Marino's Hawaii Wedding Emcee & DJ/Entertainment Blog

All images courtesy JOANNE & WILL ROSS

The Hawaii wedding of Joanne & Will Ross was truly an international affair, with guests coming from both sides of the Pacific Ocean to witness and celebrate the event, so it was truly fitting for them to have their wedding in Hawaii, almost halfway between their countries. They first met in 2008 in Greece, on a random holiday in which Joanne, traveling solo, was invited to join the group that Will was traveling in. A connection was made, and at the end of the trip, both Joanne & Will agreed to stay in touch. Not even an ocean and a 17+ hour time difference could have prevented what happened next: a long-distance friendship blossomed into love, and when they reconnected in person in Hawaii a year later, it was evident that this would be more than simply a passing romance. By the end of their trip, Will had proposed, and Joanne had accepted…

Which led to an incredibly lovely Hawaii destination wedding in August 2010 at St. Augustine’s Church in Honolulu, HI, followed by a fun & elegant celebration at the Hilton Hawaiian Village that evening. With almost all of their guests traveling in from Australia and the Continental US, it was very important to Joanne & Will for their audience to feel involved and have fun. So as their Hawaii wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, I helped them to create a very fun, lively, and elegant event that was reflective of their passions and personalities, and got their audience involved in the presentation!

The Grand Entrance set the tone of the day, as guests cheered for the wedding party. It was a standing ovation for Will & Joanne as they entered to the iconic Hawaii Five-O Theme–guests who knew Joanne appreciated the song choice, as Joanne is a big TV trivia buff and used the Hawaii Five-O theme as her ringtone for her cell phone!

 
The First Dance followed, and it was a perfectly romantic moment.

One of Joanne’s passions is playing trivia, so her guests were able to partake in Joanne’s passion by answering fun trivia questions about the newlyweds throughout the night to decide who goes next to the buffet and to win great prizes!

Marino asks a trivia question.
 

 

 

After dinner, the romance and fun continued, with an upbeat & elegant cake-cutting followed by several touching toasts and speeches by the wedding party and guests.

 

 

JIM (groomsman) delivers his speech.
 

Joanne’s father BARRY gives some well-wishes to the newlyweds.
 

Bridesmaid JENNI & Maid of Honour NADIA tell some stories about Joanne.
 

Will’s Best Man & father WILL ROSS JR. is pithy with his presentation.
 

Will’s sisters officially welcome Joanne to the Ross family.
 

Joanne & Will address their audience.
 

Instead of the traditional bouquet & garter tosses, Joanne & Will intended to honor their parents, so we incorporated the Anniversary Game to include the guests in the presentation and enliven the moment. The result was a very powerful and emotional moment for Will, Joanne, their parents, and the guests.

Although it was not originally part of the presentation, Joanne’s guests requested impromptu bouquet & garter tosses, so we did them!

With the energy running high and guests having a great time, it was simply a matter of playing a wide mix of music that got everyone up and dancing throughout the night! As their Hawaii wedding DJ, I played everything from Sinatra all the way to Lady GaGa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All images courtesy JOANNE & WILL ROSS
 

The night ended with a memorable flourish as Joanne, Will, and their guests closed out the night with one of her favorite songs, I Do I Do I Do I Do by ABBA. As the song ended, guests surrounded the newlyweds and showered them with their love and appreciation!

Special thanks to Stevie Kumia with Best Bridal, for overseeing the ceremony and reception setup, as well as Anna Hinkley, her banquet captain Frankie, and their wonderful staff at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, for taking care of Joanne, Will, and their guests. The party would not have been as successful without their kokua (help).

Congratulations to Joanne & Will Ross. It was an honour to serve you.

All images courtesy JOANNE & WILL ROSS
 

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: 2010, Anna, August, Best Bridal, Coral Ballroom, dancing, DJ, elegant, Emcee, Fun, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Hinkley, Joanne, Kumia, romantic, Ross, Stevie, wedding, Will

When I first met Amber & Caleb Henderson, I knew that their Hawaii wedding was going to be an incredibly fun one. They are very active, very outgoing people, and they made it a point to mention that their guests were just as active and outgoing as they are. They also mentioned that they were expecting a wide variety of guests from here (Hawaii) and from Indiana, where they grew up. With that in mind, we helped them to create a very fun, very lively, and very personalized party that included elements of their life growing up in the Midwest, and their home here in Hawaii today.

