, and dare I say that I love shooting these micro-weddings and I will miss them once we can gather again? While large gatherings are ideal for the typical client, being forced into creativity and developing new ideas for how to marry your favorite person safely has been the infamous challenge for my 2020 couples, yet these microweddings have been the saving grace for many of them. With gatherings as low as four people, there are infinite forms of flexibility, and I especially love how Cameron and Matt walked by this location a few days before, and decided this was the spot they loved, and sent me an address to meet them at. It was all planned and put together within a week, and it was such an easy, breezy wedding day that left me so excited for the other few I have on the calendar this year.

Congratulations to this couple who feels like old friends at this point. Definitely going to be a loud ceremony crier at this Fall wedding.

Emily + Ryan // Oakland Micro Wedding

Oh, weddings, how I've missed you so. I've been a wedding photographer for the last seven years, and while I've been madly in love with my job and the opportunities and people it has brought into my life since the very beginning, I never knew I would miss it THIS MUCH after just six months of not being able to do it. We are all more than our jobs, but for me, photography has always been my outlet, and a way for me to still tap into who I am as a creative, and let's be honest...a break from stay at home mom life.

While 99% of my weddings have been rescheduled for next year, a few clients have been interested in keeping their wedding date, but pivoting from "large gathering" to a small, intimate ceremony with just family and a few friends. I've been calling these "micro weddings", and Ryan and Emily were the first of my clients to plan one, and it definitely brought on all the feels. If this is what weddings will look like for the unforeseeable future, I. AM. HERE. FOR. IT.

You may remember Ryan and Emily from this forest engagement session. This was the first time I had met them in person, and they felt like old friends by the end of the session. On the day of their Oakland micro wedding, we laughed (cried?) about how much life has changed since we last saw each other, only six months prior, and then focused on the beautiful day they planned, with 13 of their closest supporters as witnesses. While everyone was wearing masks and remaining six feet apart, it held just as much meaning as any large wedding I've shot in the past, and for a moment in time, or rather, for a moment in the last six months, I temporarily forgot about the pandemic, and felt like my old self, doing what I love: documenting love.

Thank you to this couple for still figuring out a way to let me tell a REALLY INTERESTING part of your story that none of us will ever forget (and thank you for giving me a reason to wear an actual outfit for the third time in 2020).

Jess + Doug // Pelican Inn Wedding

In January of 2018, my family and I said goodbye to our favorite little beach town that we called home for the last four years, Half Moon Bay. While we weren't moving far, Marin felt like a different universe, and not one that we were certain we'd fit into. It took a handful of months to settle in, and while we were beginning to feel a bit at home in our new neighborhood, we had wondered if/when we'd ever find a community of our own. Cue somewhere in the middle of 2018, and the universe decided to gift us two of the greatest humans for friends, Doug and Jess.

Getting to know-then-love Doug and Jess has been the absolute highlight of our new-ish Marin life, and I have loved getting to know them as a couple, and also as two completely separate individuals. They are the most gracious and accommodating human beings, and they're just as down to go out to dinner with my husband and I as they are to hang out with our two kids and our massive (and often gassy) dog, and we have never felt anything but completely loved and supported by them. It is no surprise that I nearly starting crying when they asked me to be their wedding photographer, and the extra special bonus was getting to shoot this wedding with my husband on our 6th wedding anniversary. Creating art for the people that you love and with the people you love is absolutely how I prefer to spend my time, and it was truly the least we could do for two people who have been in our corner since day one.

This day was just as magical as it looked, and yielded a true depiction of some of Marin's finest landscapes, while also incorporating so much of Doug and Jess's history. An private hilltop ceremony followed by a small reception at the rustic Pelican Inn made for a truly intimate day, and allowed both Doug and Jess to be present and in the moment with all of their biggest supporters. My husband and I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend our 6th wedding anniversary, and we smiled the whole way home when reflecting on Doug and Jess's wedding day.

Cheers to these two beautiful humans, thank you for having us! (p.s. we ate your entire grazing table that night. It was us. )

Larissa & Eric // Sonoma Wedding

If there is any piece of advice I would ever give an aspiring wedding photographer, it would be to find the clients who get you. Who without any hesitation, see something in your work that speaks to them, and choose you to tell their story. In that same breath, I would also tell said hypothetical-aspiring-photographer to choose clients that you really "get" as well, and that the mutual understanding and relationship building between those two parties is what will ultimately make you LOVE your job, then forget that it's a job, and leave you feeling nostalgic for every wedding day and couple that passes.

Beyond Larissa and Eric being two of the nicest human beings I've ever met in my line of work, they are also excellent human beings to each other, and that was immediately apparent when I documented Eric's proposal to Larissa nearly two years ago. I was elated to work with them again for their wedding day, and I felt an instant-ease the moment I greeted them on their wedding day, like we had worked together hundreds of times. Like we were old friends.

This day was absolutely stunning and chock full of gorgeous details, but what I'll remember the most vividly is how wonderful they were (are) to each other and their crew of closest supporters. I felt myself beaming with joy FOR them as they walked down the aisle hand in hand, and then loved them 1,000 times more when I saw them look over at heard them fully admit to having "swamp ass", moments after the (brutally hot) ceremony. And that's kind of how you know you've found your people in the wild world of the wedding industry, and how you know you're exactly where you're supposed to be.

