Weddings By Aretha Reviews
Reviews
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
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Featured
Jennifer Sent on 03/02/2021Officiant Extraordinaire!
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. -
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Anthony Sent on 01/05/2025A truly special day
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
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Yessenia Sent on 12/05/2024Wedding Officiant Extraordinaire!
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. -
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Charles Sent on 11/17/2024A Stress-Free Wedding
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. -
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S Spencer Sent on 10/29/2024Perfect Wedding Experience!
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! -
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Natifia Sent on 07/08/2024Natifia and Austin May 2024 wedding
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
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Rachel Sent on 10/17/2023Wedding Officiant
Aretha helped us to create the perfect ceremony that was both meaningful to us as a couple and to our family and guests. Throughout the planning process Aretha was always communicative and happy to answer any questions, and share any information that could help create a unique ceremony for us. One of our favorite moments was the wine bottle ceremony, which is a memorable token we now have in our home to remind us of our union and commitment to one another throughout the years to come. During our ceremony Aretha was welcoming, personable and most importantly she created a space that allowed us to truly feel present with each other in such a beautiful moment in our lives. Thank you! Rachel & Lex -
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Sarah Sent on 09/27/2023Personalized Wedding Ceremony
From the moment we met Aretha, we were struck by her warmth, professionalism, and genuine interest in understanding our story and values as a couple. She took the time to get to know us on a personal level, and it was clear she wanted to craft a ceremony that truly reflected our love and commitment to each other.
Aretha also provided us with resources and new ideas to help us create a ceremony that was unique, personal, and memorable. On the day of our wedding, Aretha delivered a ceremony that was nothing short of magical. Her words were beautifully crafted, capturing the essence of our relationship and the love we share.
People often focus on aspects like food or music when it comes to planning their wedding day. But the purpose of the day is your union. A ceremony that reflects this will mean more than you know. Aretha was truly exceptional on the most important day of our lives. She beautifully orchestrated a deeply meaningful and personal experience, and we will be forever grateful to her for that. -
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Kristie Sent on 09/05/2023The Fordes Testimonial
It was my event planner who got Aretha under our radar. The wedding process can be challenging, but after our initial meeting with Aretha, we knew that this part of the process was going to be trouble-free. As soon as we made it official with Aretha, she sent out our “homework” right away, and this is how we knew we made the right decision. We loved how Aretha considered our culture, values, and thoughts because we knew it would translate into our ceremony. My favorite homework to complete was the questionnaire because it gave us the time to reflect on the memories that we had created over the years. Not only is Aretha organized, but she is professional and polite as well. It was a pleasure to work with her and to have her officiate our ceremony. Honestly, our ceremony was the favorite part of our wedding day, and we couldn’t have created that intimate and warm felt ceremony without Aretha! We thank you so much! – Kristie & Gillon -
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Deana Sent on 08/22/2023Hire "Weddings by Aretha" great experience! NYC Elopement
My advice, hire Aretha! She does a fantastic job!
Our story…We wanted to get married without going through a year of planning.
We were hoping to do this in at the end of July.
It was June.
I came across “Weddings by Aretha “in a search for elopements for the NY/NJ area. We had a date in mind, and it was important to us to have pictures to commemorate the day and to be able share with our friends & extended family.
What initially drew me to Aretha’s website is she had several packages to choose from -including photos and rates.
I then did some research and saw the beautiful videos of previous weddings she officiated. They all were so beautiful, the vows made me cry. One right after another.
After we connected and spoke over the phone, I explained what we wanted and she navigated me through the website, made suggestions, and I told me what package would be best.
After speaking with her, I knew we were in good hands.
Aretha connected us with one of her photography vendors. She was able to officiate the wedding on our chosen date. She also suggested Central Park as the prime location, and we got some beautiful photos and video. (Photo Credit to Purroy Productions)
She wrote beautiful vows. (It is an option to write your vows, but we had limited time.) She asked us a little bit about each other on an emailed questionnaire.
On the day of the wedding, we recited the beautiful words she had written, to one another.
It was like she knew us.
They vows were perfect!
We had two witnesses. My husband’s brother, and my first cousin. We included our parents.
We had a beautiful wedding day!
We have no regrets with our decision to have a small intimate wedding.
I would highly recommend “Weddings by Aretha.”
Deana & Brian
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Elisa Sent on 02/17/2023
Aretha is the best!
The next day after our engagement I started planning for the big day, that’s when I started looking for wedding officiants. I came across Aretha’s Instagram page and instantly knew I would not want anyone else to prepare and officiate our ceremony. I reached out to her prior to booking the venue! This is how deep in my heart I knew she was the person I wanted and needed in my wedding team.
During our first Zoom meeting, she was very attentive, responsive and very helpful. My husband (fiancé at the time) asked for a few days for us to think about it. After we got off that Zoom call I told him “I don’t want anyone else. She is the officiant!”. A good husband always listens to his wife (haha) and we signed the contract with her for Wedding Officiant and Day of Coordination.
We stayed in constant communication. She was really helpful and always checked in on us. A few months later and we had an unexpected loss in the family, we paused all planning. Four months prior to our wedding, I asked Aretha if she would recommend a wedding planner, to which she replied that she is also a wedding planner. It was a done deal; Aretha became our Wedding Planner.
