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Susan Sent on 10/23/2022

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A totally personalized experience leading to a memorable ceremony!

We envisioned a unique and personalized ceremony that we would cherish forever; Stoddard made that happen beyond our expectations! From our first meeting, welcoming us into his home along with his lovely wife and well behaved rescued greyhounds, to the moment of our ceremony, Stoddard evoked a sense of calmness and trust within us. He made an overwhelming process become a true project of love for us with his experience, offerings, direction, and openness, enveloped by a unique warmth and charm that connects to your soul. He took all of the pressure off of us so that we could be present for each other. Our guests were brought to tears and embraced the true love and joy that we hold between us. Thank you Stoddard for our meaningful and intimate ceremony and for becoming a cherished part of our community!

Diana Sent on 03/28/2025

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Unforgettable Ceremony: A Perfect Officiant Who Made Our Day Truly Special

We couldn’t be more thrilled with our choice of wedding officiant! From the very first conversation, Stoddard was incredible at communicating with us, making sure every detail was perfect and aligned with our vision for the big day. He took the time to truly understand our love story and captured it so beautifully in the ceremony – it felt so personal and heartfelt, and it really brought everything to life.

The readings selected were profound and meaningful, resonating deeply with us and our guests. He struck the perfect balance in the length of the ceremony, making it both intimate and engaging without feeling rushed or drawn out. One of the highlights of our entire wedding was, without a doubt, the ceremony itself. It was hands-down one of our favorite moments of the day, and many of our guests commented on how moving and special it was as well.

We are so grateful that Stoddard was there to guide us through the ceremony, as it truly wouldn’t have been the same without him. We’ll forever cherish the memories of that moment, and we know our guests will, too. Highly recommend!

Allie Sent on 06/27/2024

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a GREAT officiant!

Stoddard absolutely knocked it out of the park at our wedding ceremony. He drew our attention as he is the only officiant I found that does not have absurd fees and nickel and dimes for every little thing. After meeting him, it was evident that he loves what he does, and on top of that he is AMAZING at it! He allowed us to help pick almost every aspect of our ceremony, while leaving some parts a secret for us to be surprised about during the ceremony. He was responsive, kind, and above all else extremely eloquent in his speaking. Thank you, Stoddard!

Claudia Sent on 11/25/2023

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Excellent JP!

We're so glad Stoddard officiated our wedding! We enjoyed getting to know him at our initial meeting at his home. He immediately made us feel welcome and explained his process to us. When it was time for us to tell him our story, he listened attentively and took notes. From the time of that meeting through to our wedding, Stoddard was always quick to respond to messages, which was much appreciated by a stressed-out bride-to-be. He made the process of crafting our ceremony fun and easy, and the remarks that he put together were both funny and sentimental. The day of our wedding, several guests commented on how much they had liked our ceremony and our choice of JP! Stoddard is a true professional who takes his role seriously, in addition to being an all-around good person. We highly recommend him!

Rachel Sent on 10/23/2023

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Looks like you found your JP! :)

Stoddard was very professional and an absolute pleasure to work with. He invited us into his home and very patiently explained the entire ceremony process to us. We discussed a lot of the details and he sent us a template to use for our ceremony along with literally a hundred different ideas for everything from readings, to vows, to blessings. We got a completely custom ceremony that was extremely personal. Our guests could not stop complimenting us on the ceremony. Under Stoddard's direction, everything went incredibly smoothly and his pre-wedding pep talk to us was incredible helpful and exactly what we both needed. It made us feel like Stoddard was there for us and that it meant so much more than just his job. We even got compliments from the venue staff on how beautiful our ceremony was. Now, we have been to weddings where it is clear that the person marrying the couple doesn't even know their names. Not so with Stoddard! He talked to us for over two hours to get to know both of us enough to be able to drop in anecdotes about both of us which made the wedding incredibly special. What's even more amazing is that unbeknownst to us, six years prior, Stoddard had married the groom's brother and sister-in-law! We couldn't be more pleased with how our ceremony went. It exceeded not only our expectations, but many of the guests said that it was the most personal, elegant, and memorable ceremony they have ever been to. Thank you Stoddard!

Photos courtesy of Kristen LeClair's Photography

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Bridgette Sent on 09/08/2023

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Wonderful Experience!

Stoddard was the most perfect addition to our wedding day! From the beginning, he helped to streamline the process for us and explain details we wouldn't have even thought of. Stoddard took the time to get to know us and to create a personalized ceremony that captured our relationship - we received so many compliments on our ceremony! The day of the wedding Stoddard handled any challenges with grace and dignity and delivered a wonderful and special ceremony. We are so glad to have had Stoddard as part of our wedding day and couldn't imagine having had it any other way!

Katie Sent on 08/16/2023

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Wonderful ceremony and to work with!

Stoddard performed our ceremony on 7/21 - we were so happy with how it went. He took the time to get to know us when we first met and really personalized the ceremony. Stoddard was extremely organized and helped us with each step in the process - all the way down to ensuring we had a copy of our marriage certificate to bring with us on our honeymoon. We had several family members tell us how much they enjoyed the ceremony and truly thought Stoddard was a family friend or someone we had known for quite some time. Highly recommend!

Katherine Sent on 08/04/2023

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Highly Recommend

Stoddard took the time to get to know us and learn all about our relationship. He made the wedding process very easy and enjoyable. Our ceremony was everything we could’ve asked for!

Lindsey Sent on 08/01/2023

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Wonderful!

We got married in July and Stoddard was absolutely delightful! We did not know what we wanted for our ceremony and Stoddard walked us through the process, gave many helpful ideas, but also let us customize. We have had so many guests comment on how much they loved our ceremony.

Louis Sent on 07/22/2023

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Couldn't have asked for a better JP to marry us!

Stoddard was fantastic every step of the way! He and his wife (and their dogs) are absolutely lovely. He first met with us to understand who we are, how we met, etc in order to personalize his words for our ceremony. He had loads of examples of vows, readings, and ceremony ideas for us to take inspiration from, drawn from his many years of experience. He was incredibly organized every step of the way, and helped make our ceremony perfect. He was very professional, extremely responsive by e-mail, and was well known by the venue we used. We'd give him 6 stars if we could! We have joked about having a vow renewal ceremony just so we have an excuse to work with him again. Thank you for everything, Stoddard!

