Aretha officiated our wedding on 10/12/18. I wanted a wedding officiant who understood my vision and took careful time to get to know me. Aretha did that and so much more! She is simply amazing!!! Aretha is very professional, kind, and knowledgeable. She is also a woman of color and presents herself in a very dignified manner. It was important to me to have someone with experience working with other LGBTQI couples. Fortunately, Aretha has that experience and mentions it on her website! Aretha begins the process with a free consultation (which I thought was a great idea for anyone skeptical or lacking officiant knowledge). The consultation included a short interview on our love story and our ceremony vision. During this consultation, Aretha thoroughly explained her services and what made them unique from many other officiants. Aretha's work is very personalized and intimate. She spent time creating the ceremony of our dreams! Aretha's soothing presence helped to calm our nerves. Her guided instructions during the months prior helped to create such a flawless day. Everything was prepared; we did not have to worry about a thing! She even helped us compose our ceremony programs which we were incredibly thankful for. I truly cannot thank her enough, we still have our wedding guests complimenting our ceremony and sharing how thoughtful and personal each moment was. Thank you for everything Aretha! My partner's review of Aretha's services. She was unable to post her own review. Aretha officiated our wedding on 10/12/18. I wanted a wedding officiant who understood my vision and took careful time to get to know me. Aretha did that and so much more! She is simply amazing!!! Aretha is very professional, kind, and knowledgeable. She is also a woman of color and presents herself in a very dignified manner. It was important to me to have someone with experience working with other LGBTQI couples. Fortunately, Aretha has that experience and mentions it on her website! Aretha begins the process with a free consultation (which I thought was a great idea for anyone skeptical or lacking officiant knowledge). The consultation included a short interview on our love story and our ceremony vision. During this consultation, Aretha thoroughly explained her services and what made them unique from many other officiants. Aretha's work is very personalized and intimate. She spent time creating the ceremony of our dreams! Aretha's soothing presence helped to calm our nerves. Her guided instructions during the months prior helped to create such a flawless day. Everything was prepared; we did not have to worry about a thing! She even helped us compose our ceremony programs which we were incredibly thankful for. I truly cannot thank her enough, we still have our wedding guests complimenting our ceremony and sharing how thoughtful and personal each moment was. Thank you for everything Aretha! read more

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. read more

My husband and I could not have asked for a better Wedding Officiant for our wedding! Wedding vendor selection was a stressful process and at times we found it difficult knowing who to trust. From the moment we met Aretha however we knew we were in good hands. My husband and I didn't belong to a home church but it was highly important to us that our christian faith was incorporated into our ceremony. We were initially nervous about finding someone who could bring the right warmth and energy to the ceremony. Our family voiced their concerns about us not being married by a Pastor early on but after the ceremony they expressed how impressed they were with Aretha and they were glad that we chose her. Aretha not only incorporated prayer with traditions we value such as jumping the broom and a candle lighting ceremony, but she also tailored them for us to add a personal touch. I joke that Aretha was our neglected vendor because in the midst of completing so many wedding planning tasks in a short amount of time and our large team of vendors, my husband and I failed to allocate time to meet with Aretha to go over final ceremony details. We were shocked however that despite our own shortcomings every single detail we mentioned wanting in our intake form and initial conversation with Aretha was executed effortlessly on our wedding day. At the last minute I added my ailing grandfather to our ceremony and without her knowing a ton of detail about his life she even created a heartfelt way of including him. Furthermore after praying for a warm sunny fall wedding day we got the sunshine and clear skies we hoped for but not the warmth. Despite the chilling breeze blowing from the water of Jersey City on November 3rd, Aretha carried out our ceremony as though we had the warmest of days and never once complained or seemed bothered. It was clear that Aretha cared deeply about making our ceremony personal and meaningful. If you are looking for an officiant who will go above and beyond, I can not recommend Aretha highly enough. She was a blessing to us, and I know she would be for any couple looking to create a truly memorable and heartfelt ceremony. Beyond being an amazing Wedding Officiant Aretha is an awesome and honest person with a good heart. In the wedding industry Aretha is a rare gem. read more

My husband and I cannot thank Aretha enough! The vibe of our ceremony was love, laughter, smiles and happy tears and Aretha made everyone whom attended the ceremony feel the love and feel included regarding our ceremony. Aretha is a PHENOMENAL officiant and we are truly grateful to her. She kicked off our event and we were amazed. Our dream became a wonderful and magical reality! She is the best wedding officiant we have ever met. Aretha is a bride and grooms dream come true! She is truly PERFECTION! When me and my husband were looking for someone to officiate our wedding I happen to go on Instagram first and scanned her page and then found Aretha via her website. Her website is phenomenal and explains her services. I then proceeded to look for videos regarding our venue and she happened to be officiating a wedding at the same venue. I was floored, and I knew right at that moment I found our Officiant. I told my husband and he was like wow let's reach out to her. I reached out to her via email and she responded to me within an hour and we had a conversation with her the same day. Our conversation within the same day made me realize her true professionalism. Our various conversations made us feel like we have known her for a lifetime. We built a relationship with Aretha for a year prior to our wedding and it was the best decision ever. Aretha walked us through the entire process and made us realize how much more we needed to be organized. Aretha is much more than simply an Officiant, she helped us with our timeline, had various phone conversations and help us tweak our day of details. The day of the wedding we knew she was going to absolutely stun our guests with her voice and delivery of our ceremony, but it was much more than we could have ever imagined. She delivered the most beautiful ceremony and we are still getting phone calls and text messages from our guests indicating they have never witnessed such a beautiful ceremony like the one we had EVER! She is truly a modern-day officiant whose words and delivery can cast a spell on the bride and groom and guests. She is AMAZING. I now see why she is so highly recommended. Aretha delivered our beautiful love story and we felt as if time stopped just for us. We are forever grateful to her! read more

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 read more

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. read more

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 read more

We've learned early in the wedding planning process that all reviews you read are not always true, but we are here to tell you that finding Aretha's page was the best thing ever and what you see is nothing but the truth. We knew Aretha was who we wanted to officiate our wedding from the first phone call.  Her positive energy and passion for her craft was reassuring.  Aretha is professional, organized, full of energy, and just a pleasant person to work with.  Being responsive is important to us.  When we called, emailed or text, we always received a response.  Her number one goal is to give you the most memorable wedding ceremony while staying true to who you are. She was very knowledgeable on the officiating process and truly took the time to get to know us.  She asked the right questions to learn our likes, dislikes, who we were as a couple, what our vision was for our big day and what kind of ceremony we wanted. When I tell you she more than listened to us, the ceremony she delivered was amazing.  She exceeded our expectations.  It was phenomenal, she chose the right words and used the perfect tone.  It was personable without giving too much away.  It was heartfelt with a little humor.  After the ceremony and during the reception our family and friends all voiced how beautiful the ceremony was and how amazing Aretha delivered it.  To date everyone is still raving about it! We appreciate all the advice and recommendations she gave to us throughout the process. She was definitely worth the investment.  We are strong believers in you get what you pay for and what we received was priceless! Our wedding ceremony would not have been what it was without the personable heartfelt ceremony she delivered.  I would recommend and tell anyone that will listen, if you need an officiant look no further Aretha Gaskin is the one! Aretha thank you for everything! read more

Aretha Gaskin made our wedding ceremony unforgettable! Wedding planning can be the most stressful and scary task to undertake. Choosing the right vendors is crucial to having the perfect day. Some people will say the officiant isn't that important of an investment in the grand scheme of your wedding day, or that choosing an officiant can wait until later in the planning stages - that couldn't be further from the truth. Hiring Aretha as our officiant was worth every penny, and I wish we had booked from the first day we began planning. We contacted her through her website, to which she promptly responded and set up a telephone consultation. The conversation lasted over an hour because she was so personable. We hired her that same day. From that day forward Aretha was always available to answer any questions and offer guidance not only for the ceremony, but for the entire wedding process. We eventually added Aretha's rehearsal services; it's a must do. Aretha is so professional and meticulous. She runs a tight ship so nothing will be out of place. She was able to point out things to our venue about setup and placement that would have definitely been overlooked. We asked for a very simple ceremony format. She delivered just that, and it was still unique and very classy. The vows she crafted for us were so beautiful and reflective of our personalities, as though we had written them ourselves, or she had known us for years. Our guests enjoyed our ceremony and raved about our vows and the sophistication of our nuptials. Aretha's process is amazingly thorough; we had only to follow her lead and our wedding ceremony was sheer perfection. Also taking her advice for the rest of the wedding helped to make the rest of the celebration as magical and memorable as the I do's! read more

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 read more

Wedding planning is not easy as most can imagine, whether you're planning a 500+ guest, black-tie affair or an intimate gathering with a handful of family members and friends as ours was. I have to admit, this was a lot more than I bargained for but the only thing that gave me peace of mind on our special day was Aretha. She was everything we could ask for and more. She made the entire process so seamless, from the initial call when she spoke with me and my husband to get a sense of who we are as a couple, to follow up e-mails and calls to make sure that she catered the event to our specifications; our day couldn't've been more perfect. Aretha even made suggestions on what additions we could make to the program to make the day inclusive for my mom who is of a different faith than I am and to honor my dad who wasn't here to witness this day. Even on the day of, she coordinated with my Maid of Honor perfectly, ensuring that there would be nothing we would have to worry about on our wedding day. When we got to the alter, I couldn't stop the tears and Aretha was very kind, reassuring me that I was still a beautiful bride despite me ruining my mascara before I even said my vows and that it was okay to be so emotional in front of our guests. What gave us some additional peace of mind was finding out that she was from our country; from then on, we approached our conversations with an air of lightheartedness, knowing that she would understand some of our more informal traditions. When planning a wedding, it is important to have someone who listens and provides guidance when necessary and Aretha did not disappoint. I am so happy we found her and I'm positive that she will also make your day truly memorable. Thank you Aretha! read more