I cannot thank her enough! Our ceremony was beautiful, personalized and sacred. She did everything we wanted and more. Our wedding reception was beautiful, she was a key member of the wedding team and I would have not been able to pull it off without her! From decor to DJ, she took charge and connected us to the right vendors.
Aretha, thank you! For all your support, late texts, late calls, long conversations and more importantly for being you! You are an amazing person. Your words during our ceremony will always play in my mind. Thank you for your love, prayers and time! I highly recommend Aretha for wedding planning and ceremony officiant.
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Morgan Sent on 02/05/2023The best of the best! Highly recommend!
Aretha is incredible! We would highly recommend to anyone searching for a professional and thoughtful officiant. From the moment we started working with her, Aretha was organized, thorough, detailed, consultative and warm, putting our nerves at ease. My husband and I intentionally wanted a special non-religious ceremony and Aretha delivered beyond expectations. So much so that months later, our family and friends still compliment the beautiful ceremony and acknowledge it as the best they’ve witnessed.
Our ceremony was perfectly personal, intimate and unique. Aretha worked with us closely to ensure each aspect reflected us, from the wine box ritual down to the song choices and readings. Everything was carefully curated to represent our unity in the past and our future together. Aretha beautifully encapsulated our love story, while infusing encouragement, optimism and lightheartedness throughout our ceremony. We had guests come up at the reception marveling over Aretha and asking if she was a family friend — it’s like she knew us so well!
Aretha, thank you and for officiating the most meaningful and memorable ceremony we could have ever dreamed. You are the BEST! -
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Richard Sent on 11/05/2022Smith Wedding 10/10/2022
Aretha is such a breath of fresh air!!! From our very first conversation with her, we knew we had found the right match and didn’t need to look any further. Our conversation flowed so naturally...we laughed, shared stories, and got to know one another as people which was very important to my husband and I going into the search for the “perfect” officiant. Aretha was so calm and knowledgeable that she immediately put all of our ceremony worries to rest. Even when our wedding venue could not provide us space for our rehearsal, Aretha was very flexible and quickly helped us to resolve the matter.
Fast-forward to the day of our wedding, Aretha had everything laid out and boy, did she deliver!!!! We have gotten so many compliments about how beautiful our ceremony was and how effortlessly it flowed, and that’s all thanks to Aretha. She spoke about our love as if she’d known us for years. Her words were perfectly crafted and truly embodied us as a couple. We honestly couldn’t have asked for a better ceremony. It was everything we wanted and needed.
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Jaide Sent on 10/13/2022Aretha is amazing!!!
We don’t even know where to begin. Aretha was truly a blessing throughout this entire process. When we set up a consultation with Aretha in July 2021, we had a big wedding planned for October 2023. After a Zoom consultation, we quickly knew that Aretha was the perfect person to marry us. Aretha helped us to make sure we were prepared for what type of ceremony we wanted and was just as excited for our special day.
Fast forward to August 2022, we called Aretha and let her know that we had experienced A LOT over the past year and that we had cancelled our big day and decided that we wanted to elope on our actual anniversary this year!
We were nervous about that this meant for Aretha’s availability to officiate our elopement. But we had nothing to worry about. Aretha was with us every step of the way and guiding us through the process, providing EVERY referral, and truly taking into account our vision for the day. She encouraged us to make the day as special as possible despite the change in plans.
Aretha was so supportive and MORE than accommodating. She has a keen ability to connect with her couples in a way that is so genuine, heartfelt, and sincere. We truly felt loved by Aretha throughout the process. She took the time to get to know us and the love that we share together.
Knowing all that we have gone through the past year, Aretha spoke life over us during our ceremony and made us laugh, smile, and cry. We cannot thank you enough for the calls, love and attention, and expertise that you brought to this process. We are forever grateful for you and you will always be a special person in our lives. We love you! -
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Dan J. Sent on 09/05/2022Candide Celebration
Robyn, leading up to the ceremony, did a fantastic job, was super responsive, and helped us customize our ceremony to a comfort level that matched our style. With calm and a sympathetic manner, she delivered her speech. Joyfully at our reception, we received compliments on how well perform was the officiant as she was respectful and made people laugh throughout the celebration of the ceremony. Highly recommend @ Robynashleyweddings -
Stephanie Sent on 09/01/2022
Phenomenal !!!
Marck-lee and I were absolutely delighted to have you as our officiant for our special day. We’ve searched high and low and came across your Instagram and knew immediately that we needed you to officiate our wedding. Honestly, having you be a part of our special day was the best decision we made. You helped bring in our union with such calmness and graciousness. Your touching words will forever live true and dear to us for the rest of our lives. Also to mention, our family and friends raved about our ceremony and many have said you were the beam of light that truly encapsulated our forever love. Our ceremony was infused with love, warmth, joy and laughter. Your professionalism is truly unmatched. With that, we thank you immensely and thanking God for placing you in our lives. You are truly the best of the best!!!
Sincerely,
Marck-lee and Stephanie -
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Amelia Sent on 08/30/2022
The best there is!!
As soon as my husband and I started looking into wedding logistics, we knew we wanted Aretha to officiate our wedding. From the multiple videos online, she seemed highly poised and her readings were clever and personally customized. After our initial consultation, she blew it out of the water and was decidedly the only officiant we met with. Given the covid restrictions at the time, our interactions were solely over zoom, but her abilities were not tarnished one bit!
