About Lauren

Here’s actual footage of me being an annoying 3-year-old who was OBSESSED with cameras (and ribbons, but that’s a story for another day)

Oh heeyyy! The name’s Lauren (she/her) and I’m a wedding photographer based in Cumbria – my business was called Lauren McGuiness Photography until it took me 9 years to realise it was far too long to say/type, so I sacked off my surname and changed it to my middle name… here we are! 😅

A brief history about my photography adventure – I’ve been incredibly lucky and have known since I was 13 that this was what I wanted to do. I registered as self-employed at 19 years old, and I’ve not looked back since 💪

I started a paper round when I was 13, and saved all of my money for my first DSLR camera – it was 6 megapixels and I genuinely thought it was the bee’s knees. I’m a self-taught-avid-YouTube-tutorial-photographer, thankfully selective colouring was just a phase for Bebo.

I assisted a few local photographers from the age of 15. When I was 18, I realised that wedding photography was something that I really wanted to do… I registered as self-employed, and here I am almost 12 years later!

A few of my favourite things: vinyl records, binge-watching tv shows I’ve already watched (I’m talking ’bout Parks & Rec, Community and Brooklyn Nine Nine, to name a few), my Shiba Inu dog Yuki, gigs and eating ridiculous amounts of Kettle Chips.

Here’s actual footage of me being an annoying 3-year-old who was OBSESSED with cameras (and ribbons, but that’s a story for another day)

Fun facts about me

– I am a Pepsi Max obsessive and currently trying to wean myself off it (true story) 😫

– Slightly obsessed with being as eco-friendly as possible. Bit of an avid recycler, I do everything I can to recycle whatever I can (that includes taking a HUGE bag full of bread bags and plastic wrap to the supermarkets  ♻️

– I spend more money on my dog than a parent with a small child 🐕

– I tend to know songs from the first 2 seconds played… does anyone need me for a pub quiz?! 🎶

– I LOVE travelling! I’ve visited 17 different countries and can’t wait to visit more 🧳

– Ketchup and chocolate DO NOT go in the fridge, no further questions.

Why should your wedding photos be awkward when your wedding day will be anything but?

 I’m a photographer whose priority is to make you look back at your photos and think ‘I look good. I mean really good. Hey everyone, come and see how good I look!’ 

There are a few things I won’t do...

❌ I will NOT make you pose for hours on end.

❌ I will NOT force you to gaze into each other’s eyes.

❌ I will NOT make you kiss on cue… Just, no. 

❌ I will NOT boss you and your guests around.

But there a few things that I WILL do...

But there are a few things I will do…

✅ I WILL capture you and your guests naturally.

✅ I WILL do my own thang in the background.

✅ I WILL give you prompts and tell the odd crap joke that will make you laugh and look great at the same time. 

✅ I WILL make group photos painless, quick AND fun.

✅ I WILL help your wedding day flow naturally. You won’t even have to refer to your excel spreadsheet once (I promise)

There’s a few things I won’t do… 

❌ I will NOT make you pose for hours on end.

❌ I will NOT force you to gaze into each other’s eyes.

❌ I will NOT make you kiss on cue… Just, no. 

❌ I will NOT boss you and your guests around.

But there are a few things I will do…

✅ I WILL capture you and your guests naturally.

✅ I WILL do my own thang in the background.

✅ I WILL give you prompts and tell the odd crap joke that will make you laugh and look great at the same time. 

✅ I WILL make group photos painless, quick AND fun.

✅ I WILL help your wedding day flow naturally. You won’t even have to refer to your excel spreadsheet once (I promise)

This is you:

✨ You are a couple who love to have fun

✨ You want your wedding day to be relaxed and one big party

✨ You love singing along to absolute bangers and you throw shapes on the dancefloor

✨ The thought of having your photo taken makes you feel a bit icky

This is me:

✨ A vertically-challenged (5’4) photography powerhouse, equipped with bumbag to boot

✨ Will most likely tell dad jokes (sorry not sorry)

✨ Knows far too many song lyrics and obscure film/tv references

✨ A photographer who feels like that family friend you’ve always known

“Lauren you have beautifully captured the happy memories of our wedding day and I am so pleased you were our photographer!

“As a couple that don’t ordinarily pose for couple photos, Lauren made us feel very comfortable throughout the day.

We can’t recommend her highly enough. From helping out with little things in the morning like hand delivering a card to my dad and playing Spice Girls on request when I was on the verge of getting emotional, she was perfect.”

Rosie & Chris