Cheers to these great humans and thank you for sharing a bit of your hearts and this day with me.

Al + Antrom // The Assembly, San Francisco

Every once in awhile, a dream wedding comes into my peripheral, and if I plead with the universe long enough, it quite magically becomes my reality. It's a very unreliable superpower of mine, but happens frequently enough to make me think I'm a pretty lucky person. This was the case for my good friend, Aleksandra's wedding at the highly sought after and buzzworthy co-working space for women, The Assembly. I knew this would be a beautiful opportunity for a beautiful friend, and I think I said, "Yes, PLEASE!" even before she officially asked me to be her wedding photographer (oops?). The only small (massive) caveat was that it took place 9 days after my scheduled C-Section...but spoiler alert: I survived (and so did my super supportive husband and super chill baby boy).

Known for her jaw-dropping, original woodwork, Aleksandra is a prestigious artist based in the Bay Area, and she brought this same originality and artistry to her wedding day. Al (as we like to call her), and fellow artist friend, Katie Gong, collaborated on the wedding backdrop, and the two created the centerpiece stage that left us all in a state of AWE. Al even created the massive pieces behind the bride and groom table, serving as the most stunning focal point of the room. But beyond this wedding looking like an actual dream, the most memorable visual from this day was seeing these two people smiling with their whole bodies, knowing they found their person, and being able to share their happiness with their closest friends and supporters.

Cheers to these two on what ended up being one of the sweetest days I have ever documented. Thank you for putting your trust in me to tell your story.

Special thanks to all the lovely vendors that worked their butts off to make this day look as good as you see in the pictures!

Venue: The Assembly

Backdrop: Katie Gong

Florals: Siren Floral Co.

Dress: Loho Bride

Hair: Population Salon

Catering: Stag Dining

Sky & Liz // Outdoor Art Club Wedding

When some of your sweetest friends ask you to be their wedding photographer, and you're 8 months pregnant, you still say, "Hell yeah"...but then have to warn them about your full-on pregnant waddle for the entirety of their wedding day. Luckily, these friends of mine both understood and encouraged the "pregnancy waddle", and luckily this didn't hold me back from telling their love story.

Sky and Liz are old friends back from when my boyfriend-now-husband and I moved to San Francisco, and we used to hang out at "The Warehouse", a type of friend compound (not really a compound, but we called it that anyway) that our mutual friends had rented out. It was a special time in our lives with limited amount of responsibilities, and we enjoyed the creative energies of these friends who lived here. Sky and Liz were fast friends of ours, and while our 'parents of two' life absorbs much of our social calendar, we love having these two over for dinner and watching our dogs play until they pass out.

Sky and Liz's wedding day was absolute perfection from beginning to end, and there is nothing more heartwarming than to see these old friends make a lifelong commitment to each other. Cheers to these two on such an incredible day, and THANK YOU for trusting that I could keep this baby in long enough to be able capture your day exactly as I saw it.

Kelly & CJ // Yosemite Wedding

About two months before this wedding took place, I received an email from the bride, telling me in the world's most casual way that her wedding venue has basically flooded, and that they were no longer able to have their wedding at said location. Instead of panicking or even being 2% upset, she ended the email with, "Can you shoot our wedding in Yosemite by chance? ". Uh, DONE AND DONE.

Beyond being the most excited wedding photographer in the world to shoot my first wedding in Yosemite, I was also so excited to work with this couple, and nothing could have prepared me for HOW.MUCH.FUN. they were to work with. I think they laughed/smiled for 8 hours straight on this day, and I can't say I've ever seen clients HANDLE a zipline with such coordination before (and in heels+stunning wedding garb?). Even though the bi-polar forecast kept us on our toes and almost had us moving a fully outdoor wedding to all indoors, it stayed put long enough for us to capture the breathtaking nature that Yosemite has to offer, and it was honestly the most remarkable natural light I've ever worked with (that cloud cover!!!).

I loved the natural story that unfolded on this day, and I am so freaking grateful for clients like Kelly and CJ who let me "my thing" and trusted me completely. Cheers to this incredible couple who I am absolutely obsessed with...you guys are the real deal. <3

Venue+Catering: Rush Creek Lodge

Hair: Gia Tummillo

Makeup: Sara Chestnutt-Fry

Florals: Whitney Hanson

Lea & Max // Deer Park Villa Wedding

You know you really love your job when you always show up at least one hour early, even if it means you just sit in your car for awhile, and repeat your, "You've got this " mantra, over and over again. As fun and exhilarating as being a wedding photographer might be, there is always that looming thought of, "I have one chance to capture this day perfectly", and I definitely have to practice ALL of the positive self-talk prior to any big wedding day. This is the kind of neurosis I endure as a wedding photographer, simply because all of my couples are so unique and special to me, and I'm diehard about capturing their (very important) day in the most genuine way possible.