During our first Zoom call, Aretha was very friendly and provided a ton of information. She was very professional and responded to all emails and inquiries within a timely manner. The day of our rehearsal was the first time we actually met in person, but it felt as if we were already familiar with each other. She provided highly detailed instructions and advice, and although I was nervous about our big day, she was able to reassure me that everything would be fine. Our walkthrough went through seamlessly!
Our ceremony reading was amazing! Aretha was able to convey our love story exactly as pictured. She provided so much joy to our friends and family that day. I would definitely recommend Aretha to anyone looking for an officiant capable of making a lasting memory! -
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Taylor Sent on 08/30/2022
Perfection
I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I decided I was going to plan my own wedding. Finding Aretha as my Day-of Coordinator was exactly what I needed to assure that my vision came to life. During the planning process she gave helpful suggestions from her experience doing weddings. I immediately felt like I could trust her to make sure I was headed in the right direction when it came to all the small details that I was quite unfamiliar with when planning. She took the time to get to know my husband and I; to understand our likes and dislikes. She asked me questions that I hadn’t even thought of! All of the questions helped me hone in on things like, what vendors I needed to hire and what exactly I wanted from each of them. As the wedding date got closer, Aretha really took a load off of my shoulders by contacting all of my vendors and creating a wedding timeline. It was the organization I needed.
When the day of the wedding finally arrived, every detail of the wedding was thought out. Every minute of my wedding day was accounted for. Aretha knew what we wanted our wedding to be like and truly made it happen. It was magical. Everything fell into its perfect place. All my vendors arrived on time. My bridesmaids were all ready on time. My ceremony started on time. My decor was just how I envisioned. I mean, perfection!! I honestly am still in awe. I have no complaints and no regrets; that’s how a bride wants to feel when looking back on her wedding day! Thank you Aretha! I truly couldn’t have done it without you.
The icing on the cake is, Aretha also officiated our wedding ceremony. Just as she took the time to fully understand our wedding vision, she took the time to get to know us as a couple and our ceremony reflected that. Our ceremony was personalized to us and nothing short of amazing! Aretha is professional, dependable, honest, easy to talk to, attentive, experienced, and who you need on your team!!! Thank you Aretha!!
Much love,
Henzly and Taylor Meghie -
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Michael Sent on 08/16/2022
She is awesome!
We started planning our wedding two months before our big day. Aretha was our first choice to be our wedding officiant. We had a few Zoom meetings to get to know each other and during the Zoom conference she made us feel very confident to have her as our wedding officiant. From day one she was very flexible and prompt to help us and to guide us with the paperwork and she made everything very easy and comfortable during our wedding ceremony. She encouraged us to write our own vows. We were nervous to create our own vows but in the end was the best choice we could have. During the ceremony she spoke beautiful and inspirational words of love, God, encouragement and strength. We had an intimate wedding surrounded by family and friends, Aretha made us calm and relaxed, and the feeling was that she is part of our family. She is very professional and still kind and sweet. We totally recommend Aretha because she helped to make our wedding unforgettable.
Love,
Michael and Marcos -
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Jerry Sent on 08/10/2022
Jerry Crawford (Groom. )
Aretha was the absolute best. Her professionalism throughout the process was excellent. She always kept the communication open to us whenever we needed help or had a question. Aretha is very well connected and it showed during our wedding day. She also referred professional photographers who were great people and also provided a great service just like she did. Aretha also even suggested a great makeup artist for my wife. Our wedding was exactly what we wanted and we have to definitely thank Aretha for that. It was a pleasure to have her as our wedding officiant. -
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Justine Sent on 05/04/20224.24.22 Wedding Bliss!
Choosing an officiant for our wedding ceremony was a top priority for us. The officiant sets the tone for the ceremony, and we wanted our ceremony to be meaningful, impeccable, and timeless. Meeting Aretha for the first time, we knew she would be a phenomenal officiant. We learned more about the ceremony process and the importance of hiring a highly competent and professional officiant to ensure that the ceremony flowed well and would be immaculate. Aretha has a fantastic process while getting to know the couple and a detailed questionnaire that made the journey seamless. Our ceremony speech by Aretha was perfect and intimate. Aretha conveyed all aspects of our relationship, values, and love. Her acknowledgment of our families at the start was warm and calming. Choosing Aretha to officiate our wedding was the best decision; our wedding ceremony was truly magical. -
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Nequila Sent on 01/26/2022
Best Decision!
From the very first meeting with Aretha we knew she was the perfect person to help us create the wedding of our dreams. She was very professional and so warm. She replied quickly to all forms of communication and remained connected throughout the entire process. She was able to provide a rehearsal for our large wedding party with clear direction and patience. Aretha, personalized our ceremony with little mentions of things I forgot I told her. She is passionate and you can tell how much she loves her career. She had just the right amount of humor to compliment our personalities. My favorite thing about her is her warm tone. When she guided our ceremony it felt genuine. I described her tone like a warm hug. Being from out of state, she went above and beyond to make sure we received our marriage certificate. We had no regrets and truly appreciate everything she has done for us. -
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Jade Sent on 01/20/2022
Amazing! We highly recommend Aretha to anyone getting married in the future
We can't thank Aretha enough. We loved her energy and knew from the beginning that she was a great fit for us. We were so pleased from our initial interactions, to the actual wedding ceremony. She was extremely professional and personable, and with all of the stressors that come with wedding planning, we felt at ease knowing that Aretha would deliver. Aretha flawlessly tailored our ceremony to incorporate everything that we wanted. We still get compliments on how great Aretha was and how she beautifully crafted our ceremony. We highly recommend Aretha to anyone getting married in the future! -
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Just Sent on 01/19/2022A wedding planner recommends her!
