Client Reviews of Aaron Riddle - Virginia Marriage Commissioner
I highly recommend working with Aaron to organize your elopement and photo shoot! We approached Aaron with a last-minute elopement request and he was very responsive and helpful in answering questions and prepping us with the next steps. We arrived at his home and held a wonderful, private ceremony (including one of his cats who joined as a witness). Aaron took great care taking our photos, sent off our marriage certificate promptly, and delivered the digital prints within days. Everything went smoothly and we especially enjoyed meeting Piggins and Banks the pigs!
Mr. Riddle was completely organized, prepared and courteous to my husband and family. The pictures turned out amazing! Beautiful day and memories!
Aaron was incredible! Easy, quick, and efficient. Exactly what we were looking for! His property was beautiful and he was so friendly. So was Zoe the wedding cat!
Thank you Aaron for officiating and photographing our wedding. The quiet, beautiful surroundings, along with your guidance and direction made this a very special day, and exceeded our expectations. We’re so glad you liked our Wheaten Terrier, and you were so good at designing photos and then positioning her in them. Of course we’ll remember this day, but we will also remember how you put us at ease, so that we could truly enjoy it!
Dear Aaron – We just got home and are very pleased with your services from start to finish! Beginning with your website, it was very easy to see what services you offer and learn about the steps required to get married. I also want to comment that I personally liked how you addressed the same-sex marriage situation. I liked that you had a dedicated page addressing the question and included some very discreet pictures in some places as well. In the southern accent of Blanche Devereaux (from the Golden Girls), “it was tastefully done!” Your communication was very clear and I appreciated the different acknowledgments and instructions. You are literally a “reserve and just show up” kind of shop. You provided good guidance today and both the simple ceremony and pictures were great! Please, feel free to use us as references in the future, particularly for other LGBT couples. Finally, I really like the pictures and appreciate you including a few of them in both color and black and white. You do beautiful work!!!!
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!
Aaron Riddle was exactly the right guy for our wedding. He made us all very comfortable on a day our nerves were on high, had us laughing and having a great time, even Zoe the wedding cat joined in. The little touches like our names on the board as we arrived were super sweet. I got the feeling that he wanted our wedding to be perfect as much as we did. The landscape was beautiful, the pictures were perfect and he was super helpful and friendly throughout the entire process. All I can say is well done sir and thank you! I would definitely recommend Aaron to anyone that wants the perfect wedding.
My (now) Husband and I were looking for a quiet intimate place to elope and all I can say is Aaron’s services were above and beyond what we wished for! We went for the Woodland Package and extended photo session and we couldn’t be more thrilled! Aaron is so professional and kind, we immediately felt so taken care of. Thank you so much, Aaron, for making our day feel so special! Highly recommend!!!
My wife and I had decided we wanted to elope to the mountains when we found Aaron Riddle. He is fantastic to work with. The sunrise wedding photos he took were absolutely amazing! We were initially snowed out of our photos, but it was easy to reschedule for a later date when the weather was nicer. We highly recommend using Aaron Riddle as your wedding photographer and officiant.
Aaron’s elopement services were a complete God send for us! It was a beautiful, easy, experience and was EXACTLY what we were looking for. Aaron made the entire process easy, comfortable, and fun! Photos and video came out wonderfully and Aaron helped maintain stellar communication from start to finish! Wonderful wonderful wonderful!
Aaron was very helpful and easy to get ahold of, every question we had was answered and more. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful ceremony, and the pictures were spectacular. We lucked out with beautiful weather and clear sky. Truly a day we will never forget. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! I’m so glad we found Aaron and his wonderful services!
Since the moment I booked Aaron, he was extremely prepared and professional. This is something that goes a long way for me since I am the type of person who needs to have all the information before I do something. I always get nervous when having photos taken of me, because they never seem to come out right, but for the first time in a very long time I felt beautiful in my photos. I cannot thank Aaron enough! Ben and I are so happy we chose Aaron to officiate our special day.
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!
Aaron provided me and my wife an excellent experience. We were going to do a courthouse wedding but found Aaron’s website on google and had our wedding at his property. He was very communicative throughout the whole process and took excellent pictures. After everything he sent in the marriage license right away and we had our professional pictures within a couple days. I would 100% recommend Aaron!
We had a great time! Aaron was very professional. Our service was quick and Aaron was very clear about what paperwork to bring and helped us through it. Neither of us are comfortable in front of a camera, but he is an excellent photographer and got some phenomenal shots. We toured the pig sanctuary afterward which made for a fabulous afternoon. Aaron is very knowledgeable about pigs and treats his animals with so much love and care. It was the best day ever. We would absolutely recommend his services!
Aaron Riddle did a fantastic job in communicating our wedding needs for elopement, performing our ceremony and taking the most beautiful pictures for our wedding day. I would certainly recommend him for your elopement in the Winchester area! Thanks again Aaron, for the easy and perfect day!
