From the moment she came on board as our wedding officiant, Aretha was a pleasure to work with. She was always easy to reach and quick to respond. Any time we had questions or needed assistance she would set up a Zoom or phone call and allowed us as much time as we needed. She really took the time to get to know us and understand who we are as a couple. This made the ceremony feel so much more intimate and authentic, like we were getting married by someone who genuinely cared about us. We chose to live stream it for the guests who couldn't attend and she made sure to address them on Zoom which was a nice touch and made them feel included. She took great care to incorporate the things that were important to us, and steer clear of things we didn’t want. Our ceremony was everything we could have imagined and more, filled with tears, laughter, and huge smiles from us and our guests, just like we wanted. Everything was absolutely beautiful and we are still getting compliments on it weeks later. She took care of filing our paperwork which was one less thing for us to stress over. Due to COVID, wedding planning was often overwhelming and not a very fun experience but every time we spoke to Aretha I felt excited and optimistic. She helped me get organized and gave me great peace of mind that our day would be nothing short of amazing and she delivered on that! She was wonderful and we were thrilled with our decision to have her as our wedding officiant. I highly recommend Aretha and would jump at the opportunity to work with her again.

Aretha, you were awesome! Whatever nerves we may have had coming into the day you blew away by being so kind, professional, and patient in helping to make our special day truly memorable. - Anthony

Upon getting engaged, my husband and I knew we wanted to elope. We had taken some time to look into several different options and when I stumbled upon Aretha, I immediately knew she was the one! All of her reviews made me hope and pray that she was available for our wedding date given the two month notice; and she was! Since my very first interaction with her which was my initial inquiry about her services, her speedy response (in less than a couple of hours) gave me the reassurance that we made the right decision.



From the communication and planning stage, to our very big and intimate day, Aretha made our elopement beyond seamless and special. Not only was she thorough in explaining what to expect, she was also resourceful in providing recommendations and extremely encouraging/supportive/warm throughout the entire process. Our elopement was tailored to our preferences (we started with a prayer and we also had our own vows) which made it such a special experience. We were beyond satisfied with Aretha’s services and were so grateful we came across her. We loved every bit Aretha poured into our day and hearts. She will forever hold a very special place in our lives. We 10000000% recommend her if you’re looking for a one of a kind, loving, memorable, and unforgettable experience for your big day! Aretha is truly spectacular.

-Valerie & Chris

We cannot express enough gratitude for having had Aretha from Weddings by Aretha officiate our wedding. From the very first moment we reached out, Aretha made us feel like family—her warmth, professionalism, and dedication were evident in every interaction. Our wedding was a last-minute decision, but Aretha never made us feel rushed or stressed. Instead, she was right there with us, guiding us with her soothing voice and calm demeanor.

Aretha went above and beyond to help us organize all the details. She provided thoughtful recommendations for venues, photo and video vendors, and other key elements that perfectly made our day come together. As an international couple, navigating the intricacies of a cross-cultural wedding could have been overwhelming, but Aretha patiently worked with us to ensure everything was in place. She even helped us figure out the logistics for including our loved ones from around the world by arranging for a live-stream of our ceremony.

On the wedding day, Aretha ensured that every detail honored our cultural traditions. She was incredibly flexible, allowing us to translate our vows into our native languages—such a personal touch that meant the world to us. Her attention to detail, ability to make us feel seen and heard, and understanding of our heritage's significance made our ceremony truly unforgettable.

Aretha’s presence is something truly special—there’s a sparkle about her that few people possess. She has an innate ability to make every couple feel like they’re the most important people in the world, and she radiates a sense of joy and love that’s contagious. It’s rare to meet someone so dedicated, professional, and genuinely kind.

As a couple who have worked in the luxury cruise industry for many years, we’ve encountered our fair share of professionals, but Aretha stands out like a shining star. Her grace, class, and polished professionalism made us feel like we were back on the elegant cruise ships we used to work on—yet she brought a personal, heartfelt touch that was uniquely her own.

Aretha is more than just a wedding officiant; she is an angel who brings extra magic to your special day. She was the perfect fit for us, and we couldn’t imagine anyone else guiding us through such a meaningful moment. We wholeheartedly recommend her to any couple seeking a kind, thoughtful, and utterly professional officiant who will make your wedding day feel as extraordinary as you are. Thank you, Aretha, for making our wedding a beautiful and unforgettable experience.

My husband and I could not have asked for a better Wedding Officiant for our wedding! Wedding vendor selection was a stressful process and at times we found it difficult knowing who to trust. From the moment we met Aretha however we knew we were in good hands. My husband and I didn't belong to a home church but it was highly important to us that our christian faith was incorporated into our ceremony. We were initially nervous about finding someone who could bring the right warmth and energy to the ceremony. Our family voiced their concerns about us not being married by a Pastor early on but after the ceremony they expressed how impressed they were with Aretha and they were glad that we chose her.