Their July 2010 wedding celebration at the Mid-Pacific Country Club in Lanikai began with a beautiful wedding ceremony overlooking the course. After the wedding, Amber, Caleb, and their entourage continued to take photos with Van & Shya Tran (their photographers) as the guests made their way to the ballroom. The audience enjoyed a unique playlist of music that reflected Amber & Caleb’s eclectic musical tastes, as well as the delicious pupu (appetizers) and the opportunity to take original pictures in the Bambooth photobooth.

 

Images courtesy BAMBOOTH

The Grand Entrance brought the festivities to a new level, as the wedding party entered individually to a high-energy song that reflected their personalities, personalized introductions, and a chance to show off their “dance skills.”

Image courtesy MARIZEL HIPONIA

Amber & Caleb set the crowd off with their introduction, putting their own spin on their entrance dance and inviting the audience to join them! We weren’t even into dinner, and the party was already in full swing!

Image courtesy VALERIE GEE BUTTS

Dinner was never boring. For the table release to the buffet, Amber & Caleb named each table after their favorite songs, and whenever I played those songs, the table named after that song would go to the buffet. It was fun watching the guests try to guess if it was their table or not every time a new song was played, and even more fun watching guests sing and dance along to the songs as they waited or ate!

Image courtesy VALERIE GEE BUTTS

Image courtesy MARIZEL HIPONIA

To bring a bit of Midwestern fun to their party, Caleb brought in a Cornhole/Bean Bag Toss game. He played this game growing up, and still plays it whenever he and Amber throw parties at their home, so why not include it at their wedding celebration as well? Guests rose to the challenge, even attempting to toss beanbags from deep within the audience!

Image courtesy MARIZEL HIPONIA

Amber & Caleb included many surprises throughout the presentation. One of the more memorable ones was the bouquet presentation. Instead of simply tossing the bouquet to a few single friends, Amber surprised and honored her grandmother by presenting it to her! It was a very touching and emotional moment.

Image courtesy VALERIE GEE BUTTS

The garter removal & toss were a lot of fun, as Caleb & Amber’s outgoing personalities shined through.

Image courtesy MARIZEL HIPONIA
 

Image courtesy MARIZEL HIPONIA
 

Image courtesy VALERIE GEE BUTTS

With Amber & Caleb’s friend Michael as the winner of the garter, it was time for another surprise: the Reverse Garter! Michael was told that he needed to put the garter on the leg of Amber & Caleb’s friend Shya, and that the higher up Shya’s leg that Michael placed the garter, the more years of good luck & great marriage Amber & Caleb would have.

Little did Michael know that, once blindfolded, we switched Shya with Caleb’s uncle Myron! Hilarity insued. (And Michael had no idea he was putting the garter on another man’s leg!)

Image courtesy MARIZEL HIPONIA

Once we got into dancing, Amber & Caleb’s friends & family danced to everything. The energy that began building from the moment their audience arrived and continued to grow during the fun and entertaining program was now transferred to the dancefloor as guests danced to a wide range of music–some Elvis & oldies for their older guests to Usher & today’s artists for the younger crowd. It was a remarkably fun & lively time.

 

 

 

Images courtesy MARIZEL HIPONIA
 

 

 

 

Images courtesy NICCOLE HENDERSON-WILLIAMSON

Amber & Caleb Henderson wanted a very fun & lively party that was a reflection of who they are. And we were quite successful in helping them to achieve it!

Of course, I had help. The following Hawaii wedding professionals and people also contributed to Amber & Caleb’s successful Hawaii wedding celebration:

• Amber’s good friend Marizel Hiponia, who graciously offered to oversee the setup and be the coordinator for the event;
• Laura Gregory, Maile McWilliams, and the wonderful staff of the Mid-Pacific Country Club, who provided great food and outstanding service;
• Van & Shya Tran, Amber & Caleb’s good friends and photographers, for being so easy and wonderful to work with;
• Chrissy Kendziorski Smith with Blue Cricket Productions, for being such wonderful videographers;
• Maila Leinau Myers & Brent Keane with Bambooth, for the great photobooth services;
• Cecilia Domingo & Joyce Coelho with The Bridal Boutique, for providing the wedding dress that made Amber look absolutely stunning!

Finally, congratulations to Amber & Caleb Henderson! It truly was an honour to help them make their Hawaii wedding presentation as fun, lively, and original as they are!

Image courtesy MARIZEL HIPONIA

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: 2010, amber, beanbag, Blue Cricket Productions, Bouquet presentation, caleb, Chrissy Kendziorski Smith, cornhole, dancing, dionne, DJ, Emcee, Fun, henderson, july, Laura Gregory, lively, Maile McWilliams, Marizel Hiponia, Michael, MidPacific Country Club, mpcc, Niccole Henderson-Williamson, Reverse Garter, Shya Tran, table release, Valerie Gee Butts, Van Tran, wedding

It’s been a while since I posted, hasn’t it?

