Lauren Sue Berger was born on July 27, 1956 in San Antonio, Texas. She was raised in Mobile, Alabama. On December 28, 1980, she married Neil Galanti in Mobile, Alabama. Neil was born on February 22, 1956, in Atlanta, Georgia. They are now divorced.

Laurie attended the University of Georgia, and graduated with a degree in Marketing from the University of Maryland.

Laurie currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where she works at the Kahn Eye Group, the optometry practice of her brother-in-law, Dr. Brian Kahn.