AUTHENTIC. JOYOUS. ELEGANT.
These words describe my style and the experience I aim to create. I’m passionate about capturing your unique & genuine story in an artful, timeless manner. I pour my whole heart into my images and hope they can be a real, lasting record of your sweetest moments together.
Having captured the magic of more than 50 weddings, I am intimately familiar with the nuances of a wedding day and wholeheartedly cherish every single moment that unfolds. Moreover, I want to emphasize that everyone is welcome here, celebrating love and joy with open arms.
HI, I’M LAUREL
I’m a traveling wedding & lifestyle photographer based in Raleigh, NC. I love to capture authentic, candid moments between you and your loved ones, as well as variations on classic poses. I like to think of myself as a storyteller for sweethearts in love & families in each season of life. If you’re planning a wedding, no matter the miles from my home base, let’s connect!
When I’m not capturing joyous moments, I love to spend time with my husband, Jakub, exploring new cities together. We typically spend about a month in each spot; right now we are focusing on exploring the States!
KIND WORDS
“Simply put- Laurel is amazing! This year has been crazy to say the least, but Laurel made the journey to our big day so much more special! She is professional, nice, generous, and just makes you feel less stressed and comfortable (just what I needed!) Her pictures are gorgeous and her turn around time is amazing! We are truly happy with everything Laurel has done down to the way she has communicated to us in such a timely fashion. My husband and I were freaking out because of shut downs and uncertainty around us. We found Laurel online and let's just say she got it done! Engagements, bridals, and day of- she did it all She is truly talented in her work and you can tell she has a strong passion for photography! We can't stop looking at all the great memories that were made on our wedding day!“ --Brie & Matt
KIND WORDS
“Laurel is honestly the best photographer that you will find! She and Jakub are so incredibly professional, so sweet and really take the time to get to know their clients. I had several questions during the wedding planning process, mostly vendor recommendations, and she would also respond in a timely manner with great recommendations! If you are looking for a photographer that listens, is very well organized, has a heart of gold and an eye for talent, Laurel is your girl!!“ --Catherine & Tyler
KIND WORDS
“We absolutely love the photos!! We’ve gotten so many compliments from everyone who has seen them about how beautiful they are. I can’t say enough how great it was to work with Laurel and how happy we are with the end result! I’m so thankful to Laurel that we have these photos we can treasure forever!“ -- Kate & Nick
KIND WORDS
“Laurel is an amazing photographer!! Not only is she the sweetest person you'll ever meet, she is very professional too. She keeps an open line of communication when it comes to your upcoming session. She is very detail oriented and will have all the information you need, so you aren't left wondering or confused. Also, her turn around time is amazing! You will have your sneak peeks and then all your pictures so quickly. Don't ever hesitate to book Laurel!“ --Monica, Bill & Ellie
KIND WORDS
"I found Laurel through a Facebook ad and let me tell you, I couldn't be happier with my pictures!! Literally every single picture is amazing! Her and her husband were so much fun to work with and were down for anything!!!! Best Experience!!!!" --Sydney & Kevin
KIND WORDS
“So thankful to Laurel Calabek Photography for an amazing experience for our newborn photos. I can't speak highly enough of Laurel and steps she took voluntarily to ensure our family's safety during this time! I was worried we wouldn't be able to have these pictures while Naomi is still a newborn, but Laurel actively prioritized protecting us and following safety recommendations. “ --Katy & Tyler
KIND WORDS
“Working with Laurel has been an absolute joy. The photos she takes are beautiful and more importantly really captured my family's personality which is what I find so lovely about the lifestyle photography that she does. Beyond that though, she worked incredibly hard to make everything perfect, both before and after the shoot. I really appreciate the extra mile she went for us! “ -- Jen Sabourin
KIND WORDS
"Working with Laurel was amazing! Not only was she flexible and willing to work with our schedule, but she was so sweet in getting to know mine and my fiancé’s vision for our engagement pictures. It was incredible how Laurel made that vision come to life, all of our pictures were exactly what we had hoped for. They were so natural with capturing all of our laughs and special moments we shared together during that special time. Laurel not only made this session memorable, but she had an insane turn around time. Laurel got our pictures back to us within a week of our session. Laurel has a great personality and work ethnic and I know she would be the perfect photographer for any occasion that might deserve capturing those special moments. We couldn’t have been happier with the experience, the pictures or the photographer!!" -- Grace & Justin
KIND WORDS
“Laurel is such a talented and skilled photographer! Laurel took pictures of my family in 2019 and I could not be happier with the results. She was able to capture the sweetest moments on camera and has created some of the most beautiful pictures of my family to date. She was such a joy to work with and made us feel very comfortable resulting in very natural and realistic photos of ourselves, which was exactly what we were looking for. I would highly recommend Laurel to other friends and family for their photography needs. I cannot wait for Laurel to take pictures of us in the future. Thank you Laurel!!" --Alana & Collin
KIND WORDS
“Laurel was such a dream to work with! My only direction for our session was “pregnancy photos that don’t feel too much like a typical maternity session” and she put together the perfect list of shots that were exactly what I wanted but didn’t know how to verbalize. The photos she got are so beautiful despite the fact that it was an extremely hot evening and pregnancy had me feeling anything but beautiful. I know I will always cherish having photos that I love with my bump. We can’t wait to have her photograph our little girl when she's here!" -- Catherine & Jesse