Two days ago, I posted a clip of the Best Wedding Entrance Ever. I wrote about how much time it must have taken for the wedding party to rehearse this, to get the timing and staging right so that it comes out very smooth and fun!
Here’s the Man of Honor’s “toast” at Amy & Brad’s wedding. Like the Wedding Entrance clip, Amy & Brad’s wedding party spent a lot of time rehearsing and preparing for their presentation. What made this even more amazing was that they were all spread out across the country. At the end of the video, Amy writes about how her Man of Honor even sent out sheet music and rehearsal tapes to people from New York & Maryland all the way to Ohio, Kentucky, and Florida, just so they would be ready for final rehearsals the week of the wedding. The resulting “WOW Factor” from their effort is amazing.
If your Maid of Honor or Best Man is looking for inspiration for their toast, here’s something you might want to share with her or him:
I’ve helped many couples plan really original, upbeat, and fun Grand Entrances for their wedding celebrations, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen anyone get this creative for the entrance at the ceremony. I can only imagine how much time it took for the wedding party to meet and rehearse for this. The timing and staging of it are incredible. Congratulations to Jill & Kevin for such an original, creative, and fun presentation. And thanks to my good friend Don for sharing this with me so I may share all of this with you.
I first met Pat & Maribeth Gill at the October World Class Wedding Expo last year. Back then, they were browsing for vendors but had no firm plans for their Hawaii wedding, other than a general time frame for when they wanted it to happen. I met them again at the January Hawaii Bridal Expo, and this time we sat down afterward to talk about their special day. As busy professionals (Maribeth runs her own nursing company, Pat works for a construction company and runs his own construction company), it was important to them that the planning was as smooth and stress-free as possible. It was also very important to Pat that on the day itself, the party would run as smoothly as well. With that in mind, and with the help of Kelly Sugano with A Perfect Day Wedding Coordination, we helped Pat & Maribeth construct a really smooth-flowing presentation that also took many of their unique ideas in mind.
When doors opened to the Banyan Tree Showroom at the Hale Koa Hotel on July 18, guests got their first glimpse of the uniqueness of this event; Pat had a specific idea of what he wanted to hear during cocktail hour. Wilson & Rommell with Audio Zone DJ Services played a good mix of Hawaiian music (not Jawaiian music, as requested by Pat) and contemporary rock music/love ballads. The mood was kept mellow until the Grand Entrance, when with flourish and original music chosen by the newlyweds, I introduced the wedding party! Guests were on their feet and cheered each couple as they entered, and the loudest applause and exclamations were saved for Pat & Maribeth’s introductions!
The presentation was just as fun and energetic. During dinner, guests would tap their drinking glasses to see other guests kiss in The Kissing Game, and they enjoyed some fabulous hula presentations by dancers from Germaine’s Luau and by Maribeth’s nieces Jia, Helene, & Haley. The audience enjoyed the speeches & toasts by Pat’s brother & Best Man Daniel, Maribeth’s sister & maid of honor Cathy, and a very heartfelt toast by Pat’s father Patrick Sr. A traditional Chinese Lion Dance by Gee Yung International Martial Arts & Lion Dance Associationin the middle of the presentation provided additional energy to the party.
One of the highlights of the wedding reception was the garter activities. Instead of a traditional garter removal, Pat planned a funny garter removal gag to surprise his audience. Sometime during the bouquet toss, as I distracted the audience, Kelly and her team secretly hid a box of props under the “garter chair.” When it was time to remove the garter, Pat went underneath Maribeth’s dress and pulled out…oversized leopard-print “granny panties.” The audience went crazy! The panties were followed by a hammer (because Pat works in construction) and a stethoscope (because Maribeth is a nurse), and finally the garter!
After the garter toss (which was caught by Mike, one of the groomsman), we went on to the Reverse Garter. Mike thought he would put the garter on Alexis, the woman who had earlier caught the bouquet. Instead, after blindfolding Mike, we secretly switched Alexis with Maribeth’s brother Eddie! The audience went nuts as Mike put the garter on higher and higher; it seemed as though Mike had no clue he was putting the garter on another man. When the blindfold came off, the laughter and applause were incredible!
The rest of the presentation were just as fun. Pat & Maribeth were treated to a special dance by their parents, and guests had a great time during the Money Dance.Wilson & Rommell with Audio Zone DJ Services laid down some great music for the audience to dance to, and those who stayed to the end took part in a wonderful conclusion to an already fun and wonderful event!
