5 out of 5 stars and 295 reviews
5
(295)Best of Weddings (9x).Serving Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire
About this vendor
Massachusetts Justice of the Peace Stoddard Melhado, based in Littleton, MA, is a wedding officiant who enjoys creating personalized vow exchanges for couples. His aim is to craft a dignified ceremony with the couple that is graceful and stylish. Stoddard works throughout Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire.
Stoddard's previous work includes 38 years in the education sector. After working as an English teacher and school counselor, he retired in 2007. He began his current career after a number of friends asked him to officiate for their children's weddings. From this, he discovered a passion for helping couples mark their marriage in a meaningful way. His experience as a teacher and school counselor provides him with the skills necessary to assist soon-to-be-weds in arranging a customized ceremony that reflects who they are.
Massachusetts Justice of the Peace Stoddard Melhado can officiate for a variety of weddings. This includes interfaith, vow renewals, same-gender ceremonies, and more. Stoddard also offers premarital counseling and provides consultations for planning the big day.
Details
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Second Wedding
- Vow Renewal Ceremony
Religious Affiliations
- Buddhist
- Christian
- Interfaith
- Spiritual
Wedding Activities
- Premarital Counseling
- Wedding
- Ceremony
Awards and Affiliations
Reviews
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5
out of 5.0295 reviews
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We are so glad we had Stoddard as our JP for our wedding ceremony! We never once questioned our decision, from the moment we contacted him about being our JP, to meeting him and his wife in person to go over the process, all the way up until our wedding day! He was not only very welcoming but also patient and made picking the format for our ceremony so simple and easy. He makes the ceremony formal but also very personal and gave great advice and input along the way when choosing our ceremony format. He really took the time to get to know myself and husband during our initial meeting and took notes along the way and put together some beautiful remarks of our relationship. He has such a calming demeanor and walks you through every step and really has a gift at what he does! We had so many guests saying it was the best ceremony they’ve ever witnessed. They all said how it seemed like he knew us our whole life, and many guests said they don’t cry at weddings but he had all our guests smiling, crying happy tears, and laughing! We highly recommend Stoddard!!!
I love Stoddard and his wife! They are such kind and lovely people who truly care about you and want to get to know you before you get married to really make your ceremony personal. I truly felt like I was being married by someone who cares and supports my marriage and he will always hold a special place in my heart for being the one to bring my husband and I together! And he also has the cutest dogs!
Stoddard made our ceremony truly magical! He was wonderfully personable and easy to work with. The number of compliments we received on our ceremony have been endless (even well after the big day!). He was able to make the ceremony feel formal yet very personal and warm. 10/10 couldn’t have had a better officiant!
We're so glad Stoddard officiated our wedding! We enjoyed getting to know him at our initial meeting at his home. He immediately made us feel welcome and explained his process to us. When it was time for us to tell him our story, he listened attentively and took notes. From the time of that meeting through to our wedding, Stoddard was always quick to respond to messages, which was much appreciated by a stressed-out bride-to-be. He made the process of crafting our ceremony fun and easy, and the remarks that he put together were both funny and sentimental. The day of our wedding, several guests commented on how much they had liked our ceremony and our choice of JP! Stoddard is a true professional who takes his role seriously, in addition to being an all-around good person. We highly recommend him!
There isn’t enough space to communicate how incredible Stoddard is, and how he made our most important day so special. We did not speak to one guest who didn’t comment how amazing he was as the JP. He did a fantastic job telling our love story in a way that made it seem like he’s known us forever. When we think back on our wedding, we will always reflect on Stoddard’s (and Ky’s!) crucial role in making the day perfect.
Stoddard was the most perfect addition to our wedding day! From the beginning, he helped to streamline the process for us and explain details we wouldn't have even thought of. Stoddard took the time to get to know us and to create a personalized ceremony that captured our relationship - we received so many compliments on our ceremony! The day of the wedding Stoddard handled any challenges with grace and dignity and delivered a wonderful and special ceremony. We are so glad to have had Stoddard as part of our wedding day and couldn't imagine having had it any other way!
Stoddard performed our ceremony on 7/21 - we were so happy with how it went. He took the time to get to know us when we first met and really personalized the ceremony. Stoddard was extremely organized and helped us with each step in the process - all the way down to ensuring we had a copy of our marriage certificate to bring with us on our honeymoon. We had several family members tell us how much they enjoyed the ceremony and truly thought Stoddard was a family friend or someone we had known for quite some time. Highly recommend!
Words cannot express how heart-felt and meaningful my daughter’s wedding ceremony was. Stoddard is truly one of those people who come into your life and make it better. He was so well-spoken, and really cared to get to know my daughter and her husband. This isn’t a job for him, it is a vocation. I highly recommend Stoddard. He is just the best there is.
Stoddard took the time to get to know us and learn all about our relationship. He made the wedding process very easy and enjoyable. Our ceremony was everything we could’ve asked for!
Stoddard was fantastic every step of the way! He and his wife (and their dogs) are absolutely lovely. He first met with us to understand who we are, how we met, etc in order to personalize his words for our ceremony. He had loads of examples of vows, readings, and ceremony ideas for us to take inspiration from, drawn from his many years of experience. He was incredibly organized every step of the way, and helped make our ceremony perfect. He was very professional, extremely responsive by e-mail, and was well known by the venue we used. We'd give him 6 stars if we could! We have joked about having a vow renewal ceremony just so we have an excuse to work with him again. Thank you for everything, Stoddard!
