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Napa and Sonoma Photographers: Lily Rose Photography

Lily Rose Photography is based in Napa and Sonoma County, providing wedding photography services throughout California and across the country. We photograph a wide range of celebrations, including traditional weddings, elopements, and destination events. Our goal is to document each couple's story with a clean, honest approach that balances natural moments with intentional artistry.

We're passionate about creating stunning, authentic images that reflect the beauty and individuality of each wedding. If Lily Rose Photography seems like a good fit for your vision, or if you have any lingering questions or need further details, please don't hesitate to get in touch. We're here to make your wedding photography experience as seamless and memorable as the day itself.

What Sets Us Apart: Calm Energy, Clear Direction, & Honest Storytelling.

We’re not the kind of photographers who show up, do the job, and disappear. Most of our couples say it feels more like inviting friends over to document the day.

What sets us apart:

Genuine presence and relaxed energy
Strong communication before and during the day
Details and moments documented equally
Film work and instant Polaroids kids—and wedding guests—love
Local venue expertise and troubleshooting instincts
A balance of planned portraits and candid storytelling

People often tell us we made things feel easy. We show up with a clear plan, stay aware of what’s happening, and help the day flow without getting in the way. This isn’t just photography. It’s the day lived, season held, people remembered, and images that feel like home.

“They were helpful, knowledgeable, present but not distracting, and took some amazing photos of our wedding.”

We pay attention to everything. The big moments, of course, but also the smaller things—the table settings, the way your flowers catch the light, the way your guests interact. All of it matters. Those details help tell the whole story, and we treat them with the same care.

Many couples tell us that the experience of working with us felt just as meaningful as the photos themselves. That’s something we take seriously.

“They are professional and fun, and they take the kinds of photos you cannot wait to share with friends and frame on a wall.”

We bring calm energy and clear direction. We guide when needed, and fade into the background when the moment matters more than the camera.

We also shoot with film and Polaroid, which brings a different rhythm and texture to the experience. Some couples love the tangible quality of Polaroids, and we often hand those out during the reception. One guest called it “literally the icing on the cake.”

We know Napa and Sonoma venues well. We’ve worked in all kinds of conditions—bright sun, dim barrel rooms, windy hillsides—and we plan ahead so you don’t have to think about it. When couples feel relaxed, their photos feel more like them. That’s what we want every time.

THEY ARE AMAZING DEBBI AND LARRY THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN! Will be back to purchase albums.
-Merryn Guidry, July, 29, 2025

A Guide to Wedding Photography

Wedding photography is more than a collection of posed images. It's a visual record of the people you love, the emotions you experienced, and the details that made your day feel personal. Whether you're planning a large gathering or an intimate ceremony, we create images that help you remember not just what happened, but how it felt to be there.

Services We Offer

Full Wedding Day Coverage

Full-day coverage is built around your timeline. We begin with preparation and follow through to the final moments of your celebration. We plan with your coordinator to ensure photography runs smoothly and stays aligned with your priorities. Whether your wedding takes place at a Napa vineyard, a San Francisco hotel, or a family estate, we work discreetly and efficiently to photograph what matters most to you.

Destination Weddings

Traveling for a wedding requires planning, flexibility, and experience. We've worked with couples in a variety of locations and understand how to approach different lighting situations, schedules, and climates. If your celebration takes place outside of California, we can help with travel planning, customs for transporting film, and scheduling portrait sessions in unfamiliar locations.

Elopements and Small Weddings

Not every couple chooses a complete guest list. If you're planning a courthouse wedding, a vineyard elopement, or a small gathering with close friends, we offer custom hourly coverage to suit your needs. These sessions often focus on portraits, ceremony moments, and a few meaningful details. We'll help you choose the right amount of coverage based on your location, guest count, and flow of the day.

Engagement Sessions

An engagement session is an excellent opportunity to become comfortable in front of the camera before your wedding day. These relaxed portrait sessions are designed around your style, schedule, and location. Couples often use these images for announcements, save-the-dates, or wedding websites. Engagement sessions also provide an opportunity for us to get to know each other before your wedding day.

Why Wedding Photography Matters

Wedding photography captures the only part of your wedding day that increases in value over time. After the day is over, the images are what remain. They preserve the people who were present, the expressions they wore, and the way the day unfolded from your perspective.

Photography can also help you experience moments you didn't get to witness. From your partner getting ready to a spontaneous dance between guests, the photos become your eyes on everything you missed. Your album is not just a keepsake. It's a record of your day and a visual story that will be shared with others for years to come

We don't just photograph your engagement—we build relationships that last. Many of our couples come back to us after the wedding, for maternity, family portraits, and more. We're honored to grow with you.

