Julia Lillian Photography

Capturing Moments Not Poses

Traveling worldwide. Based in Durham, NC

Travel area: No travel restrictions See details

5.0

Praised by couples for:

Photographer

Seasoned with weddings

Pristine quality

Julia did an outstanding job capturing the unique and special moments of our wedding day. I would absolutely recommend her if you are looking for a true professional, someone who has calm and positive energy and knows how to capture your "best day ever" in a way that's true to you as a couple and never feels cookie cutter or generic. When I look at our photos, I feel like I'm reliving all the priceless emotions of our wedding day, and we have Julia to thank for that. She collaborated seamlessly with our videographers, wedding planner and other vendors. Run, don't walk, to book Julia!!

Kelly C.

5.0

Picking Julia to photograph our 100 person wedding in the Shenandoah Woods was one of the best early decisions we made in our wedding planning process. Julia’s photos speak for themself. A few things that stood out working with her: 1 - she is an absolute joy to work with. Her personality is contagious and her attitude is always upbeat 2 - she’s always on the hunt for interesting angles. She found so many fun ways to capture our wedding, finding angles we would have never imagined. A true storyteller! 3 - she commands the room when needed. We had rain closing in on our family photo session after our ceremony. She quickly and professionally got us through all family photos just before it started raining 4 - she makes you feel comfortable. Nothing feels overly posed, and the few times she did put us in poses, it was super fun Don’t think twice about booking Julia - she’s the best!

Elizabeth H.

5.0

Julia Sherman

OWNER

*$300 off of 2025 weddings!* Julia Lillian Photography is a wedding photography business situated in Durham, NC. Owner and lead photographer Julia possesses an upbeat energy which allows her to encapsulate the love and emotion of every special event. Her open and friendly personality combines with her adventurous spirit enabling her to capture moments in an authentic light. Julia feels complete when she is outside with a camera in her hands. She finds joy in photographing beautiful moments and she is honored to be able to call her passion her career. Her genuine and natural approach to documenting these moments is complimented by the authenticity of her clients’ happiness. Julia Lillian Photography offers a myriad of wedding packages to suit multiple styles and budget requirements. Julia believes it is important to get to know her clients which is why most of her packages include an engagement photo session. She maintains an open line of communication throughout the entire planning process and is excited to work with you on your special day.

LGBTQ+-owned and Woman-owned Business

2+ years in business

Speaks English

Just me

Details

Destination Weddings

Destination Wedding Packages

Photo Shoot Types

Bridal Portraits

Day After Session

Engagement

Photo & Video

Digital Files

Photo

Second Shooter Available

Photo & Video Styles

Documentary

Lifestyle

Wedding Activities

Getting Engaged

Rehearsals & Parties

After Party

Wedding

After Party

Any questions?

5.0

out of 5.0

21 reviews

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Review Summary

This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.

Reviewers rave that Julia is an exceptional, professional photographer whose warm, calming energy puts couples at ease. She’s organized, collaborates smoothly with vendors, helps plan timelines and scouts locations, and adapts well when plans change. Her candid, storytelling images are beautifully edited and capture authentic emotion. Highly recommended.

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David S

Highlighted review.

7/30/2025

5 Stars – Couldn’t Imagine a Better Elopement Photographer I found Julia Lillian Photography while scrolling through elopement photos on Pinterest, and her soft, candid, storytelli...

ng style immediately drew me in. There was something about the way she captured emotion—natural, intimate, a little adventurous—that made me feel like she was the perfect fit for us. And she truly was. From our very first video call, Julia was incredibly communicative and thoughtful. She helped us plan out every detail, from the timeline to suggesting Airbnbs and beautiful locations for the ceremony. What really stood out was that she came into town days early to scout trails and locations in person, so we’d know exactly what to expect. She even did some of the hikes we had planned, which was such a testament to how dedicated she is. On the day of our elopement, Julia was a calm, grounding presence. Even when we ran into two other elopement couples at our vow location and opted to change our plan and found a better location off the beaten path. She handled everything so smoothly and helped keep our day on track. I was a little anxious due to all the excitement going into the day, but she helped ease that completely. She captured so many special, fleeting moments—my absolute favorite being right after our first kiss, when I was just overwhelmed with joy to be married to my husband. Looking through our gallery, I was amazed by how natural and unposed the photos felt—exactly what I had hoped for. And when I asked if I could have just one photo to send to my mom that night, Julia sent me seven beautifully edited shots within an hour. If you’re looking for someone who goes above and beyond to make your day stress-free, fun, and unforgettable—Julia is your person. I’d recommend her to anyone planning an elopement, no matter the location. She’s not just an amazing photographer, she’s a truly supportive and kind presence to have by your side on one of the most meaningful days of your life.