Aretha is a power house. She is very well spoken, well poised and your guests will be left in awe at her words. I am a Wedding Planner and had the privilege of working with her recently. She was on time, professional, and an overall pleasure to work with. There was a moment in the ceremony right at the end right before my couple jumped the broom that was so incredibly powerful, it brought me to tears! I see weddings every weekend, but the significance of this moment and Aretha's words had us all reflecting. Book her now! -
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Matthew Sent on 01/17/2022Aretha is Incredible!
My partner and I were married in October of 2021 and we hired Aretha as our officiant. Working with Aretha was an absolute dream! We were both incredibly nervous about crafting a custom ceremony and had no idea where to even begin. After two calls with Aretha not only were we no longer nervous about our ceremony, but we had crafted something unique and personal to us that we were excited to share with our guests. Our ceremony was filled with joy and laughter and Aretha did an incredible job guiding us along as we wrote our vows and proudly shared them with our loved ones. Aretha is extremely professional while still being kind and thoughtful. She is extremely prompt and was there for us every step of the way. And as an added bonus, she shows up looking like an actual supermodel (we asked her to wear a red dress, and she looked incredible!) - I would absolutely recommend Aretha to anyone looking for an absolute pro officiant who is sure to make your special moment unique and unforgettable. -
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Jessica Sent on 11/08/2021A Blessing’s Day
About a month ago, I was desperately trying to find someone that would marry my fiancé and I and after a google search, I came across Weddings By Aretha and her services immediately caught my eye. I quickly left a voicemail and filled out her consultation form. Aretha quickly responded and everything fell into place once I booked her. My Elopement Ceremony was just what I expected, and we had an exceptional experience. Not to mention that we got our Certified Marriage Certificate the SAME DAY we got married!! Thank you Aretha for your services, we gladly appreciate everything you did to make our day special.
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Melanie Sent on 10/12/2021Amazing Wedding Officiant!
Aretha was absolutely outstanding to work with as our wedding officiant/celebrant. She is so elegant, poised, and what a way with words! She spoke so beautifully and poetically, injected humor and brought smiles and laughter throughout the ceremony. It truly felt like an intimate, family moment!
Aretha is extremely organized and detail oriented, and once hired did not hesitate to provide all the information to get us familiar with the ceremony process. She also sent a very detailed questionnaire to get to know us and our story. The questions asked were very thoughtful and insightful. The initial call (before we even hired her) was so in-depth and comprehensive that it gave us a glimpse of what it would be like to work with her. It was clear to us that she had done this many times before and we were confident in her abilities, so it was really a no-brainer!
We decided to write our own personalized vows, and Aretha structured the rest of the ceremony so masterfully that we flowed through with no prior rehearsal and she directed us as needed. Aretha was able to infuse pieces of our story and our personalities throughout and it was just perfect! She even helped with suggesting the bride’s processional song, which we were obsessed with! We received so many compliments about how beautiful and amazing the ceremony was; and we have Aretha to thank for that! -
Jamina Sent on 09/20/2021
Book Aretha now!
Aretha was the best choice we could have made for an officiant. The two of us have been to many weddings and have witnessed some not so great ceremonies so finding an incredible officiant was very important to us and that is exactly what we did! From our introduction call she was nothing but professional, polite, informative and overall just a very down to earth person. After our initial call, we both felt that she was the perfect match for us. There were a lot of aspects around the planning of the ceremony that we were unsure of and Aretha took her time informing us of what is traditionally done versus what we could do to match our own style. Unlike other officitants, Aretha is very involved in the planning process, ensuring that we fill out questionnaires to ensure that every part of our ceremony was personalized. She took our story and told them in her own unique way.
We loved that she emphasized the importance of a rehearsal which ultimately led us to booking her for that as well which we did not regret. Our bridal party absolutely loved how comfortable she made everyone feel (even when dealing with a not so nice venue staff). When we thought we had everything down packed, she made us run through everything one more time just to ensure we looked flawless. My father was extremely nervous but after the rehearsal he was confident in his role and it showed the day of the wedding.
During the ceremony, she was so well spoken and told our love story perfectly. Our guests were laughing and crying tears of joy. We got so many compliments on how great Aretha was -everyone wanted to know, "How did you two find her??". I will not be surprised if we go to a friend's wedding and see Aretha walk down that aisle. Thank you so much Aretha!
-Mr. and Mrs. Jean Simon -
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Shanniel Sent on 09/08/2021Aretha is THEE BEST!!!
Choosing Aretha as our Officiant and Day-of Coordinator was the best decision we could have made when planning our wedding! She was truly a pleasure to work with and light to be around. After our first interview with her we knew quickly that we wanted to move forward with having her officiate our big day. We appreciated how quick and responsive she was and recognized her high level of professionalism and organizational skills right away. After a few weeks of being in contact we decided to hire her as our Day-of Coordinator as well. And again, best decision we could have made! Aretha made sure she stayed on top of us and our vendors leading up to the wedding day, and no matter the time of day when we had a question she was just a quick call, email or text away. The minute our families met her at the rehearsal they all fell in love with her! She meshed so well with our bridal party and families and did everything she could to make sure we had what we needed. So when the wedding day came we felt relieved to know she would be the one not only speaking life and love over our marriage during our ceremony but also handling things behind the scenes for us.
