Marino's Hawaii Wedding Emcee & DJ/Entertainment Blog

Last Monday, I had the opportunity to sit in on a “boot camp” presented by Siri Eklund of Two Bright Lights. This seminar was about wedding marketing AND networking, and how the two are tied. Siri presented a novel way for photographers to share their images with other wedding professionals. As a professional Master of Ceremonies, it is often difficult for me to get images from professional photographers whom I worked with; this is usually because photographers can get busy with their workflow that they don’t really have the time to put together images on a disc and mail it to me or drop it off. The Two Bright Lights system simplifies this.

It sounds like a great idea, but I’m going to wait to see how many photographers actually do sign up. Right now, there are a few, and while I know them personally, I haven’t had the opportunity to work with them at a wedding, so I wouldn’t be able to use the images. Nonetheless, the concept itself is brilliant!

Thanks to Siri for putting on this bootcamp, Herb Yamamoto with Dole Ballrooms for hosting the morning session, and China Anderson with REA Events for putting this all together!

Image courtesy CHINA ANDERSON / REA Events

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: China Anderson, Dole Ballrooms, Education, networking, REA Events, Two Bright Lights

As a Master of Ceremonies and wedding professional, I always make it a point to network with other Hawaii wedding professionals to keep up on the latest trends and ideas to ultimately help you have a better Hawaii wedding experience. As a part of NACE Hawaii, I can frequently be found at the monthly meetings to network, learn, and share. Last Tuesday’s meeting at the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel was no exception.

The topic was event costing, and although the topic was geared more towards event planners and caterers, it was interesting to learn about what the total costs are that goes into a successful event. Brides & clients often don’t think of things like parking costs, garbage disposal, security, and cleanup after their event–especially if they have an outdoor Hawaii wedding–but these costs are there, and they are necessary. Of course, I shared my insights as a professional Master of Ceremonies, DJ, entertainer, sound engineer, and production consultant.

Of course, it wasn’t all learning and networking. The buffet was ono (delicious), and the sorbet & coconut cake dessert were amazingly decadent. Overall, it was an interesting and fun experience.

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Education, NACE, networking

Image courtesy BEN MARUMOTO / Hawaii SEO School

 
Every month, I get the honor of being the Master of Ceremonies for the monthly Oahu Wedding Association meetings, which is an organization of Oahu-based wedding professionals to which I belong. It’s always a neat experience to meet new people at these get-togethers, learn something new from the keynote speaker, and just hang out with a great bunch of Hawaii wedding professionals. This month’s meeting at The Bridal Boutique was no exception. Keynote speaker Ben Marumoto with Hawaii SEO School gave a very interesting and informative presentation on Search Engine Optimization. Although I know a little about SEO, I did learn several new things, and I was grateful to be there to learn!

Image courtesy JOHN HOOK / Dave Miyamoto & Co.

 
It was great working with Craig Matsumoto with Streams Hawaii and Joe Ho with Mystical Sounds Productions. Craig is a singer/guitarist and provided a great musical experience for the audience. Joe handled the audiovisual support for the event, allowing all of the guests to see and hear everything.

Image courtesy JOHN HOOK / Dave Miyamoto & Co.

 
Joyce Coelho & Cecilia Domingo, owners of The Bridal Boutique, were very gracious hosts.

Image courtesy JOHN HOOK / Dave Miyamoto & Co.

 
Of course, the food was great! Desserts, made by Shya Tran with Sweetie Puffs, were STELLAR. Yummy!

Image courtesy JOHN HOOK / Dave Miyamoto & Co.

 
Overall, the party went well. Everyone learned a lot, networked, and had a great time. I had fun too.

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: bridal boutique, Education, networking, owa, seo

Wow! I’m a “techy” sort of fellow who has a generally good grasp of computers and the basics of social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), but I’m always open to learning new trends and ideas. In an effort to better serve my clients and be able to communicate with them more effectively, last Tuesday (April 20) I took a “Social Media 101″ workshop, sponsored by UHM Pacific New Media and the Oahu Wedding Association, and presented by Hawaii wedding photographer and social media extraordinaire Jeannemarie Viggiano. All I can say now is “Wow!” I learned many good nuggets of information, especially on how to integrate it all to best serve my clients and stay in touch with friends.

Thanks to Jeannemarie, UHM Pacific New Media, and OWA for putting together an enlightening, informative, and fun presentation!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: blog, Education, facebook, twitter

Last January, I was the Master of Ceremonies for Wining & Dining with Chef Jerry Edwards, a special event presented by NACE Hawaii. Click here to read about the experience.

Thanks to Creations in Catering/Dole Ballrooms and NACE Hawaii, here are new images from the event. If you want to see how elegant and gorgeous the room looked, click here to see the new pictures.

 

 
NACE Hawaii President Herb Yamamoto addresses the audience.