Aaron really did an awesome job! The pictures came out great and the officiant service was simple and sweet–just what we wanted! I was also told by the woman working at the courthouse that you are the only officiant to type up a keepsake certificate. That is such an awesome touch. Thank you for everything!
10/10 would recommend! Aaron is extremely professional, and gave us a beautiful intimate ceremony with our family. We couldn’t be happier with his services as both an officiant, and photographer! Aaron, we cannot thank you enough for making our special day perfect!
Aaron was recommended to us by a friend and was everything we hoped for! We both decided that the stress and expense of a big wedding was not how we wanted to our special day to be. Even before being engaged we both said we wanted to get married at the court house. Aaron made it better than we imagined. He is professional and provides all the information you need so that you are prepared. Also no need to worry about a photographer because he can include that too, and our pictures were great! He also had no issue with us including our 9 month old daughter during the ceremony. Highly recommend!
Aaron was amazing to work with! My husband and I wanted something low key, simple and straight to the point and when I found Aaron’s website and instagram, I had to say yes! We got married in Winchester and the pictures turned out phenomenal. I 100% recommend him to anyone who wants a small, inexpensive wedding. Plus, the license is filed the same day, which is even better!
Aaron did a wonderful job officiating our wedding ceremony at the courthouse in Winchester and taking photographs afterwards! The process was very simple. We had our marriage certificate before we left the courthouse and the pictures in 2 days. We highly recommend Aaron!
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!!!
I could not be happier. My husband and I decided on a weekend wedding at Aaron’s home followed by a 20 minute photography session. We were both blown away of how beautiful and intimate the service was (just how I envisioned). What I appreciated the most was the vow exchanging. We decided to write our own vows and Aaron didn’t put a time or word limit. He allowed us to be in our moment. His pictures… BEAUTIFUL!!! He’s professional and personable and responsive. For those who live a little further away thinking about the drive… DON’T! His services are well worth it and speaks for itself. Look no further…please consider. Thank you again Aaron, for capturing our special moment!
Aaron was absolutely wonderful and made everything so relaxed and easy. We had so much fun, and wouldn’t change a thing. It was very cool to meet Mr. Banks (one of his pet pigs)! The photographs turned out lovely, and we are so, so grateful for everything.
Aaron went above and beyond. We opted for the woodland package with extended photoshoot and we were beyond thrilled at how easy the process was. He was so kind and professional the whole time. The area was absolutely beautiful. I was originally so stressed about the day, but the second we stepped out on the property, it all washed away. I will forever recommend him to everyone looking to elope or have a private ceremony. 10/10!
My husband and I were browsing around online for wedding ideas when we came across Aarons website. We knew we wanted something small but I still wanted to feel like a bride. When we saw the Woodland package, we were sold! When I contacted Aaron for more information, he was so responsive and helpful. We were able to get our wedding scheduled on the date we wanted. We added extra pictures to our package and the chance to meet his pigs and we were so glad that we did. Our pictures turned out AMAZING! The whole experience was perfect. I wouldn’t change one thing about our big day, we had a blast!
Aaron Riddle was amazing! Very professional, passionate, patient and talented! We were wanting a small intimate ceremony and he delivered exceptional service. Very organized, great with communication and kind. Pictures turned out amazing. He deserves more than 5 stars!
I was so excited when I found Aaron and what he offered because this was not easy to find in Richmond. We took a chance and drove 3 hours and it was well worth it!! From the start of the process, Aaron was organized, informative and patient when answering my questions. My husband and I eloped in September and it was absolutely PERFECT. Aaron was super nice, his property was beautiful! All around a great experience. I’d say if your looking to elope go to Aaron and get the Woodland Package (private elopement) I highly recommend!
We used Aaron Riddle for our elopement at Stony Man Summit, which is a beautiful venue and an easy hike in the dark for a marriage ceremony and sunrise photo op. Aaron’s attention to detail and logistical support were outstanding and made our event seamless and easy. Most importantly, the pictures turned out amazing! Aaron is very personable and his technical photography skills are outstanding. His responsiveness, accessibility, ease of scheduling, and flexibility were helpful as we needed to change our date on short notice due to impending inclement weather. Within 24 hours Aaron sent us a link to our 50+ pictures and within a week he shipped a nice personalized book with etched thumb drive also containing all of our pictures. He goes the extra mile to make sure your day is memorable and stress-free. We highly recommend Aaron for your special day!
We are so glad to have stumbled across Aaron Riddle’s services online. My husband and I were married on Stony Man in May and Aaron officiated the ceremony and provided photography. The photographs are stunning and the ceremony was absolutely perfect, exactly what we were both hoping for. We had requested a secular service with time to exchange personal vows. Aaron was a prompt and detailed communicator. I strongly recommend his services for your special day!
