Lauren Pelesky

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Chicago, IL
Lauren Pelesky

Los Angeles based Photographer

04/20/2026

Sweet moments from Heather’s bridal shower 🌷

04/16/2026

27 moments from year 27

04/13/2026

I’ve been keeping this very special wedding close to my heart for a while but I think it’s time to share.

I still remember the moment when Rachel and Rachel called to tell me that they wanted me to be photograph their wedding. I was in a hotel room, I took the call, I screamed, I looked at Jake and I said I can’t believe it.

Rachel Gray has been what I would call a mentor and a guiding light in my photography career so to say I was honored is a huge understatement.

At Rachel‘s wedding, I was surrounded by incredible photographers left and right. and others who came up to me saying they couldn’t wait to meet who Rachel chose as her wedding photographer. (Just a bit of pressure! lol) And yet no pressure at all as Rachel told me so many times throughout the day she had full trust in me.

Weddings, while a major celebration, are also, quite often, a reminder of those who we’ve lost. Rachel & Rachel kept those loved ones at the forefront of the day and honored them in numerous, beautiful ways. I’ve never seen so many tears shed matched by a rebound of so much joy all at once. To see the outpouring of music, words, and love that their guests brought to honor these loved ones alongside them was a sign of the remarkable community they built.

To this day, once a week someone will gush to me over how much they loved Rachel and Rachel‘s engagement session. And I agree! Because they are full of so much love and light that you can just feel it in the photos. This day was that times a thousand. To be able to photograph their wedding was the honor of a lifetime.

Thank you to everyone who helped put this day together:

Vendors:
Photography:
Second photographer:
Video:
Hair & makeup:
Planner: BN Events
Catering:
Rentals: Malibu party rentals
Musicians:
DJ:
Afterparty DJ: .mage
Taco Truck:

04/07/2026

From the 2024 archives

I’ve always loved how the simplicity of this scene complemented Brittany’s elegance

04/04/2026

from the drafts. photos I love that scream whimsical Italian romance.

03/19/2026

Some of my favorite destination and hospitality shots from our stay at in O’ahu.

Shot on a mix of 35mm film & digital, of course.

Hawaii is such a special place that has been on the bucket list since I was 17, telling my guidance counselor that I wasn’t sure about college and that I wanted to figure out how to travel for a living. I’ll never forget her look of horror.

So grateful that my journey, however circuitous, brought me to this incredible place. (Word choice brought to you by my bachelor’s degree).

Thank you for this unforgettable experience

03/15/2026

Part 2 of Ken & Trish’s day on film & digital 🎞️
 Second shot for

I’ve tried but cannot even put into words how wildly fun this day was. 10/10 great energy and such a beautiful display of culture. Capturing a Chinese lion dance on film immediately became one of my favorite wedding memories.

03/13/2026

A mix of 35mm & digital images from the first half of Ken & Trish’s wedding day.

Thank you for bringing me along to second shoot this unforgettable day!!

03/11/2026

My sweet friends on a windy night in Malibu

Too excited to wait for the film photos to come back so here are the digital!

02/20/2026

Photos that melt my heart.

I had the greatest pleasure of photographing Taniya’s family a second time, with the new addition of this little track star from slide 1. (It was very humbling to learn that I could be outrun by a baby).

It’s such a joy of this job to watch beautiful families like this continue to grow and add new, very squishy faces to the mix.

02/18/2026

Some digital & film frames from Rachel & Rachel’s pre-wedding festivities, Shabbat on the beach with family & friends. A night so special they said that if this was the entire wedding celebration they would’ve been content.

Even so, I’m incredibly grateful they did have a wedding because the photos are some of my absolute favorites. (Coming soon to the feed. And maybe as art in my house. You never know!)

12/13/2025

Alright guys don’t judge … I think I’m a full 2 years behind on sharing wedding galleries. So thank you to all my couples who keep hiring me even though I’m awful at sharing my work! (I appreciate you guys).

Part of why I’m so slow at sharing work is that I take so much pride in perfecting everything, even instagram posts (to my demise). Instagram ends up on the back burner from time to time.

So here is me trying to share more work that speaks to me and not overthinking it. Today at least. I’ll go back to being a perfectionist tomorrow.

I just sent over some sneak peeks from Helen & José’s Riviera Maya wedding and these images really spoke to me so here they are!

1. José, at the rehearsal dinner, holding his grandmother’s hand. This was their first time together in 10 years and they shared many sweet moments over the weekend but this unplanned, unposed moment is my favorite.

2. Helen getting ready. The three generations of women coming together for Helen in this moment.

3. Helen’s girls crying and bear hugging her post-ceremony.

4. The energy coming into the reception!!!! José high fiving his sister, Ivette.

5. Helen dedicating her bouquet to her sweet mom, Jody.

My first wedding abroad, hopefully not my last. Thank you Helen & José for trusting me with this. So grateful.

Address

Chicago, IL

Website

http://laurenpelesky.com/

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