We can't thank you enough for all you did for us Aretha, our wedding day was hands down the best day of our lives and we can confidently say it would've been the same without you! You are AMAZING at what you do and we will forever be grateful for the care and attention you provided to us during our wedding season!
Love Nelly & Adrian.
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Khadijah Sent on 09/05/2021Professional & elegant
I was apart of a wedding party this July & I noticed Aretha's poise instantly. She was very organized and made sure our huge party was inline as the day of coordinator and wedding officiant. During the ceremony she did a wonderful job telling the story of the bride and groom. Her sense of humor was the icing on the cake. -
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Nef B. Sent on 08/26/2021Graceful and Elegant
Aretha is amazing, professional and was a blessing to have officiated our marriage. Excellent presentation skills and elegance contrast in the best way with her good sense of humor. My husband and I were at a loss in writing our vows, and she assisted in this daunting task. We could not have asked for a better officiant. She made our day enjoyable and unforgettable. -
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Willissa Sent on 07/10/2021
She Makes it Fun!
When Antonio and I got engaged, we were aware of the amount of work that needed to be done for our wedding. We however were not aware of how fast time would have passed until our wedding arrived. Due to me being in school as well as getting settled into my new job and working two jobs I was not that focused on what was needed as far as DJ, photography and of course an Officiant. Me being a religious person, it was crucial that we had someone that was very open to the ideas I wanted done for our ceremony. We also wanted someone who is very professional and kind. All of these things we saw in Aretha when we had our first zoom meeting with her. After our first zoom meeting I was very grateful that Antonio found her since he handled most of the wedding arrangements. Aretha takes her time getting to know each couple, as well as getting to know their wants and needs for their wedding ceremony. Then she makes it fun and loving. Her love for weddings, love and all-around perfectionism has given me, Antonio and our guests a memorable wedding ceremony. -
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Ashley Sent on 06/23/2021Our best choice!
Finding an officiant was so hard for us because we wanted someone genuine and refreshing but still spiritually in touch. We both grew up in Catholic homes so that’s all we knew but we also knew that we did not walk that path. On our journey to find the perfect person to marry us we just wanted someone that could convey, captivate and speak our love to our audience and that is exactly what Aretha did! Aretha was so warm, calming and blended in with all ages within our guests she gave us a magical moment for our special day. We still have guests raving about her and for that we will always keep her in our family traditions. Choosing Aretha was probably one of our best decisions for our wedding. -
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Keidon Sent on 04/15/2021"With Aretha everything simply felt like so much more."
I mean where do I begin – Aretha is the best. From the elegant choice of words to her gracious demeanor, even down to her tone of voice were all a blessing to hear and be a part of. When it comes to advice or any question we had, Aretha was there for us with meaningful things to say and so much love to give. We wanted to make it very clear and be upfront about God being the main purpose for our holy matrimony and Aretha was so accommodating. We wanted a simple but sweet wedding, but with Aretha everything simply felt like so much more. It really was so much more than we expected, and we truly couldn't have asked for anything better. Aretha is without a doubt the person you need and should want to be your wedding officiant and we thank her so much for her time and effort. -
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Keidra Sent on 04/14/2021Our Amazing Wedding
Aretha is simply amazing. She was great to work with and an honor to have as our Wedding Officiant. She is professional, patient and charming. She gave us everything we wanted in our wedding and more. We requested God being the main focus and she was able to include him in ways we didn't expect making it truly meaningful and personal. Our wedding was small in size but she made it big with love. My family and guests loved her! Most importantly we loved her. She was the icing on the cake. Aretha is truly a master in her craft. Our wedding was perfect thanks to Aretha. Aretha is truly a blessing and we appreciate the time care and attention to detail. She exceeded our expectations. Thank you so much Aretha! -
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Tania Sent on 03/04/2021The Wedding of our Dreams
Our first encounter with Aretha was via Zoom. We connected with her right away; her energy was glowing through the screen, and we felt comfortable sharing our love story with her. Aretha made us feel so at ease and welcomed, it was as if we were talking with an old friend. She was always available to us via Zoom, phone or emails and was always prompt in her replies. We know she runs a business and must be dealing with other couples, however she has this gift of making you feel that you are the only one and the most important people right now, and no one else matters. She is very knowledgeable about her craft and her organization is above and beyond. We simply followed all her suggestions which made this wedding process more fun and beautiful for us, without the stress. Our wedding day was beautiful and magical, so much more than what we had envisioned. And we have Aretha to thank for that. Our experience has been great, so without hesitation we would recommend her to others or use her again if we had to do it all over again. -Tania&Vincent -
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Elan Sent on 02/02/2021Exceptional service
Aretha was thorough from beginning to end. When we first met her, we instantly hit it off. She asked the right questions, followed through, and got to know us rather quickly. She always made us feel like we were her only client (that's important), that she was only a phone call away, and super considerate. Our ceremony was perfectly customized to fit us and we loved it! Thank you for your attention to detail and amazing delivery. All in attendance and virtually raved about the ceremony! We will always jump to refer Aretha if we know anyone looking for a Wedding Officiant. Thanks so much for delivering beyond our expectations!