My husband and I are married at Stony Man Summit at sunrise in mid-October by Aaron and had our photography session after. Aaron made the whole process easy and clear. From reservation to meet up, we received simple and comprehensive instructions. The hike up was smooth, guided by Aaron, and really warmed us up to brave the wind at mountain top. The view on top is just beautiful! Aaron really knows the spots for awesome shots and the pictures came out amazing! We couldn’t have asked for a better service! He is very professional and personal. If you’re looking for an officiant and photographer, 200% would recommend!
Aaron was absolutely wonderful! He was thorough, prompt in responding (and answering my detailed questions), and let us know exactly what to expect. He respected our wishes for the ceremony/vows and even took photos while we danced on the summit of Stony Man. The pictures he captured from our special day turned out stunning. He was friendly, professional, and an all-around good person. I simply cannot recommend him enough as an officiant and talented photographer – choose him to capture your memories, and you won’t be sorry!
We had the most amazing experience with Aaron on our wedding day. We cannot say enough wonderful things about Aaron, our photos, the beautiful Shenandoah National Park location or the experience. Every moment was perfection from the communication before our wedding day, to receiving our photos 24 hours after our wedding. If you are considering eloping, do not hesitate to reach out to Aaron!
We vacation to the mountains every year so when I saw this site, we were excited. Aaron was very responsive to our questions and setting up a date for our elopement. We eloped on the top of Stony Man Summit. Our experience was completely memorable and amazing! We exchanged our vows at sunrise and it was magical. The view was breathtaking. Aaron made us feel comfortable and guided us through our photo session. My husband is not a picture taker but our pictures looked natural and absolutely beautiful. At the end, we received a package of what to expect with obtaining a copy of our marriage license and an unofficial certificate of marriage. Our family is still complimenting us on our pictures and the video. Everything perfect and we can not thank Aaron enough for our magical memorable day!
My husband and I were browsing around online for wedding ideas when we came across Aarons website. We knew we wanted something small but I still wanted to feel like a bride. When we saw the Woodland package, we were sold! When I contacted Aaron for more information, he was so responsive and helpful! We were able to get our wedding scheduled on the date we wanted. We added extra pictures to our package and the chance to meet Mary Piggins and we were so glad that we did. Our pictures turned out AMAZING! The whole experience was perfect. I wouldn’t change one thing about our big day, we had a blast! – Tiffany F.
This was an amazing experience. I am so glad that we decided to have Aaron as our officiant and photographer. He has beautiful property to get married and take pictures. The wedding was short and sweet just like we wanted! Aaron is an amazing photographer! I was in awe when we received our pictures. Literally everyone in our family wants the pictures printed out so they can hang them on their fridge and wall. The price is great for the amazing hospitality, services, and stunning pictures. 10/10 recommend! – Sarah L.
My husband and I wanted something more intimidate and less “fussy” for our wedding. We vacation to the mountains every year so when I saw this site, we were excited. Aaron was very responsive to our questions and setting up a date for our elopement. We eloped on 8/8/22 on the top of Stony Man Summit. Our experience was completely memorable and amazing! We exchanged our vows at sunrise and it was magical. We used the standard vows provided. Aaron even had us turn around so that we could appreciate the colors of the sunrise. The view was breathtaking. Aaron made us feel comfortable and guided us through our photo session. My husband is not a picture taker but our pictures looked natural and absolutely beautiful. At the end, we received a package of what to expect with obtaining a copy of our marriage license and an unofficial certificate of marriage. I accidentally gave the wrong spelling of my husband’s middle name and it was printed wrong to the unofficial copy. Aaron was so amazing and sent us a new copy with the correct spelling when we received our USB drive with the beautiful personalized case. Our experience was beyond what we expected and we could not have be happier. Our family is still complimenting us on our pictures and the video. Everything perfect and we can not thank Aaron enough for our magical memorable day. – Demetra T.
Aaron was absolutely wonderful! He was thorough, prompt in responding (and answering my detailed questions), and let us know exactly what to expect. He respected our wishes for the ceremony/vows and even took photos while we danced on the summit of the mountain. The pictures he captured from our special day turned out stunning. He was friendly, professional, and an all-around good person. I simply cannot recommend him enough as a VA marriage commissioner and talented photographer – choose him to capture your memories, and you won’t be sorry! – Tara L.
I could not be happier. My husband and I decided on a weekend weeding at Aaron’s home followed by a 20 minute photography session. We were both blown away of how beautiful and intimate the service was (just how I envisioned). What I appreciated the most was the vow exchanging. We decided to write our own vows and Aaron didn’t put a time or word limit. He allowed us to be in our moment. His pictures… BEAUTIFUL!!! He’s professional and personable and responsive. For those who live a little further away thinking about the drive… DON’T! His services are well worth it and speaks for itself. Look no further…please consider. Thank you again Aaron, for capturing our special moment! – Grace N.
