Puerto Vallarta Wedding Blog

Wedding Minister and DJ in Nuevo Vallarta

Staci — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:27:06 GMT

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)!

DJing a Wedding Ceremony and Reception in Mismaloya

Staci — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 22:24:42 GMT

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)!

DJing Escondida Sports Bar's Anniversary Party

Staci — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 22:50:00 GMT

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.

Puerto Vallarta DJ Back at the Dreams Resort

Staci — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 23:12:23 GMT

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!

Puerto Vallarta's American Wedding DJ at the Cuale Paraiso Restaurant

Staci — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:53:42 GMT

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!

Staci — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:50:31 GMT

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.

Puerto Vallarta DJ Goes Back to the Dreams Resort

Staci — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:44:09 GMT

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

Halloween DJ for Puerto Vallarta's Young Professionals Association

Staci — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:30:40 GMT

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

DJing La Luna's Grand Opening Celebration

Staci — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:12:41 GMT

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.

Bilingual and Gay-Friendly: Puerto Vallarta DJ at Reinas Bar

Staci — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 20:55:58 GMT

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

Bilingual Pre-Wed Fiesta at the Gran Terraza

Staci — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 20:26:00 GMT

On Friday, October 7, 2011, bilingual Puerto Vallarta DJ Staci played at a "pre-wedding celebration." The event was held at the Gran Terraza in Col. Versalles in Puerto Vallarta--a truly beautiful and convient location. The event was catered by Liana Turner from SazOn. Dinner consisted of beans, rice, salad, guacamole and chips, vegetable skewers, and beef and chicken fajitas. But Liana saved the best for last--a yummy coconut cake!

The crowd was a blast. They waltzed, line danced, merengued, bachata-ed, salsa-ed, sang acapela during the dinner toasts, and even started a conga line! The couple is to be married on Saturday at the Fiesta Americana resort just a few blocks away.

Thanks Liana for hiring me and for your feedback on Facebook: "Staci Nichols is a great DJ. She had those people dancing and they weren't even drunk yet!"

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

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Need a bilingual DJ in Puerto Vallarta? DJ Staci

Receiving Great Client Testimonials--Thank You!

Staci — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:42:00 GMT

Just a quick note to say thank you for some of the recent feedback I've received from summer wedding clients. Liz C. (7/23/11) wrote me:

"I wanted to thank you sooo much for your services at our wedding--you did an amazing job. I got many compliments from our guests about how great the music was and also your interaction with the guests...The music was awesome. I can honestly say I danced my butt off at my wedding. I think I might have taken one break to go to the bathroom and that was it You did great taking my play list into consideration, and you played all my favorites...Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH for everything...I will eventually get around to posting a review of your services on a wedding website I know a lot of brides go to."

And Laura G. (8/13/11) wrote me:

"I had no idea the hotel was giving you so many problems. I was just trying to have a good time. I did notice the power problems and in the beginning the lights were on. You did a wonderful job on the music and made our wedding a memorable time...I did request the vegetarian plate for you, and I was told it was not a problem...On the good note, you did a great job! Thank you!...You managed to cover it all up, and we had a good time."

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Need a wedding DJ in Vallarta? DJ Staci

Bad Experience at the Riu Palace Pacifico

Staci — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:12:26 GMT

On Saturday, I DJed a bilingual wedding at the Riu Palace Pacifico in Nuevo Vallarta. The hotel wedding coordinator was inexperienced, which created a number of headaches. She asked me to move ALL of my equipment FOUR separate times. After I was mostly set-up, she asked me to move everything again because she did not like my table. They brought in a different table, and I set up again. Then they decided they wanted a table cloth on it, so I moved everything yet again. When I play at other hotels, if they want me to use a special table or table cloth, it is already set up when I arrive--not after an hour of breathing down my neck. I also got a lecture from some kind of hotel manager there, which was inappropriate. Despite all this, I was STILL set up and ready to go with time to spare, and I started DJing 20 minutes early for free.

There were still problems though once the music started. The wedding coordinator did not know where the electrical outlets were. She didn't want any cords on the ground (even if I taped them down or ran them along the walls), which made it practically impossible to set up my equipment. I have never heard another hotel tell me I couldn't put down an extension cord--particularly when the venue was not designed for weddings (because the outlets were poorly located). The wedding coordinator kept telling me to wait to set up the disco lighting. I told her if I plug the sound equipment and the light equipment into the same outlet, they WILL short out. She called the hotel engineer (another delay) whose solution was--yes--to plug everything into the same outlet...sigh. You can see in the video below how that played out. The only way to correct the situation was to stop the party for about 3 minutes (a serious bummer) and switch out some extension cords. On top of all this, the hotel's idea of a dinner for me was 2 handfuls of lettuce. Thank goodness the crowd was in great spirits, and I was able to keep the mood up.