Here’s the final timeline for Pat & Maribeth’s wedding celebration:
Sequence
Time
Event
0
3:30pm
Wedding Ceremony in the Maile Garden
1
5:30pm
Doors to the Banyan Tree Showroom open to the Guests; Cocktail Hour (no receiving line; music presented by AUDIOZONE)
2
6:30pm
Welcoming of Guests, Grand Entrance; Greetings & Welcome by the Newlyweds
Meal (Music presented by AUDIOZONE) (Kissing Games to entertain the guests as they wait for their turn to the buffet)
6
7:00pm
Hula Kahiko performance by GERMAINE’S LUAU
7
7:35pm
Hula Performance by Maribeth’s nieces JIA, HELENE, & HALEY
8
7:45pm
Recognition of Family & Out-Of-Town Guests
9
Cake Cutting
10
Toasts & Speeches by Maid of Honor CATHY; Best Man DANIEL; Pat’s father PATRICK SR.
11
Lion Dance Performance by GEE YUNG INTERNATIONAL MARTIAL ARTS & LION DANCE ASSOC.
12
Bouquet & Garter Activities (Traditional bouquet toss, Garter Removal with Props; Traditional Garter Toss; Reverse Garter)
13
Centerpiece Giveaway (Hot Centerpiece Time)
14
Video/slide Show, presented by VIDEO 21 PRODUCTIONS
15
Acknowledgements by MARIBETH & PAT
16
Parent Dance (note: NOT a Father/Daughter & Mother/Son Dance)
17
First Dance, into Money Dance
18
Open Dancing (music presented by AUDIOZONE)
19
Grand Finale
Thanks to all of the wedding professionals at this event, we generally stayed true to the timing of this event!
And here is Pat & Maribeth’s soundtrack:
The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony (Grand Entrance instrumental edit) (Wedding Party Entrance)
U2 – Beautiful Day (Grand Entrance Edit Pt 1 instrumental) (Pat & Maribeth’s Introduction Pt 1)
U2 – Beautiful Day (Grand Entrance Edit Pt 2 Impact) (Pat & Maribeth’s Entrance)
Nalu – In Your Hawaiian Way (Hula Performance by Maribeth’s nieces)
Bryan Adams – Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman (cake-cutting)
National Geographic Theme (Maid of Honor toast intro edit)
Old Dirty Bastard – Shimmmy Shimmy Ya (I Like It Raw) (Best Man toast intro edit)
Alabama 3 – Woke Up This Morning (Sopranos Theme) (Father of Groom toast intro edit)
Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (bouquet instrumental edit) (unmarried ladies to dancefloor)
Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want To Have Fun (bouquet catch edit) (bouquet catch)
George Clinton – Atomic Dog (garter instrumental edit) (unmarried men to dancefloor)
Adam Ant – Strip (garter removal edit)
Adam Ant – Strip (instrumental toss edit) (during the countdown & toss)
Adam Ant – Strip (garter catch edit)
Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On (Reverse Garter)
Shrek soundtrack – I’m A Believer (Reprise) (Reverse Garter Reveal)
Vengaboys – We Like To Party (Centerpiece Game)
Dido – Thank You sample (thank you speech)
Rod Stewart – Have I Told You Lately (Parents’ Special Dance)
Bryan Adams – Heaven (First Dance)
Five For Fighting – Superman (Money Dance)
OMD – Forever Live And Die (Money Dance)
98 Degrees – Because of You (Money Dance)
Marcia Griffiths – Electric Slide (First Song of Open Dancing)
Rob Base & D.J. EZ Rock – It Takes Two (Second Song of Open Dancing)
Deee-Lite – Groove is In the Heart (Music Request by Pat & Maribeth)
Louis Armstrong – What A Wonderful World (Last Dance)
Yes, that’s 27 music cues for this celebration! In addition, music for cocktail hour, dinner, and open dancing was provided by Audio Zone DJ Services. For cocktails & dinner, Maribeth & Pat requested “Soft Rock Love Songs & mellow Hawaiian music (e.g., Kapalana, Ten Feet, Cecilio & Kapono, etc.),” and for dancing, “A Wide Variety, and some ‘Old School’”. On their “Do Not Play” List, it was “Anything with Foul Language”.
The following Hawaii wedding professionals contributed to the success of this production:
Kelly, Derek, Mike, Elin, Christine, and the rest of the team from A Perfect Day Wedding Coordination, who kept things running smoothly and helped make Maribeth & Pat from going crazy;
And of course, to the family & friends who traveled from as near as Kalihi to as far as New Zealand to see Pat & Maribeth get married…
Thank You.
Your presence is appreciated, as it helped to make Pat & Maribeth’s wedding very unforgettable.
Check back here in the next few days, when I will post links to Kelly’s Blog at A Perfect Day when she adds her own take on Maribeth & Pat’s wedding, as well as any image galleries from this event that Jim Creed may post on his website! And check out Video 21 Productions’ blog, where they already have the Same Day Edit video of Pat & Maribeth’s wedding!
If you’re attending the Hawaii Bridal Expo this weekend at the Blaisdell, here’s a great tip to save you some time at the show.
Many vendors will ask you to fill out an information sheet to get your information, and many of them ask for the same thing: your name, wedding date, wedding location, phone number, email address, and more. If you are writing this for every vendor you meet, it will take a lot of time that could otherwise be spent meeting more vendors! So why not come prepared: before you visit, print out your most commonly requested info on mailing labels!The Avery 8160 labels (1″ x 2 5/8″) are the perfect size, and you can find them cheap at Fisher Hawaii or Office Depot.
On each label, print out:
Your name,
Your wedding date (if not known, the approximate time frame you’re looking at),
Your wedding location (both ceremony & reception), if known,
The best phone number to contact you at,
Your email address,
And your postal mailing address.
When you meet a vendor you really like, instead of spending two minutes writing in your information on his request sheet, simply “Peel & Stick!” then go on to your next conversation!
Since I just saved you some time, be sure to drop by my booth to chat and leave me a sticker as well! I’ll see you then!
Dianna Shitanishi with Hawaii Weddings and Events, a good friend and one of my favorite wedding coordinators, just posted a WONDERFUL article on her blog about choosing the music for your wedding soundtrack. Whether you are hiring a DJ or live music for your Hawaii wedding, this article is a MUST-READ.
Last Monday, I wrote about The Movement, a celebration of dance produced by Island Fire Productions and headlined by America’s Best Dance Crew Season 3 winners Quest Crew. I helped provide audiovisual services for this event.
Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to work with Quest Crew, the winners of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew Season 3. As the technical director, I oversaw the technical elements (sound, lighting, etc.) of the production.
The event was called The Movement, and it was a celebration of dance and performing arts. Groups from Hypersquad, Studio 808, Honolulu Dance Studio and more performed some very exciting dance routines.
The highlight was the performance by Quest Crew.
Overall, it was an exciting production, and I’m glad I was able to be a part of it.
Special thanks to the following people who helped to make this production a success:
Ryan Chang, Kaipo, and the rest of the crew with Island Fire Productions, for putting together this event and getting Quest Crew to Hawaii,
Esther Shibata, auditorium manager for McKinley High School, for hosting the event,
Tina Shibata, for being so great work with as the lighting board operator,
When dealing with live musicans or any wedding professional, it’s always important to make sure you clarify that the band’s performance start time does not mean it’s their “show up time”, or the time of their arrival. To explain, let me share a story.
At last night’s event, there were two bands that were performing for the audience. They both had separate stages, and they would alternate playing back and forth throughout the evening. Although they were tied into the same sound system, each group had their own microphones, instrument tie-ins, etc. The soundman purposely did this to avoid having to adjust the levels to each group every time a group played, just so that it would sound good and look good from the audience’s perspective.
Showtime was at 5:00pm. Doors to the guests opened at 4:00pm.
Band A showed up at 2:00pm to set up their instruments and run through a full soundcheck. Band B, on the other hand, arrived at 4:30pm, as the guests were mingling and taking their seats. It would have been rude and disruptive to the guests if the band conducted a soundcheck while the audience was in the room, so it was determined to just “shoot from the hip” and pray for the best.
When the show started, Band A sounded stellar. Their music was at the right volume and mixed very well. Band B, on the other hand, sounded terrible. There wasn’t a nice blend of instruments, and at times it was too loud.
In the end, Band A was very happy with their performance. Band B was displeased and blamed the soundman for causing them to sound lousy.
But it really wasn’t the soundman’s fault. He was just doing his best to accommodate a challenging situation.
The true fault in why Band B sounded lousy was Band B themselves.
If they had arrived early enough like Band A did, they would have had a great soundcheck, helped the soundman a lot, and given the audience a great performance. But because they arrived during cocktail hour, as guests were mingling and being seated, they didn’t.
Ultimately, these people lost out on the bad performance:
The clients, because they had hired two groups to entertain their guests, but only one sounded good, and
The audience, because they were expecting two great performances but only got one.
When it comes to YOUR wedding, if you are having a live band, do you want them to sound good? If so, make sure they understand that “start time” does not mean “show up time”. Insist they arrive early for a full soundcheck, just so that they will sound good during your event.
You’ll get your money’s worth, and your guests will certainly appreciate it!
I thought about this after recent conversations with some very good friends and clients. Your Hollywood Wedding Name is the single name you give yourselves by combining your two first names. It’s the name that your friends and fans can refer to both of you. For example, everyone knows BRANGELINA, the couple made up of Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie. Then there’s BENNIFER: Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner. And for those of you who follow The Hills,Spencer Pratt & Heidi Montag have unofficially been named SPEIDI.
My good friends Ed & Shelley Frank were given their Hollywood Wedding Name by their close friends, and their name is SHEDELLEY.
Dave & Michelle Miyamoto (with Dave Miyamoto & Company) were recently appointed DAVECHELLE by some good friends.
So what’s YOUR Hollywood Wedding Name? You’ll have some fun with it when you share it with friends, family, and your wedding vendors. Use your Hollywood Wedding Name in your invitations, save-the-dates, and in your wedding slideshow, and truly make your friends & family smile!
While this month’s Wedding Tip applies mainly to off-premise events (parties held at locations other than hotels, such as on the beach, at a private estate, etc.), the same can be said about be said about on-premise events. While on-premise events have such things like restrooms, parking, security, etc., already built into your cost, it helps to be aware of it.
For many brides-to-be, the excitement of planning her own wedding often causes “tunnel vision” in which she focuses her priorities and attention to the things she feels are important to her. Often, these items include the food, the dress, the decor, the dress, and more. Many other considerations are left as an afterthought…but these considerations can be critical to the success (or failure) of your party.
Brides who host a wedding at a hotel usually do not have to worry about the following items, but if you are planning a celebration on the beach or at a private estate, these are some things you should seriously consider:
RESTROOMS. Are there enough accessible restrooms for your guests? Are they usable, and who will clean them? I did a wedding at a beach park many years ago, and the only restrooms were the public ones at a park. By the middle of the reception, the restrooms were filthy. Because of this, many guests left early. Make sure there are enough accessible restrooms for your guests.
PARKING. Is there enough parking for all of your guests? If your wedding doesn’t have enough stalls for your guests to park, they may simply drive by and go somewhere else. A few rules of thumb:
Assume that half of your adult guests will drive, if they are local. Even if they are part of a family unit, they may take separate cars.
Don’t count the kids, because they will ride with their families.
COVERING/SHADE. The Hawaiian sun can be notoriously hot, depending on the time of day. If your wedding is during daylight, have some sort of shade available for your guests so they can hang out under after the ceremony is over and until the reception starts, if they wish to. Also, if the weather turns bad, your guests will appreciate having some sort of cover from the rain. Have some sort of shade from the sun/rain available for your guests. They will appreciate it!
Wait, there’s more!
The rest of this article is reserved for Wedding VIP Club Members. To see the rest of this article, simply register by visiting
Fill out all of the requested information, and then check your email for a confirmation email. Click the link in the confirmation email, and you should be good to go!
Have I also mentioned that membership to the Wedding VIP Club is FREE?
If you’re attending the 
The 
Dianna Shitanishi with 
At last night’s event, there were two bands that were performing for the audience. They both had separate stages, and they would alternate playing back and forth throughout the evening. Although they were tied into the same sound system, each group had their own microphones, instrument tie-ins, etc. The soundman purposely did this to avoid having to adjust the levels to each group every time a group played, just so that it would sound good and look good from the audience’s perspective.
When the show started, Band A sounded stellar. Their music was at the right volume and mixed very well. Band B, on the other hand, sounded terrible. There wasn’t a nice blend of instruments, and at times it was too loud.
I thought about this after recent conversations with some very good friends and clients. Your Hollywood Wedding Name is the single name you give yourselves by combining your two first names. It’s the name that your friends and fans can refer to both of you. For example, everyone knows BRANGELINA, the couple made up of Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie. Then there’s BENNIFER: Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner. And for those of you who follow The Hills, Spencer Pratt & Heidi Montag have unofficially been named SPEIDI.
For many brides-to-be, the excitement of planning her own wedding often causes “tunnel vision” in which she focuses her priorities and attention to the things she feels are important to her. Often, these items include the food, the dress, the decor, the dress, and more. Many other considerations are left as an afterthought…but these considerations can be critical to the success (or failure) of your party.
COVERING/SHADE. The Hawaiian sun can be notoriously hot, depending on the time of day. If your wedding is during daylight, have some sort of shade available for your guests so they can hang out under after the ceremony is over and until the reception starts, if they wish to. Also, if the weather turns bad, your guests will appreciate having some sort of cover from the rain. Have some sort of shade from the sun/rain available for your guests. They will appreciate it!