It’s been busy the last few months, with weddings, events, and taking care of your events in general.

In June, I served as the Master of Ceremonies and DJ for the Hawaii weddings of Diego & Eleanor Serrato and Carol & Martin Miyashiro.

Eleanor & Diego Serrato

Carol & Martin Miyashiro (with her son Hunter)

 
And of course, this past weekend was the extraordinarily fun and entertaining wedding of Amber & Caleb Henderson:

Amber & Caleb Henderson

Of course, in between, there are couples to meet, scripts to write, musical soundtracks and cues to prepare, rehearsals to undertake, and much more. But it’s all part of why I love serving you!

I’ll have a brief writeup and some pictures of these events over the next few days/weeks, including some professional images and video from the great wedding professionals whom I have recently worked with (that means you, Bambooth, Owen & Owen, Chrissy Lambert, and others). But first, the Hawaii Bridal Expo is this weekend at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall, so drop by! If you’re still looking for dresses, deals, and wedding professionals for your Hawaii wedding, this is a great place to meet people and get information. Don’t forget to drop by my booth to say hello too!

Image courtesy Eugene Kam Photography

I look forward to meeting you!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: amber, blaisdell, caleb, carol, diego, DJ, eleanor, Emcee, expo, hawaii bridal expo, henderson, july, june, martin, miyashiro, planning, preparation, serrato, wedding

My good friend Chuck Lehnard with Maui Mobile Music wrote this a while back, and it’s something that I thought you’d like to know, especially if you’re on the fence about hiring a professional Master of Ceremonies & DJ for your Hawaii wedding:

You can have cold chicken, wilted flowers, disposable cameras and kool-aid to drink, but if your entertainment is good…THAT is what your friends family and loved ones will remember.

One the other hand, you can have the best cake, beautiful flowers, an open bar, the best photographer in the world (which BTW none of your guests will even know about since maybe only 5% of them will ever even see the pictures) but if your emcee, iPod, DJ, or band is bad, THAT will be what people remember. They will remember that your biggest day of your life was boring or no fun.

On your wedding day, I bet your car is good enough to drive you to and from the church, but I bet you will hire a limo.

I bet that you have a friend who can make a cake. But I bet you will hire the best bakery in town.

I bet that your friend has a great new camera from Wal-Mart, but I bet you will hire a professional photographer.

Why would you do anything less than hire a professional emcee & DJ to help make your day perfect?

Wise words indeed.
 

Image courtesy WENDY & ERIC / L’Amour Photography

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Advice, Chuck, DJ, Emcee, Fun, Maui, Maui Mobile Music, stressfree

Has it been almost a month since my last posting? Wow, time flies. I’ve been busy preparing for several weddings in June, one of which was Eleanor & Diego Serrato’s Hawaii wedding in late June at the Moana Surfrider.

Image courtesy Diego & Eleanor Serrato

They had found the Ninja Entertainment website while searching online and apparently liked the fun and lively atmosphere that I create at weddings, so they were intrigued enough to call me. We connected by conference call/webinar in early June, and once I committed to their wedding, it was non-stop preparations for it.

After that initial conference call, we connected in person on the Friday before their wedding (held on the next Wednesday), giving me several days to finalize their details; share it with Toni Takata with the Moana Surfrider, Diego & Ellie’s photographer Chrissy Lambert, and Tony So (who graciously offered to assist me at the wedding); put together Diego & Ellie’s awesomely original musical soundtrack, and begin rehearsals for their presentation.

By the time their wedding rolled around, everyone and everything was set, and it was simply a matter of making the guests have fun! Of course, Diego & Ellie’s guests had plenty of it, with all of the unique and romantic surprises that Diego & Ellie had planned.

Image courtesy Diego & Eleanor Serrato

The buffet table release was based on their favorite music, and they had a crazy time with the Circle Dance and Last Man Sitting to give away the bouquet & garter (including a hilarious moment when Diego was CARRIED back to the dancefloor by the two garter competition finalists). What was totally “unplanned” and even more funny was that the unmarried men & women seemed to allow Ellie’s brother Ross and his girlfriend Dee to win, since they had been together for so long and everyone seemed to want nuptials for them. And there was one more twist: as in the game show Let’s Make a Deal, Ross was given the choice of keeping the garter, or exchanging it for a “special prize,” which ultimately was a copy of the catering bill!

The rest of the night flowed nicely, as the guests danced to many of Ellie & Diego’s favorite songs and dedications, many of which had special meaning to particular guests.

