Continue reading »]]> Wow, has it been three months since my last posting? Usually I’m very good at staying on top of things, but it’s a sign of productivity if I don’t have time to post here as often as I would want to. It just means that I’ve been busy serving YOU!

I’ve also been spending the last two months learning. I’ve attended a conference to learn brand new ideas, games, and activities to incorporate into your Hawaii wedding, to make your party much more unique and original. I’m also taking online study courses on human psychology, interaction, and social dynamics, in order to better understand your audience, your guests, and what makes them “tick.” It’s been dizzying at times, but incredibly fulfilling.

In February, I attended the Mobile Beat Conference, a convention of wedding DJs, Masters of Ceremonies, and entertainers who are serious about helping their clients create original and fun parties. I networked with some old friends, made some new ones, attended daily seminars on everything from crowd motivation to business matters, and went to some great parties! The learning was non-stop and the education was overwhelming at times, but it was a great experience. The best part for you: I came back with completely fresh and inspired ideas that we can incorporate into your wedding, activities that are so completely NEW to Hawaii weddings, thus making your wedding celebration truly unique & original. I’m excited to share with you what I learned!

Click here to see a gallery of images that I took at Mobile Beat.

The other thing that I’m doing is taking some online study courses on social dynamics. By learning how people interact with one another, it helps me to better motivate your guests to do things, to become more involved in the group “conversation” that we’ll have at your party, and to have more fun. I’ve applied some of these new ideas & strategies to recent weddings, and the results have been ASTOUNDING. It means that, by the time I’m done learning all of this, I’m going to help you take your wedding celebration to a whole new level!

It’s an exciting year, and I’m really looking forward to sharing it with you.

Image courtesy JODI SATO

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All images courtesy PINKY YOSHIMOTO / Pinky Photography
 

While I am well-known as as Hawaii wedding emcee, I did get my training and background initially as a Hawaii DJ, and I put those skills to use on November 17 at the Business of Networking social event at the Edition Hotel in Waikiki. The event was sponsored by Pacific Edge Magazine and Social Wahines. Darnelle, the show producer, had asked my good friend David Louis with Dynamic Sounds to be the DJ and provide the sound system, and Dave asked me if I wanted to come along and hang out. How could I say no?

It was a fun experience. I was able to mingle and network with other business professionals. I made some good contacts and even ran into Arsena Kailihiwa, whose wedding I did back in 2005!

It was great catching up with her and seeing how much she and her family has changed since the wedding.

For me, it was refreshing to simply play music as a DJ and not worry about introducing people, rehearsing a presentation, or doing any advance preparation. Best of all, I was able to play some music I rarely get to play at Hawaii weddings: a bunch of dance music! I never get to play the likes of DJ Sammy, Iio, Tiesto, Alice Deejay, etc. at most Hawaii weddings, so it was a rare treat for me to be able to do so in front of real people! Everyone enjoyed the selection, as I saw some people even singing along to some recognizable mainstream tracks.

 

 

 

 

All images courtesy PINKY YOSHIMOTO / Pinky Photography
 

Special thanks to David Louis with Dynamic Sounds for the invitation to join him and perform at this event, as well as to Pinky Yoshimoto of Pinky Photography for all of the great images you see in this post!

Click here to see more images of the event.

Thanks to all who came & partied!

Continue reading »]]> The second day of the Hawaii Bridal Expo just finished, and it was great meeting so many brides & grooms-to-be who are planning their Hawaii weddings for later this year, next year, and beyond! It was interesting to hear your stories, plans, and dreams for your celebration, and I’m grateful that you spent the time sharing. Over the next few days, I’ll be following up with you to see what I can do, as your Master of Ceremonies and perhaps DJ for your wedding, to help you create a very fun and lively event that’s just as unique and original as you are!

It was also nice to connect with good friends & Hawaii wedding professionals, as well as meet new ones!

For those who didn’t get a chance to connect with me, why not check out my website? At the very least, you’ll get to watch some great videos of audiences having a wonderful time at my clients’ weddings.

Tomorrow is another day, and I look forward to connecting with you and getting to know you, so please drop by my booth, say hello, and enter to win Tom Haibeck’s book Wedding Toasts Made Easy, a great resource to help you, your Maid of Honor, Best Man, or anyone else who has to stand in front of your audience and speak into a microphone on your wedding day! It will help you figure out what to say without looking nervous about it!

Continue reading »]]> 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

Continue reading »]]> This is a new feature I’m debuting today and hopefully will be able to maintain: Why I Like…Wednesdays, where I focus on a particular Hawaii wedding professional I enjoy working with! As a Hawaii wedding emcee, I work with a lot of wedding professionals, some good, others GREAT, others…ummm…you get the idea. Each Wednesday, I’ll spotlight a particular Hawaii wedding professional I like to work with, and hopefully you’ll like to work with too.

Today’s spotlight is on The Bridal Boutique, owned by Cecilia Domingo and Joyce Coelho. Why do I love them? Besides their great sense of style, they really know how to make a bride look beautiful in their dress. They can help you choose the right gown for your Hawaii wedding, as well as help you find coordinated outfits for your bridesmaids, if you wish. Many of my clients are Bridal Boutique brides, and they LOVE their dresses. And you will too.

Here’s Nicole Richardson. She got married New Years Eve and wanted two dresses: a formal gown for the formal wedding, and a unique wedding dress for the reception that reflects her rebel “rocker” image. Joyce & Cecilia were able to help her create the right dresses for the occasion:

The “traditional” wedding dress
 

The “not-so-traditional” wedding dress
Images courtesy Norma Allen Photography

The concept of the “not-so-traditional” dress was Nicole’s; Cecilia & Joyce were able to accommodate it, and Nicole was one very happy bride!

I love working with Joyce & Cecilia with the Bridal Boutique, especially since my brides are so happy with them and their services. And you will too! Check them out!

Website: http://www.bridalboutique.com
Blog: http://thebridalboutique.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thebridalboutique
Twitter: http://twitter.com/bridal_boutique
Phone: 808-597-8893

And when you contact them, tell ‘em Marino sent you!

The Wedding Cafe Workshops – Gowns from KAIMEDIA on Vimeo.

Continue reading »]]> 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.

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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.

Continue reading »]]> 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.

 

Continue reading »]]> Last night, I had an opportunity to hang out with other Hawaii wedding professionals at the February meeting for NACE Hawaii. The party was at Formaggio Grill in Kailua.

Michael Rabe, the President of Creations in Catering, gave a very informative and interesting presentation on the importance of networking and being involved in the associations you belong to.

Of course, the food was ono (delicious). The lobster bisque was incredibly good. When paired with a deliciously fruity chardonnay, the combination provided a very good sweet/salty contrast.

The prime rib was unbelievably tasty & delicious. So was the brocolli mashed potatoes. The meal paired very well with the merlot that we all had.

Of course, it was a treat to hang out with my favorite Hawaii wedding professionals and catch up! I spent some great face time with Dianna Shitanishi of Hawaii Weddings and Events, Lawrence Medeiros with Crane Media, Susan O’Donnell with Aloha Wedding Planners, as well as NACE Hawaii President Herb Yamamoto.

Continue reading »]]> 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!