Kelly C

9/23/2026

Julia did an outstanding job capturing the unique and special moments of our wedding day. I would absolutely recommend her if you are looking for a true professional, someone who h...

as calm and positive energy and knows how to capture your "best day ever" in a way that's true to you as a couple and never feels cookie cutter or generic. When I look at our photos, I feel like I'm reliving all the priceless emotions of our wedding day, and we have Julia to thank for that. She collaborated seamlessly with our videographers, wedding planner and other vendors. Run, don't walk, to book Julia!!

Any questions?

Elizabeth H

9/02/2026

Picking Julia to photograph our 100 person wedding in the Shenandoah Woods was one of the best early decisions we made in our wedding planning process. Julia’s photos speak for th...

emself. A few things that stood out working with her: 1 - she is an absolute joy to work with. Her personality is contagious and her attitude is always upbeat 2 - she’s always on the hunt for interesting angles. She found so many fun ways to capture our wedding, finding angles we would have never imagined. A true storyteller! 3 - she commands the room when needed. We had rain closing in on our family photo session after our ceremony. She quickly and professionally got us through all family photos just before it started raining 4 - she makes you feel comfortable. Nothing feels overly posed, and the few times she did put us in poses, it was super fun Don’t think twice about booking Julia - she’s the best!

Madison C

7/03/2026

Julia was absolutely amazing on our wedding day! She did an incredible job standing up for me by making sure our timeline was followed, that the photos we wanted were taken, and by...

guiding people into the right positions for photos and politely helping others step out of the shot when needed. Her directional skills were phenomenal. Her style is exactly what we wanted, bringing warmth, love, and movement to all our photos. They perfectly capture the love story we wanted for our day. I would absolutely recommend her services if you are looking to revisit your wedding pictures and be flooded with the feelings of the day!

Natalie S

5/03/2026

Julia was truly everything we could have hoped for in a photographer and more. As two brides, it meant so much to us to feel completely comfortable, safe, and fully ourselves throu...

ghout the entire process—and Julia made that effortless. She has such a warm, kind energy and a great sense of humor that immediately put us at ease, which made a huge difference in front of the camera. Not only was she incredible to work with, but her talent absolutely blew us away. Our photos are beyond what we ever expected—genuinely elite. She captured every moment so beautifully and authentically, and we’ll cherish these memories forever because of her. If you’re looking for someone who is not only insanely talented but also makes you feel seen, supported, and comfortable, Julia is it. She also worked extremely well with our doggies!

Phillip A

1/03/2026

My wife and I loved our photos from our wedding and Julia was not only a pleasure to work with but she did an amazing job of adapting to the craziness of the day and capturing the ...

special moments and reactions of ourselves and our loved ones that we either didn’t see ourselves during the day or would want to remember for a lifetime. We would absolutely recommend hiring Julia to help you capture memories from your most special day!

Isabelle Z

6/21/2025

Julia is such an amazing photographer, and we highly recommend her! We planned a small ceremony at my husbands’ family home, and she captured the day beautifully. Leading up to the...

ceremony she was very organized and reassuring, asking all the right questions and helping us get more organized on our end. She is very professional but at the same time has a very relaxed and easy going presence. Her photographs are STUNNING! She captured us, our families, my husband’s home in a way that I didn’t think was possible. I’m so grateful that Julia was there to capture the day and provide us with beautiful photos we will have for a lifetime.

Olivia W

6/02/2025

I can’t even begin to describe how amazing Julia is. She is so incredible at what she does. We knew we wanted to get married in WNC but didn’t really have much direction outside of...

that. Julia gave us suggestions and helped us find the perfect spot and curate the perfect itinerary for our day. She was so much more than a photographer for us and was everything we needed. Her passion shines through her work. She is incredibly personable and adaptable and fit into our small party of 11 perfectly. Seriously, you can’t find a better photographer to give you that perfect experience.

Lucy M

4/26/2025

I cannot recommend Julia highly enough! Throughout the whole process I felt like we were in good hands. She initially stood out to me because I loved her style, but during the plan...

ning stages she was so thoughtful about making sure she knew exactly what I wanted, so that our goals and expectations would be aligned. My husband and I are both pretty uncomfortable in front of the camera, but Julia made us both feel so at ease, and was overall such a positive presence at our wedding! To top everything off, I absolutely love the photos we've received. They are exactly what I was hoping for when looking for a wedding photographer - genuine, intimate snapshots of all of the moments I want to remember from our special day.

Brittany W

3/28/2025

Julia was a DREAM. A million out of million recommend. She made the process leading up to the wedding so organized, thoughtful, personal and easy. I felt like all I had to do was s...

how up and be present. She made us feel like we could just be ourselves and she would capture the life being lived and the moments. You can see and feel our joy and our love in the photos. They are incredibly beautiful, alive, artistic and very "us." We absolutely adore her as a person and an artist. One little example of who she is...I lost the back of my earring from my great grandfather. Without missing a beat, she got down on her hands and knees in the dirt looking for it. Then, she took her own earring off and handed the back to me. We came away from the experience just wanting to hang out with this fun and lovely person. Thank you, Julia for making us feel comfortable in our own skin and making our day so magical.

Brown

3/28/2025

Julia exceeded all of my expectations going into this wedding. She was flexible and fun and willing to experiment on the fly. I never felt like she was pushing her vision on us, bu...

t allowing us to work with her on what was going to be the final product. What an absolute dream.

Kimberly G

6/10/2024

Stop looking and hire, Julia! I originally found recommendations for her on Reddit! Since then we have hired her three different times for engagement photos, wedding photos and t...

hen my friend and I both hired her for boudoir. We have had the best experience everytime. Needless to say we are now very well acquainted with Julia and her incredible talent. She's kind, professional, encouraging and very easy to feel comfortable around. My husband is a photography enthusiast and was blown away by all of our photos. Truly her work speaks for itself. Our wedding wouldn't have been what it was without Julia. She helped us with our timeline, and even had great recommendations for other vendors. During our wedding reception Julia got so many wonderful photos and was incognito lol I knew she was there but she's very good at blending in. Like I said stop looking and hire her for your photography needs. Our family will continue to hire Julia.

Emily S

1/14/2024

Julia made our wedding day easy and professionally organized. Even living outside NC, Julia made the time to meet with us over zoom a few times to make sure she knew everything we ...

needed and wanted. She was able to give us additional recommendations on vendors as she has been in the wedding industry a long time. Julia even assisted us on a timeline for our wedding day. Julia had a way of capturing all our beautiful and intimate moments throughout the wedding without me even realizing she was doing it. I look at our photos with happy tears at how she was able to capture such quick moments that held so much emotion. The photos are all well edited and easy to share/download with others. If you are looking for completely special photos that aren’t stiff and cookie-cutter, Julia is a totally perfect fit. She really takes the time to get to know a couple and understand what they wanted to see portrayed in their photos. She was incredibly easy to communicate with and made me, my husband, our parties, family, and guests all feel comfortable. I wish I could have another wedding just to hire her again!

Adeline D

3/08/2023

Julia is incredibly talented and made everything feel just right. To be clear, my partner and I both feel wildly uncomfortable in front of a camera. However, Julia took ownership o...

f the environment and seamlessly directed our anxious energy into graceful, natural poses. She met us exactly where we were to build our confidence, such that she could then successfully blend into the background to capture my partner and I sharing quiet, tender moments. The photos take me back to the emotions I was experiencing the very moment they were captured. Further - and I know it sounds cheesy - the pictures immediately make me swell with pride for the person that is my life partner. Such a stud!!