I can not recommend the Riu Palace Pacifico (nor do I wish to ever play there again). I have never had such a poor experience at any wedding venue or with any wedding coordinator. You can see in the video from the last event I DJed at the Riu Palace Pacifico that the staff's refusal to turn down the house lighting seriously crushed the mood and, because of it, there was very little dancing and low "party energy." I also had to beg for dinner that night too--thank goodness for dinner rolls and wedding cake. (Click here to see the video).

Nevertheless, the newlyweds were from Chicago and introduced me to some great old school, Chicago-style house music. There reception was pretty laid-back and simple. There were no father/daughter or mother/son dances, only one toast, and the cake was cut by the hotel staff during the last dance. We had some great requests for paisano music--which I was happy to play. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Villalobos!

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Need a bilingual DJ in Nuevo Vallarta? DJ Staci

DJing a Bilingual Wedding Reception in Nuevo Vallarta

Staci — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 02:48:22 GMT

Welcome Mr. & Mrs. Morgan from Dallas, Texas! I had the pleasure of DJing this bilingual wedding in Nuevo Vallarta at the Marival Resort on Saturday night. The theme I absolutely loved--it was Frida Kahlo. There was lots of bright, solid colors and traditional Mexican flare. The Marival was also great. The staff was friendly and accomodating at every step of the process. The food was delicious--and they were kind enough to serve the lowly DJ a custom vegetarian dinner--like I said, excellent service!

A wonderful mariachi band played from 6:00-7:00 to kick off dinner. Of course, we had a grand entrance, toasts, the couple's first dance, a Father-Daughter, and a Mother-Son dance before I got the house rockin'! The crowd was lots of fun. I got a few requests throughout the night. We also threw in some line dancing, including a Payaso de Rodeo dance lesson. The groom, a "gringo," got into the Mexican spirit and elected to do a Mexican wedding tradition called the Vibora de la Mar (see on the video below). Later, the groom's friends were tossing him into the air--mosh pit style. Crazy good time!!!

At the end of the night, the bride and groom were kind enough to give me a video testimonial of their experience for the night. The bride said, "The music was...PERFECT!" Thank you so much--greatly appreciated.

Watch this video to see us raising the roof!

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Need a bilingual DJ in Puerto Vallarta? DJ Staci

DJing the Mediterranean Cafe's Anniversary Party!

Staci — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 22:48:32 GMT

On Friday night, I DJed the Mediterranean Cafe's one year anniversary party...and what a fabulous party it was! Patty Saxonis, the owner of the Mediterranean Cafe (in the photo, right), had a bellydancer, delicious free snacks (spanikopita, olive bread, some 4 cheese something that was to die for), performances by Diva Divine and Angie Star...and me! Unfortunately, there was a terrential downpour outside, I was VERY under the weather, and I had some technical difficulties...but the party raged on late in to the night.

I highly recommend the Mediterranean Cafe...best FOOD and best DESSERTS in town. I recommend Patty's bakery for EVERY wedding I DJ here in Puerto Vallarta! Her restaurant is located 419 Basilio Badillo (near Jacarandas). Her bakery website is SweetDesireCakeStudio.com and you can look up the Mediterranean Cafe on Facebook and Trip Advisor. Plus, I'm vegetarian, and Patty is always very accomodating!

Watch this video to see how much fun we had!

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Need a Puerto Vallarta DJ? DJ Staci

Punta Mita Minister & DJ: Kylie and John! (i.e. The "Hurricane" Wedding)

Staci — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 23:55:47 GMT

Can you imagine planning your beautiful dream wedding on the beach in Punta Mita, Mexico...only to discover that a hurricane has invited itself to the festivities? As the minister and DJ at this wedding, my heart really goes out to Kylie and John from Oklahoma. Hurricane Beatriz was "demoted" to a tropical storm on the actual wedding day, but we were still unable to hold the reception out in the sand near the crashing waves, onlooking the sunset. (This wedding was actually my first event breaking in a lot of brand new equipment, including two amplified speakers...water just wasn't going to do!)

The bride, of course, took plenty of her time to custom craft her own personalized ceremony, which was about 10-12 pages in my minister notebook. Due to the downpour and wind, (my pages were getting so wet I couldn't read them...even WITH an umbrella) the ceremony was cut down to vows and rings and kissing the bride...Ok, let's get inside! Despite all of this, the crowd was in great spirits!

At the reception, I switched gears and put my "DJ" hat on. For dinner music, the bride requested big band, classic rock, and general variety "stuff." I squeezed in "Singing in the Rain," "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head," "Smokey Mountain Rain," "I'm No Stranger to the Rain," "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," "Here Comes the Sun," "I Can See Clearly Now (The Rain is Gone)," "Rockin' with the Rhythm of the Rain," "Come Rain or Come Shine," and "Like the Rain." Who knew there were so many rain-related dinner music songs?

