Of all the San Diego wedding DJs in the county, Joanna and Matthew chose me to DJ and MC their Best Western Island Palms Resort & Marina wedding reception on Shelter Island in San Diego on Saturday, October 14, 2017.
THE LOVE STORY
In April of 2016, Matt signed a contract to take a job in San Jose. The very next day, Matt & Joanna discussed getting married. Joanna was not willing to quit her job and move without a ring, so she told Matt, “I need a ring tomorrow if you want me to go with you.” He got the message loud and clear, and told Joanna to stay out late the next day. The next day, Joanna came home late and—poof—a visit from the ring fairy! Matt got down on one knee and properly asked Joanna to be his wife. Two weeks later, they went apartment hunting in San Jose. The week after that hey got hitched in Vegas!
THE ISLAND PALMS RESORT & MARINA WEDDING RECEPTION
Since Joanna & Matt got married in Vegas, we celebrated just their wedding reception at the Best Western Island Palms Resort & Marina. After a casual introduction and dinner, we played the Shoe Game. Then there were toasts from Matt’s mom and brother, Joanna’s mom, and the would-have-been Matron of Honor Ariann (but there was no wedding party). The groom thought it would be hilarious to cut the cake to “Macarthur Park” by Donna Summer…so we did!
Matt danced with his mom to Teresa James’ “It Happens in a Heartbeat.” “Matt’s dad passed away when he was 14. Matt’s mom was left to raise her teenage boy on her own. Through this hardship, she was able to support Matt through college and encourage him to complete his doctorate in Organic Chemistry. He greatly admires her courage, strength, and appreciates her support,” is how I introduced Matt’s Mother-Son dance.
Joanna’s danced with her dad to Alison Kraus’ “When You Say Nothing at All.” I introduced the Father-Daughter dance by announcing, “Joanna says her favorite memory from childhood with her dad is riding around in his dump truck, which had no seat belts, woo hoo! He let her push the dump truck levers, binge on junk food, and made a trip to the dump feel like a trip to Disneyland. Joanna told me, ‘My parents both worked extremely hard to raise my brother and I to be two very responsible adults. We learned that, in life, nothing is given—everything is earned.'”
Then Frankie from All Good Things Photography took a group photo on the dance floor to kick off open dancing!
THE PLAYLIST
For the cocktail hour playlist at this Island Palms Resort & Marina wedding on Shelter Island, the groom requested songs from classical guitar like Manuel de Falla’s “Spanish Dance,” Antonio Lauro’s “Suite Venezolana,” “Natalia,” and “Seis por Derecho,” Joaquin Turina’s “Fandanguillo,” Jorge Morel’s “Danza Brazilera,” Roland Dyens’ “Fuoco,” and classical symphony music like Bach’s “Lute Suite in E-Minor,” Prokofiev’s “Classical Symphony No. 1 in D major,” Rachmaninov’s “Piano Concerto No. 2,” Edvard Grieg’s “Peer Gynt” and “Piano Concerto No. 1,” Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata,” Chopin’s “Nocturnes,” and any waltzes by Strauss.
At this hotel wedding, the bride was in charge of the rest of the music for the night. For the dinner music, she chose: Dave Brubeck, Crosby, Stills & Nash’s “Judy Blue Eyes,” the Rolling Stones’ “Heartbreaker,” the Beatles’ “Lady Madonna,” Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” and “Sir Duke,” James Taylor’s “How Sweet It Is,” Cat Stevens’ “Saturday Night,” Chuck Mangione’s “The Hill Where the Lord Hides,” Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon,” Eric Clapton’s “May You Never,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Gimme Three Steps,” as well as anything by these artists: Bob Seger, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Benny Goodman, Bonnie Raitt, Doobie Brothers, The Who, Smokey Robinson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago, Aretha Franklin, Blood Sweat & Tears, John Denver, and Gordon Lightfoot.
For dancing, Joanna & Matthew requested mostly Top 40/Pop, 90s, and Disco/Classic Rock, some 80s and Oldies, and a few slow dances. The only song on the “must-play” list was “Enter Sandman” by Metallica (dedicated to the bride & groom’s brothers). Joanna’s “do not play” list consisted of Rap, Electronic Dance Music, Country, and R&B.
Again, I was honored to be the one and only San Diego wedding DJ Joanna and Matthew trusted with their “no wedding party” wedding. Thank you!
SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDOR LIST
Here is the amazing team of San Diego wedding vendors I had the pleasure of working with at this Best Western Island Palms Resort & Marina wedding:
Venue/Catering ➔  Island Palms Resort & Marina
DJ/MC ➔ Staci Nichols
Photographer ➔ Frankie Greishaber from All Good Things Photography
Cake Bakery âž” Flour Power
Post by DJ Track Star Staci
I'm DJ Track Star Staci, an international DJ, MC, turntablist, & producer for 14 years. My clients have included: Lamborghini, Victoria's Secret, Reebok, and many more. My performances are trusted at A-list events like Comic Con, Entrepreneur of the Year, and movie premieres. I've rocked Sr. Frogs in Cancun, music festivals, the Vegas strip, celebrity events, & 500 weddings. Check my availability, get an instant fee estimate, or listen to some of my DJ sets or my original remixes & mash-ups.
