Yesterday, I had the pleasure of being both the wedding minister and DJ in Nuevo Vallarta at the Grand Luxe Resort. I officiated the ceremony of Mr. and Mrs. Dyal for a crowd of about 40. We started the ceremony with a moment of silence for loved ones who were no longer here. The couple also read each other letters and did a sand ceremony. I received numerous compliments throughout the night on the ceremony. To see my ceremony (which I wrote myself), click here. The couple entered and exited to "Marry Me," by Train.

A mariachi band played during the cocktail hour, then the couple made their grand entrance. They left the choice of grand entrance music up to me, so I choose "We Found Love," by Rihanna. Dinner was served then and included a salad, soup, and main dish. The bride's dad gave a wonderful toast then the couple did their first dance to "You and Me," by the Dave Matthews Band. During the song, fireworks went off just behind the couple out on the beach, an extra service provided by the hotel. Eric Clapton's "You Look Wonderful Tonight" was the Father-Daughter Dance song. The groom chose a song I recommended for the Mother-Son Dance, "Thank You For Loving Me," by Bon Jovi.

I kicked off open dancing with "Party Rock Anthem," by LMFAO. This crowd enjoyed the older songs more than the newer stuff. Their favorites included "YMCA," by the Village People, "The Twist," by Chubby Checker, and "Shout," by the Isley Brothers. The wedding cake (which was the best wedding cake I've tasted in all of 2012) was cut to "How Sweet It Is" by James Taylor. We partied until 11:00 PM, and I ended the night with "Making Memories of Us," by Keith Urban.

Although navigating around the Grand Mayan resorts is always a challenge (as well as getting through security), wedding coordinator Veronica spoke excellent English and was a pleasure to work with. She was prepared, friendly, and professional without micromanaging the wedding vendors. Highly recommended! Contact Veronica at the Grand Mayan at banquetes02.nvo@mayan.com.mx.

To see video highlights from Mr. and Mrs. Dyal's beautiful wedding, watch the video below.





Need a DJ or minister for your Nuevo Vallarta wedding? Email PuertoVallartaWed.com TODAY (in English or Spanish)!

On Saturday, March 24, 2012, I DJed a wedding ceremony and reception in Mismaloya. The wonderful Dreams Resort hosted the event in fine style as always. Rob and Dana got married in the sand with the waves crashing nearby under a cloudless blue sky. Their reception was next to the pool just around the corner.

Dana and Rob requested the music of the Vitamin String Quartet as their wedding guests were entering. The Vitamin String Quartet plays instrumental versions of modern songs like "Purple Haze" (Jimi Hendrix), "Bad Romance" (Lady Gaga), "Start Me Up" (Rolling Stones), "In The End" (Linkin Park), or "Bittersweet Symphony" (The Verve). The processional was a lovely acoustic guitar version of "Air on G String" (performed by Michael Soloway). The bridal march was an acoustic guitar version of "Canon in D" (performed by Keith Kubena). The recessional choice was another Vitamin String Quartet remake: "We Belong" (originally by Pat Benatar).

A Mexican trio played traditional Spanish music during the cocktail hour. The reception started around 7:00 with the grand entrance of the bridal party and newlyweds to Chris Brown's "Beautiful People." The couple went immediately into their first dance with Train's new wedding classic "Marry Me." An exquisite four-course meal was then served to the guests at their tables. For dinner music, this Mismaloya wedding DJ spun together some Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, oldies, reggae, soft '80s, Norah Jones, Boyz II Men, and (at the bride's request) "She's Like the Wind" from Dirty Dancing.

After champagne toasts and wedding cake, the crowd of 28 was getting eager to dance. First, the groom danced with his mom to "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion, then the bride danced with her brother to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. I turned on the dance floor lighting and got the party rolling with "Don't Stop the Party" by the Black Eyed Peas. The bride and groom requested 50% Top 40/Pop with the other half being a mixture of techno, '80s pop, old school, classic rock, salsa/reggaeton, and slow dances. They did not want to hear any rock/metal, country, disco, rap, or 'tween music. The couple also specifically requested "Danza Kuduro" by Don Omar and Prince Royce's bachata version of "Stand By Me." Their choice for the last dance was '80s love ballad "When I'm With You" by Sheriff.

To see video highlights from Rob and Dana's beautiful wedding ceremony and reception, watch the video below.





