The Recap | 2025

December 31st, 2025

By Jay Patel (beatsbyjay) & Produced by: ST$TR (in Collaboration w/ VIVĀRA

A year of movement, music, moments, and meaning.

INTRO

2025 wasn’t just a year — it was a season of becoming.

From packed dance floors to quiet airplane moments, from desert sunsets to lakeside vows, this year stretched me creatively, personally, and professionally. Every mile traveled, every song played, every celebration witnessed added another chapter to a story I’m grateful to be living.

This is The Recap — not just numbers, but moments. Not just destinations, but memories.

THE NUMBERS (2025 DJ STATS)

Weddings: 24

Private Events: 37

Countries: 5

States: 8

Guests: 10,000+

Songs Played: 8,781

Longest Dancefloor: 7.5 hours

Latest After Party Ending: 5 AM

Notable Mentions:

• 100th How I Mix completed on 12/29/25

• Views & Vibes — curated DJ sets from around the world

• Busiest months: May & August

• Most played music: IndoHouse, Afrobeats, Bollywood Mashups (my favorite)

The numbers tell part of the story — the rest lives between the beats.

THE JOURNEY

This year was defined by movement. Across continents, cultures, and celebrations — music became the common language. Whether it was a packed wedding dance floor or a quiet moment overlooking a new city, 2025 reminded me why I started this journey in the first place.

Destinations weren’t just pins on a map — they were experiences.

Miles Traveled: 80,880+

DJ’d In:

• Mexico (Cancún & Los Cabos)

• Lake Como, Italy

• Jaipur, India

• Dubai, UAE

• USA (8 states)

Traveled:

• Switzerland

• Florence

• Japan

Every place brought a new energy. Every crowd brought a new lesson.

LOCATION OF THE YEAR

Lake Como, Italy wasn’t just stunning — it was cinematic. A place where elegance, culture, and emotion met effortlessly. Watching love unfold with the mountains and water as a backdrop was unforgettable.

Moments like these remind me that weddings aren’t events —

they’re experiences meant to be felt forever.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Not every moment was loud. Some were quiet — late-night edits, early flights, moments of reflection in hotel rooms and airports. Those moments mattered just as much as the packed dance floors. They were where decisions were made.

2025 wasn’t only about where I went — it was about what I chose to leave behind.

Midway through the year, I made one of the biggest decisions of my life:

I walked away from my full-time job. Not out of impulse — but out of clarity.

After years of balancing corporate life with late-night gigs, early flights, edits between meetings, and weekends on the road, I realized something had to change. Music, storytelling, and building experiences weren’t side projects anymore — they were the path.

Quitting wasn’t about escaping something. It was about committing to something.

Choosing uncertainty over comfort. Choosing ownership over safety. Choosing to bet fully on myself.

That decision reshaped everything that followed —

how I showed up, how I created, and how I envisioned the future.

A NEW CHAPTER: VIVĀRA COLLECTIVE

On 9/22/2025, something new was born. (Me 25 years ago ;)

VIVĀRA Collective represents the evolution of everything I’ve been building. A global luxury wedding house where content, coordination, and entertainment come together under one name — based in the U.S., operating worldwide. Where every detail, every sound, and every moment tells a story.

Vivāha → marriage / wedding + Vivere → to live / to celebrate

VIVĀRA =“To live the wedding.”

Each VIVĀRA celebration is built on three pillars:

• Content — capturing your story with purpose and emotion

• Coordination — guiding every moment so you can truly be present

• Entertainment — curating energy that feels effortless yet unforgettable

This isn’t just planning events — it’s designing one-of-a-kind experiences.

VIVĀRA | LIVE IN THE MOMENT

STAY TUNED FOR 2026

If 2025 was the foundation, 2026 is the expansion.

More destinations. Bigger visions. Deeper stories.

I’m stepping into the next year with intention — focused on growth, creativity, and continuing to create moments that people feel long after the music stops.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Thank you :)

To all the couples & hosts who trusted me with their biggest moments. To every guest who danced, sang, and celebrated. To every collaborator, vendor, and creative who made this year possible.

This isn’t the end. It’s just the recap.

— Jay Patel (beatsbyjay)