I met Lea and Max for the first time at their engagement session, and beyond their easygoing, up-for-anything attitude, they were (ARE) among the kindest people I've ever met. Their "spark" was so easy to capture on this day, and that general ease they had with each other translated so effortlessly on camera. Seeing them again for the second time on their wedding day was another honorable opportunity to document their realness, and I truly felt like I was there to capture friends who I've known for years and years.

Just as I anticipated, their circle of supporters were equally as enamored and in love with this couple as I was (AM). Through the heartfelt speeches, never-ending hugs, and "happy tears" from just about every witness on this day, it was clear that Lea and Max have positively impacted everyone's lives, and the general feeling of gratitude was shared among every person there.

Congratulations to this gorgeous and genuine couple, and thank you for trusting me to tell your story. 100% cried during your entire vows??

Venue:Deer Park Villa
Hair & Makeup: Whimsy Bridal
Florals+Coordinating: Tango & Foxtrot
Donuts: Johnny's Donuts
Videography: Yukio Studios

D.Lillian Photography Associate Shooter

Meet my beautiful, kind-hearted, insanely talented partner photographer, Greer Rivera. She is not only a dear friend, but truly one of the most talented photographers I am so lucky to know, and my number one resource for all of my photography-related conundrums. Beyond our personal friendship, we have worked alongside of each other for a handful of weddings, and I love our intuitive workflow that we bring with us to every wedding.

No photographer has the same, identical vision, yet, our photography styles have a certain cohesion, and both of our passions are aimed at telling personal love stories through a photojournalist lens. And perhaps the best part beyond her sheer talent? She's really, reeeeally fun and brings ALL the good energy with her, everywhere she goes. Greer and I are excited to announce that we have decided to join forces to better accommodate our growing list of amazing clients. By virtue of bringing Greer on as my partner photographer, she will be working under my brand, and has been trained to represent D. Lillian Photography.  In other words, you can expect to get the same quality of work, aesthetic, and overall experience from Greer, as if you were working with me. All pre-wedding consulting and preparation will be done by me, as well as all the editing, so your wedding day images will have the D. Lillian Photography aesthetic you see in my portfolio.

To see samples of Greer's work, check out her portfolio, HERE. You can also check out a full wedding album, HERE.

A personal note from Greer:

Hi I’m Greer,

I’m a fun-loving, adventure seeking, outdoorsy, chai drinking island girl. I’m mama to a spunky and fearless 3 year old little girl named Tanzin, and I live in Mill Valley, CA with my boyfriend, Travis and our dog, Lucca.

I love to travel, and I have a deep love and respect for the ocean. My favorite weekend activity is packing up our little family and spending the day at the beach. I love hiking, being outdoors, 90’s music, reggae, a really good lemonade and a home filled with music. I’m definitely a dog person and I’m always up for a good adventure, especially a spontaneous one. My favorite smell is a wood fire burning and my favorite sound is my daughter’s laugh.

I’m a romantic at heart and I love islands. I was raised on Martha’s Vineyard and lived on St.John in the Caribbean for ten winters, that's where I started my business in 2007, adopted Lucca, lived on a sailboat, swam everyday, and danced to a little too much reggae!

I love natural light, real and authentic emotion, playful images and for people to be themselves and let their true love shine through. I am inspired by people in love and who live life to the fullest, I love hearing people's life stories and hope to hear yours!

Pierre & Juliette // Stable Cafe Wedding

February is historically a slow time for me as a wedding photographer, and also right around the time I start missing the madness that my previous wedding season brought. I was pleasantly surprised when I received an inquiry from Pierre and Juliette, a French couple living in San Francisco, regarding both a newborn session and wedding photography coverage for their upcoming wedding. We hopped on a call to discuss the details, and I learned that they just had a baby ONE DAY AGO, and that their wedding was in just a few weeks. I'm not even sure where they got the energy for that phone call on that day, but I'm so thankful they reached out and I heard their warmth and calm energy through the phone only a few moments into out conversation. I couldn't wait to document their newborn session and wedding all in the span of a few days and I was honored to witness such monumental moments in their lives.

I arrived at Pierre and Juliette's house on a Thursday, with their Stable Cafe wedding taking place on Saturday. I know firsthand how those first few days as new parents is especially sacred, and I didn't want my presence to overwhelm them, so I explained that my style of newborn sessions is really just documenting that special time, rather than fixing anyone into specific poses. Leo, their newest addition, gave me baby fever from the moment I walked in, and I couldn't help but fall instantly in love with the entire family at that point. In between cuddles, new baby smiles, finger and toe examinations, I watched as their bond as a new family formed.

Fast forward to a couple of days later, and it's storming in the city, and I show up at Stable Cafe a bit drenched, but so elated to see this family again for their intimate wedding. Their families are in town from France, and everyone shows up, ready to help in any way they can. They immediately get the centerpieces and table decorations on the table and the speakers set up, and it was especially heartwarming to see their family and community support these new parents throughout every step of their big day. The phrase, "it takes a village" was played out in front of me, and I was so proud of Pierre and Juliette for designing a wedding day that spoke to them and their laid back nature, and for inviting their family and closest friends to join in on their village.

Congratulations to this sincerely wonderful, kind, and amazing couple, and thank you for letting me tell your story.