Need a DJ for your Mismaloya wedding ceremony and reception? Email PuertoVallartaDJ.com TODAY (in English or Spanish)!

Friday, March 23, 2012, was Escondida Sports Bar's anniversary party.  I DJed from 8:00 to 11:30 PM, playing classic rock, 80s, funk, disco, oldies, and a few country songs (by request). Escondida owner Lori was bustling about throughout the night with free appetizers. The bar was packed inside and out with supporters and sports fans. Escondida Sports Bar is located on the corner of Jacarandas and Madero in Old Town Puerto Vallarta. To see a quick video montage of DJing highlights from the event, check out the video below:





Are you a local Puerto Vallarta business celebrating a special event? Email PuertoVallartaDJ.com for special local business-owner prices! DJ Staci is an active member of the Puerto Vallarta Young Professional's Association.

On Feb. 25, 2012, I had the pleasure of returning to the Dreams Resort to DJ the Zarsky/Urias wedding reception. I highly recommend the Dreams Resort as a venue for destination weddings. Always great service, great food, bilingual staff, and a beautiful, peaceful setting.  Although they do have a strict noise ordinance in respect for the other guests (meaning all loud music stops at 10:30 PM), they do have a night club located on the premises. After the wedding reception DJ services end at 10:30 PM, the wedding parties keep "partying" at the Dreams' night club.

For this wedding reception, I DJed from 7:30-10:30 PM. Dinner music was a lot of Taylor Swift, new country, mellow hip hop and pop. The bride's sister gave a great toast as dinner was ending, telling a story about how her and the bride used to fight when they were little about who got to wear their mom's ugly, grey, play-dress-up, disco dress to their wedding one day. They were laughing through their tears!

The grand entrance of Mr. and Mrs. Urias was to "Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO. Immediately after was the couple's first dance to Paramore's "The Only Exception." There were no father-daughter, mother-son, or dollar dances. The tres leches wedding cake was cut to "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane. Then the garter belt was removed to The Darkness' "I Believe in a Thing Called Love." "(Girls) Run the World" by Beyonce was the choice for the bouquet toss. The bride gave me strict instructions that her sister (who gave the first toast) was to catch the bouquet. She also instructed the single ladies in her group that--hint, hint--her sister better be catching the bouquet.

This was the first wedding I've ever DJed in which I was given strict instructions to not play any "old" music, even music from the 90's. The bride requested 80% Top 40 and 20% danceable hip hop/rap. No Eminem, YMCA, Macarena, Electric Slide, Cha Cha Slide, Shout, The Twist, slow dances, Spanish music, or old music. And I was only to play requests that fit within her requested genre of music.

While there were only 25 guests present, this high-energy crowd kept the vibe going strong all night long. Some of my favorite parts of this reception were the chocolate sauce tower in which guests (and hungry, pregnant DJs) could dip strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, and so on into the fresh flowing chocolate--yum! Also, the couple exited the reception about 1o minutes before the music stopped as their guests said good-bye with sparklers. I have not seen a newlywed couple make an exit since Julia Roberts and Dylan McDermott in Steel Magnolias--unique and classy touch!

Not only did the bride give me a thank you card with a lovely tip for my DJing services, but this morning I received an email from her that said, "We loved you. We had such a great time! Thank you!!"

Check out this video below to see the sister's emotional toast, the sparklers, and all kinds of dance floor fun.





Need a bilingual, mobile DJ for your Puerto Vallarta destination wedding? Email DJ Staci TODAY!

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, this American wedding DJ was playing at a wedding reception in Col. Buenos Aires, Puerto Vallarta at the Cuale Paraiso Restaurant. The reception started at 7:00 PM with the grand entrance of the newlyweds and a live mariachi band. After dinner, the bridal party toasted the newlyweds. The first dance followed to "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain. The Father-Daughter dance was done to "I Loved Her First" by Heartland. "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King was the song choice for the Mother-Son dance.

I got the party rolling with "Don't Stop the Party" by the Black Eyed Peas. The bride requested a lot of 80s music but also wanted some of her favorite country songs cleverly inserted. So I "snuck" in some country music for the slow dances ("Big Green Tractor" by Jason Aldean and "I Hope You Dance" by LeeAnn Womack). I also played "Red Solo Cup" by Toby Keith and "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks. After some dancing, the cake was cut to "Better Be Good to Me" by Tina Turner. The groom then pulled out his acoustic guitar and sang a surprise song that he wrote himself to his new wife. Very romantic!

After some more boogying down, the garter belt was removed ("Look, mom, no hands!") to "Wild Thing" by the Troggs. The bouquet was tossed to "Lady Marmalade" by Christina Aguilera. The party was scheduled to finish at midnight, but the roof was rocking so hard, I was hired for an extra hour of overtime for $120 Canadian dollars. Even the waiters were dancing and requesting music! For the last dance, the bride wanted to hear Lady Gaga's "You and I."

While the Cuale Paraiso restaurant is as beautiful as they come and the service is always amazing, the food is very marginal. The restaurant is tucked away literally on the edge of the Cuale River, which runs through Old Town/Zona Romantica, Puerto Vallarta. The tables are situated directly on the riverbank and, via a dock, on a little island in the middle of the river! You can reach your hand out and touch the water as you eat. However, the salad, for example, consisted of cruedly-cut iceburg lettuce and very few vegetables. The salad dressing tasted like a mixture of mayonnaise and ketchup. Even more unappetizing is that I saw the cook preparing the salad in a giant bowl by tossing it with his bare hands and very hairy arms! On the other hand, I have eaten at this restaurant 2-3 times with guests visiting from the US in the past. The service has been extremely accommodating and genial every time. However, in a city like Puerto Vallarta where one can get a 5-star meal in hundreds of places, the Cuale Paraiso restaurant needs to raise the bar.

To see highlights from this American wedding DJ's performance at the wedding reception, watch the video below.





Need a Puerto Vallarta American Wedding DJ? Contact DJ Staci TODAY!

Puerto Vallarta wedding season is here! On Saturday, January 7, I married the Canadian couple on the left. As their wedding minister, I had the privilege of pronouncing them husband and wife on this amazing beach in Conchas Chinas, Puerto Vallarta. The bride created her flower bouquet herself FYI (and did an amazing job). This wedding was a sort of last minute decision as the couple just found out that they are expecting their first baby together.

On Friday, February 3, I DJed a 40th birthday party for a small group at Casa Septiembre (not far from where the above picture was taken in Conchas Chinas). We rocked out to trance, techno, Top 40, 80s, and some old school rap and hip hop. The Casa Septiembre villa was truly beautiful. The food and service were outstanding. Biggest surprise of the night? A 5-minute fireworks display right out on the beach by professional pyrotechnics planners!!! Woo woo!

On Tuesday, January 24, I DJed the wedding ceremony and reception for a great group from Canada at the Dreams Resort. Both the ceremony and reception were right on the beach in the sand (see left). Despite some technical difficulties and getting sprinkled on a little bit, everyone had a great night. Once again, the Dreams Resort served delicious food with wonderful service. I highly recommend the Dreams Resort if you're still searching for your perfect Puerto Vallarta wedding venue.

On Monday, Nov. 7, 2011, this Puerto Vallarta DJ went back to the Dreams Resort in Mismaloya. (Mismaloya is the next town south of Puerto Vallarta.) While Krista and Steven only had about 25 guests present, they were an energetic and fun-loving crowd.

During dinner music the bride wanted to hear lots of Michael Buble, Adele, and Matt Nathanson's "Come On Get Higher." The bride and groom's grand entrance was to "Crazy in Love," by Beyonce. Their first dance (which they learned some choreography for--see the video below) was Dierks Bentley's "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes." The garter belt was removed to "OMG," by Usher. The bouquet was tossed to...drum roll please..."Single Ladies," also by Beyonce. Dance music was 50% Top 40/Dance, 20% Country, 10% '80s, 5% Oldies, 5% Reggae, 5% Slow Dances, and 5% Salsa/Merengue. Bride's orders: no YMCA or Chicken Dance. (Although I must say, for the record, I've NEVER played the Chicken Dance at an event!)

We learned the Mexican line dance called "Payaso de Rodeo." The crowd knew the Electric Slide, and we squeezed that in twice. The Cha Cha Slide was also done to rave reviews! For slow dances, I played Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love," Etta James' "At Last," and LeeAnn Womack's "I Hope You Dance."

