A VCSEL illuminator package comprising: one or more VCSELs (100, 200, 301, 310, 400, 500, 501, 600, 601) in a substrate (102, 115, 202, 302, 502, 602), the one or more VCSELs (100, 200, 301, 310, 400, 500, 501, 600, 601) operable to generate a VCSEL output radiation beam (109, 209, 409, 509, 609, 709, 809, 909, 1009); an encapsulant (221, 321, 421, 521, 621, 722, 822, 922, 1022) that completely encapsulates an output radiation beam emitting region of the one or more VCSELs (100, 200, 301, 310, 400, 500, 501, 600, 601); an optical structure (223, 323, 423, 660, 663, 771, 772, 883, 994, 1093, 1098) integrated in the encapsulant (221, 321, 421, 521, 621, 722, 822, 922, 1022), the optical structure (223, 323, 423, 660, 663, 771, 772, 883, 994, 1093, 1098) being disposed in a path of the VCSEL output radiation beam (109, 209, 409, 509, 609, 709, 809, 909, 1009) and operable to change at least one of a propagation characteristic or intensity distribution of the VCSEL output radiation beam (224, 324, 424, 553, 557, 661, 665, 724, 824, 924, 1096) exiting the encapsulant (221, 321, 421, 521, 621, 722, 822, 922, 1022), and further comprising an optical reflector (551, 555, 651, 663) at a surface of the encapsulant (221, 321, 421, 521, 621, 722, 822, 922, 1022), the optical reflector (551, 555, 651, 663) operable to re-direct the VCSEL output radiation beam (109, 209, 409, 509, 609, 709, 809, 909, 1009) generated by the one or more VCSELs (100, 200, 301, 310, 400, 500, 501, 600, 601) in a different direction within the encapsulant (221, 321, 421, 521, 621, 722, 822, 922, 1022) toward the optical structure (223, 323, 423, 660, 663, 771, 772, 883, 994, 1093, 1098) or the optical structure and the optical reflector form a combined optical component operable to re-direct the VCSEL output radiation beam (109, 209, 409, 509, 609, 709, 809, 909, 1009) generated by the one or more VCSELs (100, 200, 301, 310, 400, 500, 501, 600, 601) in a different direction within the encapsulant (221, 321, 421, 521, 621, 722, 822, 922, 1022), and wherein the optical reflector (551, 555, 651, 663) includes a curved reflecting surface of the encapsulant (221, 321, 421, 521, 621, 722, 822, 922, 1022) that is configured to modify a divergence of the VCSEL output radiation beam (224, 324, 424, 553, 557, 661, 665, 724, 824, 924, 1096). one or more VCSELs (100, 200, 301, 310, 400, 500, 501, 600, 601) in a substrate (102, 115, 202, 302, 502, 602), the one or more VCSELs (100, 200, 301, 310, 400, 500, 501, 600, 601) operable to generate a VCSEL output radiation beam (109, 209, 409, 509, 609, 709, 809, 909, 1009); an encapsulant (221, 321, 421, 521, 621, 722, 822, 922, 1022) that completely encapsulates an output radiation beam emitting region of the one or more VCSELs (100, 200, 301, 310, 400, 500, 501, 600, 601); an optical structure (223, 323, 423, 660, 663, 771, 772, 883, 994, 1093, 1098) integrated in the encapsulant (221, 321, 421, 521, 621, 722, 822, 922, 1022), the optical structure (223, 323, 423, 660, 663, 771, 772, 883, 994, 1093, 1098) being disposed in a path of the VCSEL output radiation beam (109, 209, 409, 509, 609, 709, 809, 909, 1009) and operable to change at least one of a propagation characteristic or intensity distribution of the VCSEL output radiation beam (224, 324, 424, 553, 557, 661, 665, 724, 824, 924, 1096) exiting the encapsulant (221, 321, 421, 521, 621, 722, 822, 922, 1022), and further comprising an optical reflector (551, 555, 651, 663) at a surface of the encapsulant (221, 321, 421, 521, 621, 722, 822, 922, 1022), the optical reflector (551, 555, 651, 663) operable to re-direct the VCSEL output radiation beam (109, 209, 409, 509, 609, 709, 809, 909, 1009) generated by the one or more VCSELs (100, 200, 301, 310, 400, 500, 501, 600, 601) in a different direction within the encapsulant (221, 321, 421, 521, 621, 722, 822, 922, 1022) toward the optical structure (223, 323, 423, 660, 663, 771, 772, 883, 994, 1093, 1098) or the optical structure and the optical reflector form a combined optical component operable to re-direct the VCSEL output radiation beam (109, 209, 409, 509, 609, 709, 809, 909, 1009) generated by the one or more VCSELs (100, 200, 301, 310, 400, 500, 501, 600, 601) in a different direction within the encapsulant (221, 321, 421, 521, 621, 722, 822, 922, 1022), and wherein the optical reflector (551, 555, 651, 663) includes a curved reflecting surface of the encapsulant (221, 321, 421, 521, 621, 722, 822, 922, 1022) that is configured to modify a divergence of the VCSEL output radiation beam (224, 324, 424, 553, 557, 661, 665, 724, 824, 924, 1096).