Elizabeth Sent on 06/07/2023

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Beautiful Ceremony

Stoddard was great! Right when we met with him for our initial meeting we knew he was the one that we wanted to officiate our wedding. He is so kind and thoughtful in what he does (He even rescues grey hounds, what a guy!). We had many questions- all of which Stoddard answered. We were nervous about the ceremony- Stoddard did a run through and told exactly what to do- this made us both feel at ease. Planning was easy and we were able to put in our input every step of the way. Our ceremony could not have been any better- it was personalized to us, it was sweet, it was funny - in the crowd there were tears, smiles, laughs...it was perfect!

Kaylee Sent on 06/04/2023

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We love Stoddard!

Picking Stoddard as our officiant was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding ceremony! We met a few months beforehand for Stoddard to meet us and get a sense of who we were as a couple and then he incorporated the personal details we discussed into a beautiful ceremony. All of our guests loved how personal and heartfelt it was and even thought he was a close longtime friend of ours. It was that perfect! 11/10 recommend Stoddard for anyone looking for an officiant!

Kellie Sent on 02/18/2023

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High quality great value

Stoddard made the entire process extremely easy with no lack of quality, personalization, professionalism, or attentiveness. He helped us to have the perfect ceremony and I honestly would not have changed a single thing. He had great recommendations and was one of the sweetest and most caring people I have met. Plus, as fellow dog lovers we loved that rescuing grey hounds was a passion of his.

Elisha Sent on 12/21/2022

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Thank you, Stoddard, For an Amazing Wedding

As an officiant Stoddard Melhado was nothing short of exceptional. Stoddard graciously welcomed us and our newly born baby into his home for a sit down meet and greet. He took the time to understand who we were as a couple and immediately we felt comfortable and knew we did not need to look any further. We were able to work closely with Stoddard through email and phone calls to curate our ceremony exactly how we wanted it to be. As our wedding day was approaching, the weather did not want to cooperate, and Stoddard was extremely accommodating, and we ended up moving it closer by a couple days! My husband and I chose to elope and tie the knot at our local arboretum which was very meaningful to us. The day of was an exceptionally warm November day and standing under the pergola with my soon to be husband and baby girl looking on from the bench it was... well PERFECT! Thank you very much Stoddard for the work you do with couples and the time and energy devoted towards the care of retired greyhounds. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and the Melhado Family!

6Bcaa6Fbaedb75E4Fbc57A9D370928Ed33Ec2515 Sent on 12/06/2022

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Absolutely wonderful

`Stoddard made our ceremony so wonderful. From the initial meeting to the day of, he was so patient and helpful with coordinating and creating our ceremony. He did a remarkable job, and our guests kept commenting on how much they enjoyed him. Thank you Stoddard!! He is the best out there, we cannot recommend him enough.

Sarah Sent on 11/23/2022

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The Most Beautiful Ceremony You Could Ever Ask For

Stoddard helped us craft the most beautiful ceremony for our wedding day. His words and passages were so thoughtful, and he was able to weave in so many personal details specific to our relationship. The planning process was seamless and we knew from our first meeting that we had made the best choice in hiring Stoddard. On our wedding day, we smiled, we laughed, we cried - our family and friends are STILL talking about how wonderful the ceremony was. I could not recommend Stoddard highly enough!

Elizabeth Sent on 11/09/2022

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Stoddard provided us with a beautiful, personalized ceremony!

Stoddard was so lovely to work with and provided us with such a unique and beautiful ceremony! He and his wife took time to meet with my husband and I and hear the story of how we met and fell in love beforehand. His words at our wedding were so lovely and personalized, and he was extremely helpful and responsive leading up to the wedding day. Our guests commented on how well he led the ceremony and how beautiful it was. I highly recommend Stoddard as a JP, he will give you an incredible ceremony!

Caitlin Sent on 10/20/2022

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Stoddard made our ceremony extra special

Our entire experience with Stoddard was fantastic! He took the time to meet with us at his home and really get to know us as a couple. He made us feel so comfortable and guided us through the process. He used all of these details in our ceremony and made it personal, emotional, and even funny! He kept all of our guests engaged while making the best memories for my husband and me. All of our guests came up to us after the ceremony and had to know who the Justice of the Peace was because he did such a wonderful job! I can't say enough about what a fantastic experience we had with Stoddard. I highly recommend him if you are searching for someone to officiate who will go above and beyond to make your day special!

Tianlun Sent on 10/18/2022

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Stoddard is the officiant you want!

Stoddard is very professional and keen on helping couples to customize their weddings. His personal remarks on our love story was well enjoyed by our guests and added a lot of laughters in our wedding. Our ceremony was so much more memorable because of Stoddard. I highly recommend him as your officiant.

Katlyn Sent on 10/12/2022

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Wedding Officiant

Stoddard did an amazing job officiating our wedding. He worked with us to add all of the elements to make our ceremony the most memorable and personable. He offered suggestions and opinions on important pieces of the day and delivered a very kind message to my Husband and I. The ceremony was our favorite part of the day!

Meghan Sent on 10/12/2022

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Fantastic Officiant that creates memorable and personalized ceremonies

Don't hesitate to book Stoddard as your officiant! He was fantastic from start to finish and created a personalized and memorable ceremony for my husband and I for our October 2022 wedding. His delivery of the ceremony on the wedding day was absolutely perfect and his costs for his services were very affordable for us and our budget. He even came to our rehearsal as well and was on time to everything. Couldn't recommend him more!

Tara Sent on 10/08/2022

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Absolutely blown away!

When we set out with plans of a small, intimate, wedding I would never have thought that the words from the ceremony would be a chart topper. Stoddard was so professional and kind. He had us both in tears…he put such thought into this ceremony I’m sure he’s performed a thousand times, but it felt tailored to us. He completely exceeded our expectations and I would highly recommend Stoddard!

Hannah Sent on 09/27/2022

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You Will Not Regret Hiring Stoddard!

Stoddard made our wedding ceremony so special. He took the time to get to know us as a couple, and our visit to his home with his wife Ky and greyhounds was one of the highlights of our wedding planning process. He was very professional and made us feel comfortable reciting our vows. Our guests raved about our ceremony and we are so grateful he could help make it so special.