Stoddard is AWESOME. You will not regret having him officiate your marriage. On our first meeting, he was so kind and welcoming. He really takes the time to get to know you as a couple and your love story. He was wonderful with helping build the ceremony as well, with plenty of assistance when it came to writing vows, including readings, and adding those personal touches. Stoddard went above and beyond in guiding us through our wedding ceremony and what to expect the day of. On top of being a wonderful officiant, he truly is just such an amazing person with the most calming presence. He led our ceremony beautifully and we could not be happier with his service.
Stoddard was great! Right when we met with him for our initial meeting we knew he was the one that we wanted to officiate our wedding. He is so kind and thoughtful in what he does (He even rescues grey hounds, what a guy!). We had many questions- all of which Stoddard answered. We were nervous about the ceremony- Stoddard did a run through and told exactly what to do- this made us both feel at ease. Planning was easy and we were able to put in our input every step of the way. Our ceremony could not have been any better- it was personalized to us, it was sweet, it was funny - in the crowd there were tears, smiles, laughs...it was perfect!
Picking Stoddard as our officiant was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding ceremony! We met a few months beforehand for Stoddard to meet us and get a sense of who we were as a couple and then he incorporated the personal details we discussed into a beautiful ceremony. All of our guests loved how personal and heartfelt it was and even thought he was a close longtime friend of ours. It was that perfect! 11/10 recommend Stoddard for anyone looking for an officiant!
Stoddard Melhado was absolutely the perfect person to perform our ceremony. He (and his lovely wife!) were both so kind and warm - our introductory meeting took place in his home. From that one conversation, Stoddard picked up the vibe and story of how my husband and I met and began dating...
During the actual ceremony, he kept it short and sweet (as we wanted), while also bringing both reflection and humor to the event. So many of our guests came up to us afterwards to comment on how well he did and how much he brought to the ceremony. If I could go back in time, I would hire Stoddard again in an instant.
We are so incredibly happy we found Stoddard to work with as our wedding officiant. From our initial meeting with him we felt very comfortable that he would be the right fit for us. He was able to help us personalize our ceremony to reflect our values. Stoddard helped make our ceremony incredibly special and memorable. Our guests commented throughout the night that our ceremony was beautiful.
Stoddard made our ceremony so wonderful. From the initial meeting to the day of, he was so patient and helpful with coordinating and creating our ceremony. He did a remarkable job, and our guests kept commenting on how much they enjoyed him. Thank you Stoddard!! He is the best out there, we cannot recommend him enough.
Stoddard was absolutely lovely to work with and provided us with such a unique and beautiful ceremony! He and his wife took time to meet with my husband and I and hear the story of how we met and fell in love beforehand. His words at our wedding were so lovely and personalized, and he was extremely helpful and responsive leading up to the wedding day. Our guests commented on how well he led the ceremony and how beautiful it was. I highly recommend Stoddard as a JP!
We envisioned a unique and personalized ceremony that we would cherish forever; Stoddard made that happen beyond our expectations! From our first meeting, welcoming us into his home along with his lovely wife and well behaved rescued greyhounds, to the moment of our ceremony, Stoddard evoked a sense of calmness and trust within us. He made an overwhelming process become a true project of love for us with his experience, offerings, direction, and openness, enveloped by a unique warmth and charm that connects to your soul. He took all of the pressure off of us so that we could be present for each other. Our guests were brought to tears and embraced the true love and joy that we hold between us. Thank you Stoddard for our meaningful and intimate ceremony and for becoming a cherished part of our community!
Stoddard is truly the best of the best! He took the time to have my husband and I over his house and get to know us as a couple. He used all of these details to make our ceremony extra special. All of our guests couldn't stop talking about how great the ceremony because of Stoddard. He was able to keep all of our guests engaged as well as create the best memories for my husband and me. I cannot say enough about him! He walked us through the entire process and removed any stress that comes with planning a ceremony. He was extremely professional and easy to get in contact with. If you are looking for someone to officiate your wedding who will go above and beyond to make it special, Stoddard is the right choice!
Stoddard is very professional and keen on helping couples to customize their weddings. His personal remarks on our love story was well enjoyed by our guests and added a lot of laughters in our wedding. Our ceremony was so much more memorable because of Stoddard. I highly recommend him as your officiant.
Stoddard did an amazing job officiating our wedding. He worked with us to add all of the elements to make our ceremony the most memorable and personable. He offered suggestions and opinions on important pieces of the day and delivered a very kind message to my Husband and I. The ceremony was our favorite part of the day!
From our first to last interaction with Stoddard, he was an absolute professional and so easy to work with. He really got to know us as a couple and the ceremony ran very smoothly thanks to his guidance. Being from out of state, he also graciously went above and beyond and picked up our marriage certificate for us so we didn’t have to add another thing on our to-do list. Highly recommend!
Stoddard made our wedding ceremony so special. He took the time to get to know us as a couple, and our visit to his home with his wife Ky and greyhounds was one of the highlights of our wedding planning process. He was very professional and made us feel comfortable reciting our vows. Our guests raved about our ceremony and we are so grateful he could help make it so memorable.
Stoddard officiated our wedding this past July. We loved his ceremony structure and style in officiating. We were lucky to be able to meet with him in person prior to our wedding and loved his approach to getting to know us as a couple to build our ceremony. He had a wide range of readings, blessings, and options for different parts of the ceremony like introducing our vows and the exchange of rings. Using Stoddard’s resources, we were able to build a ceremony that fit us as a couple.
Stoddard ran our rehearsal and was very efficient on a hot day. He worked well with our wedding party, parents, the venue coordinator, and the DJ to make sure everything was running smoothly. Our wedding was on another very hot day and Stoddard kept the ceremony moving, but not rushed, so that we could appreciate the moment but get out of the heat swiftly. We received so many compliments from our guests about the ceremony, and Stoddard specifically.
Our ceremony was a very special part of our wedding and it was Stoddard’s style and guidance that helped it to be the best it could be. We highly recommend Stoddard to officiate your wedding!
My husband and I cannot recommend Stoddard enough. We had the most amazing ceremony thanks to him. Stoddard met with us, learned who we are and how we met, then wrote the most beautiful ceremony for us. Stoddard helped me include my step daughter with personalized vows to her. The wedding planning process is overwhelming, Stoddard eased all our fears and anxieties allowing us to focus on us. Thank you Stoddard from the bottom of our hearts for your beautiful words to blend our family.
We first met Stoddard (and his lovely wife and greyhounds) at his house. He explained the ceremony process and provided us with a ton of vow examples to choose from. He asked us questions about how we met, and spent some time getting to know us. He then used this information to incorporate into the ceremony, which was a lovely surprise. You can tell he really enjoys what he does, and working with couples.
We loved having Stoddard as our officiant! He was truly amazing. We loved that he took the time to get to know us as a couple and made our ceremony very special.
Stoddard was an absolutely amazing Justice of the Peace and I highly recommend him for any wedding. His communication was excellent and timely and he really took the time to get to know us. He provided us with everything we needed to help create a memorable ceremony. 10 out of 10!
Mr. Melhado is the most incredible justice of the peace you will ever meet.
During our pre-meeting we sat down with him at his home, and had the pleasure of meeting his wife and dogs, making it feel so personable and comfortable. He took the time to listen to our story, our wishes for our big day, and gave his (well respected) advice from his own marriage of 50+ years.
With a reputable background in guidance, he made sure to check in on our personal well-being, and offered advice throughout the entire planning process. We always felt heard and cared about, and that is truly something special!
Our ceremony was nothing less than perfect. Thanks to Stoddard, it was personable, beautiful, and way more than what we could’ve imagined.
Stoddard is one of a kind, and anyone who has him making their marriage “official” is very very luck.
Cheers!
We'd like to thank Stoddard for officiating our wedding in May. If I had to offer one piece of advice for couples looking for a wedding officiant, it would be to find someone you connect with. That person for us was Stoddard. We received so many kind words about our ceremony. Simply, we trusted him with our special day and we were able to work on creating a ceremony that was personalized for us and we are so happy. We were blessed to work with amazing vendors for our wedding. Stoddard was a blessing to work with. He is professional, friendly, and down-to-earth. We are grateful to TheKnot.com for introducing us to such a great person. The reviews were excellent and so helpful in making our decision. The decision to choose Stoddard was easy and hands down the best. We were happy to work with vendors via TheKnot.com. The communication process is user-friendly via TheKnot.com. We consider Stoddard not only our wedding officiant but a friend. Thank you!
We reached out to Stoddard after extensively researching JPs near us and were very impressed with the reviews given to him by others he worked with, as well as how helpful we found his website. We had no idea about planning a wedding ceremony, and the information on his website really helped set the stage for us. We scheduled a consultation with him, which I believe was an hour long, but ended up staying over that time chatting with him and his lovely wife. After the consultation we knew we wanted to work with him; he was so pleasant, helpful, and understanding. He was super straightforward and clear with his process. He was willing to work with ideas and welcomed creativity but also guided us along when we needed help. Stoddard made this process so easy and simple for us, which was so appreciated! He was so responsive to emails and flexible when we had to change our rehearsal date. He was so unbelievably helpful the night of the rehearsal and really helped explain the process to us. The ceremony went seamlessly and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. We had so many guests compliment our ceremony and say how beautiful it was, which was all thanks to Stoddard as he has so many reading selections to accommodate every kind of couple. It’s clear he put so much time and effort into his offerings. We had so much fun putting our ceremony together. Working with Stoddard was the best decision we could have made and one of our very favorite parts of wedding planning. We highly recommend him.
We felt so lucky that we had Stoddard for our ceremony! We enjoyed having discussions through consultations before wedding and the wedding ceremony was perfect. Thank you Stoddard!
We are so grateful that Stoddard was our JP for our wedding on 5/29/22. His responsiveness was immediate throughout the wedding process as well as he was very willing, patient and flexible to meet our needs. We valued his time and input as well as we feel that he valued ours as well. He created a ceremony that was very intimate and personal and we couldn't be happier with how it all came together. We are so appreciative of our time with Stoddard and whole heartedly recommend him to future couples! You'll be lucky to have him.
Stoddard was among a short list of officiants recommended to us by our venue. After looking into everyone on the list, my now-husband and I knew we wanted to meet with him, and the meeting solidified that he was the best choice we could ask for. As animal lovers, we loved that Stoddard and his wife, Ky, rescue greyhounds, and meeting both of them was such a fun, easygoing experience. From our first meeting we felt at ease with Stoddard, and we could tell that he genuinely cares about his couples and the work he does. He was incredibly helpful, providing a framework for us to use to build our ceremony, and getting to know us so that he could make our ceremony feel personal. He was always accessible and responsive, and made the whole process easy. We could not have been happier with how our ceremony ended up!
