Denise Lillie O’Neal
Logistics Queen
Denise Lillie O’Neal is the Owner and Lead Event Stylist of Denise Lillie Engagements which she founded in 2008. She is a professional full-time planner with over 20 years of government, corporate and wedding planning experience.
The oldest of five children, Denise grew up in the Midwest where she studied Philosophy and Political Science at Michigan State University. Her event planning career began with campaign work and political organizing. She went on to work for the United States Senator Carl Levin for seven years as a Community Affairs Specialist, where she was able to truly hone her diplomatic, logistic and production skills. Working in politics gave Denise the opportunity to impact people’s lives in a meaningful personal way yet, she still craved a more creative outlet and sought out opportunities in the Wedding Industry- and fell in love with it!
Denise is a very passionate, joy driven Type A person and loves others who are too! She is known as the Queen of Logistics and lives to write epic timelines! She has been named one of the Best Wedding Planners in America by Brides Magazine. She is also listed as a Social Justice Advocate by The Knot, and Top Black Owned Wedding Professionals to follow by both Brides and Grace Ormonde. Denise’s loves include the color purple, a decadent cheese platter, wine, 80’s music, and the Marvel Universe- so much so she recently designed a Black Panther Styled Shoot that was published on PopSugar!
Our Team
Jacquie
Planning Princess
Jacquie is one of our planning leads. She comes from a long background in the hospitality industry, and brings amazing customer service and design experience, as well as an incredible work ethic, to the team. In 2020, Jacquie founded her own floral business, Just a Girl and Her Flowers, based in Southern California. Jacquie enjoys spending time with her husband, Gary, and their two adorable cats. In their (limited!) spare time, Jacquie and Gary love to travel, are avid foodies and adore trying new restaurants, and spend time with their family and friends.
Eural
Earl of Operations Manager
With 20 years of corporate management experience, Eural operates on our administrative side. He provides logistical support, does incredible work consulting with our clients, and values the advancement of DLE as a business. He’s the support on the east coast, a graduate of Michigan State University and is our Detroit personnel.
Justina
Planning Princess and Balloon Baroness
As a lead planner for Denise Lillie Engagements, Justina serves as one of our Day-of Coordinators who can take clients on her own. Justina developed a passion to plan events very early on and started with fundraisers and events for family and friends. She had the opportunity at Oakland High in Northern California, to organize homecoming, winter balls, prom and senior ball as Class President. It was the enthusiastic reaction from the guests of such events that piloted her to move forward into event planning. She worked to perfect an eye for detail, and cultivated her social engineering skills to work flawlessly with both clients and wedding professionals of different cultures and other diverse backgrounds.
Justina moved home to the Bay Area and launched JL Events in 2014. Today, she plans and executes weddings, birthday parties, showers. Justina also is a talented balloon artist. Here at Denise Lillie Engagements, she is our exclusive partner for lavish Balloon installations.
Lorri
Planning Princess
Lorri is a DLE planning princess on the east coast. She is a 25 year Wedding Expert in the metropolitan Detroit area serving couples throughout the state of Michigan, affectionately known as The DirectHer.
Lorri’s been a featured writer in the Bridal section of the Jewish News, the yearly editions of Detroit Wedding Day magazine, Munaluchi Bride, and The Michigan Chronicle. She was featured as one of the Top 10 Successful Women Entrepreneurs of Color by Fundera, Inc. and is a founding member of The National Society of Black Event and Wedding Professionals. She’s also a proud mother, podcast host, soror. Lorri self-published the 7 Must Do’s Before I Do: Making Wedding Planning Memorable and Easy in 2020, and is planning to release a 2nd edition in December, 2023.
Rocio
Planning Princess
Rocio is our planning lead in Mexico. She was born and educated in Nayarit, Mexico.
With more than 9 years of experience in the wedding and event industry, what drives her to create a beautiful event is the joy of her clients during their special day. Rocio’s goal is to focus on listening to the client’s needs and wants. This is YOUR special day, she says, and she wants to make it everything you desire.
Kemari
Royal Footman
Choreographer and creative director out of Oakland, California Kemari is a jack-of-all-trades. From hosting birthday dance parties to working with some of the Bay Area’s best known artists around the world. When he’s not dancing, he’s making his delicious Street Remy Lemonade touching hearts through a jar. With his thoughtful attention to aesthetic detail we are overjoyed he has officially joined our team! Since 2018 he’s brought joy and creativity to Denise Lillie Engagements and knows exactly how to please our discerning clients to support their special day. Kemari is an amazing addition to our team and you’ll recognize him as our forever Black Panther in our photoshoot featured in PopSugar.