What an amazing afternoon! We purchased the Woodland Package with the added visit with therapy pig Mr. Banks! Aaron was wonderful to work with and the sanctuary was such a neat place to visit. We had our 1 year old with us and he just LOVED the animals and getting to meet Mr. Banks and feed him cheerios. Aaron was amazing with our son. He was able to get him to look at the camera and stay engaged much to our delight! We purchased the wedding announcement cards, and Aaron was so responsive and helpful during the design process. They arrived quickly and were very nice. If elopement in a unique wooded setting is what you want, then I cannot recommend more highly Aaron and this package. – Kristen W.
Aaron Riddle made us feel completely at ease on our small yet “Big Day”! We are from the Delaware area and while looking for another state to elope in that would be quick and simple. I found Virginia’s marriage laws to be just what we were looking for and then stumbled upon Aaron’s site. Every picture I looked at on his site was beautiful and couples ranged from causal or traditional. I will admit, eloping in the woods on Aaron’s property, when I wasn’t from the area did have me a bit nervous… but at the court house in Winchester they immediately recognized his name and said Aaron knew what he was doing. It was everything we could hope for and more; simple, quick, and we even got to pet & take pictures with some pigs! We did purchase an extra 20 minutes of photos and I am so happy we did… I can barley pick a favorite they are all so great! (I usually hate all my photos) I would and have already started recommending Aaron to everyone who wants to hear our elopement & Halloween Party/surprise reception story! We kept it simple, about us and our love, Aaron helped us every step of our very special journey. – Shari C.
Due to COVID-19, my husband and I had to cancel our original wedding plans. After searching for a way to avoid postponing our wedding we found Aaron. We couldn’t have made a better choice in choosing him 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. – Amy W.
I cannot recommend Aaron Riddle enough. I’ve always hated the idea of having a wedding: wearing a dress, being the center of attention, spending all that money, etc. Ew, no thanks! However, at the same time, I wanted something special. Aaron’s website exactly describes what he offers. He made the entire process SO easy; he was always quick to respond to my questions, and I had no worries. My husband and I picked his Woodland package. We married privately at Aaron’s beautiful home, outside in the woods. Aaron gently led us through all the photo poses, since I had none in mind. He also asked if there were any photos I wanted, ensuring that our elopement was about us. He truly did make my day special and perfect. Bonus? I got to meet his cute pet pigs! My husband jokes that I was more excited to meet the pigs than marrying him, lol. If you’re looking for a quiet, stress-free ceremony, please contact Aaron. I also recommend Winchester, VA! It’s a great town for a weekend getaway and to elope. – Maria L.
We loved our wedding experience with Aaron. We traveled to his home where he performed the ceremony on a lovely Saturday afternoon. The setting was beautiful, with the fall foliage and the trees and hills in the background and Aaron officiated the perfect ceremony for me and Jodi. We are both Christian and requested he incorporate a religious theme to the wedding and he did not disappoint, with a beginning and an ending prayer. Also, the portraits Aaron took after the ceremony were beyond beautiful, again with the foliage and trees and hills as our backdrop. Thank you so much, Aaron, for an experience me and my beautiful bride will always cherish. – David D.
We loved our elopement! Aaron gave us clear instructions on all the logistics leading up to it, which took the stress out of preparations. Day of, he was very respectful of covid precautions, so we felt completely safe. Our ceremony was efficient but meaningful. Then we did a brief photoshoot, and because he knew all the good spots at the park where we met, we ended up with a bunch of different wonderful shots. Our photos were processed within a few days and they are fantastic. The whole process was so simple and free from unnecessary nonsense that it left us so much more space to just celebrate our marriage. – Bethany L.
Could not have asked for more! The year of 2020 has been stressful for many reasons. The thought of planning a wedding became even more of strain given many limitations that are in place due to COVID. One day, I sat down to search the internet and stumbled on Aaron Riddle’s webpage. After thoroughly reviewing all the information he provides, I knew right away what I wanted to do – I instantly found my answer. I wanted to have a small intimate elopement ceremony officiated by Aaron. His demeanor and professionalism came across just in talking through email. I am very picky and detailed when I enlist service in which I am paying so I had tons of questions. Aaron was patient and thorough with every response so we decided to move forward the services he offers. The ceremony was held in November and we could not be more satisfied with how everything turned out. From beginning to end, Aaron provided excellent service. Prior to the ceremony, all the instructions were comprehensive. The day of the ceremony was perfect – from the guidance Aaron provided throughout, to the ceremony itself, to the pictures he takes, to Aaron providing assistance even with the most -smallest things, like fixing the train of my dress so that it photographs well. I cannot say enough about the all-in-one service that Aaron provides. He is a one man show and Aaron does what he does well. If you are looking for an intimate and private ceremony along with beautiful pictures, you must book your wedding with Aaron. You will not regret it! You will have a life-long memory that you and your husband can cherish forever. – Monica D.