Aretha not only incorporated prayer with traditions we value such as jumping the broom and a candle lighting ceremony, but she also tailored them for us to add a personal touch. I joke that Aretha was our neglected vendor because in the midst of completing so many wedding planning tasks in a short amount of time and our large team of vendors, my husband and I failed to allocate time to meet with Aretha to go over final ceremony details. We were shocked however that despite our own shortcomings every single detail we mentioned wanting in our intake form and initial conversation with Aretha was executed effortlessly on our wedding day. At the last minute I added my ailing grandfather to our ceremony and without her knowing a ton of detail about his life she even created a heartfelt way of including him. Furthermore after praying for a warm sunny fall wedding day we got the sunshine and clear skies we hoped for but not the warmth. Despite the chilling breeze blowing from the water of Jersey City on November 3rd, Aretha carried out our ceremony as though we had the warmest of days and never once complained or seemed bothered. It was clear that Aretha cared deeply about making our ceremony personal and meaningful. If you are looking for an officiant who will go above and beyond, I can not recommend Aretha highly enough. She was a blessing to us, and I know she would be for any couple looking to create a truly memorable and heartfelt ceremony. Beyond being an amazing Wedding Officiant Aretha is an awesome and honest person with a good heart. In the wedding industry Aretha is a rare gem.

Our situation was unique because we only had 90 days to get married on a K-1 visa. Originally, for this reason, we planned to just get married at the courthouse, but at the last minute decided to do something small with only our parents. We were very stressed trying to plan everything until we found Aretha. She took our stress away entirely and took care of everything for a very simple, but romantic ceremony in a few hours. She advised us on what exactly we needed to do for the paperwork, found a venue, and provided a photographer who was also very professional and helpful. Everything went perfectly and we ended up with the exact small, intimate wedding that we hoped for.

We were thrilled to have Aretha officiate our elopement ceremony. She was organized and thorough, saving us from unwanted drama that we did not want or need when trying to celebrate our special day. During the ceremony, her words were moving to our guests, and she even set us up with a wonderful duo for our photos/video.

We highly recommend Aretha for your wedding ceremony--she is a pro and a class act!

What stood out to us throughout our time working with Aretha as our officiant was how detailed and prepared she was. As a bride or groom, one of the more stressful parts about wedding planning can be the sense that no one cares about the success of the event more than you and your partner — not even the people who are literally paid to care. But where others let us down, a handful of rockstar vendors showed up big and managed to alleviate us of that lonely feeling. Aretha was among the latter group.

She collaborated with our incredible coordinator and the venue’s super accommodating staff to create the perfect wedding day. She was a core member of our dream team, guiding nearly every detail of our ceremony. This included the way we walked down the aisle, the cues for us to embrace our parents, which foot we each stepped on stage with, where we placed our hands, how we received our rings from her after she received them from the best man, and so many other details I’ve probably forgotten by now (although I know she hasn’t!).

More than an officiant, Aretha is an astute choreographer with a keen understanding of how to stage a show. Perhaps the best example of this was her suggestion to break tradition and sit the groom’s guests on the left and the bride’s on the right, allowing our respective families to see our faces instead of the back of our heads as we recited our vows.

If you hire Aretha to officiate your wedding, you’ll hire a performer who respects the art of performance. She cares so deeply about the pageantry of the day that she’ll decline to share her speech with you and your spouse ahead of time, ensuring your surprise when you both finally hear your story spoken during the ceremony. (This was scary at first but turned out great. As guests of another wedding, we once heard a pretty cringe-worthy speech from a rouge officiant. But we didn’t worry much about that happening with Aretha after building trust through such an extensive planning process.)

We recommend Aretha’s services not just because they’re thorough, but ultimately because such thoroughness provided peace of mind on what we’ll remember as the most beautifully nerve-racking day of our lives. - Austin and Natifia

I would like to thank Aretha for being patient with my fiance and I. The process was confusing to us from the start but with Aretha’s help we were able to figure it out. Aretha always reminded us that if we had any questions that she was just a call away. With a lot of questions and answers we were ready for our wedding day. The day of our wedding was beautiful. Being outside made us feel like it was just the two of us and nature and also the way it was very intimate. Thank you Aretha!

I was searching for a wedding officiant when I found “Weddings by Aretha”. I called her up and she was the sweetest and most helpful person to talk to during a stressful and chaotic moment. I chose her as my wedding officiant and have no regrets for my decision. She made my process so easy and was always willing to answer any questions or doubts. I will definitely be referring anyone who needs a wedding officiant over to her.