The service, food, and over-all experience at the Dreams Resort was good. Like last time, security and rules are very tight there. I am not allowed to put out a tip jar as a "visiting vendor." They require me to surrender my Driver's License upon entering, which I feel very uncomfortable with (I'm not renting a jet ski!!!). A security guard followed me around as I moved my equipment from my car to the wedding area and repeatedly bugged me about being parked (temporarily) in a loading zone, having my emergency flashers on as I loaded, and so on. And, this year was different from last year in that, now I had to wear a badge saying, "VISITOR." A bit much...Other all-inclusives I've played at are not this over-the-top.



See the highlights from this intimate wedding in the video below:



Need a Puerto Vallarta wedding DJ? Contact Reventon DJ

What a fun night! On Saturday, October 29, 2011, I DJed a Halloween party for the Puerto Vallarta Young Professional's Association. The Halloween party was hosted and coordinated by La Luna Cafe (466 Carranza in Col. Emiliano Zapata). Kyle and Miriam, managers of La Luna, asked me if I could learn Michael Jackson's "Thriller" dance to perform at the party. While it's not a line dance, I was up for the challenge! (If you want to learn it, I highly recommend this set of YouTube videos).

We had YPO members dressed as a nerd, a cowgirl (Me! Note: Spurs come off when dancing), Morticia Addams, the Mad Hatter, a geisha, Snookie, vatos, Charlie Sheen, a doll, a protester from the Occupy Wall Street/99% movement, 3 butterflies, a Ghostbuster, a penguin, a shark-attacked surfer, an angel, and many more! Contestants for the costume contest had to compete in a dance-off to Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" Snookie was pretty untouchable! Great fun

Throughout the night, I played my Halloween soundbites including the music from "Psycho," the "Twilight Zone" theme, and the "Addams Family" theme, the must-have Halloween songs like "Monster Mash" and "Superstition." Of course, I played "Thriller" when I performed the dance. I had plenty of willing followers in learning the dance along with me as I performed it. We also did the "Cha Cha Slide."

We partied until after 3:00 AM. I played the good dancing stuff from techno to Top 40 to oldies classics and sprinkled my Halloween sound effects throughout (screams, wolves howling, creeky doors shutting, Dracula saying, "I'm Dracula," etc).  



See me dancing "Thriller," the great costumes, and us raising the roof in the video below:



Need a Puerto Vallarta DJ for your holiday event? Contact Reventon DJ

I had a great time DJing La Luna's Grand Opening celebration on October 27. It was Thursday, also known as "Ladies Night." I played a variety of English and Spanish music. Free appetizers were available (and delicious! Can you say "fresh goat cheese"? Mmm mmm mmm).

La Luna is a restaurant, bar, and deli located at 466 Carranza in Old Town/Zona Romantica, Puerto Vallarta. Chef Miriam Flores also offers cooking classes at this beautiful, open, spacious venue. Check out the photo slideshow below to see just how amazing this space is. Plus, they rent offices in the upstairs around the open courtyard.

Looking for a Puerto Vallarta DJ for your venue's Grand Opening? Call or text me at 322-108-5224.





Puerto Vallarta business-to-business DJ Staci...ask about local merchant prices.

On Saturday, October 8, 2011, this bilingual, gay-friendly Puerto Vallarta DJ raised the roof at Reinas Bar! Seriously folks, I had such a good time I was dancing and singing on my chair! Yes! I got lots of love from the crowd too. Thanks for hiring me Marco!

I raised the roof with Disco, 80s Pop, and mucho musica mexicana (including salsa, banda, rancheras, cumbias, and mariachi). Yes, it is possible to open up a can of "hell ya" without Lady GaGa (no offense to the "Lady" as she would've been treated like the royalty she is at Reinas Bar).

Marco served some burritos, meatballs, cake, and queen-tastic tequila jell-o shooters. He made his grand entrance to "God Save the Queen" (performed by the London Army Band) around 11:00 and handed out party favors to everyone in attendance. We had some karaoke performances--including Dale in drag doing the country classic "Harper Valley PTA."

Finally, thank you for your generous feedback on Facebook Marco: "STACI....thanks to you! You did a great job!!! Remember, for the coming 24 years, you're booked on all the 8 Octobers!! Kisssss Marco."

Watch this brief video for highlights of this fabulous bilingual Puerto Vallarta DJ event:





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Need a gay-friendly DJ in Puerto Vallarta? DJ Staci