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Maureen Sent on 12/23/2020
Wonderful experience
We would like to thank Aretha for helping to make our day special. Aretha was very easy to work with despite the major changes made on our side. We appreciate her patience. We would recommend her to any of our friends and family who will be soon tying the knot. Thanks! -
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Abraham Sent on 12/21/2020Aretha makes your wedding a real dream
Aretha brings warmth to your wedding. Her words guide you and your significant other through the path of love. During your ceremony, Aretha makes your loved ones feel special, she pulls the most beautiful words from them and she pulls sweet tears from you. She is passionate about weddings, that's why she makes your special day feel easier, happier, and more joyful.
Before the day of the ceremony, she dedicates the perfect time to listen to you and understand how your ideal ceremony is, and she makes it happen. She also suggests ideas, moments, protocols to guide you to have the most meaningful and thoughtful ceremony you could ever imagine.
Aretha is a professional officiant, she knows all the formal steps to facilitate your marriage process. She answers all your questions and makes you feel calm. She is a true ally. Aretha is also a wonderful human who genuinely shares your happiness.
Aretha loves love. She will make your wedding day a dream come true. -
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Jen K. Sent on 12/21/2020
More than I could have imagined
The idea of having a wedding during Covid felt very daunting. I was worried it wouldn't feel "normal". After an internet search for local officiants, I came across Aretha's website and immediately felt a connection. Something about her felt different compared to other options I came across in my search. So I excitedly showed her site to my fiance and made a virtual consultation.
During our consultation, I was relieved to find out she is as genuine and lovely as she appears on her site. She walked us through the process of planning our ceremony and politely asked about other plans we had for the day. When we asked if she had any recommendations for a photographer, she connected us with someone right away.
Leading up to the ceremony, Aretha helped to keep us organized with our planning by giving little tips here and there. Her little tips made a big difference!
Our ceremony was absolutely beautiful. Aretha led the ceremony with so much poise. Although nearly all of our family and friends joined us virtually, she was able to connect everyone with her words and made it feel as if we were all physically together.
We were incredibly lucky to have found Aretha and I can't imagine having had our ceremony without her. -
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Elease Sent on 12/21/2020Simply amazing
Thank you so much for being important for our wedding day! We cherished having the option to work with you to rejuvenate our fantasy. We valued your assistance in making life-changing moments that will endure forever. You have been more than phenomenal. You took every one of my apprehensions and stresses away while you treated our wedding like it was your own. It is an honor to educate any individual who is getting hitched regarding Beautiful Aretha. -
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Devante Sent on 12/19/2020Working with Aretha was perfect!
Our special day happened over Zoom video in the midst of the pandemic. There are many things that we would change if we could but working with Aretha is not one of them. Even with the barriers of distance and technology between us and our guests, Aretha made sure that our love was able to shine through. From our first conversation, Aretha was curious, attentive, thoughtful, and kind. These are the traits you want in someone who is forever tied to your marriage.
Aretha's curiosity was there when she wanted to know every detail from how we first met to who we aim to be as individuals and as a couple. Her attentiveness was on display when she wove our love story into our ceremony with humor, passion, and elegance. Her thoughtfulness and kindness were there in the moments where she reminded us to just breathe, acknowledging the weight of the moment and not rushing it one bit.
As a couple from a non-traditional family that has a diverse makeup of identities, relationships, and beliefs, we appreciated Aretha's openness to create a ceremony specific to what was important to us. Seeing that she doesn't hesitate to wed couples of different backgrounds, faiths, or identities truly shows that Aretha cares about what matters - Love. -
Karen Sent on 12/17/2020
Best Officiant ever!
When my daughter announced her wedding plans and she was finalizing her date, I was over the moon!! The day she found Aretha to officiate proved to be the icing on the wedding cake!! Aretha is the most amazing officiant anyone could ask for!! Although Aretha is extremely professional, she treats her clients as family! She is patient, loving and kind.
Anyone planning a wedding!? I would recommend Aretha a thousand times and more, no questions asked!!!!
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Myer Sent on 12/15/2020An amazing experience
Aretha was the Officiant for our wedding and from the first meeting she made my wife and I feel exclusive and comfortable. She took her time to get to know us, and even added our own individual quotes to our ceremony. On the day she made our ceremony spiritual and celebratory. She also made sure to have our vows printed up in advance (which was great for me, since I was a bundle of nerves lol) She is all around amazing. She will make your day something to be remembered. -
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Shemeka Sent on 12/11/2020Excellent Officiant!
Aretha is better than the best!!! I would absolutely recommend Weddings By Aretha to anyone looking for an Officiant. Our guests are still raving about our ceremony. We were so happy with the attention to detail Aretha provided. During our very first meeting with her she struck us as a very warm and inviting person. As a soon to be bride, you want to know that everything will go smoothly and as planned. Aretha assured us that everything on her end would be handled worry free. She asked us what our vision for the ceremony was and she utilized what we gave her and made my dream day become a reality. If you are looking for an Officiant that is above board, then Aretha is the one for you. You will not regret it! -
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Rosetta Sent on 12/07/2020Best Wedding Officiant
Aretha is a true professional and I would recommend her without hesitation to anyone seeking an Officiant and/or coordinator for their big day. My husband and I had divided up responsibilities in preparation for the wedding and he was to get the Officiant. He told me no problem. . . but with a little over 3 months to our date, I found out that the Pastor would not be able to perform the ceremony because we were getting married on the first Sunday of the month but would ensure that someone else would be available. Needless to say, my husband was very disappointed, but that is when I went to work and started searching for Officiants. I started on our wedding site, The Knot, and found Aretha. I read her reviews and reached out praying that she would be available. I did not have to wait long for her to respond. She took conference calls with me and my husband to get to know us. I felt very comfortable right away and I knew that I was in good hands. It was one less thing for me as a bride to worry about. Aretha worked closely with my vendors such as the photographer and venue staff. My day was flawless! Even though I failed to bring my marriage license, the ceremony went on without anyone the wiser. I am officially married -- Aretha walked me through the process so that I could get my paperwork signed and filed. My wedding happened just before the COVID-19 shutdown and my friends and family today are still talking about it and remembering it fondly as one of the last big events that they were able to enjoy before the pandemic. My husband and I were very fortunate to have secured Aretha as our Officiant -
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Ali F. Sent on 11/15/2020Aretha was a great officiant!