Stoddard was the best JP I ever could have hoped for! My husband came across his information, and we were excited right away having a number of interests in common with him. He graciously invited us to his house where we had the opportunity to get to know each other a bit better to determine whether it felt like the right fit. Stoddard was a true professional and walked us through the process in a way that was very reassuring. His organizational skills were top notch and we knew our ceremony would be in good hands under his guidance. After the ceremony, we received so many compliments from friends and family on the readings and the way it was structured, and this was all due to Stoddard's eloquence and insightful suggestions. Thank you Stoddard for being a part of the most magical day of our lives!
The ceremony that Stoddard created for us was perfect. It was personal and sweet. The process of working with him was seamless as well. He responded promptly and answered all of our questions. We really enjoyed meeting with him prior to the wedding to learn about the process and for us to get to know each other!! We felt like we had a lot of options to create a ceremony that really fit who we are as a couple. After the wedding, we have heard from so many guests that it was the best ceremony they have ever been to! We truly can't say enough good things about Stoddard. The ceremony was wonderful and he is wonderful as well!
My husband and I are so grateful to Stoddard for helping us to create such a beautiful, special wedding ceremony that was uniquely ours. From our first meeting (he holds an initial consultation at his home, where we were also about to meet and get to know his wife and adorable dogs), he was warm, inviting and so helpful. He spent time getting to know us both separately and us a couple, which he then used to personalize our ceremony - this was such a nice touch. He provided us with a template for our ceremony, that we then got to make our own; from blessings, readings, vows, order etc. the whole ceremony from start to finish (including marriage advice from Stoddard and his wife of 50+ years) was put together completely by my husband and I. This definitely made the process for intimate and special for the both of us.
My husband and I eloped, with no guests, but having Stoddard and his wife there was the perfect addition to our day. We are so glad that we decided to record our ceremony at the last minute, as we have been watching it on repeat!
Beyond creating such a beautiful ceremony, Stoddard was kind, timely, professional, and was great at following up with us on and walking us through all of the important details (marriage certificate, having copies of our vows, how to hold the rings, etc.).
We would happily recommend him to any couple planning their wedding!
Simply put, Stoddard was a professional. He met with us shortly after we first reached out to see whether he was the right fit for our ceremony (and refused to accept payment until we were comfortable with our decision). Because he's been officiating for some time, he was able to provide us with a huge selection of readings, vows, and other ceremonial language he's accumulated over the years so that we could easily tailor the proceedings to our liking. Stoddard was accommodating with a quick check-in a week before the ceremony as an alternative to attending the venue's rehearsal. He had no trouble coordinating with the DJ and venue staff on the day of, and was extremely warm when chatting with the wedding parties before the ceremony. He's an excellent choice for an officiant — and be sure to say hi to his rescue greyhounds during the consultation!
Stoddard is a wonderful officiant and a pleasure to work with at every stage of wedding planning. It was clear from meeting with Stoddard for the first time that he was kind and understanding, and that he would do his best to make our wedding ceremony personalized and special. He provided an incredibly helpful and extensive list of potential wedding readings, blessings, and vows, which alleviated a lot of our stress. He also had us tell him the story of how we met and about our relationship since then, and during our wedding ceremony he surprised us with a beautiful story about us, which added a nice personal touch. We have had multiple guests compliment us on the ceremony since our wedding day, several of whom said that ours was the most beautiful one they could remember, which we consider to be a testament to how great of a job Stoddard did.
Stoddard was such a warm, caring officiant, and we would recommend him to anybody!
Wedding Preparation: Our first meeting with Stoddard was in July 2021 where we met him, his wife and his wonderful greyhounds. After telling them our story and going over the process for creating the ceremony we left feeling so happy and in love. Stoddard’s process of providing a template for the ceremony, and giving us the freedom to choose the readings, blessings, ring exchange, etc., was a wonderful way of letting us make it personal while keeping the ceremony feeling intact. He gives pages of examples for jumping off points, but encourages you to create the ceremony that is best for you.
Rehearsal Dinner: We were so impressed by Stoddard at the rehearsal dinner. We could tell by his attention to small details that he is an expert. From how to hold our rings on each other’s fingers, to who to look at during different parts of the ceremony, those small details made a huge difference in our ceremony.
Wedding Day: Our wedding was held up a mountain during a record-breaking snowstorm - over a foot of snow and blizzard conditions on the day of our wedding. While I wanted some snow on the ground, I think this was more than anyone planned for. Stoddard assured me that he would make it, and he was there with plenty of time to spare. However, I did appreciate his preparation in sending the full ceremony to our DJ in case he couldn’t make it. One of the best parts of Stoddard’s ceremony is his personal remarks - he takes your personal story and shares it as part of the ceremony. TIP: Don’t ask to see it beforehand, he does a wonderful job and it’s a lovely surprise to hear it for the first time. The ceremony felt so intimate and lovely and all of our guests were raving about how great of a job he did.
Stoddard’s warmth and expertise really showed throughout the whole process, and we are so happy we chose him!
Justian and I met with Stoddard to officiate our wedding ceremony in 2021, based on great recommendations from experts in the local area. We started off with a great interview discussing various unique options to create a ceremony special and meaningful to the two of us. Stoddard presented completely “one-of-a-kind” ideas to us; as a result, we had an amazing ceremony. Our guests continuously complimented the ceremony in how detailed and unique it was, and how emotional they had become along with us. I would highly recommend Stoddard as the JP for your wedding ceremony! We guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Stoddard was amazing to work with! He has such an amazing way at making you feel at ease and truly the love and magic of getting married. I highly recommend him you will not be disappointed he was fantastic and I don’t have enough words to describe how fabulous he was!