 
Chef Jerry Edwards talks about creating a menu to pair with wines at hand.

 

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Education, Emcee, event, NACE, networking

Last night, I had the privilege of being the Master of Ceremonies for a very special event. Chef Jerry Edwards, an expert on food & wine pairings, presented a wonderful wine & dinner pairing, with the message that one should choose the food to the wine, rather than wine to the food. The wines (Kenwood wines presented by Better Brands) were good, and dinner was exceptional.

Kenwood wine specialist Brian Acker joined Chef Jerry to talk about the nuances of the wines.

A lot of special event professionals came together to make this event a success.

• The event was presented by NACE Hawaii, with NACE Hawaii President Herb Yamamoto serving as the executive producer of the show.
• Dole Ballrooms provided the backdrop and kitchen support for the occasion.
• Mystical Sounds Productions provided the audiovisual services for the show, with James Chun and his crew at Crane Media providing the graphics.
• The beautiful decor was presented by Naomi Lee with Les Saisons and China Anderson with REA Events; Sue Tabbal-Yamaguchi with Su-V Expressions graciously provided the floral arrangements & centerpieces.
• Dianna Shitanishi with Hawaii Weddings & Events and Susan O’Donnell with Aloha Wedding Planners helped to oversee operations and direct the staff of student interns.

Musical entertainment during the cocktail hour in the foyer was graciously provided by Ben & Maila. My assistant Lesley Shibata served as the music & effects director, and of course, I was the Master of Ceremonies.

Here’s most of the production & design team for this show.

Thank you to Jerry Edwards and his wife Julie Brown-Edwards for coming to Hawaii and teaching us something new. And to all of you who attended, THANK YOU. Your attendance is greatly appreciated!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Education, Emcee, event, NACE, networking

Last February, I attended the Catersource/Event Solutions Conference & Tradeshow.

Among the many classes and seminars that I attended were several classes that were part of the Corporate Event & Meeting Planner Training Program. These courses taught things that all corporate event & meeting planners should have a grasp of, as they deal with many of the basics of putting on a good event: budgets, contracts, technology, creativity, branding, legal/risk assessment, marketing, and much more.

Yesterday, my “diploma” came in!

This is simply another step to provide you with a more organized, stress-free, and enjoyable celebration, whether it be a wedding, corporate gala, team-building event, motivational seminar, or any special occasion!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Education, stressfree

Last Tuesday, I provided the sound system, music, and served as the Master of Ceremonies for the Oahu Wedding Association party at Masako Formals.

This was a fun event with lots of networking and learning.

Our host, Kumiko and her staff from Masako Formals, talked about their wedding gowns, what their salon has to offer, and answered questions about the design, creation time, and costs of owning versus renting a wedding gown.

Makeup artist Heather Saffrey (Heather Bell Makeup Artistry) spoke about what to look for in a hair & makeup consultant, as well as her model’s look. Wendy Robin (Studio W of Honolulu) taught us the differences between airbrushed makeup and traditional makeup as well as spoke about men’s makeup. It was indeed an eye-opener for many of us!

Cecilia & Joyce from the Bridal Boutique spoke about Wedding Fashion Trends for 2009-2010.

The highlight of the night, however, was the fashion show. Eric & Wendy from Leslie-Mansperger Photography was in front of the lens for once as they served as models for a more traditional look.

Then came Geralyn with Hokulii Images, who stole the show with her modern and “fierce” look.

Adding to the fun was Mona from Weddings by Grace & Mona, who modeled a traditional Japanese wedding kimono…

…that turns into a stunning wedding gown for the reception!

The party was fun! Everyone had a great time.

Thanks to…

…our models, stylists, and Masako Formals for their time, talents, and enthusiasm to participate in this entertaining event,

…Jeff Wong with What’s Cooking Hawaii for ono food, drinks, and interesting stories about Hawaii’s food industry,

…Keone & Brandon with Kai Media for shooting video of this event, for producing the upcoming “commercial” based on this event, and for the laughs about the “ghetto fab disco lighting” (inside joke between us),

…to our countless and hardworking photographers who contributed their images to this blogpost and to the OWA Facebook website,

…to those who came, networked, learned something new, and had fun…

Thank You.

You grace our association with your presence at our events, and you are the ones who made this party fun.

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Education, Emcee, fashion show, networking, owa, sound

Last night, I attended the monthly meeting for the Hawaii chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives. This is a great group of wedding & event professionals I network with, and every month we get together, share ideas, learn something new, eat, and party! I always get some great ideas from these events.

The main speakers of the evening were Dianna Shitanishi with Hawaii Weddings & Events; Dora Young, catering sales manager at the Hale Koa Hotel; Mike Rabe, president of Creations in Catering; and NACE Hawaii chapter President Herb Yamamoto, catering sales manager at the Pacific Beach Hotel.

