Apr 27
Two years ago, I helped James & Charlene create a fun, memorable, and interactive celebration at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort.
On April 19, they became parents! Meet Cole Jaimison Carlos:
Congratulations!
Apr 25
It seems just like yesterday I was hanging out with my friend Larry Fair, and now…he’s gone.
Larry died in a horrific fire Thursday night. He was always smiling, always friendly, always had a nice thing to say about others. He was a pioneer in his field, and yet was always humble; Larry was one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.
I last hung out with Larry at the OWA party in March.
Larry had just rebranded his company Live Internet Weddings to be edgier, and he was excited about many new projects he was rolling out in the coming weeks.
I would occasionally run into Larry at his “office” on Waikiki Beach, where he would conduct business in a t-shirt, “rubbah slippahs”, and with his trusty laptop. He loved life, and he always appreciated the fact he was living in Hawaii.
Sadly, at the time of his passing, I owed him a cup of coffee. Now I’ll never get the chance to repay his kindness.
Rest in peace, Larry. You were a great mentor, colleague, and friend.
Tonight, before going to bed: hug your family, tell ‘em how much you love ‘em, and remind yourself of all of the GOOD things you have in life. Life is unpredictable and can change in an instant: in one moment, your loved ones are enjoying a good life in Hawaii, in the next, you’re writing tributes about them.
Apr 24
Last night, I attended the April meeting for the Hawaii chapter of the American Disc Jockey Association, to catch up with friends, network, and to learn something new about the industry. The conversations were very spontaneous and interesting. Thank you to David Louis with Dynamic Sounds and Don Faumuina with I Do Wedding Entertainment for sharing your ideas and stories. Special thanks to Marvin Ventura of Photographix Hawaii and Legendary Sounds for sharing his insights into the DJ world (both club and mobile) AND the photography world.
One of the newest trends that everyone agreed upon was that they were seeing more requests for mashups at weddings. What’s a mashup? According to Wikipedia, a mashup is a song or composition created by blending two or more songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the music track of another. In other words, take the vocal line/a capella of one song and drop it over the instrumental of another song. Here’s an example, a mashup of Queen vs. Outkast:
Looking for mashups for your own enjoyment, or to hear at your wedding? You can find some homemade ones on MashupTown.Com. If you want some professionally made mashups, find it at CrooklynClan.Net (thanks to Marvin for turning me onto this site).
Apr 22
I’ve found a free online Hawaiian Language Dictionary! Whether you are a local or destination bride planning your wedding in Hawaii, this resource will definitely help add that “Hawaiian” touch to your celebration.
Use this to help translate words and phrases for your save-the-dates, invitations, programs, table decor, and more.
Apr 17
Last Tuesday, I wrote that the first fifty couples who meet with me to talk about their wedding reception plans will get a complimentary Spring/Summer 2009 issue of Hawaii Bride & Groom magazine…FREE. Pretty good offer, isn’t it?
Let’s sweeten the deal:
If you are one of the first fifty couples who meet me to talk about your wedding reception plans, you will get:
- a complimentary Spring/Summer 2009 issue of Hawaii Bride & Groom magazine…AND
- a complimentary Fall/Winter 2008 issue of Hawaii Bride & Groom magazine…
FREE.
So that’s TWO issues of Hawaii Bride & Groom…FREE. You get DOUBLE the information, stories, pictures, and inspiration, simply in exchange for your time to sit with me and “talk story” about your wedding.
Even better offer, isn’t it?
Apr 15
Last night, I had a great time learning and networking with other wedding & special event professionals at the NACE Hawaii general meeting at the Hilton Prince Kuhio Hotel.
While doors opened to the ballroom at 6pm, I hung out in the foyer and talked story. It was great to see a larger-than-average crowd which included people I hadn’t seen in a while. People like Pura Stephen from the Turtle Bay Resort, whom I LOVE to work with but rarely get the chance, and Sandra Williams with Finishing Touch were there, and they shared some great stories about how they were doing.
Our guest speaker was Judy Ng Christensen, and she didn’t disappoint. She spoke about Doing Business with China and shared many facts and entertaining anecdotes about this almost-untapped destination market.
Did you know that Chinese people LOVE coming to America? They love to spend money here, love to buy products “Made in America” (since most of the stuff we buy is “Made in China” LOL), and love to eat anything except Chinese food (since they can get it better at home; get them Hawaiian food instead).
The audience was attentive and eager to learn.
After Ms. Christensen’s presentation, everyone moved to the ballroom next door and shared in a good pupu (appetizer) buffet. NACE Hawaii President Herb Yamamoto talked about the upcoming NACE Hawaii fundraiser.
Herb also recognized Brian Wada with Kamaaina Catering, our newest NACE Hawaii member.
Welcome, Brian!
After the formal meeting ended, some went to Ryan’s Grill to support NACE Hawaii member Ryan Pierce with Lift Your Spiritz Mobile Bartending Service as he competed in the Iron Bartender competition, ultimately placing a very respectable fourth place. Congratulations!
I went downstairs to MAC 24/7 with James & Amel Chun with Crane Media Productions, Sandra Williams with Finishing Touch, Kelly Sugano with A Perfect Day, and photographer David Murphey to help James celebrate his birthday. Instead of a cake, we shared a MAC Daddy Pancake. That monster is HUGE!
Here’s my slice of the “cake.”