Lanh Sent on 09/27/2022

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Personalized and thoughtful

From our first to last interaction with Stoddard, he was an absolute professional and so easy to work with. He really got to know us as a couple and the ceremony ran very smoothly thanks to his guidance. Being from out of state, he also graciously went above and beyond and picked up our marriage certificate for us so we didn’t have to add another thing on our to-do list. Highly recommend!

Jenna Sent on 09/21/2022

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A wonderful personal ceremony

Stoddard officiated our wedding this past July. We loved his ceremony structure and style in officiating. We were lucky to be able to meet with him in person prior to our wedding and loved his approach to getting to know us as a couple to build our ceremony. He had a wide range of readings, blessings, and options for different parts of the ceremony like introducing our vows and the exchange of rings. Using Stoddard’s resources, we were able to build a ceremony that fit us as a couple.

Stoddard ran our rehearsal and was very efficient on a hot day. He worked well with our wedding party, parents, the venue coordinator, and the DJ to make sure everything was running smoothly. Our wedding was on another very hot day and Stoddard kept the ceremony moving, but not rushed, so that we could appreciate the moment but get out of the heat swiftly. We received so many compliments from our guests about the ceremony, and Stoddard specifically.

Our ceremony was a very special part of our wedding and it was Stoddard’s style and guidance that helped it to be the best it could be. We highly recommend Stoddard to officiate your wedding!

Sarah Sent on 09/18/2022

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Justice of the peace-Stoddard

You definitely need to have Stoddard as your JP! He’s the absolute best I am thankful we had him as our JP. He did an amazing job and made the crowd laugh. He also made us laugh and made us feel so relaxed! Told everyone our wonderful story of how we met! He’s the best! Very organized and structured.

Maria Sent on 09/17/2022

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Look no further for an experienced JP!!

JP Stoddard was incredibly prepared and respectful. He is clearly a professional and experienced in his work. We loved him as did our guests. We would certainly recommend him as your officiant. The whole experience was wonderful—we met in his home with his amazing wife and stunning greyhounds (the best part!) JP Stoddard was a great listener, and it was evident when he told the story of us during our ceremony. He had many great ideas for the flow of our day with respecting what we wanted. He also came prepared with his own lapel microphone. Thank you so much for marrying us!!!

Stacy Sent on 09/17/2022

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Beautifully Intimate Ceremony

My husband and I cannot recommend Stoddard enough. We had the most amazing ceremony thanks to him. Stoddard met with us, learned who we are and how we met, then wrote the most beautiful ceremony for us. Stoddard helped me include my step daughter with personalized vows to her. The wedding planning process is overwhelming, Stoddard eased all our fears and anxieties allowing us to focus on us. Thank you Stoddard from the bottom of our hearts for your beautiful words to blend our family.

Susie Sent on 09/05/2022

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Professional and Personable

Stoddard was amazing to work with. Him and his wife Kye made us so comfortable and shared wonderful stories. His knowledge and experience made for an amazing process and beautiful service. I would recommend him again and again.

Kelley Sent on 08/26/2022

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Perfect officiant!

I am a very detail-oriented person & I interviewed 2 other officiants before we found Stoddard. Right away - I knew Stoddard was going to be excellent & the most critical piece to our wedding. Stoddard was so confident, caring & helpful throughout the entire process. Look no further, Stoddard was smooth & his high level of confidence helped us stay calm. His personality made all of us laugh at the most perfect timing. Stoddard is an amazing professional! He did a PERFECT JOB!

Abigail Sent on 08/18/2022

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Amazing Experience with Stoddard

Stoddard was amazing from start to finish. He, his wife & their rescue greyhounds are lovely & made the planning experience so easy. Stoddard helped us execute the most beautiful & incredibly touching ceremony - most of our guests admitted to tearing up at one point or another. Stoddard helped make our wedding day extra incredible & we’ll be forever grateful.

Emily Sent on 08/18/2022

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Wonderful Justice of the Peace!

Stoddard officiated our ceremony in July 2022. He was amazing! When we first met Stoddard for our initial meeting, he took the time to get to know my husband and I. He asked us how we met, what is important to us as a couple, and what we like to do together. In our ceremony, he shared those details with our family and friends and it was so special. Stoddard was also very quick to send back our completed marriage license to the town.
We highly recommend Stoddard to be your JP!

Christie Sent on 08/18/2022

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Stoddard Melhado: the best of the best!

Mr. Melhado is amazing.
During our initial meeting we sat down with him at his home, and had the pleasure of meeting his wife and dogs, making it feel so personable and comfortable. He took the time to listen to our story, our wishes for our big day, and gave his (well respected) advice from his own marriage of 50+ years.
With a reputable background in guidance, he made sure to check in on our personal well-being, and offered advice throughout the entire planning process. We always felt heard and cared about, and that is truly something special!
Our ceremony was nothing less than perfect. Thanks to Stoddard, it was personable, beautiful, and way more than what we could’ve imagined.
Mr. Melhado, thank you for making our day as amazing as it was. You really are one of a kind, and anyone who has you making their marriage “official” is very very luck.
Cheers!
Clint and Christie

Nathan Sent on 08/11/2022

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Truly Amazing

Stoddard was an absolutely amazing Justice of the Peace and I highly recommend him for any wedding. His communication was excellent and timely and he really took the time to get to know us. He provided us with everything we needed to help create a memorable ceremony. 10 out of 10!

Elizabeth Sent on 07/03/2022

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Wonderful!

From start to finish, Stoddard was amazing to work with. He was receptive to the ideas we had for our wedding ceremony and even suggested a few that we had not considered and ended up loving. During the ceremony, he was clear and helped set the tone for our entire night. Many of our guests commented on how well-spoken he was and even remembered him officiating for other weddings they have attended. You will be in good hands if you book Stoddard as your officiant!

Kristin Sent on 06/27/2022

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Five Stars

We'd like to thank Stoddard for officiating our wedding in May 2022. If we had to offer one piece of advice for couples looking for a wedding officiant, it would be to find someone you connect with. That person for us was Stoddard. We received so many kind words from family and friends about our ceremony. Simply, we trusted him with our special day and we were able to work on creating a ceremony that was personalized for us and we are so happy. We were blessed to work with amazing vendors for our wedding. Stoddard was a blessing to work with. He is professional, friendly, and down-to-earth. We are grateful to WeddingWire.com for introducing us to such a great person. We consider him not only our wedding officiant but a friend. Thank you!

