<h2>A Love Song Born at a Concert</h2>
<p>Couples typically have a song they like to call their own. Perhaps it's the song they heard when they first met, or one from a favorite musician. Maybe it's the song they chose for their first dance at their wedding.</p>
<p>Jay and Mariana Della Valle's song wasn't on the radio at all. Jay wrote it himself and sang it to Mariana for the first time at one of his band's shows at Mexicali Live in Teaneck back in 2006.</p>
<p>In fact, Jay -a second-generation entertainer from Wayne- has been performing "special songs" for couples at weddings for more than 25 years.</p>
<p>As a musician, DJ/MC, and owner of Spinners Entertainment, Jay recognizes the privilege of being trusted with some of life's most important celebrations.</p>
<p>"There's something really meaningful about helping create memories people will carry forever," says Jay.</p>
<p>Similarly, Mariana, a hairstylist, finds purpose in being part of her clients' milestone as well.</p>
<p>"From first haircuts to proms and weddings, I get to be part of people's celebrations and important life events," Mariana explains. "I speak six languages, which helps me connect with people and meet them where they are. I do beautification and conversation really well - that's why my clients call me 'The Hairapist!'"</p>
<h2>An Unconventional Romance Across Borders</h2>
<p>As a couple, where they started is winding road - through the Adirondacks- that lead to where they are now. They met in a cafe one sunny afternoon in Montreal, Canada where Jay was on a road trip with his buddies. He spotted Mariana having lunch with her colleagues and flirted with her until she agreed to come to his film premiere in NYC the following month. "I was immediately attracted to his distinctive handle bar mustache, a bold statement for a man in his 20's at that time", recalls Mariana, "it was sexy and complimented his whole singer-songwriter vibe!"</p>
<p>What started as a friendship and cross-boarder romance quickly became a long distance relationship which they describe as exciting and dynamic. They had fallen in love but were both busy and entrenched in their careers and businesses in their respective cities, seeing each other when they could and traveling together over the years.</p>
<p>Even after bringing children into the world and tying the knot in Costa Rica surrounded by over 100 of their closest friends and family, their interesting arrangement continued. For years the Della Valle's split their time seasonally - spending Spring/Summers in New Jersey for Jay's busy wedding season, Autumns in Montreal for Mariana's busiest time and Winters in Southern California just because they love it there and embraced the adventure of living between 3 cities before the kids started school.</p>
<p>"Via planes, trains and automobiles, somehow we made it all work!" exclaims Mariana, "a little unconventional to have a long-distance marriage with young kids in tow but we loved it!"</p>
<p>Ironically, it was the pandemic that finally brought the family together full-time.</p>
<p>"During Covid nobody cancelled their Weddings and Mitzvahs, they all just got postponed to 2021/2022, making me so busy with gigs I would have hardly been able to go to Montreal to see my wife and kids" explains Jay. "So that's when we decided we didn't want to be apart and started looking for a home in the F.L.O.W. area."</p>
<h2>Finding Home in Wyckoff</h2>
<p>In August 2021, the family purchased their first home in Wyckoff's Coolidge section.</p>
<p>"Initially, we were attracted to Wyckoff for the public school system," says Mariana, "but we soon discovered how much more this town has to offer. We've made wonderful friends through our work, our faith, and the kids' sports and activities."</p>
<p>Their children have adjusted beautifully to life in the United States while still maintaining strong ties to friends and family in Montreal.</p>
<p>Sloane, a rising sophomore at Indian Hills High School, spends her summers babysitting and walking dogs in the neighborhood. She enjoys volleyball, baking, and meeting up with friends at Boulder Run.</p>
<p>Kai, a rising seventh grader at Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School, is passionate about sports — especially basketball, jiu-jitsu, and snowboarding. He loves riding bikes around town with friends and meeting up at Memorial Field to play catch or shoot some hoops.</p>
<p>"If you ask Kai," laughs Mariana, "he'll tell you, 'I'm just living life and motivated to be the best version of myself.'"</p>
<p>"In many ways, the strong sense of community and safety we feel here gives kids the kind of idyllic childhood we remember from the '80s," says Jay. "We try to keep them active, social, outdoors, and go to all the town events like the Greek Festival or the pep rally and fireworks every September."</p>
<p>With weekends typically filled with weddings, performances, events, and Mariana's house calls for clients, the family enjoys entertaining spontaneously during the week.</p>
<p>"Ours is definitely a summer house," says Jay. "Our backyard is very private, and we love having families over for BBQs while the kids swim and in the pool and hang out in the hot tub."</p>
<p>The Della Valles also enjoy local adventures and family travel, whether it's camping in the Pine Barrens, renting a shore house, visiting Vermont, or heading back to Montreal. This summer they are looking forward to visiting Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, with plans to see friends in Australia in 2027 already on the horizon.</p>
<h2>Community, Music, and Moving Forward</h2>
<p>Jay belongs to a local men's Bible study group and plays softball with the Wyckoff Cubs.</p>
<p>Mariana is passionate about yoga and can often be found practicing -and soon to be teaching- at Village Yoga in Glen Rock.</p>
<p>Live music remains central to the Della Valle family lifestyle, attending shows together whenever possible. The kids' very first concert was Guns N' Roses at MetLife Stadium.</p>
<p>"We had amazing seats," Jay says proudly. "Kai has been playing guitar since he was five years old, so seeing Slash perform up close absolutely blew his mind."</p>
<p>Mariana and the kids are also frequent audience members at Jay's own public performances.</p>
<p>Back in 2009, Jay teamed up with vocalist and violinist Nicole DeLoi to form Owls & Lions. What began as a guitar-and-violin duo performing cocktail hours and intimate gatherings has since evolved into a seven-piece Americana party rock band performing at weddings, festivals, corporate events, and music venues throughout the tri-state area and beyond.</p>
<p>Most recently, the band performed at the "Taste of Wyckoff", a fundraiser benefiting the Wyckoff Volunteer Fire Department at the local YMCA.</p>
<p>Blending everything from pop, rock, country, and Irish favorites to crowd-pleasing party anthems, Owls & Lions has become something of a sweetheart on New Jersey's niche wedding and event scene. But beyond performing covers, the band is also deeply committed to creating original music together.</p>
<p>"Writing songs is still one of the most rewarding parts of what we do," says Jay. "We've been working on a lot of original material as a band, and there's exciting new music in the pipeline that we're planning to release over the next 18 months."</p>
<p>Jay credits much of his talent and passion for entertainment to his parents Jacqueline & Jason Della Valle, who owned and ran Jason Craig Entertainment before his father's passing in 2017.</p>
<p>"I honor my dad's legacy by pouring my heart and soul into what I do," Jay says.</p>
<p>Today, the Della Valles say they feel grateful to call Wyckoff home. They are committed to finding new ways to serve their faith and their community and to keeping the family adventure alive by sprinkling the calendar with fun things to look forward to with friends and family!</p>
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