We wanted a small ceremony with a beautiful backdrop and a low-key, professional officiant. We got all of that, plus more, when we found Aaron. He was accommodating and responsive to our last minute request and demonstrated great professionalism from start to finish. He knew Blandy Farm very well and made great recommendations for the ceremony and picture locations. I appreciated how he even included our family in some of the wedding pictures. We are so happy with how all of the pictures turned out – there are at least 5 different backdrops, many different poses, some in black and white, and overall they look great! He mailed our marriage certificate to the courthouse, delivered our USB with pictures, and mailed us additional information about our wedding package very timely. Thank you, Aaron, for helping to make our wedding day enjoyable and memorable! – Caitlin and Pete
Aaron was amazing and made our adventure filled day well worth the hiccups. We originally Googled directions to Aaron’s location, but on the day of the appointment, the GPS added on an additional 30 minutes. We thought we would have to lose our deposit and book another day, but Aaron was empathetic and still let us come. The photos he took were amazing and we really appreciated the prayer before the ceremony. Our family and friends are amazed at the beautiful scenery. If you are looking for a talented, professional, on top of his game officiant/photographer, Aaron is your man! I highly recommend him and hope to work with him in the future. Thanks again Aaron, you’re a gem! – Tonnie M.
Aaron was a fabulous officiant and photographer. We got out pictures within a few days after we eloped and our video was amazing. I highly recommend getting the extra time for photos at the end of your ceremony and the multi angle video. Especially in times of COVID we are able to send these out to our friends and family and have them feel connected to our special day. – Veronica S.
Aaron was truly a professional from start to finish. I cannot speak highly enough of how responsive and attentive he is from booking to presenting finished product. Aaron provided a private and simple ceremony and exceptional photography as part of his Woodland Package – it was exactly what we were looking for. If you are interested in a quiet, peaceful elopement ceremony, Aaron is definitely the officiant/ photographer that can provide just that. – Natalie T.
We wanted a simple, private wedding as soon as possible. That seemed like an overwhelming feat until I found Aaron Riddle. From my first correspondence with Aaron, I felt he was the right person to perform our wedding ceremony. His website provided us with all the information we needed as well as examples of his creativity. As an older couple, we really appreciated how efficient and thoughtful he was, filing our marriage license and providing us with a beautiful signed Certificate of Marriage afterwards. He made the photos available to us immediately. I am NOT photogenic, but we both LOVED the photos, and our friends and family commented on how wonderful and happy we looked. If we had known about Aaron before this, we would have done this sooner! We highly recommend Aaron for your wedding; you won’t be disappointed. – Joe and Grace S.
The absolute best decision we made for our wedding was choosing Aaron Riddle as our officiant and photographer. When we contacted him, he responded quickly and provided very thorough information. He was easy to work with and up for a pretty steep hour-long hike to get to our desired wedding spot. We really enjoyed the hike with him, and appreciate that he took that time to get to know us a little better. His ceremony was short and sweet (what we requested) but still very touching and meaningful. He made sure we got all the pictures and poses we wanted and had plenty of ideas when we ran out. The photos were ready faster than we anticipated, and when we opened them, I was in tears. They were absolutely beautiful! He not only got all the “posed photos” but caught some of the special little moments we had between photos too. The only thing we have to share with our family are these pictures and both of our moms cried happy tears when they saw them. We will forever cherish the memory of, and photos from our day. Thank you so much Aaron! – Taylor and Amanda S.
We were supposed to have our intimate wedding with our family in April. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have postponed our wedding. After a few months, we had decided to simply elope in June. We saw Aaron’s website and was happy with the Woodland package. Aaron was very professional. He replied to my questions and email quickly. On the day of the wedding, he was able to wed us without any issues at all. Planning a wedding is stressful and often things go wrong despite careful and detailed organization. Aaron made everything effortless and easy!!!!! He coached us to pose when we did our photo session. We felt so relieved and off our way to enjoy the rest of our day. The next day, he emailed us the edited photos. As we looked at our photos, we couldn’t be more happier with the results. Aaron did an excellent and exceptional job with our photos. We felt beautiful and you could see the love in our pictures. Thanks Aaron for a doing a great job for our wedding! – Jhudhie A.
Best decision we made! We absolutely love our photos. Aaron made it easy to plan our ceremony, completely stress free from start to finish. He is professional, kind and makes you feel very comfortable. Beautiful and intimate ceremony just like we wanted. We highly recommend his services to everyone and couldn’t be happier! – Samantha R.
This whole process was great! Aaron was very easy and quick to communicate with and flexible with scheduling. I have never been married or even done a professional photo shoot, so I really appreciated the location suggestion and the tips on logistics. He knew all of the best spots at Blandy farm to do photos (and keep us out of the sun on a hot day), and I am very glad the poses he suggested were simple and cute, not cheesy prom poses haha. Thank you! – Stacey K.
Aaron was amazing to work with. My husband and I decided on a whim to elope and get married. With just a few emails to Aaron everything was planned. He also took our pictures and they turned out incredible. We got married at a court house and you could not tell that from the pictures! This was both of our second marriages, where we previously did the “big wedding”, but Aaron made our true dreams come true by keeping is as simple as we wanted but still special. – Brittany H.