As we ate, we shared stories and laughed. It was a great time.
Overall, I enjoyed learning something new, seeing good friends again, and meeting new people. The information Ms. Christensen shared was profound. The networking was great. I can’t wait until next month’s meeting!
Special thanks to Matt Muccio with Techniques Hawaii for providing audiovisual support for tonight’s meeting; Mike Rabe with Creations in Catering for getting Ms. Christensen as our guest speaker last night; and Frank Robinson and Kathy Arakaki with the Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio Hotel for the great food and for graciously hosting us!
Apr 14
In this economy, EVERY penny counts, so to help you out with your wedding budget, here’s something FREE for you to enjoy and to give you more creative ideas & inspiration for your wedding day.
The first fifty couples who meet with me to talk about their wedding reception plans will get a complimentary Spring/Summer 2009 issue of Hawaii Bride & Groom magazine…FREE.
Yes, you read right…it’s free.
Save yourself from paying the full newsstand price. Your only “cost” is your time to sit with me and “talk story” about your wedding. And it’s always a lot of fun talking about your wedding, isn’t it? Email me today at weddings2009 [at] ninjaentertainment.com for more information or to schedule a conversation.
Apr 11
I’m still here! I have just been busy. In addition to the Weekly Wedding Tips and this blog, I now write for the Oahu Wedding Association blogs and the NACE-Hawaii blog. I’ll be sharing my expertise and insights on those blogs, so check them out! Some of my posts will be geared to you, while others are geared towards other wedding professionals in Hawaii, to help them with blogging, social media networking, marketing, and much more.
Of course, be sure to check back here as well, since I’ll still be posting stories, advice, tips, and pictures about weddings & special events on this blog frequently as well.
Apr 08
Last night, I met with a great group of wedding professionals–the Board of Directors for the Hawaii chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives. This association (which I belong to) stresses the importance of education and continually learning new things to get better. And it’s a great group of people too.
Tonight, we mapped out the meeting schedule for the rest of the year, as well as discussed tentative speakers to educate us about the different facets of the wedding and special event industry. For example:
- At this month’s general meeting, Judy Ng Christensen will talk about Doing Business with the Chinese market, which today is a very hot market to do business with.
- In August, NACE Hawaii president Herb Yamamoto will share his insights and experiences from the NACE Experience Conference in July.
- In October, the wonderful staff at the Sheraton Waikiki will showcase their property and the new decor that is a result of the extensive renovation that took place last summer.
- And in November, Naomi Lee with Les Saisons will speak before the group on wedding decor trends.
There is a lot of great information in the coming months, so I’m excited to learn new things and share them with you to benefit you in your wedding plans!
We also talked about fundraiser ideas to help send members to educational conferences on the mainland. An idea suggested by Tanna Dang of The Wedding Cafe would involve selling “discount cards” in which buyers could use the cards to get amazing deals at local restaurants during a certain period of time. The idea is a win-win for all: NACE gets a portion of the profits to be used for our educational programs, and the restaurants get business! Everyone is happy.
There was a lot of brainstorming, serious thinking, and exchanging ideas at the board meeting.
At one point, James experienced information overload.
To remedy it, we all went to dinner at MAC 24/7 across the street in the Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio Hotel. The food was good and came in large portions. This is my bowl of tomato soup and glass of cabernet.
(Of course, I must mention that I was inspired to get it because Dianna Shitanishi with Hawaii Wedding Events ordered it before I did, and it looked very good, but for some reason, mine was a bigger order. Go figure. Oh, and the cabernet was sooo good. The finish was “chocolatey”–mmm, yummy. I don’t remember offhand what the wine was except that it was a 2005 vintage, but I’m certainly going back to find out!)
Josette Murai with the Hawaii Visitors & Conventions Bureau ordered this dish. I don’t remember what it was, but I love the plating of it.
Overall, it was a very productive meeting. There was a lot of great ideas that came out of this get-together, and I’m really looking forward to how it will help the industry grow.
The next NACE general meeting will happen next Tuesday, April 14, 2009, starting at 6pm at the Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio Hotel. If your wedding professional wants to learn something new and network with a great group of other wedding professionals, tell him or her about this meeting! They can find out more by visiting the NACE Hawaii website at
See you there!
Apr 06
In yesterday’s post, I wrote about wedding emcees and why it’s important to ask them what they will wear to your wedding, because what they wear may or may not match the decor and overall “look” you want to create for your wedding.
If you missed the article, read it here.
The article applies to DJs as well. I cringe every time I host a thoroughly-planned wedding where every color, flower, and linen complements a distinct look, and the DJ shows up looking like this:
As with your Master of Ceremonies, ask your DJ what he or she will wear to your event. Are they willing to work with you to achieve the “look” of your party? Do they have a “uniform” that may clash with your presentation?
Another important question to consider: how will their equipment look at your wedding? If you are planning an elegant, well-planned celebration, it’s embarrassing when your DJ’s setup has messy wires hanging out and looking disheveled, isn’t it? Imagine walking into the elegant Ocean Ballroom at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and seeing the DJ’s setup looking like this:
After all, you have spent so much time considering how you would want your ballroom or venue to look…don’t let the DJ ruin it! Their messiness is a reflection of YOU, because you hired them! Make sure your DJ’s setup fits the “look” you want to achieve; at the very least, make sure it is neat!
