Of all the San Diego wedding DJs in America’s finest city, Cristina and Stephen chose me to DJ and MC their Balboa Park Redwood Circle wedding on Friday, October 27, 2017…in fact, they chose me 2 1/2 years ago based on my listing on OffbeatBride.com!!! Back then, we all lived south of the border in Mexico and met up at my house in Tecate for dinner, discussing what they hoped to be the world’s most fab Halloween wedding!
THE LOVE STORY
Cristina & Stephen met in Spring 2008, at Southwestern College when Stephen said ‘hi’ but Cristina was too absorbed in the book she was reading to look up. They bumped into each other several times after that…until finally they found themselves at a bonfire with friends in October 2013. This was the first time they held hands…ahhh! They made it official in February of 2014.
The connection between Cristina & Stephen was pretty much immediate. They both knew they loved each other but neither said anything. One night when Stephen dropped Cristina off, they sat in awkward silence when it was time to say good-bye. Cristina finally blurting out, “I love you too,” as if Stephen had said it first even though he had not! Stephen was dumb-struck and just responded with, “Yeah goodnight.” Cristina rushed away extremely embarrassed. Two or three nights later, Stephen went out drinking with some friends, and around 1:00 am, Cristina got a text from him saying “I love you.” The old drunk text saved the day!
Together, Cristina & Stephen enjoy binge watching historical dramas, cuddling with their animals, cooking, doing puzzles and crafts, and playing Legends of Zelda. They have read the entire Harry Potter series together as well as Blood Bound and Heart of Steel.
THE HALLOWEEN-THEMED REDWOOD CIRCLE WEDDING CEREMONY
So this Balboa Park Redwood Circle daytime wedding was 2 1/2 years in the making…what’s another 2 hours? OK, it is true this is the latest wedding I’ve ever been to in my entire DJ career (her dress zipper got stuck!), but this small crowd of 40 people pretty much expected it. Cristina’s dad joked with me as we waited that his daughter will be late to her own funeral!
Good thing I had 2 hours worth of classical music for the ceremony prelude. The wedding party sprinted down the aisle to “Concerning Hobits” from the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack. Cristina and her parents walked down the aisle to Brian Crain & Rita Chepurchenko’s “Butterfly Waltz.” After a creative AF Halloween-themed wedding ceremony written by yours truly, the love birds exited to a piano cover of the “Addams Family” theme song.
Here is a brief excerpt from Cristina & Stephen’s ceremony introduction:
I actually want to start today by talking about two people who are not with us—well, they’ve actually never been with us–Morticia & Gomez Addams. Good name drop for a Halloween wedding, right? If you’ve ever seen The Addams Family—the show or the movie—you know that Morticia & Gomez have A LOT of passion, put their family first, and make a special effort to understand one another’s quirkiness. No wonder they’ve been called the best couple in movie history.
Gomez is always taking his bride’s hand and kissing up and down her arm. These two tear it up waltzing and tango-ing around the dance floor. They have their own code language consisting of English, Spanish, and French. And they keep their senses of humor…like when Morticia tells Gomez who is working hard on something, “Don’t torture yourself Gomez…that’s my job” (wink, wink).
Here are their vows:
Stephen, please repeat after me:
I promise to work as a team with you / to follow our motto “we’ll figure it out” / to say “I love you” everyday / and, like Morticia & Gomez, / to be passionate, understanding, and prioritize “us.”
On the original Addams Family show, Morticia said to Gomez, “When we’re together, darling, every night is Halloween.” Stephen, do you promise to honor these vows spoken today and make everyday feel like Halloween?
[I do.]
THE BALBOA PARK REDWOOD CIRCLE WEDDING RECEPTION
Eat, drink, and be scary! The bridesmaids came in for the Grand Entrance to Pink’s “Raise a Glass.” The groomsmen were introduced to PSY’s “Gangnam Style.” Cristina & Stephen were officially presented as Dean Martin’s “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” played. They cut their gothic wedding cake to “On Top of the Universe” by Steam Powered Giraffe. At this purple, red, and black/white damask Redwood Circle wedding, guests passed the waiting time with giant Jenga and my photo booth…the Shoe Game was also a fun diversion (see it on the video below). Although this was Balboa Park wedding was a “no dance” reception, Cristina did still toss her bouquet to Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me with your Best Shot.”
THE PLAYLIST
For the cocktail hour/dinner/after-dinner playlist at this Balboa Park Redwood Circle wedding, the groom requested:
- “Diamonds” Steam Powered Giraffe
- “Burning Desire” Lana Del Rey
- “Thinking out Loud” Ed Sheeran
- “Auld Lang Syne” Susan Boyle
- “Come What May” Moulin Rouge soundtrack
- “Make it Rain” Foy Vance
- “You are my Sunshine” Jasmine Thompson
- “The First Time I ever Saw your Face” Johnny Cash
- “Love” Lana Del Rey
- “Marry You” Bruno Mars
- “Take my Hand” Emily Hackett
- “Once upon a dream” Lana Del Rey
- “I Won’t Back Down” Johnny Cash
- “Away from the Things of Man” Abney Park
Cristina requested:
- “De Viaje” Sin Bandera
- “My Woman, my Woman, my Wife” Dean Martin
- “En tus Púpilas” Shakira
- “Bound to You” Christina Aguilera
- “A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square” Bobby Darin
- “Bendita tu Luz” Maná
- “Besame Mucho” Dean Martin
- “Amor Real” Sin Bandera
- “Glow Worm” Mills Brothers
- “Eres Unico” Rocío Dúrcal
- “Beyond the Sea” Bobby Darin
- “Adiós Melancolía” Ricardo Arjona
- “Orange Colored Sky” Nat King Cole
- “Amor Real” Sin Bandera
- “You’re Nobody till Somebody Loves You” Dean Martin
- “Para Obtener un Si” Shakira
- “Mona Lisa (When She’s Sad)” Jay Loftus
- “Mr. Wonderful” Peggy Lee
- “Eres mi Reiligión” Maná
- “Dream Lover” Bobby Darin
- “Me and my Baby (Saturday Night)” Steam Powered Giraffe
- “No te Cambio por Nada” Ricardo Arjona
- “It Had to be You” Dean Martin
- “Me Gustas Mucho” Rocío Dúrcal
- “This Could be the Start of Something Big” Bobby Darin
- “Kiss Me” Sixpence None the Richer
- “A la Medida” Ricardo Arjona
- “That’s Amore” Dean Martin
- “Head over Feet” Alanis Morrisette
- “Dia de Enero” Shakira
- “I’m Beginning to See the Light” Bobby Darin
- “Wonderwall” Oasis
- “Tu Casa es Casa de Locos” Ricardo Arjona
- “At Last” Etta James
- “ABC” Sin Bandera
- “Sway” Dean Martin
- “Motivos” Luis Miguel
- “I will Always Love You” Whitney Houston
- “Amor Real” Sin Bandera
Again, I was honored to be the one and only San Diego wedding DJ Cristina and Stephen trusted with their Balboa Park Redwood Circle wedding. Thank you!
SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDOR LIST
Here is the team of San Diego wedding vendors I had the pleasure of working with at this spooktacular Friday wedding:
Venue ➔ Balboa Park Redwood Circle
Catering ➔ Costco
DJ/Photo Booth/Ceremony Writing ➔ Staci Nichols
Photography ➔ Friend of the bride, Michelle
Officiant ➔ Bill Martinez from B&C Enterprises
Videography ➔ DIY
Flowers ➔ DIY
Cake ➔ DIY
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.