Zane E

11/26/2022

I cannot recommend Julia enough! If you are looking for a creative, down to earth, and personable artist to capture your special day please book her! Julia made us comfortable from...

the first meeting. My husband does not like having his photo taken, but she put his nerves at ease and captured some of the most beautiful and raw photos of us we have ever had. The day of I woke up to a goofy yet empowering text from Julia expressing how excited she was to capture that day. She showed up to our getting ready spot and my nerves immediately went to ease. She just has a way with her clients that makes you feel as if everything that day is going to be ok. She came prepared with anything a bride could need: water, snacks, hair pins, and for my glasses wearing brides you will appreciate that she even had a cleaning cloth which was a life saver when combating my false eyelash smudges! She led our very large family and wedding party super efficiently. And when I say large I mean large! My husband and I just were able to relax and chitchat in between photos. She gave us all of the shots we were hoping for and more. We have had so many photo watching parties just the two of us and every time we cry because her work put us back to the exact moment it was taken. She captures the raw emotion and immense love in her work. We left our wedding perfectly at ease because of her and gained someone we hope to work with for the rest of our lives!

Laura C

8/11/2022

Julia was the best wedding photographer my husband and I could have hoped for! Upon meeting her for the initial consult, we felt immediately at ease. She was super organized throug...

hout the process leading up to the day, and a god send on the wedding day. She kept us on task while also allowing us to have so much fun. She did a great job of guiding us into poses that felt natural and captured our personalities. We're in love with the photos and so happy to have a new friend as well. Thank you Julia!!

Greyson a

3/06/2022

Julia is an absolutely incredible photographer. She photographed our engagement shoot and wedding and we could not be happier with the finished products. She has an extraordinary...

talent for not only taking beautiful, authentic photographs, but also for making you feel at ease while you're in the moment. We could not have asked for a better experience and highly recommend Julia to anyone looking for incredible photographs and an experienced guide to lead you through the process.

Amanda D

11/24/2021

Julia is a QUEEN! She was so supportive throughout the whole process, from the early stages of planning to the last few hours of our wedding day. She made us feel so comfortable in...

front of the camera and captured so many special moments. She has such an authentic approach that is so beautifully presented in her work. 11/10 highly recommend!

Danielle B

3/17/2021

We are so incredibly thankful we hired Julia to take pictures for our wedding! Julia was so communicative, putting a lot of stress of wedding planning at ease. She is super talente...

d, capturing the moments of our wedding beautifully. She truly made getting your picture taken comfortable, easy and fun. I am in awe of the way she was able to capture moments and lighting. You will not regret using her to photograph your special day.

Danielle M

9/02/2020

Even in a pandemic, Julia delivered quality, fun beautiful pictures! Julia is such a fun and sweet human to work with! For both our wedding and engagement photos, she made the aw...

kwardness go away with her goofiness and laughs, encouraging us to just be us even though a camera was pointed at our every move. She was immensely helpful the day of the wedding, working with our officiant to keep things rolling on time. She also commited to coming check out the venue prior to the wedding, the rehearsal, and of course the wedding, so she was part of the entire planning process and knew exactly what was going on to capture all the moments. My husband is not photogenic and not big into pictures, so to ease his anxiety she had a very short planned/succinct list of shots she wanted to capture with him and his friends so she knew exactly what to get done with them as quickly as possible as well as prepare them for what was coming, all to ease anxiety, which he appreciated. Julia's personality really made having pictures taken fun and her enthusiasm made you really happy to have chosen her to capture your special day!

Tia N

8/21/2020

Julia is very friendly and helpful. She took photos of my fiance and I at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, IL during the pandemic. She was great about keeping her mask on at all ti...

mes and keeping her distance while taking great photos. Since we just did a photoshoot and not a wedding ceremony or reception, it was a great deal (financially), and she followed through on her offer (both timeline and results). We ended up with nicely edited photos, and even when we asked about unedited photos, she provided them to us! I would definitely recommend her! If I hadn't already paid off my photographer for my non-refundable postponed wedding, I would have hired her again!

Service area & Contact info

Travel area: No travel restrictions

Additional charges may apply

(815) 403-7322

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Julia Lillian Photography

Julia Sherman

Owner

Julia Lillian Photography's photos

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Julia Lillian Photography

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Service area & Contact info

Wedding vendors in Durham

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