Jake Robbins-Spevack is an accomplished musician who has been playing guitar, since his teenage years. Specializing in vintage jazz standards, Jake enjoys playing for swing dancers with the Butler Parks Hot Serenaders. When he's not playing guitar, you can find Jake on the dance floor at swing and blues dances, or at home playing Super Smash Brothers.  

Pricing starts at $40 an hour and is dependent upon the date, location, and number of guests. 

240-888-9586
jrobbinsspevack@gmail.com

Suggested Vendors: 

 You may apply at any circuit court clerk's office. You simply take your completed application, a (usually $30) payment to the clerk's office and they complete it while you wait.  Once you receive your registration it is valid for 60 days.

Alexandria- Here is the application and further information on how to register.

Fairfax County- Here is information on how to obtain your registration.

If you do not have a selected location, you may with to utilize one of Washington D.C.'s beautiful local parks.  There are three historic monuments that are close to the Courthouse and are ideal for couples who are looking  for a low cost (some as low as $50) but scenic service location (not your reception, just your ceremony).

 1) The west lawn of The Thomas Jefferson Memorial 

 2) The George Mason Memorial
 3) The DC War Memorial

It is the responsibility of the bride and groom to obtain any necessary permit, but we would be happy to help walk you through the process or you can find more information here.

For something unique and fun, we highly recommend the Potomac Belle or a Dandy Restaurant Cruise Boat.  Treat your guests to stunning views as you make incredible memories.

We are always happy to provide additional venue ideas upon request. 

Service Personalizations:

Weddings are one of life’s most poignant events marking one of life’s most important decisions.  It should be a day of festivity that uniquely embodies you as a couple.  We take great pleasure in crafting a ceremonies to fit our individual couples and are passionate about providing romantic and moving services.  As such, here are some ideas for how to personalize your ceremony:

 If you do not have a selected location, you may with to utilize one of Northern Virginia's historical sites, recreation centers, churches or a beautiful park.
 
For small and informal wedding services our office would highly recommend utilizing a garden, a park, or a restaurant.  Please check with your local offices to verify if a permit is required for your group/ it is the responsibility of the bride and groom to obtain a permit through the appropriate offices.  Couples with less than 10 guests a limited venue budget should contact our office for additional resources.

Here are some wedding venues in Alexandria, Virginia that we have worked with in the past and would highly recommend.

Carlyle House  - *Highly Recommened
Hollin Hall
Lee-Fendall House
Hotel Monaco  - *Highly Recommened

The Morrison House - *Highly Recommened

The Lorien  - *Highly Recommened​
The Alexandria Lyceum 

Torpedo Factory Art Center

 

Additional Information/ Resources:

Musicians: 

Frequently Asked Questions:

To apply for Marriage Registration in Washington DC::

Required Paperwork:

​You apply and pick up your marriage license at the District of Columbia Courthouse located at 500 Indiana Avenue, N.W., Room 4485; Washington, D.C. 20001 (Archives or Judiciary Square Metro stops).

.  Here is a the application for DC. and further information on how to register.

Unity Rituals:

Box/Letter Ceremony- (Couple place a bottle of wine and/or love letters written to each other to be locked in the chest which will be opened and read on their first anniversary.  The couple may continue this tradition every year.
 
Family Unity Ceremony- Special acknowledgement of children.
 
Rose Ceremony- The couple exchanges red roses as a ‘first gift’ as husband and wife in special vase.  Couple may continue this tradition every year.

Sand Ceremony- The couple alternately pours different colors of sand to represent the joining of individual lives into one.

Ribbon/Handfasting Ceremony- The couples hands are bound together to represent the bond being made.

Unity Candle Ceremony- The couple use two lit tapers to light a single larger candle representing the joining of individual lives into one.

Wine Ceremony- Red and white wine are poured together and drank from the same cup to represent that all their days will now be shared.

 

Washington DC Wedding Venues:

Virginia Wedding Venues:

The only paperwork we require is your registration from the courthouse and a photo ID.   The registration is easy to obtain and we would be happy to walk you through the process.

Special Readings- One of the most common ways to personalize a ceremony it by adding special readings, poetry, verses, or music that is meaningful to the couple.  Special readers may be selected from the wedding party, family, and friends in attendance and worked throughout the ceremony to help add a personal touch from beginning to end.

Personalized Vows- The vows you choose reflect who you are as a couple and as individuals.  Writing your own vows allow you express your feelings in a way that the traditional vows may not.  They are one of the *best* ways to make a ceremony uniquely yours.

Blessing of the Hands- Couples alternately hold hands palm up to acknowledge the gift being given along with “These are the hands” Reading

Blessing of the Rings/ Warming of the Rings- The rings are passed from hand to hand by the wedding party or family of couple and best wishes or prayers are added.