Stoddard was an absolute joy to work with! He made everything flow so easily. I think I wrote him about 20 emails during this whole process, but he was prompt with his replies and very patient. He made it very easy for my husband and I to put together vows that were meaningful, and relevant to our relationship. I am very happy that my husband and I were able to find him!
It was an absolute pleasure to work with Stoddard. From start to finish he was super flexible during the planning process and answered any and all questions we had quickly. On our wedding day he gave a beautiful service, that to this day we still get compliments on how beautiful and unique it was. You can certainly tell that he truly loves what he does because it really shows in his work. I would highly recommend working with him you will not regret it! My husband and I cannot thank him enough!!
We had a truly amazing experience with Stoddard. When we met him to interview him we immediately felt at ease with him. He not only walked us through all the things we could do in a ceremony but he helped us understand what we wanted and didnt want in our ceremony. He also took the time to get to know us and our relationship and surprised us with a great personal touch in our ceremony. We would highly recommend him, he takes great care in his work. All of our guests really enjoyed his ceremony!
Stoddard was truly a blessing in disguise when our original JoP cancelled - he took the time to meet us, hear our story, and he personally told our story with such charm and it is obvious he loves what he does. His experience is unmatched (over one thousand weddings??) and you truly get to customize your ceremony with his resources. Our guests said that our ceremony was so beautiful and meaningful and we were so glad we had Stoddard's help in making it perfect!
Stoddard Melhado is not your typical officiant - He goes above and beyond his duties as a Justice of the Peace to ensure your ceremony is uniquely yours! We knew from our first meeting when Stoddard invited us into his home, introduced us to his wife and all of his rescued greyhounds, and listened intently to our love story, that he was a kind and genuine soul who truly loves what he does. He took the time to get to know us and ensured we were fully involved in the entire process. Stoddard was extremely communicative and responsive. He made what we had anticipated to be a daunting and overwhelming task incredibly easy! We were able to hand pick every component of our nuptials - from our readings, to our vows, even the phrasing of our “I-do’s”!
If you’re looking for a personalized, truly magical ceremony that you and your guests will never forget, look no further! We can’t thank Stoddard enough for making our wedding day the best of our lives.
Kate & Justin
Stoddard made our wedding ceremony so special!! From our first email, he was so informative, responsive, and helpful. He took the time to meet with us and get to know more about us and our relationship. He gave us the exact tools and helped guide us so that is was very easy to create our perfect personalized ceremony. He also added in his own words about my husband and I after our meeting. It was perfect - as if he had known us forever. We received many compliments from guests and we could not recommend him enough!
We found Stoddard originally on Wedding Wire. We met with him and thought he would be the perfect officiant for us!
He was so personable and interested in our story. We really loved how organized he was and how customized the entire ceremony would be. He provided us with so many reading, vow, etc. options that we were able to fully customize our ceremony to make it perfect for us!
What we didn't know until the day of the wedding is how personal the ceremony would actually be. We were so honored that Stoddard took the time to write out our love story in such a thoughtful and amazing way. He really listened to every single detail we told him about our relationship and lives! So many people thought the highlight of the day was the ceremony because of how special and thoughtful Stoddard made it.
In terms of working with him, it was really an honor. He was so professional, organized, thoughtful, and friendly. He knew exactly what a perfect ceremony looked like, and it was so great to have him to provide direction and advice. We are so lucky we were able to find him and that he had the patience to work with us as we postponed our original date. Thank you so much Stoddard for making our day so special!!
I can’t say enough good things about Stoddard. He is personable, responsive and efficient. Things could not have gone smoother on our special day. He and his wife (who is fabulous as well) took the time to meet with my husband and I prior to the wedding and really got to know us. Stoddard added in his own words during our ceremony regarding our history as a couple and it was very touching and what he said was perfect! He has plenty of material for you to go through and really personalize your ceremony. We received many compliments about how beautiful the words spoken during our ceremony were. We couldn’t be happier to have chosen Stoddard for such an important event in our lives and highly recommend him!
Wonderful experience! Stoddard makes sure to take the time to get to know you as a couple and says such beautiful things about you at the ceremony. He’s LGBT friendly and my wife and I cannot say enough wonderful things about him. Both he and his wife made us feel comfortable and kept the meetings fun.
We are so thankful to have Stoddard officiate our wedding ceremony, he truly cares about getting to know us and our story. He was amazing, we can’t thank Stoddard enough for his time and service.
If you are considering a justice of the peace Stoddard is very easy to work with and did a great on most of the most important days of our lives, we had no worry about how the officiating was going to be.
Thank you so much Stoddard.
Love. Kevin and Bea.
We can’t thank Stoddard enough for his time and service. Stoddard married me and my husband on 8/21/21 and working with him was such a pleasure he was hands down the best individual we worked with throughout the 1.5yr planning process.
Stoddard and his wonderful wife hosted us at their home for the initial get to know each other session. It was so lovely to get to know them and the wonderful people that they are at the same time as he got to know us better. We had him conduct our rehearsal and ceremony as well.
Stoddard was amazing at providing us with structure, but also giving us endless options to customize our ceremony and really make it our own. That first session he really took the time in learning our story so his words could be just as personal as our own vows to each other.