I taught this group how to do a Mexican line dance called the Payaso de Rodeo. Much fun! I loved the bride's choice for her bouquet toss: "Labels or Love" by Fergie. Awesome! I also thought the selection for the combined Father/Daughter and Mother/Son dances was a winner: "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder. The last dance was another creative choice: "Anyone Else But You" by the Moldy Peaches (the last song from the movie Juno). But we were rocking the roof too hard, and when 11:00 rolled around, the crowd wasn't ready to call it quits. I played 4-5 more songs with some generous $$$ in the tip jar from the guests.

The event was at the Four Seasons in Punta Mita. The service was AWESOME. Everyone was accomodating and friendly. The venue itself was gorgeous. I wasn't terribly impressed with the food though. My meal was cold when I received it, and the taste was nothing special.

Watch highlights from the "hurricane wedding" in this video:

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Punta Mita's Wedding DJ and Minister...Minister & DJ Staci

Puerto Vallarta Birthday DJ at Casa Yvonneka

Staci — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 22:55:21 GMT

On Saturday, June 18, I was a Puerto Vallarta birthday DJ at Casa Yvonneka in Alta Vista. The birthday girl was celebrating her 30th birthday. Although it was a small group of about 10 guests, I kept the energy moving, and we raised the roof! The crowd enjoyed doing hip hop line dances, so I played and danced the Body Rock, the Men in Black, the Cleveland Shuffle, the Cupid Shuffle, and--of course--the Cha Cha Slide.

The venue, Casa Yvonneka, was absolutely awesome. I believe the villa was 4 stories. The view was worth a million bucks. The decour and furnishings were gorgeous. The staff was kind enough to feed me without any hassles or questions, which is RARE and always kindly appreciated (particularly because I'm vegetarian). Great food, great service, great venue...highly recommended! Casa Yvonneka was definitely one of the best venues I've DJed at in Puerto Vallarta.

Check out some highlights from the event in this video:

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Puerto Vallarta's Birthday DJ...DJ Staci

Donating my Time to Raise Money for a Puerto Vallarta Fundraiser

Staci — Fri, 20 May 2011 19:44:03 GMT

Last night, I DJed the Western Round-Up Fundariser for CompassioNet Impact, a Puerto Vallarta non-profit outreach group. The event was held at the Paradise Community Center. Nashville recording artist Rocky Rivers took center stage, and I taught a few line dances and DJed during the band's breaks. One lucky guest went home with over $1000 pesos in the 50/50 charity raffle!

During the intermission, I played "I Have Been Blessed" by Martina McBride and was able to solicit some extra tips and donations for CompassioNet Impact. AND, my dance partner Octavio was willing to be auctioned off to help raise even more funds. The lady who "bought" unlimited dances with Octavio for the night paid generously, and we were very thankful!

To learn more about CompassioNet Impact's many wonderful community projects here in Puerto Vallarta, please visit their website 4Compassion.Org. To learn more about the Paradise Community Center, a charitable venue open for public use in the Zona Romantica, please visit their websiteParadiseCommunityCenter.Com.

Check out the video below to see how much fun this Puerto Vallarta DJ had at the Western Round-Up Fundraiser:

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Puerto Vallarta's Fundraiser DJ...DJ Staci

Nuevo Vallarta Wedding DJ for Jamie & Antonio!

Staci — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:14:00 GMT

Last Friday, I was a Nuevo Vallarta wedding DJ. I performed at the reception of Jamie and Antonio. The reception was held at the La Toscana steakhouse in the Riu Palace Pacifico hotel at the far north end of Nuevo Vallarta. The hotel was gorgeous and located right on the beach. The staff was friendly and pretty accomodating. The food was in the good range but nothing exceptional. I know the guests were complaining about dinner taking too long--we only 1-2 hours for dancing. The cake also did not get cut by the staff until 10 minutes before the end of the reception. I understand the bride also had some difficulty communicating and coordinating with the hotel's wedding planner.

The grand entrance song for this very casual wedding reception was "Forever" by Chris Brown. The first dance was 3 Doors Down's "Your Arms Feel Like Home." There was no bridal party entrance, father-daughter, mother-son, garter belt, or bouquet toss. For the last dance, the bride requested U2's "It's a Beautiful Day." The crowd requested lots of Notorious B.I.G. and "spanglish" music like Enrique Iglesias and Shakira. For dinner music, I played mostly flamenco guitar music and bachata. Dancing consisted mostly of Top 40, hip hop, and pop with some older stuff and slow dances mixed in.

Check out this video of my Nuevo Vallarta Wedding DJ experience:

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Nuevo Vallarta's Wedding DJ...DJ Staci

Puerto Vallarta Minister in Conchas Chinas

Staci — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 22:12:00 GMT

Today, I had the opportunity to officiate a wedding ceremony at Hacienda de Santos in Conchas Chinas. The happy couple was Mark and Diane from Minneapolis. They were traveling with a good group of friends who planned the entire ceremony for them--what a gift! The hacienda was at the very top of the Conchas Chinas hills with a great staff, a million dollar view, and all-around breath-taking accomodations and features.

Check out this video of the ceremony and enjoy some very beautiful scenery in the mean time.

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Puerto Vallarta's Wedding Minister...Minister Staci