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, 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

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

I’ve recently come across a troubling trend. With the need to make their weddings very unique and original, many brides have begun to do activities and games at weddings that have absolutely no relation to them and just do these games for the sake of doing them. Worse yet, they ask their emcee to do it, but without the proper training and rehearsal for it, the emcee delivers a presentation that can be embarrassing and even offensive. In the end, is this what they really want?

I was recently made aware of this by a photographer friend of mine. Her client had hired a well-known radio personality to emcee the event; this radio personality was a good friend of the bride & groom. Apparently during her research, this bride had read on my blog about some of the games that I do and asked the radio personality to attempt these games at her wedding. Specifically, one of the games she wanted to do was the Kissing Games, a popular and highly interactive activity that involves the audience and is done throughout dinner and the reception.

Unfortunately, this radio personality works at a station that is known for its “shock jock” format, and this radio personality was used to using double entendres and saying things that could be heard as inappropriate and lewd. So when he did the Kissing Games at the wedding, instead of making the activity very fun and romantic (which is part of the reason we do it at weddings), he made it very lewd, sexual, and offensive. Yes, it was funny, but was it worth offending grandma and shocking the guests for a laugh?

My point is this: If you are going to copy my games or create your own, make sure your Master of Ceremonies knows the reasoning behind it. Why do it? The Kissing Games were meant to be more than a fun diversion; it was meant to create romance and enthusiasm in the audience. If we do the Golf Game, it’s not just because it’s fun and unique; it’s because either the bride, groom, or guests like to play golf! If we do the Anniversary Card Crafting Activity, that’s because the bride or groom likes to do arts & crafts!

Also, Make sure your Master of Ceremonies knows HOW to do these activities and actually REHEARSES them beforehand. As with any live stage presentation, the actors and performers memorize the script and rehearse their lines long before the curtain rises just so that their performance is flawless and perfect at every performance. If your emcee tries to “wing it” and attempt a game/activity they’ve never done before, it’s very likely that the activity will fall flat and not make the impact that you want.

Image courtesy KYLER KWOCK/Kai Photo

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Advice, creative, Emcee, games, planning, preparation, wedding

Jen & Gage Costa originally planned to be married in Vegas, but plans changed, and they decided to get married here in Hawaii at the Hale Koa Hotel. Since they couldn’t bring the wedding to Vegas, we helped them bring Vegas to the wedding! We incorporated poker into a centerpiece game that spanned the whole program, and to get the newlyweds to kiss, Gage’s golfer friends needed to putt holes-in-one in the Golf Putting Challenge. In all, it was a very original and interactive presentation, just the way Gage & Jen wanted it.

Click here to see more images from Jen & Gage’s wedding.

Special thanks to the following Hawaii wedding professionals for helping to make Jen & Gage’s wedding so memorable and fun:

• Susana Casaquit and Shannon Kinoshita, Jen’s coordinators of the day;
• Photographer Johnny Phayakoun with Dulce by Visionari and Janice & Davis Lauderdale with Video 21 Productions, for helping to document all of the great memories;
• James Chun with Crane Media for the very creative and entertaining video slideshow presentation;
• The Wah Ngai Lion Dance Association and The Tekniqlinqz, for the very original and fun live ethnic entertainment;

And to all of their guests who came,

THANK YOU.

Your presence is very much appreciated!

Jennifer & Gage from Video 21 Productions on Vimeo.

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Crane Media, davis, Dulce by Visionari, Emcee, Fun, games, golf, Hale Koa, James Chun, janice, Johnny Phayakoun, lauderdale, Shannon Kinoshita, Susana Casaquit, Tekniqlinqz, Vegas, Video 21, Wah Ngai Lion Dance Association, Waikiki Ballroom, wedding

This Saturday, May 9, from 10:00am-2:00pm, I will be the “warmup act” and provide Hawaii DJ Services for a FREE bridal spectacular at Kahala Mall, produced by Kahala Mall & Mama Mia! (The upcoming musical at the Blaisdell) in partnership with Hawaii Bride & Groom Magazine and KSSK Radio. This is your invitation; come on down and join in the fun!

From 10:00-11:00am, I will present wedding games and activities that you can participate in and win great prizes. You can also meet Jayne & Kahele, Hawaii Bride & Groom’s Wedding of a Lifetime winners, and hear about their experience. You also will meet Matt & Cara, Oceanic’s HILARIOUS married couple (you’ve seen their TV ads promoting digital cable), as they talk about their own “wedding” and how life is like now that they are “married” and having to share the cable box!

From 11:00am-2:00pm, Sweetie Pacarro from KSSK will host a great dance contest to win tickets to Mamma Mia, Kahala Mall gift certificates, and more! KGMB’s weather anchor Guy Hagi and his wife Kim Gennaula will be the guest judges. Also, come meet the lovely contestants of the 2009 Mrs. Hawaii Pageant!

In addition, you will see display booths by Hawaii Bride & Groom advertisers, an awesome sidewalk sale/trunk show by Kahala Mall merchants, and much, much more.

Get more info by visiting http://www.kahalamallcenter.com/cms/index.php?page=mall-promotions

I’ll be there serving as the “warmup act” and also providing Hawaii DJ services as well. I’ll see you there!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Emcee, Fun, games, kahala, Partnerships, sound

A bride-to-be recently contacted me because she had heard I played interactive games at weddings. She wanted her wedding to be full of games and lively interactivity…but she didn’t want it to be cheesy.

Therein is the problem.

Playing games at a wedding just for the sake of playing games at a wedding means you will have a cheesy wedding.

Games at weddings are fun…but there should be a connection back to the bride & groom. The analogy would be doing the chicken dance at a wedding. Many brides find this entirely cheesy, probably because many DJs play it at weddings that it has become overplayed. But what if, when the bride was younger, she always danced it with her father, and the Chicken Dance had a lot of significance to the bride and her dad? If the DJ played it then, it wouldn’t be cheesy; it would be meaningful to the bride.

It’s the same thing with Games at Weddings. Doing the Golf Game is cheesy and meaningless if the groom and/or his guests don’t play golf. Doing a Chicago Bulls-style Grand Entrance is meaningless if the newlyweds don’t like basketball. Doing the Anniversary Card Activity is cheesy if the there is no connection to the newlyweds.

When you meet with your emcee, ask him for ideas for games and activities to spice up your wedding, but always make sure those suggestions fit you and your style. If they don’t, ask him to be more creative…or find a Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies who can help you personalize your celebration to reflect YOU.

Here are some original game ideas that we created in the past, and how they relate to the bride, groom, and their guests:

• The Kissing Games were done at Chris & Ruby’s wedding because Chris & Ruby had a lot of married guests in their audience. They wanted to involve their married guests, so this activity was very appropriate for this event.
• The Lego Buffet Table Release was done at the wedding of Joshua & Samantha because Joshua was a contractor/builder, and Samantha had a two year old boy who loved playing with LEGO. So I incorporated both concepts into the reception with a very creative table release!
• The Vegas Poker Icebreaker was created for the wedding of Julie & James, because Julie & James LOVED going to Las Vegas. They went as often as they could, and their families loved going to Vegas as well. So this game was very appropriate for their event.
• The Golf Game is usually done at weddings in which the groom and/or his guests like to golf. They don’t have to be very good, as long as they like to golf.

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Advice, games, ideas