We could not have been more pleased with the service we received from Aaron Riddle! He was professional and made our small wedding perfect! Our wedding pictures look amazing! – Kathy P.
Josh and I both agreed that working with you was super easy and amazing. The photographs that you took of our wedding day were fantastic…better than either of us could have imagined. The quick turnaround time to get the pictures was also amazing. And certainly communication every step of the way was so helpful. Josh and I cannot thank you enough (and could not be happier) that we were able to work with you on our wedding day! Thank you again! – Julie W.
Jesse and I wanted to thank you so much for marrying us and for our beautiful pictures! We are so happy that we came across your website and that you made it possible for us to have a beautiful wedding day without having to spend a fortune. From the beginning you were very professional and on our wedding day you made it fun when we took our pictures. Everything went perfectly! I also would like to thank you for how quickly we received our photos back. We were impressed and very happy! Thank you! – Kayla I.
Aaron Riddle is simply amazing. We wanted a quiet, simple, quick and beautiful wedding, and Aaron provided just that. He suggested Jim Barnett Park as a location, and it was beyond perfect. We hoped for at least one good photo of our day, and have so many amazing shots that now we can’t decide which one we love the most. Professional and a pleasure all the way around. Thanks so much for everything! Would recommend to everyone we know! – Karen S.
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! – Laura D.
We originally planned a wedding at sea on a cruise to Mexico, until COVID happened. As an alternative, we wanted something smaller and intimate. While doing an online search, we stumbled across Aaron Riddle services. We feel blessed to have found him. He made our wedding day special and stress free. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful. In fact, we both agree that being married and photographed by Aaron turned out to be better than our original plans. We can’t thank him enough for making our day special. We highly recommend his services. – Dalia F.
Aaron was recommended to us by a friend and was everything we hoped for! In the middle of a pandemic or not, we both decided that the stress and expense of a big wedding was not how we wanted to our special day to be. Even before being engaged we both said we wanted to get married at the court house. Aaron made it better than we imagined. He is professional and provides all the information you need so that you are prepared. Also no need to worry about a photographer because he can include that too, and our pictures were great! He also had no issue with us including our 9 month old daughter during the ceremony. Highly recommend! – Courtney M.
We had a beautiful, stress free ceremony that was exactly what we wanted. Aaron was always quick to respond to emails and gave us all the info we needed (and more), often before we thought to ask for it. Our photo shoot was great! He guided us through our poses (many of which I had brought example photos of and he made sure to get each shot), and his friendly and relaxed demeanor made the shoot fun and efficient. We were surprised to receive so many photos, both in color and B&W, for a 20 minute session. Everything was fab – communication, cost, and Aaron’s professionalism and enthusiasm. – Elicia W.
We couldn’t have asked for more. The woodland package was just what we wanted for our elopement. My new hubby and I are very grateful. We decided to change into our wedding clothes once we arrived and never felt rushed by Aaron. He was very kind, patient, and did an amazing job. He was even kind enough to offer to read bible scriptures per our request and took his time. We absolutely love the photos he took and my husband had asked for a very specific photo and he was able to capture that for us. Without any hesitation we will recommend Aaron time and time again. – Debi W.
Dear Aaron – We just got home and are very pleased with your services from start to finish! Beginning with your website, it was very easy to see what services you offer and learn about the steps required to get married. I also want to comment that I personally liked how you addressed the same-sex marriage situation. I liked that you had a dedicated page addressing the question and included some very discreet pictures in some places as well. In the southern accent of Blanche Devereaux (from the Golden Girls), “it was tastefully done!” Your communication was very clear and I appreciated the different acknowledgments and instructions. You are literally a “reserve and just show up” kind of shop. You provided good guidance today and both the simple ceremony and pictures were great! Please, feel free to use us as references in the future, particularly for other LGBT couples. Finally, I really like the pictures and appreciate you including a few of them in both color and black and white. You do beautiful work!!!! Thanks again and much success in your business. – Eric & Jacob
We wanted a simple, private wedding as soon as possible. That seemed like an overwhelming feat until I found Aaron Riddle. From my first correspondence with Aaron, I felt he was the right person to perform our wedding ceremony. His website provided us with all the information we needed as well as examples of his creativity. As an older couple, we really appreciated how efficient and thoughtful he was, filing our marriage license and providing us with a beautiful signed Certificate of Marriage afterwards. He made the photos available to us immediately. I am NOT photogenic, but we both LOVED the photos, and our friends and family commented on how wonderful and happy we looked. If we had known about Aaron before this, we would have done this sooner! We highly recommend Aaron for your wedding; you won’t be disappointed. – Joe and Grace S.
Aaron did a fantastic job. The whole experience was great. Aaron is very friendly, accommodating, and easy to work with. Additionally, Aaron offered very helpful guidance and tips with respect to the formality issues, which demonstrates his high level of experience helping people through this process. The pictures were great and well worth it. We selected the Woodland package, which was very convenient (even with the 1.5 hour drive) and provided a one-stop-shop for our wedding needs. We highly recommend Aaron. – Philip E.