Blessing Stone Ceremony- Stones are used for guests to hold throughout ceremony and then ceremonially placed into a blessing bowl or tossed into water element to show symbolize guests adding individual best wishes.

Honoring of Family/ Mothers- Acknowledge parents support thanks for presentation of flowers

Giving Away of Bride- Formal question and answer for brides father, family, or friend

Acknowledgement of Loved Ones- Through mention in the program, acknowledgment of a burning candle, rose on a chair, photos, or other elements

Wedding Benediction- Formal wedding prayers may be injected anywhere in the ceremony however they are most common for the opening of the ceremony, for the blessing of rings, and/or for the closing of the ceremony.

 

Since we do not provide a location, our celebrants are happy to travel to the location of your choice in Virginia, D.C. or Maryland. Many of our guests celebrate in gardens, historical venues, beautiful hotels, and of course beside the water!  We have assisted with small weddings with only the bride and groom to weddings with over hundreds of guests in attendance. No matter how you are celebrating big or small please allow us to celebrate your ceremony with you in a special and memorable way.

We love to work with small and intimate parties with few or no guests.  If you are eloping, are planning an intimate affair, or are on a limited budget please feel free to email to see how you can have a memorable and special occasion. 

Crimson Sparrow is not solely about taking photos- it is about capturing moments and events that will be remembered for years to come.   http://www.crimsonsparrow.net/

956-285-9771

Red October Photography  knows that photography is a huge part of your wedding, not just on the day of, but forever.  It is truly what will help you relive your memories year after year.

http://www.redoctoberphotography.com/

703-582-1607

Photography: 

Wedding Planner: 

Breaking of the Glass- Traditional Jewish custom- glass is broken to symbolically represent the destroyed temple and to symbolize a marriage that may never break.

Jumping of the Broom- Traditional African American and worldwide custom- the couple signify their entrance into a new life by symbolically "sweeping away" their former single lives and jumping over the broom to enter upon a new adventure as wife and husband.

Release of Doves or Butterflies- doves symbolize purity and devotion.  The release of doves or butterflies symbolizes the carrying of well wishes for your wedding to each corner of the earth and to heaven.

Special Elements:

Get Married on a Boat!:

Q:  We are interested in your services.  What do we need to do?
A:  Please call or email us to see if your selected date and time is available.  For your ceremony you will need to have a photo ID for both bride and groom, your marriage registration packet (from a VA or DC courthouse), and your cash payment.

Q: What areas do you service?
A:  Waterfront Wedding Services will travel to most areas in Central and Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C.  Please contact us if you require more details.  Although some areas may require a travel fee.  Please see our rates page for information on our rates.

Q:  Do you provide the location?
A:  No, You must determine your own location.  However, we are happy to give you ideas of places our couples have used in the past.

 Q:  What does your fee include?
A:  Our fee includes any service personalization that you would like to include, a meet and greet appointment prior to the ceremony should your calendar allow, a keepsake certificate, and the officiant's time on the day of the ceremony up to a one and half hour block.

Q:  What happens if we are running late?
A:  Some days we may have other obligations scheduled in a day.  Depending on how late you are running and how much time is available, Waterfront Weddings reserves the right to charge an additional fee ($50 per hour) for the extended time, or postpone your service until after the next scheduled obligation.  If we have another scheduled wedding, we reserve the right to leave your party after 1 1/2 hours of waiting time from the time the ceremony is set to start. If our schedule allows we will be happy to return.  Out of respect for your guests and your celebrant, please have your service begin on time.  Please note that we make every effort to ensure that your ceremony is the highest priority.

Q:  What happens if  you are running late?
A:  We will try our best to give you advance notice if we are running late for a ceremony.  Out of respect for you and your guests we will strive to be early for each ceremony. We have other celebrants who work with our office that can be available should one of ours not be able to officiate your service due to an emergency and will work to help make sure your ceremony is covered.  If you are having a problem on the day of your service, please call and keep us informed.

Q:  What happens if we are running late?
A:  Some days we may have several wedding scheduled in a day.  Depending on how late you are running and how much time is available, Waterfront Weddings reserves the right to charge an additional fee ($50 per hour) for the extended time, or postpone your service until after the next scheduled ceremony.  If we have another scheduled wedding, we reserve the right to leave your party after 1 hour of waiting time. If our schedule allows we will be happy to return.  Out of respect for your guests and your celebrant, please have your service begin on time.

Q:  What happens if  you are running late?
A:  We will try our best to give you advance notice if we are running late for a ceremony.  Out of respect for you and your guests we will strive to be early for each ceremony.

Location Suggestions:

End of Ceremony Rituals:

Kelley Cannon Events  is a full service planning & design firm servicing clients in Virginia, the District and Maryland, as well as destinations worldwide. Utilizing more than ten years of event planning experience, they combine exceptional vendor relationships, boundless imagination, and a fine eye for detail to create unforgettable events.

To apply for Marriage Registration in Virginia: