& a place for kind words
client Testimonials
"Where to begin!?
Marilia Lima was hands down the best photographer we could have ever asked for.
1. The Quality of the Photos: Normally, when you look at wedding photos, there are many that are good, and a few that are exceptional.
With Marilia, each picture is a masterpiece. I was the kind of bride that wanted just a few “staged” pictures, and the rest purely candid.
I wanted the pictures to tell the story of the day. If you are of the same mindset then Marilia Lima is your lady. Marilia makes her photographs tailored made to the individuals involved. She engages with them, empathizes with them, and gets to know them on a deeper level. Because of this, her photos are very personal, practically an expression of the subjects in art form.
Each pictured appeared to us a masterpiece, because it was very US.
2. Her Presence: Marilia adds to the wedding in a powerful way..
From the start of the day she was ready to work but also completely relaxed and never stress inducing.
We were very nervous about the fact that it was raining on our wedding day, but some of our favorite photos came from our Plan B - going to a nearby coffee shop that we liked rather than the park as we had planned.
She said, bring it on, this is going to be great. And assured us that everything was going to be fine - and it was.
Weddings can tend to go by super fast, but Marilia helped us take our time and savor every moment. Never in our face or pulling us away from the party to “take another photo.” That being said she has such a knack to be in the right place at the right time. As one guest remarked, “Whenever I’d spot a perfect moment, Marilia was already there.” Tom and I felt so calm because she was so confident in her own work. We had trust that she would deliver, and that gave us a lot of peace.
She's also so fun to be around!
Guests enjoyed talking to her. She adds to the party. She funks it up. Adds a nice flavor.
I really appreciated that she dressed nice, not in all black, but actually in a killer outfit that announced to all, ‘hey, I’m the photographer, but also, this is a special occasion.’
I have recommended her to EVERYONE I know who is getting married and have also talked to many people who have hired her. They all have glowing reviews."
Maggie & Tom Keef /
JUNE 23, 2018
"Oh my, where do I begin. Marilia is such a beautiful soul. And because of that, her work is too. I flew out Marilia all the way to MICHIGAN because of two things: her GORGEOUS captures, and her kind and welcoming response to my initial email asking her about her prices-even though I emailed her only 3 months before my wedding. It was such a last minute booking and she made things so smooth for me and my husband. Marilia is someone who seeks new people and connections. Her interest in shooting my wedding was so flattering and exciting I couldn't resist! She was very easy to communicate with, gave me so much information beforehand on what to expect, we had a long phone call meeting to make sure everything was set and we got to know each other that way as well! It was like I knew her for so long.
When my wedding day came along, Marilia was so relaxed, and flexible with all the changes of that day. She made sure our families knew who she was, she was friendly, professional and personable. It was so nice to see her genuinely wanting to know everyone - my grandma LOVED her (and she doesn't even speak English)!!! Marilia worked so hard all day, ensuring she was capturing everything she could. I appreciated that she snuck us out of our reception while the sun was setting and got some golden hour shots in - they ended being my favorite ones.
The photos turned out incredible. She paid so much attention to detail and capturing so much culture that our wedding was filled with. It was a very busy time for her, so we did not get our photos very quick, but we understood 100% due to her busy summer travels right before our wedding. She sent us a few sneak peaks of course!! The final photos came in a beautiful wooden box with our names on it and a monogramed USB and some prints as well. It was so unexpected and so professional.
I would recommend Marilia to shoot your wedding 100%. She tells a story with her photos, and makes you feel comfortable and confident. That is what you should seek when searching for a photographer!"
Zaina & Hussein /
September 23, 2018
"I first saw Marilia’s work through a colleague. After seeing just a few photos I immediately knew that she was the photographer that I wanted to shoot my wedding. Her personal style and exquisite eye for capturing the most perfect moments is unlike any other photographer I know of. To me, her work is magazine-worthy.
Fast forward to the day of my wedding- the entire experience was easy, relaxing and fun- just what I needed. I have always had a fear of the camera but Marilia did an amazing job putting me at ease and her laid back presence made the whole day very calming. Aside from her comforting ways, she has an exceptional eye for candid shots that capture all the precious moments. I would absolutely recommend her to anyone that is looking for a professional photographer; she is truly one of a kind."
Carolyn & Ronnie Ward /
August 23, 2019
I got a little emotional writing it I’m not gonna lie, it meant so much that you were able to take photos of our wedding!
Drew and I were heartbroken when we had to cancel our wedding reception due to Covid. The one thing we knew though was that we still wanted to get married. We had our “make shift” wedding outside with just two other people along with Marilia. She was so flexible with the change of plans and supportive of our decisions. Marilia made our day so special by capturing so many beautiful moments. She has such a calming presence and that is exactly what we needed! I have always felt awkward being photographed, but Marilia made it so easy! Looking at our wedding photos it is clear how calm, relaxed, and happy we both are.
The quality of Marilia’s photos is unmatched. Each photo tells a story and shares a moment. You can tell that she is not only incredibly skilled, but also that she puts her whole heart into her work. Nothing is rushed and she is so present as she is working. I have and will recommend Marilia to anyone looking for a photographer who will go far beyond your expectations!