We really wouldn’t have changed a single thing Stoddard did and he truly felt like someone who had been there through our relationship over the years from the way he spoke about us that the experience felt like working with family.
Don’t hesitate and definitely book Stoddard if he is available for your date!
Stoddard is professional, reliable and a joy to work with! He officiated our wedding on 9/2 and everything was amazing from beginning to end. All our loved ones had nothing but high praises as well for the ceremony. If you want a personalized wedding ceremony, Stoddard can without a doubt provide that for you. We can’t say enough wonderful things about him and he was a pleasure to work with. Highly recommend to any couple out there!
Stoddard was an amazing JP and my husband and I couldn’t of been happier that we chose him! He was so easy to work with from the very beginning with email correspondence, to then welcoming Bryan and myself to his home for a meeting to making our actual wedding day spectacular and stress free! A true pleasure to work with and would recommend to anyone!
Stoddard truly made our wedding ceremony absolutely everything we could have hoped for. He kindly had us over to his home so we could get to know one another and he truly enjoyed listening to our love story with his wife Kay. He reviewed every part of the ceremony with us and helped us make decisions along the way. I would recommend 100%. I had people asking for his name immediately following the ceremony at our wedding because they were so impressed.
I could not imagine having anyone else officiate our wedding! Stoddard went above and beyond to get to know us months before the wedding. He worked with us to personalize our ceremony, to make sure it felt true to us. He added his own personal remarks about us too, which was such a beautiful reflection of our relationship. Our guests continue to tell us how tasteful, heartfelt, and memorable our ceremony was. Stoddard also has a lovely presence and helped us keep our nerves at bay on the big day. 100% recommend!
My husband and I were so happy that we found Stoddard. He and his wife were both so friendly and took the time to sit down and get to know us. He listened to what we were looking for and the ceremony was exactly what we wanted. Highly recommend him.
First, Stoddard, and his wife, are amazing people. My partner and I enjoyed meeting and talking with them both. Second, Stoddard is the best Justice of the Peace, period. This guy is an incredible orator, and has this worked down to a tee, making our job a breeze, but he also takes the time to get to know you and your partner so he can craft the perfect ceremony speech.
Yes, that is correct. This guy takes the time to get to know you, the couple, and then he writes something personal and heartfelt in the ceremony that you won't get to hear until the day, and it will blow you away. He is perfect, and if I were to remarry my partner tomorrow, or any or every day, I would choose Stoddard.
Stoddard performed a wonderful and included our guests - it was a beautiful ceremony
We had such a great experience working with Stoddard. When my husband and I started the wedding planning process we had absolutely no idea where to begin when it came to planning the ceremony portion. From the beginning Stoddard was very responsive, easy to work with and made us feel confident that our big day would be exactly how we wanted it. We aren’t very religious and he helped us customize our entire ceremony to fit us as a couple. He recommended readings and suggested different introduction wordings etc. He helped organize our handfasting ceremony, provided guidance on how we would go about applying for our marriage license. He also brought his own microphone and speakers which was very helpful for our large outdoor wedding. He really made the entire process very easy! I highly recommend Stoddard to any couple searching for a JOP!
Stoddard was a pleasure to work with and we highly recommend him! He and his lovely wife welcomed us into their home for our initial meeting where he walked us through the process and got to know our love story. He was kind, accommodating, and interested in making our wedding ceremony reflect what we wanted. He provided us with an abundance of materials to choose from to make sure our wedding reflected our personality as a couple. He prepared a beautiful ceremony for us, which incorporated many specific aspects about us as a couple. We are so happy we found Stoddard to officiate our wedding and highly recommend him!
Stoddard was amazing to work with. He gave us so much flexibility in selecting the readings we wanted as well as making sure things were arranged just how we wanted. Super nice and talkative helped ease whatever nerves we had about making sure things were just right.
Stoddard and his wife KY were extremely helpful and calming in helping us prepare our ceremony! They are the perfect team for any wedding! Thank you both for helping us complete our special day!
Stoddard officiated our wedding on 6/17/21. We were nervous going into creating our ceremony and putting our thoughts into words, but Stoddard has a wealth of experience and resources that were organized in such a way that made the process fun and thoughtful as we approached the big day. We had an intimate wedding with just our immediate family, and he graciously allowed us to hold the ceremony in his beautiful backyard. He is a true professional and did an exceptional job as the Justice of the Peace. He is kind, well-spoken, and radiates warmth. It was a joy getting to know his wife and beautiful greyhounds. I can't recommend Stoddard highly enough. We are so grateful for everything he did to make our day so special.
Stoddard is truly an amazing talent at what he does. We had lost our officiant a month before our 5/29 wedding at Gibbet Hill due to a family member needing to back out and I was immediately filled with worry thinking we would be unable to find an officiant with such short notice. Luckily, Stoddard was available and immediately answered my message! It was a match made in heaven. It was very convenient that he actually was very familiar with our venue and it’s staff and was local to the area. It was truly a joy to meet him and his wife in their home in order to get to know us as a couple and enjoyed chatting with them- we felt as though we had known him for years. It meant alot that this was such a special piece in order to provide a unique and personalized ceremony. It was evident that he puts alot of love and heart into each and every couple and it was the sweetest thing to have his wife sit in on our meeting and we gladly welcomed her input. Stoddard was very responsive via email, was attentive to detail, and never made us feel rushed in any way. He led a wonderful ceremony rehearsal the night before our wedding and was more than prepared the day of and was sure to check in to see how we were doing. He offered such kind and heartfelt words on our relationship that he kept private until hearing it during the ceremony itself and it was truly a unique touch. The flow of all of the readings, his own thoughts, poems were all beautiful and well crafted. 100% recommend him for your wedding and wish him and his wife the absolute best in their endeavors and own marriage.