Aretha is an eloquent and thoughtful Officiant. She took care of all the ceremony and legal details so we did not have to worry about anything. Aretha was also good at rolling with the punches --- our ceremony had to change last minute due to rain on the beach, and she handled it perfectly. -
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Xiaoyu Sent on 10/26/2020Great wedding!
Planning for a wedding has never been easy, and it is especially true during COVID and with the fact that we were foreign to the legal processes of getting married in US. Luckily, we found Aretha, who is not only a professional and reliable Officiant, but also handled our situation with compassion and flexibility. Before the wedding ceremony she gave us important tips and instructions on everything we needed to know about preparation; on the day of the ceremony, she drove all the way from inner Jersey to our apartment building, married us with a short but sweet wedding vow tailored to our scene, and made sure all the paperwork was done correctly with the witnesses. She also followed up with detailed instructions for getting the marriage certificate after the ceremony in a timely fashion.
All in all, we feel very lucky to have Aretha as our Officiant and are extremely happy about how our wedding ceremony turned out! If any of our friends would like to hire an Officiant for their weddings in the future, we’ll definitely recommend her! -
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Rodlyn Sent on 10/26/2020An absolute joy to work with!!!!
With one week to plan our wedding, I endeavored to find an Officiant who would help me express the joy I feel in committing to the love of my life forever. I knew it would be a challenge, but with the help of hashtags, I met Aretha on Instagram, and the connection was instant. There began the fantastic journey of collaboration and support that culminated in the most beautiful day of my life.
From the very first message I sent Aretha, to which she promptly responded, to our ongoing, almost daily conversations, she used her encyclopedic knowledge of the wedding process to help us pull off this amazing day in such a short time. Finding out that we are both from Guyana was the icing on the cake.
The day we choose for our wedding day is a very special day for us, and we desperately wanted to get married on our special day. However, COVID-19 presented significant challenges as I traveled from the Caribbean to New York City in the hopes of getting our marriage license on time. We shared our challenges and frustration with Aretha, who was always available to us, advised us, supported us, and cheered us on as we overcame the obstacles and were able to get our marriage license in time.
With our marriage license secured, Aretha went into full organizing mode. She took charge, going above and beyond her duties to ensure perfection for our day. From makeup artists, photographers, and even the florist for my bouquet, Aretha thought of everything to ease my anxiety and help make our day pure perfection.
We got married on a beautiful Fall day in October, and our wedding day was PERFECT! Aretha proved that she heard everything we communicated to her about our love story because with heartfelt kindness, warmth, and love, she brought our story to life so that all in attendance felt the love we feel for each other.
I highly recommend Aretha’s services (both the officiating and planning) for your wedding, no matter how big or small. She listens to you and personalizes your ceremony so that it reflects your love in the way you want.
My husband and I are so grateful to Aretha for this experience. She has quickly become like family to us.
Sean and Rodlyn Williams
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Chelsie Sent on 10/18/2020HIGHLY RECOMMEND Having Aretha Officiate Your Wedding
From our first conversation, Jeff and I knew we wanted to work with Aretha – her upbeat and professional demeanor was inviting and refreshing. She made us laugh and wrote the most beautiful, heartfelt vows for us. Our families even commented on how loving and special her words were on our important day. She was always available over email and for a meeting. Although the pandemic and quarantine altered our original wedding plans, Aretha helped to make the day feel romantic, intimate, and joyful, and her words will be remembered for a long time, both by ourselves and our families. -
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Priscilla Sent on 10/15/2020Can not recommend enough!
Aretha was a huge part in making our wedding day truly special. While we had to cancel our larger wedding due to the pandemic, we knew we still wanted to keep our special date and get married in a small ceremony to add some much needed hope and joy to the crazy year that is 2020. Our initial wedding plan was for the friend that introduced us to get certified and officiate our marriage, so we were very wary and upset about having to find an officiant we didn't know. After a quick Google search, we found Aretha which led to a quick check of her Instagram page, and decided to reach out. We weren't expecting to feel excited about her -- not because she didn't look fantastic, but because we were so bummed about not being able to go with our initial officiant option, the friend that introduced us. But, after our first video call with her, we instantly felt so connected to her and knew we wanted to go with her, and did not meet with anyone else to be our officiant. From the planning stages, to the ceremony itself, and even after, Aretha was amazing -- so thoughtful, thorough, patient, and kind. One particularly special thing Aretha did was honor my mother who passed away when I was a child. I mentioned I wanted some kind of acknowledgement of her to be included in the ceremony, and that was it -- I didn't provide any extra detail or review what she was going to say. What she included in the ceremony for her was more than I could have asked for, and it really all made us feel her presence that day. I can not recommend Aretha enough, and I selfishly hope that even though we plan to stay married forever, we can still somehow stay in contact with her, lol! :) Thank you so much, Aretha! -
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Rosebud Sent on 09/30/2020Amazing!!!