Martha & Andrew /
June 13, 2019
"When I was deciding on a photographer for my wedding Marilia the only photographer I looked to. Her pictures are breathtaking and she captured moments of my wedding that I missed, like my dad wiping his tear during my first dance. These images will forever have a lasting impression on my heart. We did take the standard line up pictures (for a few short moments which was amazing) but it is the images I didn't plan and didn't see that will be up on my wall forever. She is warm and thoughtful, I feel so fortunate that she was part of my day."
Ashleigh & Chris /
JULY 8, 2018
"Working with Marilia was truly a pleasure. She has a way of bringing your vision to life while simultaneously elevating it. She has such a calm presence which truly allows for one to feel in total comfort. I was nervous to be in front of the camera but she was able to created such an intimate feel to the shoot that it allowed for my husband and I to be more natural in front of the camera. Marilia is truly an artist and has a keen eye for capturing the most beautiful moment."
Yasmin & Gui /
December 1, 2020
"I knew in the first minute of speaking with Marilia that she would be the perfect person to capture our day. I love the quality of her images, but importantly she immediately "got" the very casual and fun vibe we were hoping for at our outdoor in November, pizza truck and s'mores, farm wedding.
As someone who probably didn't have the most direction, I really appreciated that Marilia was relaxed while full of suggestions on what/where to shoot. Our photos are a lovely mix of candid and artful shots that made us look great and captured the beauty and warmth of our location. Our day was also pretty non-traditional, which didn't phase Marilia in the slightest.
An added bonus? Marilia and her partner absolutely blended with the look of our day. In fact, guests kept commenting to me that they loved our photographer's hat/coat/outfit! They clearly took our dress code of "farm fancy and hiker chic" and ran with it while making an impression with our friend set.
One other extra I appreciated was that Marilia sent along a few photos as a "sneak peek" while finalizing our photo site. Those images were great to use for thank you and holiday cards, and got us excited to see the rest of the images."
Erin & Keir /
november 6th, 2021
"Marilia - we have had such an unbelievable time looking at these over the past week! So many gorgeous shots, candid, posed, everything!! We are going to be reliving this weekend for the rest of our lives by looking at these photos. Thank you and Larissa so very much again for all of your efforts that day, and for all the hard work you clearly put into editing these. You have given us such a gift and we were lucky to have found you!!"
Lydia & Ari /
July 25th 2022
"Marilia is the absolute best, and we feel so lucky that we got to work with her to capture our wedding. From our first email exchange, we knew that she understood our vision and was just as invested in the project of capturing our 150 person wedding, including extremely large extended families and friends from literally all over the world. The photos are amazing. We look like ourselves, and you can feel the emotion of the day coming through the photographs authentically. We were planning our east-coast wedding from our home on the west coast, and communication and coordination with Marilia was so easy. Her documentary style was a perfect fit for our wedding-- she captured so, so many beautiful moments, with little to no direction from us. And her eye for detail is amazing. For example, my husband and my father both wore distinctive and complementary cuff links-- without any prompting, she managed a gorgeous shot of their shirtsleeves. We opted as well for a package that included a second shooter, her colleague, Larissa. They are a natural match for one another artistically and aesthetically, and we could not be more thrilled with the breadth of the coverage that we got. Marilia helped us to prioritize the wedding experience we wanted-- we really just wanted to bask in the joy and excitement of our friends and family-- while still capturing, in incredible detail, our once-in-a-lifetime event. We are over the moon happy with of photos, and will treasure them as a beautiful reminder of our day forever."
Miguel & Emma /
March 20th, 2023
"Marilia photographed my wedding in May of this year- my husband and I cannot recommend her enough! I am generally pretty uncomfortable getting my picture taken and I do not like being the center of attention. Needless to say, I was very nervous about wedding pictures. When looking for a photographer, Marilia was the first I reached out to as I loved the look and feel of their photos and had seen a number of reviews from folks mentioning how comfortable Marilia made them feel. That was exactly my husband and I's experience with Marilia and colleague at our wedding- they made Eric and I feel like we could be ourselves. They also caught so many amazing moments outside of the photos we requested- those photos are some of our favorites and are really special to us. Beyond feeling comfortable in the photos, the pictures also turned out beautiful- we have received so many compliments on the pictures and their quality. In addition to all of the above, Marilia is responsive, kind, flexible, and thorough. We couldn't have asked for more in a wedding photographer. Thank you, Marilia, for making our wedding day extra special!"
Katie & Eric /
july 1st, 2023
"Marilia was, without a doubt, the BEST decision we made throughout the entire wedding process!
I cannot say enough amazing things about Marilia. She UNDERSTOOD the assignment. She truly went above and beyond with all the details. Marilia captured our relationship in the most beautiful, romantic way. Not only is she an amazing photographer, she is also a kind and genuine person. Her talent and photos are absolutely STUNNING.
Our family and friends cannot stop raving about Marilia. She truly does capture the most precious moments and I am obsessed over the photos of my two dachshunds who were such an important part of our wedding day.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Marilia! You are incredible."
Dina & Jose /