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! read more

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! read more

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. read more

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. read more

Aretha was an absolute game-changer for our wedding! Seriously, she took personal touches to a whole new level and our guests are still talking about the uniqueness she brought to our big day. From the moment we met her, it was like she'd known us forever. She took the time to really understand our story and our relationship, and that came through in every word she spoke during the ceremony. It wasn't just a cookie-cutter script - it was a heartfelt and personalized narrative that had everyone hanging on her every word. I can't even count how many people came up to us after the wedding and raved about how special our ceremony was. They couldn't believe the way she wove in those personal anecdotes, the inside jokes, and the little details that made it uniquely ours. She didn't just officiate; she crafted an experience that felt like it was tailor-made for us. Aretha's warmth and genuine excitement for our union were palpable. It was like having a dear friend guide us through one of the most important moments of our lives. We couldn't have asked for a better officiant, and we're forever grateful for the way she made our wedding ceremony unforgettable. She also was extremely punctual for our rehearsal (which you should absolutely also book) as well as our big day. If you're looking for an officiant who will go the extra mile to make your ceremony personal, meaningful, and completely one-of-a-kind, then look no further. Aretha is an absolute gem, and she'll turn your wedding into a memory that you and your guests will cherish forever. read more

We found Aretha on Instagram, and after looking at other Wedding Officiants we chose her because we loved her modern style and poise. But it was actually our phone conversation before our initial consultation with her that we knew she was the Wedding Officiant for us. We felt like we were speaking to an old friend! She was very interested in who we were individually and as a couple. We laughed and talked on the phone for like an hour. We were all just very open-hearted and honest from the start and we clicked right away! Our wedding day was as beautiful in reality as Aretha described it would be during our consultation. Aretha allowed us to personalize our rituals and ceremony to make it special to us and our spiritual practices. She gave us accurate advice about the manner in which certain rituals should be conducted. She was so flexible, and wanted our day to be perfect! She coordinated her wardrobe so we'd be comfortable, she hiked to the park with us, over rocks, and dirt to our wedding location, and she was so generous with her time that she even stayed with us and took pictures after the ceremony, it truly felt like she was part of the family and our family absolutely loved her and spoke of how beautifully and professionally she officiated our ceremony. I felt very confident to trust our sacred day in her hands! Each time I got nervous about something, she'd talk to me and give me solutions or reassure me that it would be perfect. We highly recommend having Aretha as your Wedding Officiant. You'll be so happy you did. read more

Our search for an officiant started and ended with Aretha. From the moment we made an inquiry, she responded promptly. During our first conversation, she was informative about the ceremony process and marital license laws. She took the time to get to know us and hear our love story. She asked important questions about the type of ceremony we wanted. She gave us the opportunity to ask all the questions which she answered with professionalism and insight. Promptly, Aretha provided a ceremony template for us to tweak and adjust as needed during our wedding planning process. She was always available via email or phone to answer questions. As we got closer to our wedding date, Aretha was sure to communicate with us continuously. This eased our nerves so much. She came to our rehearsal which made not only us, but our family and friends more comfortable for the day of our wedding. On our wedding day, she arrived early and fabulously dressed--I must add. She fit right in to the attire of our wedding. Her personalized ceremony was heartfelt, detailed, sincere, and well written. During the reception, so many people complimented her and the ceremony. Many have said it was the most beautiful ceremony they've ever witnessed. Aretha is one of our favorite vendors. The ceremony is the reason behind everyone being gathered to celebrate the day. Aretha ensures that the reason is not forgotten or underwhelming. She truly is a gem. My new husband and I will recommend her services time and time again. read more

__________________________ What can I say about Aretha other than the fact that she really is THE BEST! We were looking for an Officiant for about a year. Fakhree and I come from different religions, so we needed someone that was neutral. We discovered Aretha's website and I loved everything about it. I thought in my mind that this lady is real and very professional. We read through the whole website. We even let our closest family members read through it as well. Then we saw that she was charging on the higher end. So, we looked at other pages of other Officiants. Somehow, we found ourselves going back to Aretha's page. So, we finally sent her an email. She responds to every email in a timely manner. She is very professional. Our initial call was about an hour and half long. We enjoyed the conversation. She asked us very important questions that made us revisit why we were getting married. She really got to know us. After the call she sent us both multiple emails still trying to get to know us. She's very detailed oriented. She is more than an Officiant - she is very caring and passionate about what she does. I feel like I have known her for years. Aretha also hosted our rehearsal which again she was very professional. She is all about perfection. She delivered the best ceremony ever! She told our love story which meant the world to both of us. Everyone keeps talking about her and the ceremony. She is definitely worth every cent plus more. __________________________ read more