Aretha Gaskin made our ceremony feel so personal to us, and handled everything with compassion and humor, during a time in our lives when we had good reason to be nervous about more than just the wedding (ahem, COVID.) From the very beginning, meeting with her allowed us to feel like everything was going to work out perfectly. Her step by step approach enabled us to stay in the moment and avoid getting carried away by the stress of planning our wedding. As for the ceremony itself, having her calm, steady energy at the altar was crucial to our wedding day, since we both came in a little hot. As a couple with a lot of energy and enthusiasm (sometimes a little too much,) she reminded us both to breathe, to look at one another, to really be present in our marriage ceremony; and I hope to carry the message she gave us into our everyday lives as a married couple. Looking back at our wedding, we both can honestly say that the ceremony was our favorite part. Standing there surrounded by our friends and family (at a safe social distance), standing under the historical arch at Washington Square Park, Aretha somehow made the whole thing feel like it was just about us. We’ll always remember it as one of the most beautiful moments of our lives. Thank you Aretha, from the bottom of our hearts, for making that possible.
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Nathaly Sent on 09/29/2020
Unforgettable
Aretha is not just any Officiant, she is truly one of a kind. I interviewed with different Officiants, but none came close to making me feel excited and less stressed out about our wedding day. She was able to guide me through the process and it made things so much easier for us. Aretha customized our ceremony to feel like us. It was funny and romantic and even had some people in tears. Aretha even included our son in the unity candle ceremony. Everyone has been talking about our ceremony and how beautiful and memorable our ceremony was. It was everything I asked for. Aretha, thank you for telling our story and making our day even more special. -
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Kiara Sent on 09/25/2020Amazing Officiant!
Aretha honestly made our experience so smooth from the moment we spoke to her. On the day of our wedding she helped calm our nerves. She is absolutely amazing and did an awesome job. Thank you for such a great time! -
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Aicha Sent on 09/25/2020Weddings by Aretha is a Class Act
I didn’t know what to expect during the wedding planning process and looked at the task of hiring an officiant something quick and easy to check off my to do list. However, Aretha was so much more than someone licensed to marry us and not someone who would just show up on our wedding day and walk us through exchanging vows. She was there through the entire process, always just a phone call or email away with any questions I had, and she always responded in a timely manner.
If you are looking for a specially crafted ceremony by an expert officiant, then Weddings by Aretha should be your only choice. Aretha took the time to get know us as individuals in order to create meaningful wedding vows that made our ceremony both unique and special. From our consultation call up to our wedding day, and even after, Aretha was there every step of the way and has been a valuable resource. She made choosing an officiant the least of our worries during wedding planning. We were so glad to have been able to connect with and hire her as our officiant, her service to us was stellar and world class. -
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Sheldon Sent on 09/25/2020The Greatest Of All Time
When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. This note is to express our heartfelt gratitude to Aretha for making our dream become a reality. Sheldon & I could not have successfully jump the broom without her. Aretha in every aspect surpassed every one of our expectations by delivering a flawless personalized ceremony sprinkled with a dash of humor, reminding us why we decided to become one. Aretha was friendly, professional, prompt, funny and most of all patient. We feel honored that she took the time on such short notice to help us in making a lifelong commitment to each other in front of our family and friends. We are forever grateful to Aretha for being apart of our celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity.
Sheldon & Natty Sept 20 2020 -
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Tevonda Sent on 08/22/2020Aretha Made Our Wedding Magical
My then fiance and I had to postpone our destination wedding twice due to the coronavirus pandemic.
After the reality of this fact settled, and the disappointment and weariness subsided, we humbly decided to have a very small intimate wedding.
Our first task in doing this was, to find the perfect officiant. We did a Google search and we came upon, Weddings by Aretha.
I contacted Aretha, via email, with very little expectation of a response. I was pleasantly surprised to see, that within a couple of hours we received an email from her.
That one email proved to us that Aretha was prompt, considerate, professional and invested in making weddings everything that they should be.
After we engaged with Aretha during our Zoom consultation, we were elated. We felt excited, yet relaxed and calm. But most of all we felt that we were in good hands.
Aretha took her time and thoroughly explained the process about what we could expect prior to, during, as well as after the ceremony. She answered every question that we could think of, even the questions we felt were silly.
With less than one month away, Aretha informed us that she had availability and that she would be our officiant. At this point we felt that the dialogue and process, as well as our needs were met. Aretha then provided us with recommendations for a photographer for our special day, which we had not yet secured. YIKES
A few days prior to our special day, we received an email from Aretha asking if there was anything else that we needed that would make our special day better.
Aretha was an amazing officiant. Her eloquence and heartfelt vows captured our love completely and thoroughly. She was confident, as well as attentive for our ceremony. Aretha seemed genuinely happy for us, and it showed.
Aretha's demeanor, as well as her impeccable and appropriate attire, complemented our special day as well as her craft very well.
We would recommend her to any couple who desires to have a seamless ceremony officiated by someone who is a master of her craft. -
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