Jessica + Chris // The Olympic Club, SF

Classic, timeless, and "quintessentially San Francisco" best describes Jessica and Chris's wedding at the Olympic Club, and I've been missing this day, this couple, and those burger dogs ever since (if you know, you know)...

It has been awhile since I've shot an indoor wedding, and this particular venue boasted ceiling to floor windows, offering the best San Francisco views that showcased the familiar, beloved fog we have all grown to love. The venue, as objectively striking as it is, is not what I'm excited about on this day. It's getting to tell the story of Chris and Jessica through my lens, a couple who I have loved and admired since the day I got their first email (which naturally feels like forever ago because Covid+rescheduled weddings).

I have been doing this long enough to know that you can learn so much about a couple through the speeches of friends and family members at these weddings. It comes as no surprise, but it was unanimous that this couple is so loved beyond measure by their community and every speech was testimony to their thoughtful, selfless, and loving personalities. From beginning to end, these two were so amazing to work with, ending every email and tackling every "covid wedding planning" obstacle by saying, "thank you for sticking with us through this mess". I'm definitely the lucky one though.

Cheers to such a lovely, special couple who I missed immediately after this day was over.

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.

Jamie + Kyle // Ocean Beach Engagement

It has only been FIFTEEN WEEKS since I last worked, and while my 2020 wedding season has undoubtedly been cancelled, taking on a few sessions this week has restored a tiny bit of normalcy in my life, and reminded me how much joy my job of photographing beautiful humans brings me.

Practicing 6 feet of social distancing while wearing a mask was an interesting obstacle during Jamie and Kyle's beach engagement session, but I think we were all pleasantly surprised with how quickly it felt normal, and how easily we adapted to the safety parameters we put in place. It was a typically gloomy day in San Francisco, and we practically had the entire beach to ourselves, so we took our time galavanting around the sand dunes, running along the beach, and not taking ourselves too seriously, and I think (know) it was the most fun I've had in actual months.

Congratulations to these two amazing humans who were so instantly warm to be around, and for being as natural as humanly possible when your photographer is wearing a mask over 60% of their face and you've never met them before this.

Jess + Chris // Golden Gate Park Engagement

Anyone who has ever worked with me and stepped in front of my camera knows one thing: I become a slightly obnoxious motivational coach. My couples and I even laugh about it, in the moment. Over time, this has become my inadvertent alter ego, and I know I must sound like a really proud (stage) mom to all of my subjects (or anyone within earshot). The over-the-top enthusiasm comes from a genuine place of understanding how not-so-comfortable it is to have a giant camera pointed directly at your soul, and wanting my couples to openly know that know matter how far out of their comfort zone they feel, they are absolutely crushing it.

Jess and Chris reached out at the end of last year for their wedding this Summer, and after tossing around a few ideas for their engagement session, I knew two important things: 1- they didn't have many pictures together (I instantly commiserated- my husband and I have .5 pictures together in the 11 years we've been together), and 2- they weren't looking to achieve the cliche engagement photos that I know we've all seen (aka hard no to the "heart hands"). We met at the Conservatory of Flowers, and within the first five minutes of this session, I knew this was a great location fit for them, and that they were a great fit for me. In true D. Lillian stage-mom form, I was basically cheering throughout this entire session, but can you honestly blame me? They're gorgeous (and I'm the luckiest photographer).

Cheers to these two for owning this session, I can't wait for round two this Summer!

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

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.

Lyndsey & Jeff // Foreign Cinema Wedding

It has been a wonderfully crazy wedding season that has included four international trips and oodles of road trips up and down California, however, I was elated to be home and settled for Jeff and Lyndsey's San Francisco wedding, and I've been nostalgic for this day and this wedding venue, ever since. While I'm probably biased due to my own blissful,  past experience of living in the city, I've always had an affinity for San Francisco weddings, and I was reeling with excitement and gratefulness when Jeff and Lyndsey asked me to be their wedding photographer. I knew it was important to them to incorporate elements of their daily lives together into their wedding photography, and I loved starting my work day inside their home, where so much of who they are and how they love permeates from every corner. We had a plethora of different first look locations and ideas on the table, but opted for the street right outside of their home that naturally boasts stunning views of the city they met in, and aligned with our mutual vision that these images should reflect their relationship. Jeff and Lyndsey's wedding venue, Foreign Cinema, was especially unique, and beautifully encompassed the intersection between phenomenal food, artisanal wine, handcrafted cocktails, film, and art gallery. The urban vibe of their venue and its location felt quintessential to that of San Francisco, and I loved having the rare opportunity to incorporate some street photography into their wedding day, while simultaneously navigating around the local bystanders. This wedding day left me asking the universe for more San Francisco weddings, and left me feeling grateful for the opportunity to capture this day exactly how I saw it. Congratulations to this (absolutely stunning) couple, and thank you for letting me tell a part of your (wedding) story. Planning: Lisa BravoFlorals: Bewilder FloralVenue: Foreign Cinema