Vendors I Love: LAUREN SPINELLI PHOTO CO.
photo by Kamila Harris
I met Lauren a few years ago working on a wedding at 501 Union in Brooklyn. I loved the way she gives space to her couples. She stands back to see the larger picture so she can focus on the details. While she has an eye for joy and jubilant celebration, she also seeks out the quiet moments and captures them with a sense of poetry. I’m lucky that our paths crossed in the last few weeks, and we’re set to do another wedding together October. Without further ado, I’m proud to shine the spotlight on LAUREN SPINELLI!
What was the path that led you to become a photographer?
I actually grew up doing photography! I picked up my first camera at 13 and just never stopped. I went to community college where I started looking at wedding photographer websites and I was like, "this is so cool." As I progressed through 5 years of photo school, I found out photography students generally don't think wedding photography is cool. They made fun of it, and told me wedding photography is for people who can't do real photography (whatever that means)! I succumbed to peer pressure and bullying, shifted gears and went to RIT for their Advertising Photography program with the intention of becoming a food photographer or beauty retoucher.
Towards the end of my college career, I circled back to weddings in search of a summer job and became close with another photographer, Laure Lillie who decided to take a chance on me and let me photograph with her. She was so supportive and I fell IN LOVE with wedding photography. I ended up shooting with Laure for about 5 years before moving to New York City, and I'm still close with her. After my move, I picked up a job as a photo editor, while shooting about 10-15 weddings a year. Weddings grew, and it became my side hustle for years until I was eventually laid off. I felt like this was my chance to take weddings on full time. Being laid off was honestly the best thing that ever happened to me. It gave me the push to do what I truly loved — that I never felt brave enough to take for myself. Now I take around 35 weddings a year!
What excites you about weddings?
It might sound corny, but oh my goodness EVERYTHING. I basically run on adrenaline on wedding days from start to finish. I love the energy and vibes of the different stages of the day, but receptions are my favorite part; I absolutely live for a full dance floor.
What do you look for in a couple?
The couples I look most forward to photographing with are the ones that are truly excited to just get married and be together, love the work I create and trust me! When a couple is willing to just trust me, it makes for the COOLEST photos.
What is the greatest compliment you’ve ever received?
I think it came from the photographer I mentioned earlier, who texted me out of the blue one day just to tell me that she was so proud of how far along I've come. It just meant so much coming from the person who had my back and believed in me since the very beginning.
What do you desire for your business?
A lot! It keeps me up at night haha. Most importantly, I want my business to feel like a safe place for my couples. I want them to feel like they can talk to me and be themselves with me and I really think it's important for each of my couples to feel as though they're the only couple I'm working with. I also really would love to have a small, permanent team (something that I'm working on!), with maybe one associate and a videographer. I don't ever want to be a big box studio, but I'd love to have a couple other people that just add value and are also awesome people to work with. I've already seen my business grow more than I ever could have imagined in the last 10 years and I know that this is only the beginning!
What are you grateful for?
I'm grateful for being laid off so that I can do this beautiful thing that I was meant to do. Additionally, during the pandemic, I have become extra grateful for my support system, and my couples that booked me for 2020. Everyone has been so graceful, kind and forgiving during a time where it's been exceptionally stressful to be a small business owner.
Any recent cause for celebration or a recent victory?
I launched my new (much needed) branding and website this summer! I started the process in February and fully launched in July. I am OBSESSED and also very happy that it's done. I'm terrible at keeping secrets so this was really hard for me to keep under wraps for almost 6 months!
Let’s take a moment to celebrate along with Lauren!