Linette Sent on 06/27/2022

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Amazing, Professional and Kind!

My mom reached out to Stoddard on my behalf and WOW what a great choice!! We met with him (and his greyhounds!) at his home and immediately knew he was the right choice to officiate our ceremony! He was kind, flexible, detail oriented and took the time to get to know us! At the ceremony he was incredibly professional and definitely made my guests laugh when he told them about my fiancé and I! It was great and I highly recommend Stoddard to anyone!

Kate-Lynn Sent on 06/26/2022

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Highly recommend!

We reached out to Stoddard after extensively researching JPs near us and were very impressed with the reviews given to him by others he worked with, as well as how helpful we found his website. We had no idea about planning a wedding ceremony, and the information on his website really helped set the stage for us. We scheduled a consultation with him, which I believe was an hour long, but ended up staying over that time chatting with him and his lovely wife. After the consultation we knew we wanted to work with him; he was so pleasant, helpful, and understanding. He was super straightforward and clear with his process. He was willing to work with ideas and welcomed creativity but also guided us along when we needed help. Stoddard made this process so easy and simple for us, which was so appreciated! He was so responsive to emails and flexible when we had to change our rehearsal date. He was so unbelievably helpful the night of the rehearsal and really helped explain the process to us. The ceremony went seamlessly and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. We had so many guests compliment our ceremony and say how beautiful it was, which was all thanks to Stoddard as he has so many reading selections to accommodate every kind of couple. It’s clear he put so much time and effort into his offerings. We had so much fun putting our ceremony together. Working with Stoddard was the best decision we could have made and one of our very favorite parts of wedding planning. We highly recommend him.

Jie S. Sent on 06/23/2022

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Thank you, Stoddard!

We felt so lucky that we had Stoddard for our ceremony! We enjoyed having discussions through consultations before wedding and the wedding ceremony was perfect. Thank you Stoddard!

Kelsey Sent on 06/22/2022

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Simply the Best!

We are so grateful that Stoddard was our JP for our wedding on 5/29/22. His responsiveness was immediate throughout the wedding process as well as he was very willing, patient and flexible to meet our needs. We valued his time and input as well as we feel that he valued ours as well. He created a ceremony that was very intimate and personal and we couldn't be happier with how it all came together. We are so appreciative of our time with Stoddard and whole heartedly recommend him to future couples! You'll be lucky to have him.

Liz W. Sent on 06/20/2022

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Wonderful experience!

Stoddard was among a short list of officiants recommended to us by our venue. After looking into everyone on the list, my now-husband and I knew we wanted to meet with him, and the meeting solidified that he was the best choice we could ask for. As animal lovers, we loved that Stoddard and his wife, Ky, rescue greyhounds, and meeting both of them was such a fun, easygoing experience. From our first meeting we felt at ease with Stoddard, and we could tell that he genuinely cares about his couples and the work he does. He was incredibly helpful, providing a framework for us to use to build our ceremony, and getting to know us so that he could make our ceremony feel personal. He was always accessible and responsive, and made the whole process easy. We could not have been happier with how our ceremony ended up!

Nora Sent on 06/19/2022

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Stoddard is the BEST JP!

Stoddard was the best JP I ever could have hoped for! My husband came across his information, and we were excited right away having a number of interests in common with him. He graciously invited us to his house where we had the opportunity to get to know each other a bit better to determine whether it felt like the right fit. Stoddard was a true professional and walked us through the process in a way that was very reassuring. His organizational skills were top notch and we knew our ceremony would be in good hands under his guidance. After the ceremony, we received so many compliments from friends and family on the readings and the way it was structured, and this was all due to Stoddard's eloquence and insightful suggestions. Thank you Stoddard for being a part of the most magical day of our lives!

Megan Sent on 05/23/2022

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Amazing Wedding Ceremony!

The ceremony that Stoddard created for us was perfect. It was personal and sweet. The process of working with him was seamless as well. He responded promptly and answered all of our questions. We really enjoyed meeting with him prior to the wedding to learn about the process and for us to get to know each other!! We felt like we had a lot of options to create a ceremony that really fit who we are as a couple. After the wedding, we have heard from so many guests that it was the best ceremony they have ever been to! We truly can't say enough good things about Stoddard. The ceremony was wonderful and he is wonderful as well!

Shelagh Sent on 05/19/2022

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Best, most thoughtful officiant!

My husband and I are so grateful to Stoddard for helping us to create such a beautiful, special wedding ceremony that was uniquely ours. From our first meeting (he holds an initial consultation at his home, where we were also about to meet and get to know his wife and adorable dogs), he was warm, inviting and so helpful. He spent time getting to know us both separately and us a couple, which he then used to personalize our ceremony - this was such a nice touch. He provided us with a template for our ceremony, that we then got to make our own; from blessings, readings, vows, order etc. the whole ceremony from start to finish (including marriage advice from Stoddard and his wife of 50+ years) was put together completely by my husband and I. This definitely made the process for intimate and special for the both of us.

My husband and I eloped, with no guests, but having Stoddard and his wife there was the perfect addition to our day. We are so glad that we decided to record our ceremony at the last minute, as we have been watching it on repeat!

Beyond creating such a beautiful ceremony, Stoddard was kind, timely, professional, and was great at following up with us on and walking us through all of the important details (marriage certificate, having copies of our vows, how to hold the rings, etc.).

We would happily recommend him to any couple planning their wedding!

Natassja Sent on 04/12/2022

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Caring and amazing man!

He made sure we met, he wanted to know us and made our ceremony personal. Exactly what we wanted for renewing our vows. The care, the details and wording were perfect. Our ceremony was BEAUTIFUL. We are so greatful!

Alexa Sent on 01/31/2022

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Warm and Experienced JP for COVID "Big" Wedding

Stoddard was such a warm, caring officiant, and we would recommend him to anybody!

Wedding Preparation: Our first meeting with Stoddard was in July 2021 where we met him, his wife and his wonderful greyhounds. After telling them our story and going over the process for creating the ceremony we left feeling so happy and in love. Stoddard’s process of providing a template for the ceremony, and giving us the freedom to choose the readings, blessings, ring exchange, etc., was a wonderful way of letting us make it personal while keeping the ceremony feeling intact. He gives pages of examples for jumping off points, but encourages you to create the ceremony that is best for you.

