Why does this rating form not offer more than five stars?! Without hesitation, Marlayna deserves an 11/10, three thumbs-up, A++ ... need I go on?

We initiated contact with Marlayna in December 2019, about a month after we got engaged. From that very first email, I knew that Marlayna was the perfect fit for us. Her energy, positivity, creativity, skill, and attention to detail are absolutely unparalleled.

For our engagement shoot in DC in January 2020, we discussed potential locations via email, but then Marlayna scouted out photo ops in advance to ensure the best spots and angles. She even found an amazing chandelier inside the Intercontinental Hotel at the Wharf, where we never would have thought to look. Then, she met us in our neighborhood and chauffeured us to each location, all while battling wintry weather. To top it off, she delivered our whole gallery in a matter of days!

Our amazing experiences continued with Marlayna throughout 2020, especially once we chose to postpone our big celebration and pivot toward a mini-wedding due to COVID-19. Marlayna was incredibly responsive to my many emails and routinely sent me positive vibes through Instagram DM conversations! She also made the postponement and re-contracting process totally seamless, offering a special COVID elopement rate for our mini-wedding and not requiring any additional deposit to move the date of our big celebration.

However, where Marlayna took the cake was on our actual mini-wedding day. Not only did she take over 700 gorgeous photographs of us, our families, and the stunning architectural details of our venue (The Winslow in Baltimore - check it out!), but also she basically served as impromptu coordinator/planner in moments of need. (It's unreal how many details there are to consider, even for an event that only involved 18 guests!) I felt completely calm, carefree, and special on our wedding day and it's largely because of Marlayna's efforts. Our families could not stop raving about how much of a boss she was -- helping with things outside her job description, directing everyone through COVID-safe family portraits, capturing all the emotions and best angles, and even staying past the end of her contracted time. Four months later, I still scroll through our photo gallery at least weekly and I remain obsessed!

All in all, we have literally zero regrets in hiring Marlayna. We cannot wait to have her continue on this crazy COVID wedding journey with us and I hope she doesn't get sick of us because I have a feeling we will be calling on her to document every event in our lives for years to come! XO!

A picture is worth a thousand words, and I can’t say enough kind ones about Marlayna. She is a gifted photographer, organized professional, and goes above and beyond to make your experience memorable. Marlayna takes the extra time to get to know you as a couple, and it shows in her photos. She immediately makes you feel relaxed and at ease. We have countless beautiful images to look back on from our engagement and wedding that capture who we are as a couple. Marlayna is incredibly organized, and helped our wedding day run smoothly while ensuring that we got all of the photos we wanted. Marlayna was quick to answer the many questions I had throughout the process, and made sure that everyone was on the same page. I was so excited to receive a few sneak peeks the day after our wedding, and a full gallery of edited photos 2 weeks after the wedding! To top it off, she so thoughtfully sent a few prints of our wedding day (and our engagement session) a few weeks later in the mail. I am so happy Marlayna was our wedding photographer--she is a true artist of capturing all the love, smiles, and laughs during this special time in life.

Marlayna was BY FAR our favorite vendor to work with. As a photographer, she is everything that you'd want. She has an amazing eye and finds the most flattering lighting and angles. In terms of logistics, she had the perfect balance of structure and spontaneity. She made a timeline of the day beforehand, so that she didn't miss any important moments or events, but she also never hesitated to let us know if there was an unplanned photo opportunity that we might want to take advantage of. Some of my favorite pictures from our wedding day started with Marlayna saying "Hey, if you feel up for it, I have an idea for a shot!" I completely trusted her and never felt like I had to micromanage anything to make sure I got the shots I wanted. We definitely got our money's worth - she delivered an online gallery of over 1,000 images, all of which were beautiful and completely captured the day. Also, as a bonus, she comes with a second shooter (her mom, Judy!) who was delightful. Together, they were able to capture every moment and detail we wanted. However, the best part about hiring Marlayna was her personality. You can tell she loves her job and is genuinely excited to be a part of your day. She regularly sent little notes and care packages during the months leading to our wedding, which was such a sweet touch. There are tons photographers out there who will take beautiful wedding photos, but it's the full experience that sets Marlayna apart from the rest. If you're still searching for a wedding photographer, do yourself a favor and message her.