If I could rate Aaron 100 stars, I would. From the first time I contacted him, until receiving our pictures, the process could not be any easier and smooth. Not only are our pictures beautiful, but our elopement ceremony was absolutely perfect. He is very thorough, and communication was perfect- so we knew exactly what to expect and how to pull off our elopement in just 2 weeks. Aaron- THANK YOU. You’re awesome! – Lindsay W.
10/10 would recommend! Aaron is extremely professional, and gave us a beautiful intimate ceremony with our family, all in the midst of this pandemic. We couldn’t be happier with his services as both an officiant, and photographer! Aaron, we cannot thank you enough for making our special day perfect! – Christina B.
Aaron was absolutely wonderful to work with! He made the entire experience so personal and easy. We felt so comfortable with him, which was a huge relief. Not only was our ceremony beautiful, but our pictures exceeded all of our expectations. We cannot thank you enough! – Julia L.
This was one of the best days of my life. I was expecting everything to be complicated, a lot of planning, you name it, but it was so easy and Aaron was very responsive, pleasant, and easy to work with. His wife even made us hot chocolate…it was a cold day! The ceremony was sweet, the pictures are beautiful, and I just couldn’t be happier. Someone asked me a few days later how the wedding was, and I said, ‘Perfect.’ There are no other words. There was no stress about anything, and I’ll never forget my sweet husband’s smile as he said his vows to me. Those are the things you want to remember. THANK YOU! – Melissa W.
Aaron Riddle is one of the most professional and artistic people I’ve met. From first contact to the last email, Aaron exudes class in all ways. He is easy to work with, very reasonable in pricing and what you get far exceeds your expectations. Thank you Aaron our wedding was exactly what we wanted and the photos were as beautiful as we hoped. We only wish you lived closer so we could call on you for future events. – Marina F.
Aaron provides an excellent service. Our ceremony was very small but Aaron’s advice and fantastic photography made it a perfect experience and lent an air of quality that we really appreciate as we reflect upon the moment. This was our family’s second go around with Aaron as my daughter and son-in-law used him previously. Aaron more than lived up to their recommendation and we are very satisfied. Thank you Aaron! – Tim and Debra M.
We couldn’t be happier with our elopement experience. We chose the Woodland package with a 20 minute photo session add-on. It was perfect for us…romantic, simple, and no pressure. We were even able to change our ceremony time when an emergency came up (with a small rescheduling fee). This was exactly what my husband and I were looking for, and I’m very thankful we trusted Aaron Riddle with this extremely important day. Photography was excellent as well! – Brittany N.
From first contact to delivery of our photos, Aaron was great to work with. He gave us some recommendations based on our ideas for what we wanted. When the weather unexpectedly turned to single digits and snow, he helped us figure out a back up plan that was just perfect. Our ceremony was private, simple, and sincere. How photos exceed all of our expectations. Thank you, Aaron! Our day was wonderful. – Monica B.
What a great wedding day. From the first email until the goodbye and thank you, Aaron made everything so easy and stress free. Even got our beautiful photos sent to us within 24 hours. Thank you so much for making our day such a great time. – Donna R.
We absolutely loved our experience with Aaron. Aaron was incredibly professional and kind. Our ceremony was very quick and to the point (which is what we wanted!), and our marriage license was mailed out promptly. Not to mention, the photographs he took were absolutely stunning! We highly recommend Aaron’s services! – Alexsandra H.
We were so happy with our wedding and photo session with Aaron! He was so easy to communicate with when we were planning it and he was so nice about making changes when we changed up our plans on him after booking. He helped us make our wedding day special when we just wanted a small private ceremony. He filed our marriage license immediately and got the pictures to us very quickly. The pictures he took were amazing!! We definitely recommend Aaron’s services. – Julie F.
Aaron was fantastic. We chose the Woodland package, and the setting was beautiful. The ceremony was quick and personal, and the entire experience felt very intimate. He worked with us through the nervousness we had during the photos (neither myself nor my husband are very big on having our pictures taken), and the photos themselves were stunning. I would absolutely recommend. – Zoey M.
Aaron was so easy to work with. He made every step simple, and effortless. We couldn’t be happier with his services! Definitely would recommend to any couple planning to get married in Virginia; from a simple elopement; like ours, or to a larger ceremony. Aaron relieves stress and anxiety, making sure everything is ready for your vows! – Sheila L.
Amazing. Loved the woodland package! Beautiful for pictures and a great place for a ceremony. Super easy/ quick. No hassle at all! 🙂 – Grace C.
You really did an awesome job! The pictures came out great and the officiant service was simple and sweet–just what we wanted! I was also told by the woman working at the courthouse that you are the only officiant to type up a nice certificate. That is such an awesome touch! Thank you for everything! – Katie P.
