meet jess
my mission
I'm here to help you FOREVER REMEMBER your best days.
I'm a big fan of weddings, but an even bigger fan of marriage. You are in the middle of planning an incredible, joy-packed, emotion-filled, once in a lifetime day, surrounded by your closest friends & family. But what you're really getting ready for is the adventure of the lifetime with your best friend. This is the beginning of a NEW and extremely beautiful season of your life & I couldn't be more thrilled for you!
I'm here to help you FOREVER REMEMBER your best days.
Hey friend!
I'm Jessica Lauren.
Full-time business owner, big fan of hope + Jesus, & documenting this gift of a life we've been given!!
This year marks 10 years (I truly don’t understand how?!) that I’ve had the incredible joy of documenting countless weddings, engagements, first time parents, growing families & so much more. It’s a treasure & responsibility I don’t take lightly.
A bit about me? I’m a twenty something living in the heart of St. Louis with my best friend and husband, Ryan. We always joke that anytime we need to make adult decisions, we just buy cheap plane tickets instead. It might be a bad habit, but I don't think we'll ever regret it! We truly love to explore this beautiful world and always have a new trip on the docket. In our everyday, you can catch us eating our way through St. Louis (yes and amen to our local restaurants), trying new recipes at home (do you sense a theme yet?!) & doing our best to love each other and our people well. If I had to dream up the perfect Saturday morning, it would start with a cup of chemex coffee and for sure include a trip to the antique & thrift store. I love making our house a home and finding pockets of time to have slow moments in the midst of our crazy, sweet life! In my busy season, catch me at Forest Park on the weeknights and celebrating the heck out of my precious couples on the weekends!!
The Best part of my job? that my "clients" become dear friends & I have the joy of walking alongside their incredibly special life moments .
QUICK FACTS
10 years of business
hundreds of weddings photographed
started my business IN HIGH SCHOOL
enneagram 3 & entj if you're into that
huge heart for prison ministry
childhood dream job was to be a chef
obsessed with sunset photos
experiences over things *every* time
10 years of business
hundreds of wedding days photographed
started my business IN HIGH SCHOOL
enneagram 3 & entj if you're into that ;)
huge heart for prison+recovery ministry
childhood dream job was to be a chef
obsessed with sunset photos
experiences over things *every* time
Wedding Photos courtesy of Courtney Smith Photography
It's wildly important to me that my couples look back at their wedding experience with such joy-filled and fond memories. I'm a big believer that your wedding photography experience should be fun - filled with laughter & emotion, and a genuine reflection of you two as a couple. As your photographer, my goal is to make that a reality - so here's a peek at what we'll be up to!
THE EXPERIENCE
LET'S TALK ABOUT FAVES
the mountains
I have nothing against the beach, but man if I had to pick - I'm a mountain girl through and through!! There's something about their majesty that gets me.
Decorating our home
FB marketplace and I are besties when it comes to home decor! I love creating cozy & welcoming spaces + having friends/family in our home!!
ALL THE FOOD
Making food is one of my favorite things to do, but I also love going out with my husband for an incredible meal. STL has such a great food scene - our list of favorite spots is long!! Ask me my faves sometime!!
THE FAM!
Good grief, I love these humans!! Some of my favorite moments in life are when the fam is all together and we're cracking jokes and talking non-stop around the dinner table.
madewell Obsessed
I try not to get sucked into the sale emails *too often*, but if I could outfit my whole wardrobe from Madewell, I sure as heck would!!
Meet the BEST associate photographers (ever!) - Andrea & Adara!
I realized the *worst* emails to write were when I had to tell the sweetest couples that I couldn't be a part of their day because I was already booked.
AKA, these two are the best news ever!! Andrea and Adara add so much life and JOY to the JLP experience!! If I'm not available for your day but you still want to be a part of the Jessica Lauren experience, Andrea and Adara are here bring that to your wedding day!! You will receive the FULL experience when you book an associate with bridal guides, direction through every step, timeline assistance, & of course the signature JLP editing style!