As a thank-you to our clients, we offer a complimentary photography session once a year, every year, for as long as we are in business. This is our way of staying connected and celebrating your life and milestones beyond just the wedding day.

Our sessions are relaxed, personal, and always focused on telling your story with authenticity and intention. Whether you’re looking for a quick update to your family album or a full anniversary shoot, we’re here to capture all the important chapters of your life.

How We Work

We've photographed hundreds of weddings in a range of locations, varying lighting conditions, and weather conditions. From bright midday ceremonies to evening receptions lit only by candlelight, we tailor our process to suit the flow and ambiance of your special day. Our planning process includes input on timelines, a request for a list of family groups, and a detailed questionnaire.

Photography is just a trigger to a memory you have created. These memories will occur whether you have a photographer or not, but looking back at an image can bring back the way the air felt, what you were thinking, or how someone made you laugh. It's not just about the picture itself—it's about what it unlocks. A well-timed photo can evoke the sound of a voice, the scent of flowers, or the warmth of a hand on your shoulder. Wedding photos do more than show what happened. They help you feel it again.

We don't just capture faces and places; we capture the essence of them. We pay attention to small, honest moments that later become the ones you remember most. These are the images that help you return to the day and hold onto what mattered.

The value of wedding photography ~~often~~ grows with time. As memories fade, your photos help bring them back clearly and thoroughly. No one has ever come back years later asking if I had the detail photos from their wedding, but time and time again we are asked if we have images of people that are no longer with us.

Why Choose Film?

Film photography brings a distinctive look that can't be replicated digitally. It handles light in a way that creates soft highlights, rich skin tones, and subtle color shifts, adding depth to your images. Medium format film, in particular, offers a wide dynamic range that's ideal for capturing natural light and open landscapes familiar in California weddings.

Shooting with film encourages a slower, more thoughtful pace. Every frame is composed with care, and the result is a set of images that feels intentional and timeless. If you're drawn to photography that evokes a classic, tactile, and emotionally rich aesthetic, film may be the right choice for you.

We shoot with both 35mm and 120mm film throughout the wedding day, during portraits, ceremonies, and even receptions when lighting allows. All film is professionally developed at a professional lab we've trusted for years. You'll receive high-resolution scans along with your digital gallery, seamlessly integrated into your final delivery.

We offer both digital and film coverage. Most couples opt for a mix, although full film coverage is available upon request.

Locations We Serve

We are based in Napa and Sonoma County and frequently work in nearby areas, including:

Napa
Sonoma
San Francisco
Sacramento
Carmel
Lake Tahoe
Monterey
Santa Barbara
Los Angeles
Selected out-of-state and international destinations

We are familiar with many venues throughout Northern California and have long-standing working relationships with planners, caterers, and coordinators across the region.

Tips for a Smooth Photo Experience

Contact us early in the planning process
Build enough time into your timeline for portraits and transitions
Consider an engagement session to build comfort and connection
Ask questions and communicate clearly about your principles
Let go of the small things on the day of and focus on enjoying the people around you

Albums and Printed Work

Your wedding images are meant to be seen and shared. We offer custom-designed wedding albums, framed prints, and wall art options that turn your photos into something you can enjoy every day. Albums are printed using archival materials and are available in a range of sizes and cover options.

We guide you through the design process and help select the best images to tell your story. Once approved, the album is professionally bound and delivered to your home. We also offer gift albums for parents and additional copies for family members.

We are honored to participate in every wedding we photograph and treat both the day and the people involved with the highest respect. Most of all, weddings are days filled with beauty and magic that emerges effortlessly. Our job is to capture that magic most authentically - unobtrusively, honestly, and joyfully! I am a hopeless romantic, by the way! We photograph weddings, micro weddings, petite and tiny weddings, elopements, engagements, proposals, and celebrations in Northern California, Carmel, Napa, San Francisco, Sonoma, and Tahoe. Still, we are available for destination weddings worldwide. We love to photograph in new cities and venues; if you are looking for a wedding photographer, we would love to be considered for your wedding day.

We are “people” photographers specializing in weddings.

Our approach to a wedding day allows us to create the perfect balance of images, capturing the day you have dreamed about for years and ensuring your wedding vision becomes a reality. During the wedding day, the photography emphasis changes from ‘creating moments’ to ‘capturing events’ and back again. Our style is best described as “all of the above”…. During the getting ready portion of the wedding day; we are documentary photographers; contemporary for details; timeless during family groups; fashion during portraits and romantics and photojournalist for the ceremony. When shooting, we will encounter every type of light, from incandescent, to natural to created light. The goal is a perfect balance.

Ready to Talk?

We offer consultations by phone, Zoom, or in-person at our Sonoma office or Vacaville studio. Whether you're just starting to plan or ready to book, we're happy to answer your questions and guide you through our process.