I couldn't be happier with my decision to sign a contact with SMD for my recent wedding. Sam and Jen traveled from Orlando to the DC/Baltimore area to capture our special day and did an incredible job. I dropped the ball, communication-wise, before the wedding. I never sent a list of photos I wanted or of important people, but Sam and Jen managed to capture everything I could have wished for and more. They went way above and beyond expectations by helping us pace our day before arriving at the venue with the wedding advice that only veteran photographers could possibly have. They even surprised my bridal party and me by arriving (early) to the salon when they couldn't get in touch with me. These were some of my favorite pictures from the wedding, and I so appreciated them going above and beyond to capture them.

In retrospect, the following are the things I should have considered in selecting a photographer (I didn't consider all of them, but am quite happy that I lucked out):

Value. SMD was less expensive, including travel fees, to photograph my East coast event than any of the local photographers without travel fees. Sam went above and beyond by editing and posting several pictures on Facebook a day after the wedding (while he was still traveling) to ensure that family members of mine who were too sick to travel could see the wedding. His rates are beyond reasonable for someone with his talent and eye for beauty.

Experience. Obviously, Sam's pictures speak for themselves. Browse his website and feel confident that the quality of the pictures you see is genuinely the quality with which he provides every bride and groom. Beyond the photography, Sam was able to keep us on pace and prepared for the things I didn't know I was supposed to be prepared for.

Personality. Sam and Jen laughed with us throughout the day. They served as intermediaries between us and our sometimes-pushy day-of coordinator. They even served as intermediaries between us and our sometimes-pushy family. More than that, they seemed genuinely happy to be there with us. (And it's a tiny, tiny thing—but they even thanked us for making sure they got their dinners.)

Choosing SMD to photograph our wedding was the best vendor-decision I made. They captured moments I would have completely missed and have given us keepsakes that do justice to all the detail-planning that was done. Wonderful photography, phenomenal people.