They talked about the benefits of NACE and why one should be a member. As a longtime member, their presentation reaffirmed to me the importance of being a part of the organization. The lifelong friendships, camaraderie, and education that I gain helps me to serve you (my clients) better and to serve as a resource for your wedding/special event needs.

Amy Dempsey, our host and Director of Catering at The Pacific Club, then took us on a tour of the property. It was interesting to learn about the rich history of the place, and how today they accomodate all types of events.

Dinner was served soon after. While the menu itself was simple, the presentation was amazing! For example, the Chinese Chicken Salad was served in traditional Chinese takeout containers. How original! Most people are accustomed to eating out of the takeout containers at home…but at the hors deouvres-style meeting? Not so much! It was nice to see creativity like this.

Dessert was simply cookies & milk from the Pacific Club, and a cupcake “cake” was presented by Josette Murai (Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau) in honor of Herb’s birthday last Saturday, March 7. Yes, we did sing “Happy Birthday” to Herb!

Overall, it was a very fun, enjoyable, and educational experience.

Thanks to Mary Cachuela and Kelly Sugano with A Perfect Day Wedding Coordination, and James Chun with Crane Media for taking the pictures you see here!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Education, networking

As you may know, I was in Vegas over the last two weeks attending conferences to learn about the latest trends and new ideas in weddings and special events. One of the conferences was the CATERSOURCE/Event Solutions Conference & Tradeshow, THE convention for event planners and caterers.

Many of the seminars and classes focused on new trends. Here is what to expect in 2009-2010:

• Special event lighting in general will be HUGE. Not just uplighting, but lighting as part of the centerpieces, as part of the decor (focusing on certain elements of the reception), etc. LED lighting, with its low heat, long life, and ability to run on batteries, will allow lighting to be more widespread among centerpieces, portable chandeliers, furniture, etc.

• Brides & grooms are trending towards more “ethnic entertainment” especially from those ethnicities that they aren’t! You will see more mariachi bands, spanish flamenco music, and Chinese Lion Dances at weddings and special events…especially at your Caucasian friends’ events.

• Musical tastes at special events are trending more sharply towards “Out-of-the-Box”. Expect more youtube style first dances, more group bridal party dances, and more non-traditional choices in first dance music. I have always talked about personalizing the experience to each event. You will find that this year will be even more profound.
• Colors: vibrant colors, especially yellow, will be big. Black & white and the various shades of it will remain strong. Expect the color of “chocolate” to be on its way out. Patterns will be big, not so much in the fashions but among the decor and linens.
• “Going green”: More people today are looking towards cleaner and “greener” technology, and you will find many of that demand applying to the weddings/special event industry. More people will be asking for “greener” limos/transportation rather than the hulking SUV/Hummer-style beasts in the past. If disposable dishware needs to be used, expect more requests for biodegradable plates, glassware, and silverware.

• Invitations: because of the “green movement”, expect more hybrid invitations, or invitations on recycled material.
• Transportation: biofuels and “green.” Brides are getting away from gas-guzzling limos and moving more towards “classic cars”. Expect to have grooms order “muscle cars” to shuttle their groomsmen around.
• Catering: more candy bars. Some markets are seeing a trend of having the candy bar at the END of the night, as a way of giving energy to the people who have been dancing all evening.
• The 80s will make a HUGE comeback–the styles, the colors, the music. It is becoming evident by the vibrant colors (bright yellows, greens) that were huge then…and will be soon.
• New trends in monograms: fancy “flourishes” around the initials.
• Fans & umbrellas/parasols will be seen as alternatives to the bouquets of the wedding party, especially in warmer climates like Arizona & Southern California. Not just for aesthetic reasons and for the uniqueness, but also because of a practical reason: it provides shade from the blistering sun. (Lately, I have noticed this pattern develop in Hawaii as well. It’s too early to tell, but I feel that this is a trend that will be very welcome here in the islands.)
• Seating/decor trends: “Lounge-style” is coming into vogue. Instead of the traditional high-boy cocktail tables during cocktail hour and traditional banquet tables during the reception, expect to see more lounge style furnishings and look.

• The Wired Bride: More brides will turn towards the Internet, social networking, and new social media to help make their decisions. You can expect more brides using Facebook and the web to research their vendors. Also expect a change in the style of communication–brides are calling less, but texting more. With the increasing prevalence of iPhones and Blackberries, information and contact are available 24/7/365, quickly and easily at your fingertips.

I posted several image galleries on Facebook that showcase these trends. Even if you aren’t a member, you can access them.

• Conference Registration & Seminars (including images from the preliminary Wedding Trends class)
• Catersource Wedding Party, a “mock wedding” that showcased the latest trends in wedding decor, fashion, food, beverage, and entertainment
• Another gallery from the Wedding Party, this time showcasing people and entertainment

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Advice, Education, trends, wedding