Rehearsal Dinner: We were so impressed by Stoddard at the rehearsal dinner. We could tell by his attention to small details that he is an expert. From how to hold our rings on each other’s fingers, to who to look at during different parts of the ceremony, those small details made a huge difference in our ceremony.

Wedding Day: Our wedding was held up a mountain during a record-breaking snowstorm - over a foot of snow and blizzard conditions on the day of our wedding. While I wanted some snow on the ground, I think this was more than anyone planned for. Stoddard assured me that he would make it, and he was there with plenty of time to spare. However, I did appreciate his preparation in sending the full ceremony to our DJ in case he couldn’t make it. One of the best parts of Stoddard’s ceremony is his personal remarks - he takes your personal story and shares it as part of the ceremony. TIP: Don’t ask to see it beforehand, he does a wonderful job and it’s a lovely surprise to hear it for the first time. The ceremony felt so intimate and lovely and all of our guests were raving about how great of a job he did.

Stoddard’s warmth and expertise really showed throughout the whole process, and we are so happy we chose him!

Elizabeth Sent on 01/17/2022

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We can't thank you enough, Stoddard.

If you’re looking for a wedding ceremony that is tailored exactly to the incredible love story that you and your fiance have written, you’ve found your officiant. Stoddard officiated our wedding in July 2021 (after having postponed our original August 2020 ceremony). From the very beginning, he was warm, kind, and inviting, asking us thoughtful questions about our relationship and using our responses to curate a personalized, tear-jerking ceremony that even many months later, still has our friends and family talking about how beautiful, personal, and intimate it was. As part of his very organized process, he worked with us to include meaningful readings, assisted us in writing our vows, and even helped put our nerves at ease the night before at our rehearsal dinner. Though my (now) husband and I will only get married once, there’s no question that if we were to renew our vows, Stoddard would be our very first call.

Jennifer Sent on 01/11/2022

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Wedding with Stoddard as our JOP

Amazing to work with 10 stars! I highly recommend him! Simply fantastic

Elizabeth Sent on 12/27/2021

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Most wonderful officiant!

We were married on 12/11/2021 by JP Stoddard Melhado and are beyond happy that we went with him. Meeting him and sharing our story with him and his wife was a really great experience. Stoddard is warm and laid back, and also very professional and organized. He provided us with a comprehensive guide for our ceremony and was very responsive to any questions or updates we had throughout our planning. Our ceremony went off without a hitch and our guests kept gushing about how beautiful and amazing the ceremony was. They all said it sounded like he had known us for years, as he gives his own personal remarks and wisdom on marriage and it was really very special. Highly recommend his services to anyone looking!

Rebecca Sent on 11/09/2021

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Best Day Ever!

Stoddard was an absolute joy to work with! He made everything flow so easily. I think I wrote him about 20 emails during this whole process, but he was prompt with his replies and very patient. He made it very easy for my husband and I to put together vows that were meaningful, and relevant to our relationship. I am very happy that my husband and I were able to find him!

Ashley Sent on 11/09/2021

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Perfection!

It was an absolute pleasure to work with Stoddard. From start to finish he was super flexible during the planning process and answered any and all questions we had quickly. On our wedding day he gave a beautiful service, that to this day we still get compliments on how beautiful and unique it was. You can certainly tell that he truly loves what he does because it really shows in his work. I would highly recommend working with him you will not regret it! My husband and I cannot thank him enough!!

Kathleen Sent on 10/31/2021

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Highly Recommend!

We can't recommend Stoddard enough! From our first phone call, to initial meeting, to rehearsal dinner, and the ceremony itself Stoddard was professional, informative, communicative, and truly cares about his couples. We received numerous compliments from our guests after our ceremony on how great he was. Look no further if you need a JP!

Nicole Sent on 10/28/2021

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Most caring & thoughtful JP around

We had a truly amazing experience with Stoddard. When we met him to interview him we immediately felt at ease with him. He not only walked us through all the things we could do in a ceremony but he helped us understand what we wanted and didnt want in our ceremony. He also took the time to get to know us and our relationship and surprised us with a great personal touch in our ceremony. We would highly recommend him, he takes great care in his work. All of our guests really enjoyed his ceremony!

Jennifer Sent on 10/22/2021

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Great, intimate, thoughtful Officiant!

Stoddard cares deeply for his couples - he took the time to meet us, hear our story, and he told our story with such charm and care where it was just right. His experience is unmatched and you truly get to customize your ceremony. Our guests said that our ceremony was so beautiful and meaningful and we were so glad we had Stoddard's help in making it perfect!

Michelle Sent on 10/21/2021

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Wonderful experience!

Stoddard did a wonderful job officiating our day! He is very sweet and personable and adds a little twist to the ceremony. He made us feel at ease during the ceremony and not anxious.

Susan Sent on 10/20/2021

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A wonderfully insightful man that was kind and took time to get to know the couple and gave a very personal ceremony

Thoughtful kind knowledgeable personable
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A pleasure to work with
Ceremony was one of the best I ever witnessed

Justin Sent on 10/17/2021

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The absolute best

Stoddard was amazing throughout the whole process. He truly got the time to speak with the both of us and tailor the ceremony into exactly what we wanted. I would recommend Stoddard to absolutely anyone looking for an offiant.

Ali S. Sent on 10/15/2021

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The Perfect Officiant for a Very Personal Ceremony

Stoddard was amazing from our first email interaction. He is responsive and knowledgeable. He sent us a mountain of resources for picking our readings and writing our own vows, and the ceremony document with options for each section, transition, and moment was perfect. We really felt like our ceremony was our own, and he performed the ceremony beautifully. He was recommended to us by our vendor and we couldn’t be happier.

Scout Sent on 10/09/2021

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Stoddard is Fantastic

Stoddard is a fantastic JP. He helped make our ceremony special and provided us with all the information we needed. He is a great guy and is fun to work with I would highly recommend him!!

Caitlin Sent on 10/04/2021

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Highly Recommend!!

Stoddard made our wedding ceremony so special!! From our first email, he was so informative, responsive, and helpful. He took the time to meet with us and get to know more about us and our relationship. He gave us the exact tools and helped guide us so that is was very easy to create our perfect personalized ceremony. He also added in his own words about my husband and I after our meeting. It was perfect - as if he had known us forever. We received many compliments from guests and we could not recommend him enough!

Sarah Sent on 10/04/2021

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The most special and meaningful JP you could find!

Stoddard Melhado made our ceremony so undeniably special, and I'm not sure I could have hoped for anything more. I think almost every single one of our 140 guests commented on how beautiful and meaningful the ceremony was - it was nothing short of spectacular. Stoddard was the JP at my friend's wedding 6 years ago, and although I was single at the time, I kept his card for 6 YEARS because of how he made me feel during that ceremony. I knew right away that I wanted him to marry me one day (and I happened to meet my future husband at that very same wedding! It was kismet!). If you want your ceremony to feel personal to you and just so very magical, look no further than Stoddard Melhado.

Abigail Sent on 09/23/2021

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Ceremony was perfect!

I have received so many compliments on our ceremony. Stoddard is so organized and really knows how to make the ceremony special to you and your partner. Highly recommend!

Ashley Sent on 09/21/2021

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Personalized and professional ceremony

We found Stoddard originally on Wedding Wire. We met with him and thought he would be the perfect officiant for us!

He was so personable and interested in our story. We really loved how organized he was and how customized the entire ceremony would be. He provided us with so many reading, vow, etc. options that we were able to fully customize our ceremony to make it perfect for us!

What we didn't know until the day of the wedding is how personal the ceremony would actually be. We were so honored that Stoddard took the time to write out our love story in such a thoughtful and amazing way. He really listened to every single detail we told him about our relationship and lives! So many people thought the highlight of the day was the ceremony because of how special and thoughtful Stoddard made it.

In terms of working with him, it was really an honor. He was so professional, organized, thoughtful, and friendly. He knew exactly what a perfect ceremony looked like, and it was so great to have him to provide direction and advice. We are so lucky we were able to find him and that he had the patience to work with us as we postponed our original date. Thank you so much Stoddard for making our day so special!!

Darah Sent on 09/19/2021

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Absolutely recommend

We are truly grateful for finding Stoddard to officiate our wedding ceremony. He is not only a very caring and genuine individual, he took the time to get to know us. The way he told our story was so touching. Our videographer used this piece as the background to our highlight video. We can now relive this beautiful moment over and over.

Alaina Sent on 09/15/2021

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Wonderful!

I can’t say enough good things about Stoddard. He is personable, responsive and efficient. Things could not have gone smoother on our special day. He and his wife (who is fabulous as well) took the time to meet with my husband and I prior to the wedding and really got to know us. Stoddard added in his own words during our ceremony regarding our history as a couple and it was very touching and what he said was perfect! He has plenty of material for you to go through and really personalize your ceremony. We received many compliments about how beautiful the words spoken during our ceremony were. We couldn’t be happier to have chosen Stoddard for such an important event in our lives and highly recommend him!

Melissa Sent on 09/15/2021

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Best JO I could have asked for!

Stoddard Is absolutely wonderful! He made our ceremony personal and beautiful. He takes the time to get to know you as a couple. If you need guidance on certain aspects of your ceremony, he has no problem spending time with you to talk about what you’re looking for. He also keeps it fun! He and his wife joked with us, brought out their dogs during our first meeting, and told us wonderful stories about their own family. My wife and I couldn’t be happier!

Beatriz Sent on 09/13/2021

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An exceptional man!

We are so thankful to have Stoddard officiate our wedding ceremony, he truly cares about getting to know us and our story. He was amazing, we can’t thank Stoddard enough for his time and service.
If you are considering a justice of the peace Stoddard is very easy to work with and did a great on most of the most important days of our lives, we had no worry about how the officiating was going to be.
Thank you so much Stoddard.
Love. Kevin and Bea.

Brooke Sent on 09/09/2021

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Like a part of the family!

We can’t thank Stoddard enough for his time and service. Stoddard married me and my husband on 8/21/21 and working with him was such a pleasure he was hands down the best individual we worked with throughout the 1.5yr planning process.

Stoddard and his wonderful wife hosted us at their home for the initial get to know each other session. It was so lovely to get to know them and the wonderful people that they are at the same time as he got to know us better. We had him conduct our rehearsal and ceremony as well.

Stoddard was amazing at providing us with structure, but also giving us endless options to customize our ceremony and really make it our own. That first session he really took the time in learning our story so his words could be just as personal as our own vows to each other.

We really wouldn’t have changed a single thing Stoddard did and he truly felt like someone who had been there through our relationship over the years from the way he spoke about us that the experience felt like working with family.

Don’t hesitate and definitely book Stoddard if he is available for your date!

Christie Sent on 09/07/2021

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Amazing wedding ceremony!

Stoddard officiated our wedding on 9/2 and we cannot say enough wonderful things about him and our experience. He takes time to get to know you as a couple and made the whole ceremony personalized for us. Our loved ones had high praises for the ceremony as well. We would recommended Stoddard to anyone who asks us who to use. Thank you for making our day so wonderful and memorable!
Christie & Bobby

Sarah Sent on 08/29/2021

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Best JP out there!

Stoddard was an amazing JP and my husband and I couldn’t of been happier that we chose him! He was so easy to work with from the very beginning with email correspondence, to then welcoming Bryan and myself to his home for a meeting to making our actual wedding day spectacular and stress free! A true pleasure to work with and would recommend to anyone!

Veronica Sent on 08/20/2021

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Absolutely the best!

Stoddard truly made our wedding ceremony more than we could ever dream of! He kindly had us over to his home beforehand so we could all get to one another and he truly enjoyed listening to our love story. He gave us tons of ideas for the ceremony and help guide our decisions along the way. I doubt you will find a better wedding officiant!

Angie Sent on 08/05/2021

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Personal, heartfelt

I could not imagine having anyone else officiate our wedding! Stoddard went above and beyond to get to know us months before the wedding. He worked with us to personalize our ceremony, to make sure it felt true to us. He added his own personal remarks about us too, which was such a beautiful reflection of our relationship. Our guests continue to tell us how tasteful, heartfelt, and memorable our ceremony was. Stoddard also has a lovely presence and helped us keep our nerves at bay on the big day. 100% recommend!