Aaron is a true professional that helped us make our elopement memorable. The pictures he took were so vivid and we received so many compliments on them. Thank you Aaron!! – Reon G.
Aaron approaches his work with an extremely high level of professionalism and passion. He walked us through every step of the process. The photographs were amazing. If you are considering an elopement, no need to look any further. This is the person you need to hire. Thank you Aaron. You made our wedding the best day ever. – Jerry and Kristen R.
We are looking now after getting home from Charlottesville today and the photos Aaron took are gorgeous! We are so happy with how they look. He did a wonderful job. Thank you so much again to Aaron for helping us have such wonderful memories of our elopement day! He will have a special place in our life memories :)” – Matthew and Michelle B.
I would highly recommend Aaron for anyone looking for high quality, beautiful photography. Our wedding photos were stunning and turnaround time was exceptional. Thank you, Aaron, for making our wedding so perfect! – Heath and Jennifer H.
Aaron is amazing! He is very prompt and helpful. He made the whole experience speedy, but still special. His services really came in handy for us. I highly recommend. Thank you again, Aaron! – Daniel D.
Aaron made our day wonderful! He was professional and made us feel very comfortable, like he was an old friend. We both hate having our pictures taken but Aaron made it enjoyable. Our wedding day and pictures were great, and Aaron was a big part of that! – Paige C.
Aaron did an outstanding job with our service. We could not have been happier with how smoothly everything went and how professionally we were handled. He responded quickly to any questions we had leading up to the ceremony and spent extra time after our wedding to make sure he got the photos we would all be happy with. I cannot recommend his services enough. – Bobby & Yuliia
We stumbled upon Aaron on Google when looking at ways to get married in Winchester, VA. Had a great social media presence, which displayed his work and services. We were able to arrange a very intimate wedding at the Arboretum, which met our expectations. The photo shoot after resulted in amazing photographs and memories on that cold November afternoon. We would recommend Aaron to anyone reading this. – Daniel M.
Aaron was so accommodating to our last minute request. We did the Woodland Package and it was a beautiful, calm, quiet setting. Aaron made us feel comfortable and sent our pictures out extremely fast. Thank you! – Lauren R.
Aaron was awesome! He made everything so simple and answered all of my questions. The pictures turned out amazing as well. I now have dozens of memories of our elopement. I would recommend his services to anyone inquiring about elopements and photography. – Deserei D.
If I could give Aaron 10 stars, I would! Couldn’t have asked for any better professionalism, personality and talent! – Brittany O.
Thank you again for helping us perform our secret elopement. Your kindness helped to put us both at ease for the ceremony and the pictures. There are so many great photos!– Sam and Teresa
Excellent work! The services we received are exactly what we wanted. We are very pleased with how everything turned out. We absolutely love the photos he captured on our day! – Tracy H.
Good, likable guy. We were able to get married within a week. He makes everything simple and the process easy to understand. We eloped thanks to Aaron! 🙂 – Matthew A.
We could not be happier with Aaron. He is friendly and the Woodland package was the perfect setting for my husband and I. We are very pleased with the photos and have received compliments from everyone who has looked at them. Thank you so much the awesome job! – Desiree R.
We are SO impressed with Aaron’s professionalism and talent! We LOVE the photos of our winter elopement at the Nancy Shepard House. The experience was everything we were hoping for and more! I would recommend Aaron to anyone. He was very efficient and we received our photos much quicker than expected and they will be cherished forever! Thank you, Aaron! – Chris and Kristina
We had a simple ceremony our parents and siblings in Shenandoah National Park. The overlook suggested by Aaron and the photos he took were beautiful. The experience was low stress and relaxed, and exceeded our expectations. – Joel and Emily
Aaron is a talented photographer. Just what we wanted for a quiet ceremony for just the two of us with beautiful pictures to capture the day and memories for a lifetime. He was very helpful and always responded promptly. – Everett and Cathy
We had a perfect day. I would never change anything about today, and thank Aaron for officiating and such beautiful photography. I feel so blessed that he did our wedding. Everything was perfection. – David and Nicole
If I could give Aaron 10 stars, I would! Couldn’t have asked for any better professionalism, personality and talent! – Brittney O.
Extremely satisfied with Aaron’s services! Very timely with arrival and filing the marriage license. Definitely recommend using Aaron for officiating your ceremony – very easy to set everything up which made things so much less stressful for me! – Tristan F.
Aaron was very professional and kind. He came out on Christmas Eve to perform our ceremony. We loved all the pictures as well! – Deborah S.
We thought everything was perfect! Aaron was very professional, kind, and really went above and beyond with the portraits, etc. We have been raving to friends and family about it all week! We could not have asked for a more perfect elopement. – Nina M.
Amazing officiant! We wanted a quiet quickie wedding and he made it fantastic. Thank you for the great memories! – Angela M.
I thought Aaron did an awesome job. We were very pleased with the marriage service he performed for us and we would recommend Mr. Riddle to anyone that are getting married. – Forrest A.