It says something that after our ceremony, several family members demanded to know where we had found such a fantastic officiant!
Stoddard was a joy to work with and created a delightful ceremony for us – we felt like he genuinely cared about us and our marriage. We came with only vague ideas for the ceremony, and he made the process easy. He helped customize the ceremony to make it our own, while also guiding us enough that we weren’t overwhelmed with options.
Moreover, we gave Stoddard a challenge with a pandemic, two-bride wedding held outdoors at a public park (rather than a proper address, all we could share with him was a dropped pin on a Google map). The day of was a cold and rainy affair, and not only Stoddard but his wife Ky came out to make it happen. We have a photo in which Stoddard is holding an umbrella above both my and my wife’s head so that we can share our first kiss, while he himself is getting wet. What a champion!
Seriously, could not recommend Stoddard more highly!
We would highly recommend Stoddard to officiate your wedding ceremony. Over a year before our wedding we met with him where he asked to learn more about our relationship and we were so surprised how perfectly he incorporated our story during the ceremony. He provided us with a lot of helpful ideas including different options for vows, readings, blessings and ultimately made the ceremony He was extremely responsive to any questions we had and we could not have imagined working with anyone else! He was amazing to work and made the ceremony one we will never forget!!
Highly, highly recommend JP Stoddard for your wedding ceremony. From beginning he really took the time to get to know us and learn our story and wove it into our ceremony perfectly. He guided us through the whole process of creating vows and a ceremony and I couldn't have asked for a better officiant. We are so appreciative and our ceremony was perfect because of Stoddard!
Perfect intimate ceremony officiated by Justice Stoddard.
Justice Stoddard was amazing and we had a great experience to have him officiate our wedding. After reading all the great reviews, we decided to contact him and received a quick response. We chose the custom ceremony option wherein Justice Stoddard works with couples personally and gets to know them & their story. It was a pleasure meeting him and talking to him about us, and how we imagined our wedding ceremony to be. He kindly explained all the aspects of the ceremony and was very receptive to our requests to make it even more personal. He was very open-minded and welcoming to our suggestions. Our ceremony turned out to be beautiful and was adored by our families and guests. It was an absolute pleasure to work with Justice Stoddard and we highly recommend him to other couples!
Stoddard was the best. He made the ceremony so special without even knowing my husband and I as a couple. He truly made the day special.
They take care of it all! How amazing to have people as thoughtful and caring as them to officiate our big day. Their positive energy made our moment so much better
My wife and I are both the kind of people that do everything on the fly, and our wedding was no different. While we'd been together for 10 years before we finally said "I Do", we spent about 3 hours in total planing for our big day. Stoddard helped to make our ceremony truly special, without us really preparing anything.
Our ceremony was very small (just immediate family) and was held in a public park. All in attendance spoke highly of the nice readings that Stoddard had prepared to add substance and context to the ceremony.
Stoddard was also very accommodating, We had originally planned to have the ceremony right in his back yard ( A service he offers for very small ceremonies), and at 6pm the day before the wedding which was to be held at noon, we stumbled across the perfect little spot in a public park and called him up to ask if we could move the ceremony to a different location. He accommodated without issue.
I know that most people aren't as off the cuff as we are, but Stoddard really helped make our day stress free and special. I'm certain he would do an excellent job at large and well planned weddings just the same!
I cannot say enough great things about Stoddard! My husband and I were pretty unsure what we wanted to do for our ceremony as we do not have any strong religious affiliations. I had found Stoddard on The Knot and based on reviews, decided to contact him. We were NOT disappointed. Stoddard set up an in person meeting with us and after about an hour of talking, we knew that Stoddard was going to make our day complete. He provided us with plenty of different options for readings, vows, and blessings to choose from but also advised us that we could make it as personal to us as we wanted.
We had to eventually postpone our April wedding due to the health crisis, however Stoddard was so accommodating and when I informed him of our new, backyard wedding minimony, he was more than willing to travel, even though it was a bit further than originally planned.
The ceremony ended up being perfect. Stoddard had taken the conversation my husband and I had with him over a year prior and transformed it into a personalized ceremony for us. He really captured what our relationship is and even included some humor which helped ease some of the nervousness. Our guests had nothing but great things to say about Stoddard afterwards and it is certainly something we will remember for the rest of our lives. I highly recommend Stoddard to anyone looking for a professional JOP to make your ceremony exactly that way you want it!
Stoddard did an amazing job officiating our wedding. He took great care in getting to know us and our story, and crafted a beautiful ceremony that was very heartfelt and personal. He was so helpful in providing us with resources for inspiration, and was very responsive to our questions. He walked us through various examples of what the structure of a ceremony can look like, but also encouraged us to add what we wanted to really make it our own. From the first meeting with him, we could tell we were in good hands. Our original wedding plans were impacted by covid-19, but luckily he was with us every step of the way. We would recommend Stoddard to anyone. His thoughtfulness and attention to detail really made our small intimate ceremony extra special.