Sharon Sent on 08/02/2021

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Wedding July, 2021

Stoddard did a wonderful job officiating our ceremony, he has a sense of humor and included our family and friends as part of our ceremony. I have had multiple guests say to me that the ceremony was beautiful and it truly was, it was original and amazing.
If you are considering a justice of the peace Stoddard is very easy to work with and did a great on most of the most important days of our lives, we had 0 worry about how the officiating was going to be - very grateful not to have that to worry about with everything else going on
Bob and Sharon

Elizabeth Sent on 07/30/2021

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Perfect JoP for the Perfect Wedding Ceremony

First, Stoddard, and his wife, are amazing people. My partner and I enjoyed meeting and talking with them both. Second, Stoddard is the best Justice of the Peace, period. This guy is an incredible orator, and has this worked down to a tee, making our job a breeze, but he also takes the time to get to know you and your partner so he can craft the perfect ceremony speech.

Yes, that is correct. This guy takes the time to get to know you, the couple, and then he writes something personal and heartfelt in the ceremony that you won't get to hear until the day, and it will blow you away. He is perfect, and if I were to remarry my partner tomorrow, or any or every day, I would choose Stoddard.

Kiera Sent on 07/26/2021

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Stoddard is the perfect JOP!

Stoddard was such a great addition to our wedding! From the moment he and his wife graciously welcomed us into their home to get to know us and our story up to the wedding he was extremely helpful and kind. He was very professional but also warm and welcoming. He really made our ceremony about us in every way and so many of our guests commented on what a wonderful and heartfelt job he did. It was such a pleasure to work with him and we can not recommend him enough! His experience, calm demeanor, and insight on marriage are such an important part of making the day so special and personal. We were so happy and honored to have him marry us!

Julie Sent on 07/15/2021

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Stoddard made the process seamless

We had such a great experience working with Stoddard. When my husband and I started the wedding planning process we had absolutely no idea where to begin when it came to planning the ceremony portion. From the beginning Stoddard was very responsive, easy to work with and made us feel confident that our big day would be exactly how we wanted it. We aren’t very religious and he helped us customize our entire ceremony to fit us as a couple. He recommended readings and suggested different introduction wordings etc. He helped organize our handfasting ceremony, provided guidance on how we would go about applying for our marriage license. He also brought his own microphone and speakers which was very helpful for our large outdoor wedding. He really made the entire process very easy! I highly recommend Stoddard to any couple searching for a JOP!

Walter Sent on 07/07/2021

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Easy to work with

Stoddard was incredibly easy and reassuring to work with. He was very patient answering all our questions and worked with us to make sure things were just the way we wanted them to be.

Caren Sent on 06/30/2021

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Wedding officiant June 26th 2021

Stoddard and his wife KY are the perfect team to work with for your wedding! It's like getting a planner and officiant together. They were very helpful at de-stressing the bride and making our special day all the more perfect!! Thank you sooo much Stoddard and Ky!! - Chris and Caren Reid

Kristy Sent on 06/23/2021

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Simply Amazing!

Stoddard (and his wife) are just amazing people. The amount of time he takes to get to know his couple, his attention to detail, his organization, follow up, and last but not least- his presentation on your special day are second to none. We are truly so happy that he was available to officiate our wedding and would recommend him to absolutely anyone!

Cynthia Sent on 06/23/2021

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Wonderful Experience

Stoddard officiated our wedding on 6/17/21. We were nervous going into creating our ceremony and putting our thoughts into words, but Stoddard has a wealth of experience and resources that were organized in such a way that made the process fun and thoughtful as we approached the big day. We had an intimate wedding with just our immediate family, and he graciously allowed us to hold the ceremony in his beautiful backyard. He is a true professional and did an exceptional job as the Justice of the Peace. He is kind, well-spoken, and radiates warmth. It was a joy getting to know his wife and beautiful greyhounds. I can't recommend Stoddard highly enough. We are so grateful for everything he did to make our day so special.

Tracie Sent on 05/25/2021

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Amazing Ceremony!

An incredible communicator, took the time to get to know us and provided us with a ceremony that was beyond our expectations. Thank you!

Ilona Sent on 05/15/2021

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Fantastic officiant - just book him!

It says something that after our ceremony, several family members demanded to know where we had found such a fantastic officiant!

Stoddard was a joy to work with and created a delightful ceremony for us – we felt like he genuinely cared about us and our marriage. We came with only vague ideas for the ceremony, and he made the process easy. He helped customize the ceremony to make it our own, while also guiding us enough that we weren’t overwhelmed with options.

Moreover, we gave Stoddard a challenge with a pandemic, two-bride wedding held outdoors at a public park (rather than a proper address, all we could share with him was a dropped pin on a Google map). The day of was a cold and rainy affair, and not only Stoddard but his wife Ky came out to make it happen. We have a photo in which Stoddard is holding an umbrella above both my and my wife’s head so that we can share our first kiss, while he himself is getting wet. What a champion!

Seriously, could not recommend Stoddard more highly!

Danielle Sent on 05/13/2021

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Absolutely perfect!

We would highly recommend Stoddard to officiate your wedding ceremony. Over a year before our wedding we met with him where he asked to learn more about our relationship and we were so surprised how perfectly he incorporated our story during the ceremony. He provided us with a lot of helpful ideas including different options for vows, readings, blessings and ultimately made the ceremony He was extremely responsive to any questions we had and we could not have imagined working with anyone else! He was amazing to work and made the ceremony one we will never forget!!

Ken H. Sent on 02/16/2021

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Phenomenal

Stoddard was a pleasure to work with. He was kind, thoughtful, flexible, and truly took the time to get to know us.

Ruta Sent on 12/15/2020

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Perfect intimate ceremony officiated by Justice Stoddard

Justice Stoddard was amazing and we had a great experience to have him officiate our wedding. After reading all the great reviews, we decided to contact him and received a quick response. We chose the custom ceremony option wherein Justice Stoddard works with couples personally and gets to know them & their story. It was a pleasure meeting him and talking to him about us, and how we imagined our wedding ceremony to be. He kindly explained all the aspects of the ceremony and was very receptive to our requests to make it even more personal. He was very open-minded and welcoming to our suggestions. Our ceremony turned out to be beautiful and was adored by our families and guests. It was an absolute pleasure to work with Justice Stoddard and we highly recommend him to other couples!

- Ruta & Sushrut

Micaela Sent on 11/15/2020

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A great choice

Stoddard was wonderful to work with. He had my husband and I over to his house (pre-covid) to get to know us and learn about our story. When our wedding had to be postponed from June to October he was extremely flexible. One of the most helpful things he did was provide us with so many options to personalize our ceremony and make it our own. He provided so many examples of different ceremony layouts and tons of readings to look through. Stoddard has such a kind and warm presence and this was especially reassuring on our wedding day. I cannot recommend Stoddard highly enough!

Rachel Sent on 10/24/2020

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We were very pleased to have Stoddard Melhado as our JP

Stoddard performed our ceremony on 10.10.20 and we could not be happier, he was just wonderful!
If you're looking for a Justice of the Peace look no further, we highly recommend Stoddard he is the sweetest man, so humble and kind!

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Kathryn Sent on 10/21/2020

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Stoddard was amazing! 10/10 recommend him!

Stoddard was absolutely amazing. He made the ceremony so special. He personalized the ceremony to fit my husband and I without even knowing us. We cannot thank him enough.

Mandi Sent on 10/20/2020

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Simply The Best

I reached out to Stoddard after doing a lot of research for the perfect officiant - I wanted someone with whom I felt a connection, after all, this was such an important day. I came across a video of a wedding he had previously officiated and got teary- eyed; it was a done deal. He invited us to his home to meet him and to get to know my husband and I better. Stoddard was so kind, warm and welcoming that we knew he was the best person to officiate our wedding on 9/6/2020. When our wedding day plans changed, he was very flexible and accommodating. The day of our wedding, it was just my husband and I, Stoddard and his wife and our photographer; we held the ceremony on one of the docks along Fan Pier in the Seaport and everything was perfect. We are truly thankful we found Stoddard and if you haven’t found an officiant yet, we highly recommend you hire him. He’s the best.

Meg R. Sent on 10/16/2020

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Thoughtful

Stoddard made our elopement a breeze! He speaks perfectly and made everything more special than we could have asked for :)

M And Sent on 10/16/2020

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Absolutely fantastic

Very professional and organized. On a day when you have many things to worry about he makes it so there's at least one thing you don't have to worry about.

Dylan Sent on 10/16/2020

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Exceptional JP

My wife and I are both the kind of people that do everything on the fly, and our wedding was no different. While we'd been together for 10 years before we finally said "I Do", we spent about 3 hours in total planing for our big day. Stoddard helped to make our ceremony truly special, without us really preparing anything.

Our ceremony was very small (just immediate family) and was held in a public park. All in attendance spoke highly of the nice readings that Stoddard had prepared to add substance and context to the ceremony.

Stoddard was also very accommodating, We had originally planned to have the ceremony right in his back yard ( A service he offers for very small ceremonies), and at 6pm the day before the wedding which was to be held at noon, we stumbled across the perfect little spot in a public park and called him up to ask if we could move the ceremony to a different location. He accommodated without issue.

I know that most people aren't as off the cuff as we are, but Stoddard really helped make our day stress free and special. I'm certain he would do an excellent job at large and well planned weddings just the same!

Megan Sent on 10/16/2020

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Personalized and Thoughtful Ceremony!

I cannot say enough great things about Stoddard! My husband and I were pretty unsure what we wanted to do for our ceremony as we do not have any strong religious affiliations. I had found Stoddard through wedding websites and based on reviews, decided to contact him. We were NOT disappointed. Stoddard set up an in person meeting with us and after about an hour of talking, we knew that Stoddard was going to make our day complete. He provided us with plenty of different options for readings, vows, and blessings to choose from but also advised us that we could make it as personal to us as we wanted.
We had to eventually postpone our April wedding due to the health crisis, however Stoddard was so accommodating and when I informed him of our new, backyard wedding minimony, he was more than willing to travel, even though it was a bit further than originally planned.
The ceremony ended up being perfect. Stoddard had taken the conversation my husband and I had with him over a year prior and transformed it into a personalized ceremony for us. He really captured what our relationship is and even included some humor which helped ease some of the nervousness. Our guests had nothing but great things to say about Stoddard afterwards and it is certainly something we will remember for the rest of our lives. I highly recommend Stoddard to anyone looking for a professional JOP to make your ceremony exactly that way you want it!

Sonya Sent on 10/07/2020

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A special moment we won’t ever forget !

Stoddard made every moment through our ceremony special. His choice of words were just perfect !

Tina Sent on 09/17/2020

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Wonderful, humble and very professional

My husband and i met with Stoddard to go over some things that we wanted included in our wedding. On our fist meeting with him we both knew right away that he was the right person for us. Stoddard is very helpful in helping us decide what was important and what we could do without. He gave us lots of choices and he made ore ceramony much more than we could have imagined.

Frank Sent on 09/17/2020

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it was a great wedding

The wedding was perfect he helped out so much

Jessica Sent on 09/11/2020

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Incredible! Great to work with.

Stoddard did an amazing job officiating our wedding. He took great care in getting to know us and our story, and crafted a beautiful ceremony that was very heartfelt and personal. He was so helpful in providing us with resources for inspiration, and was very responsive to our questions. He walked us through various examples of what the structure of a ceremony can look like, but also encouraged us to add what we wanted to really make it our own. From the first meeting with him, we could tell we were in good hands. Our original wedding plans were impacted by covid-19, but luckily he was with us every step of the way. We would recommend Stoddard to anyone. His thoughtfulness and attention to detail really made our small intimate ceremony extra special.

Elizabeth Sent on 09/02/2020

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Best ceremony ever!

We had the best experience working with Stoddard! He made our ceremony so unique and personal so to us. It was the most special day, we are so grateful to him!

Nicole Sent on 08/19/2020

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Our day was perfect!

I chose Stoddard from a search online for a Justice of the Peace. The reviews were great and now I see why. He was very professional as well as personable. We couldn't have been any happier with our choice and would choose him again with no questions asked. He made our day completely perfect and we can't thank him enough!

Lauren Sent on 08/13/2020

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Perfect JP

Stoddard was amazing. He really cares about getting to know you and your story. He pays attention to every little detail you mention. Of course when going through your story as a couple there are always side stories and distractions, he was amazing at making sure one thought was fully wrapped up and not missing anything.
The ceremony was great, he captured everything we talked about and really got who we were as a couple. In the weeks after our wedding we keep getting comments on how great Stoddard was! We could not have been any happier with him!

Massachusetts Justice of the Peace Stoddard H. Melhado Reviews

Reviews

Massachusetts Justice of the Peace Stoddard H. Melhado