 

 

 

 

Images courtesy Diego & Eleanor Serrato

Mahalo (thanks) to the following Hawaii wedding professionals for helping to make Diego & Ellie’s party a smashing success:

• Toni Takata and her banquet crew at the Moana Surfrider;
• photographer Chrissy Lambert and her assistant Andrew, for shooting the wedding; and
• The DJ Tony So, for being an awesome assistant.

Finally, congratulations to Diego & Eleanor Serrato! It was an awesome party. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your special day.

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: 2010, Andrew Bryant Sims, Chrissy Lambert, Circle Dance, diego, DJ, eleanor, Emcee, june, Lanikai Room, Last Man Sitting, moana surfrider, Musical Table Release, Toni Takata, Tony So, wedding

As a professional Master of Ceremonies, it’s always a treat to find out the history of the couples whom I serve: how they met, how they fell in love, how he proposed, how she accepted. Oftentimes, there is a particular aspect to their Love Story that could potentially add a unique and original “twist” to their celebration, if properly incorporated into the presentation. When done right, it creates an unforgettable experience for the bride, groom, and their audience.

Such is the case for Emily Kuehn and Chayson Seneca, who are planning for their Hawaii wedding in June 2011 at the Hale Koa Hotel. In our conversation, one of the things they mentioned was that they met in college over a game of Beer Pong. If you’re not familiar with beer pong, Wikipedia defines it as…

a drinking game in which players throw a ping-pong ball across a table with the intent of landing the ball in a cup of beer/water on the other end. The game typically consists of two two-to-four-player teams and multiple cups set up on each side set up in triangle formation. There are no official rules, so rules may vary widely, though usually there are six or ten plastic cups arranged in a triangle on each side. The losing team must consume all the beer remaining in the winning team’s cups.

The Challenge: find a way to incorporate Beer Pong into the presentation, because it was such a key moment in the development of their relationship, but to do it in such a way as to get away from the “drinking” part of it and more towards the “fun” part of it. Of course, I love a good challenge, and we were able to incorporate the game into their presentation, personalize it so it reflects the occasion, and get the audience involved so that, even if you’ve never played beer pong, you’ll still have fun in a clean, family-friendly sort of way.

The first step was in renaming the game: Beer Pong is great for frat parties and college keggers, but certainly not as appropriate for a wedding, where grandparents, children, and conservative guests may be in attendance. So instead, we’re going to call it Beverage Pong. In that way, we won’t offend any of the guests.

Now for the setup: like in traditional beer pong, we’re planning to put a triangle of cups on one end of a long table and fill those cups with a minimal amount of water to weigh the cups down. We’re also providing the ping pong balls for contestants to use.

The Game: like in traditional beer pong, participants throw ping pong balls towards the cup and hope to get the ball into one of the cups. Here’s what makes Emily & Chayson’s version different: if the participant lands a ball in a cup, our newlyweds will kiss! Obviously, the more successful you are at sinking a ball, the more often you get to see the couple smooch.

And that’s not all: the distance also plays a part in how long the kiss will be. So if you shoot it in from up close, it will be a short peck. If you make it in from the end of the table, it will be a much longer kiss. If you successfully get it in from across the dancefloor, you are “The Man”, and Emily & Chayson will honor you with a very long kiss.

Emily & Chayson are excited about this and are looking forward to having Beverage Pong in their presentation. It makes their party very original and unique, not a cookie-cutter, carbon-copy reception.

When you meet your emcee for your Hawaii wedding, tell them your own Love Story. See if they’ll give you some generic activities to incorporate into your celebration, just because they’ve done it before at other people’s weddings…or if they actually will listen to you and give you ideas to help you make your party as unforgettable and original as you are!

Wedding images courtesy PHIL AMMON / A+ Media Creations

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: beer pong, chayson, Emcee, emily, Fun, games, Hale Koa, unique, wedding

Meet Kai & Wayne Asam.

Four years ago, on May 13, 2006, Kai & Wayne tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony at the Luana Hills Country Club. The reception that followed was just as fun and lively as Kai & Wayne are! Interactive activities, including a game of Simon Says to give away the centerpieces, made the audience feel connected to the festivities, which led up to a night of great music and dancing that kept going even after the lights were turned on and the music formally ended! At the end of the night, this is what Kai & Wayne had to say about their experience with me as the Master of Ceremonies and DJ for their Hawaii wedding:

Kai & Wayne wedding emcee testimonial from Marino – Ninja Entertainment on Vimeo.

Four years later, they’re still together, still very much in love, and have added to their growing family a beautiful baby boy named Xander.

Image courtesy KAI ASAM

It’s always nice to hear from clients and to witness how successful they have been since the wedding.