Stoddard performed our wedding ceremony and we couldn't have been happier. Not only was he very professional, but also very personable. We chatted before the ceremony and he made us feel completely comfortable. He truly made our day special and we can't thank him enough. We would choose him again without hesitation.
Stoddard is a truly kind man, and such a loving spirit and that love will overflow into your ceremony. He gives such a personalized ceremony that makes it something truly special not only for the couple getting married, but for all the guests as well. All of my guests have said over and over how wonderful the ceremony was, and I know it’s because of how thoughtful Stoddard made everything. I cannot say enough about how fantastic it was to work with Stoddard through this process. Do not look any further for your JP!
Stoddard was amazing. He really cares about getting to know you and your story. He pays attention to every little detail you mention. Of course when going through your story as a couple there are always side stories and distractions, he was amazing at making sure one thought was fully wrapped up and not missing anything.
The ceremony was great, he captured everything we talked about and really got who we were as a couple. In the weeks after our wedding we keep getting comments on how great Stoddard was! We could not have been any happier with him!
Stoddard was simply amazing! Professional but personal at the same time! He was so helpful and went above and beyond to help make our day perfect. It was everything I wanted and we couldn't have done it without Stoddard. I will most definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a Justice of the Peace! Thank you so much!
We emailed Stoddard on June 22nd for a July 4th ceremony (last minute, I know!) Luckily, he responded within 10 minutes of my initial email, with various time options. He was extremely flexible and responsive. We went to his home for the ceremony and it was beautiful, his wife Ky took a video and a few pictures for us that we will treasure forever. Above and beyond. I would absolutely recommend.
Stoddard is an amazing person and was wonderful every step of the way! He really took the time to get to know us, he provided a wealth of resources, and truly made our ceremony feel one of a kind and personal. He was professional, responsive, and personable. We got married during COVID and he was incredibly flexible with our many plan changes. He did a phenomenal job for our backup plan intimate ceremony and we can't wait to use him again for our postponed larger vow renewal next year!
Stoddard did a wonderful ceremony for us on his beautiful property in Littleton. He was accommodating to our needs and incredibly responsive considering we got married during the coronavirus pandemic. The readings he did were great and we are very glad we picked him to marry us!
Stoddard was phenomenal. He met with us in a consultation and asked us lots of questions about our relationship. We were not sure what to include in our ceremony and he gave us so many options to choose from and told us the "traditional" ceremony set up, but he also said it was our ceremony so we could add or remove any sections. On the day of the wedding Stoddard and his wife were so helpful. We did not have a wedding coordinator and they did a fantastic job making sure the whole thing went off without a hitch, I never had to worry about a thing. I can't speak highly enough about his services, and would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a great JP!
From the first time my husband and I met with Stoddard we knew we were in good hands! Sometimes with a Justice of the Peace a ceremony can sometimes feel not as personal but that is not the case with Stoddard. He took the time to get to know my husband and I and our story and incorporated that into our ceremony into a way that made it seem like he's known us for years. All of our friends and family have given us so many compliments as to how intimate and personal our ceremony was and Stoddard was a huge part of that!
Stoddard was absolutely amazing! From the moment my husband and I met with Stoddard we could tell how much he truly cared about our love story. Our ceremony was perfect in every way, he was able to tell our love story so genuinely. After our ceremony we had so many people come up to us asking who our officiant was and how moved they were by our ceremony! People were raving about Stoddard and it was nice to hear that our ceremony was so moving to so many of our loved ones. We can't thank him enough for making our day even more special and we will recommend him to everyone!
Stoddard is amazing and accommodating! Our communication is smooth and effective, and most importantly, Stoddard made the ceremony easy for us to understand and to follow as he directed all the steps with ease. Highly recommended for any one who are in love and getting married!
Let me start off by saying, Stoddard is amazing!! As soon as we met with him, we knew we made the right choice. He was a great listener, very knowledgable and genuinely kind. Stoddard and his wife Ky were so welcoming and sweet. He went over all of the ceremony details in depth which immediately took any stress I had away. He made the ceremony process simple and easy for us which I could not be more thankful for. Our ceremony was personal and memorable - I cant tell you how many guests came up to me saying how amazing our JP was. Thank you Stoddard, you are truly the best at what you do!
Incredible! There’s truly no other word I could use that would properly describe our experience with Stoddard, and even that one falls a bit short. Stoddard is a wonderful blend of professional and wise. From the first day we met him in his home, he made us feel welcome and comfortable with him, and made sure to make us feel like he truly wanted our experience to be magical for us. His years of experience showed from that first moment, and he helped to guide us with everything from selecting readings, to designing the ceremony we truly felt encompassed our love.
If anyone needs further proof that the man lives what he speaks to all of the couples he meets with, he and his wonderful wife just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary themselves! Thank you Stoddard for making our ceremony as wonderful as it could possibly be!
-Mike and Anna
We got married on 10/26/19 and Stoddard was our officiant! He was such a pleasure to work with! He helped us with the process by giving us all the possible readings and vows that we could put in the ceremony. We met with him and his wife, who is also very nice! Our ceremony was perfect, all thanks to his work!
Stoddard was the best JP I could have ever asked for. He was so kind and helpful throughout the entire process. The ceremony he wrote was beautifully personalized and well thought out. He took the time to get to know us as a couple and really write a meaningful ceremony. He had amazing resources for us as we wrote out vows. I couldn’t have asked for a better Justice of the Peace. He supports greyhound foundations and has the kindest heart. I highly recommend him.