A Scenic Elopement / Small Wedding Option in Virginia
One of my most popular venue choices for elopements and small weddings is Blandy Farm / Virginia Arboretum in Boyce, VA (only a short 20 minute drive from Winchester). This public park is one of the more scenic locations in the area, has free admission, and they are open 365 days out of the year. I have performed and photographed weddings there with up 10 guests (if you plan on having more than 10 guests, you will need to coordinate directly with Blandy to schedule your wedding).
BLANDY FARMS TERMS OF USE: In using Blandy for your elopement / wedding, you accept that you are doing so “at your own risk”. I am in no way affiliated with Blandy, and you ARE NOT reserving Blandy as a venue, but using it as a public park for your wedding.
What I mean by this is that Blandy allows weddings to be held there free of charge (please make a donation if possible) but does not make special accommodations or allow the renting of any rooms, buildings, or spaces. Being that Blandy is a free public venue, if they have activities, summer camps, or grounds work being performed that day, we must work around it. Rest assured that Blandy is a huge area and I have done many weddings there, so there are plenty of spots to choose from!
In addition, chairs, tables, or other decorations may NOT be used or setup. Also items such as rice and confetti are strictly prohibited. Finally, you should plan to arrive dressed in your wedding attire as there is no dressing room on-site, only a public bathroom which cannot be occupied for an extended period of time.
Check out my photo gallery below showing a select sample of a few of my many clients whom have used Blandy Farm for their elopement or small wedding. If Blandy looks like a perfect fit for you, contact me today, and let me help you get started planning your elopement!
We booked Aaron to officiate our wedding ceremony and be the photographer too. We picked the basic officiant photographer package and had a stress-free arrangement from start ‘til the end. He’s very easy to deal with and will guide you all throughout the process. We love all the photos taken at the venue. Me and my husband both looked awesome with the right angle, lighting and background!
I highly recommend working with Aaron for the photography and officiant package! I wanted an intimate elopement and it exceeded my expectations. The photos are absolutely stunning and I am impressed by the attention to detail. We had our elopement at the Blandy Experimental Farm and it is a great setting, especially in the spring. He is professional, punctual, and accommodating.
Aaron was amazing to work with for our wedding day! He was very friendly, knowledgeable and responsive and provided all the information we could possibly need to avoid running into any problems on our big day. Our photos also came out wonderfully!
We decided to elope last minute and quickly began our search online for an officiant. Not only was Aaron able to fit us in on short notice, but he also takes some amazing photos! We are so happy to have chosen Aaron, the ceremony was beautiful underneath pine trees on a very cold January day. The photos were great and we are so happy we added a photography package. We highly recommend Aaron to anyone looking for an officiant and professional photographer, he’s the perfect all-in-one!
Corey and I had searched for elopement packages for a while, but nothing had lined up with our preferences or finances. When we found Aaron Riddle’s wedding officiant and photography services, we had NO idea how easy, affordable, and absolutely perfect this experience would be! We were able to select the venue that was best for us (Blandy Farm is absolutely beautiful), select a package that fit our budget, and receive the most beautiful pictures that captured our special day (in only a matter of days)! Aaron is always quick to respond to any questions or concerns, is a phenomenal photographer, and someone I would recommend to any couple wanting to elope. We are greatly appreciative for this experience!
We decided to go with Aaron as our officiant. One, the fact that you have an officiant and photographer all in one doesn’t get any better! Secondly, there was never a dull moment. We were laughing and enjoying the moment the entire time. Lastly, we came from Newport News, VA (about a 3hour drive to meet with him) and it was well worth it. Each moment was memorable and Aaron helped shape that!
My husband and I wanted a simple/sweet elopement with some nice pictures to capture the moment with, and Aaron did not disappoint! He was prompt, professional, and personable. He provided us with all the information we needed prior to the day of which made the process so easy, and the day of was seamless. We are kind of awkward when it comes to posing together and Aaron just laughed along with us and really helped us along, making us feel comfortable and capturing great pictures in the process. Thank you so much, Aaron!
Aaron did an awesome job taking our photos. We went to the Virginia State Arboretum Blandy Experimental Farm for an elopement style service. He had a great platform/website for scheduling his services and to view the photos. Everything was very easy to use and professional. Also, we got our photos within 1 week of the wedding, and he mailed our marriage certificate (with a tracking number and info about getting copies) off right away of course — so everything was done in a very timely manner. Would highly recommend!
We couldn’t have made a better choice in choosing Aaron to officiate and photograph our wedding. He was extremely prompt and professional in replying to our request. On our wedding day, he had a way of making it feel fun and relaxed but also special, as a wedding day should feel. We were also able to have a few close family members as guests, which was hard to find in other places that offered elopements. Our photos were beautiful and delivered to us within the next week. I highly recommend Aaron to anybody who is looking for an intimate, simple, and special wedding day surrounded by the real meaning of getting married- the love of bride and groom.
We could not be happier with our wedding package from Aaron Riddle! We had a wonderful ceremony with just us and one guest and everything was smooth and easy. We had opted to have our ceremony at Blandy State Arboretum and Aaron was very knowledgeable of the grounds and was able to suggest great locations for the ceremony. He handled the ceremony with professionalism and great consideration to us. We had the Essential Photography Package which includes a 60-minute photography session following the ceremony. Our wedding was an unseasonably hot day in October, and Aaron did a wonderful job of directing us to some thankfully shady and cool places for each photo. He listened to any feedback and ideas we had for taking photos and worked with us to make them possible! The pictures all turned out wonderfully as well! We would definitely recommend Aaron Riddle to anybody who wants a small wedding ceremony and amazing photos!
We couldn’t be happier! Aaron is super knowledgeable about the area, so even if you’re not familiar with Winchester he’ll help you find the right place for an easy, simple, stress-free elopement. Our pictures were great quality and we received them quickly. I highly recommend his services for anyone who wants to get married without a lot of fuss.
An absolutely incredible experience from beginning to end! My husband David and I are eternally grateful to Mr. Riddle for working with us in arranging our ceremony and pictures. Mr. Riddle was so patient with us when our wedding party changed and helped us find the perfect location after describing what we were looking for. We were recommended to Blandy Experimental Farm and decided to plan it around the end of October for their Ginkgo Grove’s autumnal colors. The day of was so easy! The ceremony was short and sweet exactly like we wanted, and Mr. Riddle guided us throughout the photo shoot. We’ve never had pictures taken professionally so having someone stage us was an immense relief! We had our pictures back to us in only a couple days! They came out better than we could have imagined 🙂 Thank you so much, Mr. Riddle!!!