Congratulations to Wayne & Kai Asam, and Happy Anniversary!
 

 

 

 

Wedding images courtesy PAUL HAYASHI Photography

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: 2006, Emcee, Fun, kai, luana hills, may, paul hayashi, testimonial, unique, wayne, wedding

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

Richard Mills, a New Zealand DJ, Master of Ceremonies, and a dear friend, had an interesting experience at a recent wedding:

• The location had no outdoor electricity to power his sound system for the wedding ceremony.
• The Best Man’s partner’s shoe heel broke.
• A button popped off his tuxedo jacket.
• A guest’s camera batteries died before the ceremony.

Click here to read Richard’s story in his own words.

Given the situation, what would you have done?

The average wedding DJ & MC probably would have

• Run LOTS of extension cords from an outlet to wherever he set up, or just claim that he just can’t do it without power;
• Said “Sorry” to the Best Man’s partner and the guest with the dead batteries, because “it’s beyond the work I was hired to do;”
• Left the button off the jacket to have it repaired after the wedding.

But Richard isn’t your average, ordinary DJ.

• Richard brought a generator…just in case. His experience with outdoor events probably taught him to be prepared for these situations, and it certainly did this time!
• Because he got there early enough and had ample time to set up, Richard was able to take the Best Man’s partner’s shoe to a nearby mall, where it was quickly repaired and back to the owner within 20 minutes.
• Because he carries a sewing kit and spare AA batteries among his equipment, Richard was able to fix the button on his tux AND help the guest by giving that guest fresh batteries for her camera.

Keep in mind that all of these challenges occured BEFORE the wedding even started! If any more difficulties arise during the presentation, you can bet that Richard is prepared for them.

Here’s a fun and eye-opening activity that you can do when you interview your Masters of Ceremonies & DJs for your Hawaii wedding: ask your prospective emcee or DJ what they would do in those situations. Listen to their answers. Now picture it happening at your wedding–will you be happy with their actions to overcome these challenges?

Great wedding DJs don’t simply spin music–any DJ can do that. Great wedding DJs make sure that everything runs smoothly so that you can feel stress-free and enjoy your wedding day. And that’s important, isn’t it?

Image courtesy PHIL AMMON / A+ Media Creations

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Advice, blog, DJ, Emcee, new zealand, preparation, richard mills, setup, stressfree, wedding

In an earlier post, I wrote about several factors that will encourage your guests to dance at the end of the night. If you haven’t read it yet, click here to read the accompanying post. In particular, one of the factors that get your audience to dance is the ambiance of the room. For instance, if your photographer, videographer, or venue insists on keeping the lights on during the dancing portion of the night, it’s very likely that your guests will not dance, simply because they don’t want to be seen dancing!

Reading that post again reminded me of a past Hawaii wedding that I did a few years ago. At that wedding, I was the Master of Ceremonies for this event. The client had also hired a professional wedding videographer to document her day. It was my first time working with this videographer (who has remain nameless because he’s a good friend, and I don’t want to embarrass a good friend ). When it was time to dance, the videographer had a big GLARING light on his camera turned on to wash the dancefloor in bright light. It was bright as day! He had it on to capture footage of people dancing. Sadly, because no one wants to be seen dancing, only 2-3 people were on the dancefloor sort of having a good time. (I say “sort of” because they couldn’t really have a good time with a glaring light on them as they danced.)

After a while, he had enough decent footage, so he turned off his camera light and started packing up. As soon as he did it, the DJ played another fun song, and the guests invaded the dancefloor! It was packed! Everyone got into it and really danced, sang, and partied!

A full dancefloor meant better footage, so the videographer quickly pulled out his camera…and turned on the big light.

As soon as the song was over, the dancefloor cleared. Once again, there were only 2-3 people dancing, but no one wanted to be on the dancefloor, in full lighted view of everyone else.

Once again, the videographer put away his camera and light. Once again, the guests filled the dancefloor with the next song, and the videographer brought out his camera and light. And once again, the dancefloor emptied at the end of the song! This repeated several times. By the time the videographer was completely packed and no longer shooting dance footage, the DJ was able to keep the guests dancing and partying all the way until the end of the night.

If the videographer had turned off his camera light, he may not have captured people’s faces and reactions…but he would have captured people dancing, laughing, and having a great time! Instead of 2-3 people, he would have better footage of a crowd of guests having fun.

When you get your album or DVD, do you want to see 2-3 people dancing in full detail? Or do you want to remember seeing MANY of your guests dancing and having a good time, even though you can’t see who’s who?

Images courtesy Ed Pingol Photography

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Advice, dancing, DJ, Emcee, Fun, ideas, videographer, wedding