Marino's Hawaii Wedding Emcee & DJ/Entertainment Blog

In a recent conversation with Diego & Eleanor, who are having their Hawaii wedding later this month at Moana Surfrider Westin Resort, Diego had mentioned that one of his favorite pastimes was watching The World’s Strongest Man Competition on ESPN.

If you’re not familiar with The World’s Strongest Man Competition, the premise of the show is that the producers are looking for the World’s Strongest Man. To determine this, participants are given several challenges that only a Strong Man can do, like pulling dump trucks, lifting two-ton boulders, and running a time trial race while carrying weights over their shoulder. Losers get eliminated over the course of the show until only one is left–the World’s Strongest Man. That sounds like a fun enough thing to enjoy, so I thought about how to incorporate that into their wedding.

We came up with this creative activity that will happen starting at dinner and run throughout the reception, an alternative to tapping the glasses to get the newlyweds to kiss:

To prepare for this event, I will bring a 10-20 lb dumbbell weight to the reception and leave it near the stage.

If guests want to see the newlyweds kiss, instead of tapping their glasses, a guest must come to the stage and hold the dumbbell in front of her, with her arms forward and straight. If the guest is successful, Diego & Eleanor would kiss! It’s really that simple.

What makes this activity fun is the twist that is thrown in: the longer you hold out the weight, the longer the kiss will be. So if you can hold it out for a few seconds, Diego & Eleanor will kiss for a few seconds. If you hold it out for a minute, they’ll kiss for a minute. If you hold it out for longer, then we may be there the whole night!

Diego & Eleanor love the idea! We can’t wait to see how it will turn out at the wedding, and I’m certain the guests (especially his guy friends, whom Diego tells me are quite competitive) will get a kick out of it.

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: 2010, Advice, creative, diego, dumbbells, eleanor, Fun, games, ideas, june, moana surfrider, unique, world's strongest man

As a professional Master of Ceremonies, I frequently get asked about original ideas to help personalize my clients’ Hawaii weddings. After all, after investing much time & money into creating a signature “look” to the event, most brides-to-be don’t want the presentation itself to be average and ordinary. So depending on your tastes, style, and interest, I can help you create fun activities that get your audience involved AND are a reflection of who you are.

Many couples whom I work with are into sports, so we try to incorporate that into the presentation. One such couple, Christy & Kris Pascual, who were happily married in July 2008 at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, liked playing golf, and many of their guests played golf too. So we incorporated that into the wedding with the Golf Game/Putting Challenge. Simply put, the idea is to set up a small portable putting green on the dancefloor, and if the guests wanted to see Christy & Kris kiss, they needed to hit a hole-in-one! Instead of tapping the glasses to get the newlyweds kiss, they were encouraged to make a putt. What made it more fun was that, the farther out you are, and if you made it in, the longer the kiss would be! Therefore, if you putt right from the edge of the hole and make it in, it would be a very short peck. If you putt from the far end, it would be a much longer kiss.

Kris & Christy’s wedding celebration – Golf Game from Marino – Ninja Entertainment on Vimeo. Footage courtesy GREG VENTURA / Advanced Visual Arts

The activity was a lot of fun and a hit among the guests! Even the non-golfers had a good time as they watched some great golfers make (and miss) putts. And because the newlyweds and many of the guests played golf, the activity was much more meaningful than simply tapping the glasses to get the newlyweds to kiss.

When planning the presentation for your own Hawaii wedding, think about your interests, likes, and dislikes. Use your creativity to come up with unique ways to tie those interests into traditional moments like the bouquet giveaway, cake-cutting, and toasts. Come up with original ways to get your audience involved. Or, you could simply contact me for help. I’d love to sit down with you and help you create a party that’s just as fun, unforgettable, and unique as you are.

Image courtesy ED PINGOL Photography

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: 2008, christy, Fun, games, golf, july, kris, personalized, sheraton waikiki, unique, wedding

It’s the end of an era.

For the past two years, I was fortunate enough to be part of a hui (group) of wedding professionals and businesses who shared office space under the MyOffice name. At the Kakaako Business Center, it was a great place to hold meetings with many wonderful people, especially my clients and friends. I conducted training sessions and workshops in the conference rooms. It was always a nice quiet place with lots of parking and meeting space.

Sadly, Friday, April 30, was the last day it was open. The management decided that it was time to close down, and although they had told me about it a month before, it just seemed surreal. I was fortunate to drop by at closing to say my “Goodbye” to a place that held so many great memories. From the prior owners (Kelly Sugano with A Perfect Day) to the current ones (Mona Kawasaki and Testa Ku), everyone was so kind, helpful, and generous. I’ll miss hanging out with the front office staff (Krystle, Justine, and so many others) who were friendly, cheerful, willing to help out, and always had a great story to share.

I was able to hang out with Testa one last time and see what he and Mona are going to do next. It’s a new adventure for them. And for me too, as now I’ll have to meet you at a Starbucks or Borders close to you, until an opportunity arises again for me to get a new office to meet you in!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: meeting, office

Seven years ago, on April 19, 2003, Ashley & Punahele Carnate tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort in Ko Olina. As the Master of Ceremonies for their Hawaii wedding, I helped them to create was a very elegant and fun celebration, just like the way they wanted it.

Fast forward to today: Ash & Pu are still happily married, still madly in love with each other, and have expanded their circle of love to include a beautiful son named Jeremiah.

In this day and age, it’s always nice to hear from clients whose marriages are going strong. In Ash & Pu’s case, seven years and one child later, their story is a GREAT example of what a successful marriage should be.

Happy Anniversary!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: anniversary, ashley, carnate, congratulations, Emcee, punahele, wedding

In July 2007, Aileen & Glhen Ganitano asked me to be the Master of Ceremonies for their Hawaii wedding at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort. I helped them to create a very original and lively presentation, which resulted in many great memories that lasted long after the wedding day. To this day, Aileen tells me her guests still speak highly of her celebration.

 
Congratulations to them for the birth of their second child! Hailey Jade Ganitano was born on March 13, 2010, and she’s beautiful.

 
Big brother Raiden is thrilled:

 
It’s always nice to hear from past clients, especially when life-changing moments like the birth of children occur. Congratulations again to Aileen & Glhen!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: babies, Family

If you are my friend on Facebook or in real life, you will know that one of my passions, when not preparing or rehearsing for your wedding, is cycling. Whenever I get the chance, I can be found on my road bike, and if you drive the Nimitz Highway/Ala Moana Boulevard corridor often, you may occasionally see me zipping along.

So when I came across this video (thanks, Lance!), I just couldn’t help but share it with you. If you’ve ever watched the Tour de France, cycling race, or a triathlon, you’ll truly appreciate the effort these competitors put into this. Enjoy!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: cycling, Fun

Today I survived the Great Hawaiian Tsunami of 2010 (which actually was a non-event, considering that the “tsunami” was simply the tide going higher and more unpredictably than usual). Fortunately, I had no weddings to perform as the Master of Ceremonies at, but I did think about other Hawaii wedding professionals who did. Hopefully their clients’ weddings weren’t canceled and went on as the bride & groom had hoped.

And if you are one of the lucky brides to get married today, this will definitely be a great story to remember your wedding day by!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: tsunami

Before becoming a successful Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies, I played in some bands and did some theatrical work. I still do both occasionally. Last week, a good friend of mine asked me to help her out. She had hired a lighting person to program and operate the lights for her clients’ show, but unfortunately, that person flaked on her a few days before the production. Fortunately, I was available on February 13 and agreed to help her with the event.

The show turned out to be a jazz show entitled A Tiger Roundup, produced by the McKinley High School Alumni Association to benefit the McKinley High School Band Program. It was a great night of jazz and fabulous music featuring Gabe Baltazar, Noel Okimoto, The Royal Drifters, and many of the state’s jazz music legends. Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro was the surprise guest of the night, showcasing his talents in two numbers.

It was a pleasure working with Brandon and his crew at Manpro Audio, who provided the audiovisual and backline (the keyboards, drums, and guitar amplifiers) for the show. Warren Masui was the show director. And special thanks to Tina Shibata, who did an awesome job operating the followspot (spotlight) throughout the show.

Here’s the view of my “desk” for the night. For you lighting techies out there, the board is a Strand LBX running Strand Genius software. It controlled about 75 channels of various Strand Leko ellipsoidals, fresnels, and other theatrical lighting instruments.

Here’s an image of the audience settling in before the show started.

It was nice to be working behind the scenes rather than behind the microphone for once!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: concert, jazz, lighting, mckinley, theatrical

Has the planning for your Hawaii wedding, and life in general, been stressful lately? Take some time off to regenerate, renew, and become refreshed. Christy Navarrete Pascual, a good friend and client of mine, works at Reneux Med & Day Spa in Kakaako, and she is extending a very special offer to you:

Starting at 4pm on Sunday, October 18, Christy and the Reneux staff will host an open house. There will be special offers, tours of the spa, and much more. So take some time off for yourself and go relax! You deserve it.

For more information or to RSVP to Christy, email her at christy.navarrete [at] gmail.com

And when you go, mention that I sent you!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Fun, Partnerships, relaxation, spa, stressfree

It certainly has been a while since I posted, hasn’t it? It’s been busy, with preparations, rehearsals, and presentations for several brides & grooms, companies, and associations recently! Writeups for the weddings will come shortly. Quick congratulations to

• Melissa & Tom McKenna, happily married at the Turtle Bay Resort (click here to see pictures from their celebration), and
• Sharon & Lorenzo Saoit, happily married at the Moli’i Gardens at Kualoa Ranch.

Both parties were a lot of fun, very lively, and quite memorable. Their stories will come soon.

In the meantime, my friends Keone & Keli’i Grace with Kai Media Weddings, produced a quick commercial for the Oahu Wedding Association’s August meeting at the Waterfront at Aloha Tower. You may recall that I was the Master of Ceremonies for that event. Here’s the clip, and guess who starts it off? *wink*

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment