Marino's Hawaii Wedding Emcee & DJ/Entertainment Blog

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

Ten years ago, I attended my cousin’s Hawaii wedding as a guest. It was gorgeous reception at the Halekulani. The room was elaborately decorated, and my cousin spared no expense making the ballroom look magnificent.

Sometime during dinner, the unexpected occurred: my cousin’s wedding ring slipped off her finger. She, her wedding party, and the families looked all over the ballroom trying to find this very expensive piece of jewelry.

And the guests? We sat there…and sat…and sat. The emcee made no announcement, and no one told us about the delay. So we sat. And sat some more. After 45 minutes of searching, they fortunately found the ring under the head table stage. But with the delay in the presentation, the guests had grown restless, and as soon as dinner ended, many of the guests found it as an appropriate time to leave. So there were only a few of us to see my cousin cut her cake, toss her bouquet, and dance her First Dance.

If the guests were properly engaged during the momentary break in the presentation, they might have felt involved and been more inclined to stay. But alas, the break allowed people to get bored, and when you get bored, you probably would want to leave the situation at the next polite opportunity, wouldn’t you?

So it was with some incredible irony that many years later, I found myself back at the Halekulani for Maren & Erik’s Hawaii wedding in October 2006, but this time, instead of a guest, I was the Master of Ceremonies for their event. Like my cousin’s wedding 10 years ago, Maren accidentally lost her wedding ring somewhere in the Grand Ballroom. Like my cousin’s wedding, Maren had 250 friends & family at the reception, and Erik, Maren, and I did not want their audience to get bored as Maren, Erik, and their families searched for the ring.

So what did I do to keep the party going? I assessed the situation and made it into the positive by involving the audience in a Scavenger Hunt. I would ask for objects, and guests needed to find those objects, collect them, and place them in front of them at their table. To win, the guests needed to collect ALL of the items; if they are even missing one, they can no longer play. So I chose items that are commonly found among the guests or in the ballroom:

• A fork
• A napkin
• A watch
• An earring (it was funny to see some ladies take off both earrings and give one to their hubby or boyfriend so he would still be in the game!)
• Anything with a lens (camera, eyeglasses, shades, etc.)
• And so forth.

So as Erik, Maren, and their families searched for the ring, the guests were preoccupied and having a great time!

After everyone had collected their items, there was one final challenge. I told the guests that there is a wedding ring that is special to Erik & Maren somewhere on the floor of the ballroom, and if a guest found it, they would instantly win, even if they were missing an object!

Immediately EVERYBODY got down and searched for the ring! Two-hundred fifty guests searched every inch of the Grand Ballroom looking for Maren’s wedding ring, until finally the groom’s uncle found it by the door. Success!

In the end, the Scavenger Hunt was one of the highlights of the celebration, and today Erik & Maren still get many compliments about how the “missing ring drama” was handled!

What could have been a disaster, with the audience sitting bored and waiting for things to happen, instead turned into a fun and lively event that kept the energy and momentum going until we were ready to continue with the presentation.

When you meet with your potential emcee for your wedding, ask him what he’ll do if you lose your ring on your wedding day, or if the power goes out during the reception, or if you get delayed to the party because the limo breaks down. Listen to his answers to how he would react. You see, anyone can host the perfect wedding reception if everything runs perfectly. But you know that nothing is perfect. Will your emcee know how to react when the unexpected occurs?

Now that’s a great question.

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: 2006, Advice, erik, halekulani, maren, october, preparation, stressfree, unxpected, 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

Sometime in 2009, I was the emcee for a party for two well-known Hawaii professional associations. This was the first time both groups had put together a joint production, and so it was quite important that it went off without a hitch. The audience was composed of association members and their guests. They had a live band for the musical entertainment, some incredible uplighting by a member audiovisual company, and an original menu created specifically for this party. It was to be a big event with big expectations.

There was also a somewhat big problem.

The associations had underestimated its guest counts, and many guests simply showed up at the door for the event.

Why was this a problem?

There was not enough space. The catering sales manager of the venue had placed the party in a room that held a maximum of 80 guests, since the estimated pre-count was 75. But when a total of 98 guests showed up, and when you add in the live band, lighting, audiovisual, and decor, it was a VERY tight (and slightly uncomfortable) fit indeed.

There was not enough food. The kitchen had a family-style buffet for 75 guests. But when 98 guests showed up, some guests were left without meals for the night.

The guests could not hear. The sound system in the ballroom is quite capable for a party of 75 guests, and maybe slightly more. But when more than the expected number of guests arrived, and they’re all talking loudly to each other to be heard, the sound system was woefully inadequate. It was very difficult for the guest speakers and the Master of Ceremonies (me!) to get people’s attention without yelling.

The formal program ran a little long. With a good microphone and an adequately tuned sound system, it takes me five seconds to get people’s attention and about 10 seconds more to get them to focus on what’s happening. But the sound system and my voice alone (even with the voice training I have) could not compete against 98 very social individuals, and it took almost 30 seconds to get people’s attention and focus. Multiply that by the number of times that I needed to get the audience’s attention (before dinner, before each speaker, before each activity), and it adds up to wasted valuable time.

In the end, the party was quite successful, and the leaders of both organizations were very happy with the results. But it could have been A LOT better.

Here’s the point of my story: Your head count MUST be as accurate as it can be. If you’re off by a few guests (plus or minus five, perhaps), it’s okay, but if you’re underestimating the numbers to save some money or because you feel some guests won’t come, then you may be heading for some trouble down the road, because your guests might end up in a room that’s much too small for them, and not have enough food, and not be able to hear you and what’s going on! A highly inaccurate head count affects not just your location, but your catering service, sound/AV provider, the timing of your event, and more.

Please make your head count as accurate as it can be!

And please be clear to your guests: if your guests don’t RSVP, they shouldn’t attend! The more accurate your head count is, the easier and more stress-free you make it for your wedding professionals, your guests, and YOU!

Image courtesy L’Amour Photography

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Advice, catering, Emcee, head count, planning, preparation, sound, stressfree, timing

Over the past few days, I have been blogging about creating the musical playlist for your Hawaii wedding. If you haven’t read them yet, click below to read them:

• Part 1, which deals with getting your audience up and dancing when dance music begins
• Part 2, which deals with creating the playlist (actually, FOUR playlists) to help organize your music requests.

In this post, Part 3 will deal with music sources: sources of inspiration to find your music choices.

One way to come up with musical selections would be to look through your old photo albums. As you go through them and reminisce, think about those moments and if there was a particular song associated with those moments. Those would be good songs to play and dedicate to people at your reception.

Find out other people’s first dance songs. If you’ve gone to other people’s weddings, see if you can remember their first dance songs. (It will help if you have access to their wedding DVD, as they will have a clip of the first dance.) Have your DJ play those songs with a dedication to the couple, and it will make that couple feel very special on your wedding day.

Ask your friends! It’s simple yet effective, and it will make your guests feel more involved in the wedding planning process. And when your guests feel involved and become invested in your party, it are more likely to stay since they now have an emotional stake in your celebration. If you read Part 1, there’s a GREAT tip in there to get song requests from your audience. Check it out!

Listen to the radio. In your car or in the office, pay more attention to what is being played. This will help to determine what’s currently hot and what some of your guests are dancing to when they go to the nightclubs.

Check out billboard.com or any of the local radio stations’ websites for their “Top 10″ lists. This also helps you determine what people are listening to.

Here’s a list of Oahu FM radio stations, their formats, and links to their websites, courtesy of the Hawaii Radio & Television Guide:

Frequency	Call Letters	Programming Format
88.1	KHPR	Hawaii Public Radio: Classical Music & News (National Public Radio)
89.3	KIPO	Hawaii Public Radio: News, Talk, World Music, Jazz National Public Radio + BBC
90.3	KTUH	U of H – Jazz, Hawaiian, alternative, rock, rap, world music – Also on 89.9 and 91.3 FM
91.1	K216FI	Alternative Christian Music “The Effect” (KEFX FM from Twin Falls Idaho) (LP)
92.3	KSSK	Adult Contemporary Music; Perry & Price Morning Show
92.3-2	KSSK	Smooth Jazz
93.1	KQMQ	“The Zone” Contemporary Hits
93.9	KIKI	“Hot I-93.9 FM” Urban Contemporary Hits
94.7	KUMU	“Honolulu’s Lite Rock” Adult Contemporary Music / Lite Rock
95.5	KAIM	95.5 “The Fish” – Contemporary Christian Music
96.3	KRTR	“Krater 96 FM” Adult Contemporary Music
97.5	KHCM	Hawaii’s Country Music
98.5	KDNN	“Island Rhythm 98.5″ (Island Music)
99.5	KHUI	“99.5 The Jewel” – Adult Standards
100.3	KCCN	FM 100: Island Music & Reggae
101.1	KORL	“Hawaii’s Smooth Jazz”
101.5	K268BE	“Hawaii’s Multicultural Radio” (LP)
101.9	KUCD	“Star 101.9″: Modern Rock Hits
101.9-2	KUCD	“Radio Free Hawaii“: Commercial Freeform
102.7	KDDB	“Da Bomb” (Urban Contemporary Hits)
103.5	KHAI	“Air 1 Radio” – The Positive Alternative (Christian Rock)
104.3	KPHW	“Power 104.3″ Hawaii’s Hip Hop and R&B Hits
104.7	K284AL	Simulcasts KKCR FM – Kauai Community Radio
105.1	KINE	Contemporary Hawaiian Music
105.9	KPOI	“The Ride” – Hawaii’s Classic Hits (rock)
107.9	KKOL	Hawaii’s “Kool Gold” (oldies)

Use these links, lists, suggestions from friends, and your happy memories to create a unique and fun playlist for your guests to dance to!

Images courtesy Adam A. Palmer Photography

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Advice, dancing, DJ, Fun, music, planning, playlist, preparation, 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

In an earlier post, I wrote about some of the things that needed to be done BEFORE the actual wedding day itself, just to give you an idea of what goes on “behind the scenes” prior to a successful Hawaii wedding. If you haven’t read that post, click here to read it.

As stated in that post, I shipped some audiovisual equipment from Honolulu to the Big Island as part of the preparation for the event. Traveling by barge via Young Bros., the ship departed the port of Honolulu on Monday, March 15. (I dropped off the equipment at the docks on March 12, one business day prior to the ship’s departure.) The ship arrived in Kawaihae (the Big Island’s seaport) on Tuesday, March 16. I was the equipment on Thursday, March 18, but difficulties with a cargo van rental company delayed the pickup until the morning of Friday, March 19. Here are some pics of the pickup at the seaport in Kawaihae.

The equipment arrived in shipping containers, which wait at the docks until I arrive to pick up the equipment.

After opening the cargo doors, it felt good to know that the equipment was still secure and bound tightly to its surroundings by the tie straps.

After loading it into the cargo van, it was ready for transport to the Hilton Waikoloa, where it would be used the next day to help make Mark & Kim’s wedding celebration memorable.

Most people simply see the five hours of the party, where the Master of Ceremonies stands in front of the audience, tells a few jokes, and makes announcements. What people don’t see is what happens behind the scenes, long before the guests arrive. All of these elements come together to put together a wonderful and stress-free presentation for the newlyweds on their wedding day.

So when you meet with your Master of Ceremonies, ask him this: will your Master of Ceremonies do everything that he can to ensure the success of your celebration, including doing some preparation in advance? Or will he simply show up, try to “wing it,” and maybe make some happy memories for you along the way? It’s stuff to consider…

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: big island, hilton, kim, kohala, kona, mark, preparation, sound, waikoloa

Tori Rogers with Hawaiian Island Wedding Planners recently posted a wonderful and informative article for brides who are just starting out with their wedding plans for a wedding in Hawaii. If your fiance recently proposed, and you have no idea where to begin, this article is a great place to start.

Click here to read Tori’s article “Where Do I Begin??”
 

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Advice, planning, preparation, starting, tori, wedding

As part of the preparations for Kim Machida and Mark Okamura’s wedding on March 20 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort, I flew to the Big Island on March 4-5 to meet with them, help them finalize their presentation, meet with some of their wedding professionals, and to tour the Water’s Edge Ballroom where the celebration will be held. It’s all part of making their wedding day as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Click here to see pictures from this Pre-Production Trip.

The Water’s Edge Ballroom, where the magic will happen on March 20.

 

 

 

Over the past few days, more preparation has been put in. On March 13, I shipped out the sound and video equipment needed for the production, and over the next few days, I finalized the soundtrack and music cues, scripted key parts of the presentation, and rehearsed, rehearsed, rehearsed.

In the early morning on March 18, I will fly to the Big Island for final prep and meetings with Mark, Kim, and the “production team,” just to finalize everything and make sure all is ready for their big day. As always, it’s an exciting time that leads up to the great party on March 20 that Mark & Kim are planning for their audience!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: hilton, kim, kohala, kona, mark, preparation, trip, waikoloa

While most people tune in weekly to American Idol to watch the great singers (and spectacular failures), I tune in to learn from Ryan Seacrest, the show’s host. He is truly an amazing Master of Ceremonies. Seacrest exudes confidence as he introduces each singer, presents each video clip, and recognizes each judge. His performance is done live; there are no second takes if there is a mistake–but Seacrest rarely makes mistakes in front of the camera and live studio audience. Why?

Because he rehearses.

Long before the cameras roll each week, Ryan rehearses his presentation. He reviews his notes, practices the names of the contestants and the song titles that the contestants will perform, and rehearses the overall script for the production. The result: a very smooth, polished presentation, every week, in front of millions of viewers.

Watch this clip.

• Notice how Ryan speaks very clearly, effortlessly, without any “ummms” and “ahhs” that many people would say when speaking to a large audience.
• Notice how he inserts slight pauses here and there for the audience to respond and applaud, but it sounds so natural that you don’t even notice it until I pointed it out to you.
• Notice how his prop (the Spongebob doll) gets thrown at him by an off-camera assistant at the right moment for maximum impact.

In short, it’s a very polished, very smooth presentation…mainly because he had rehearsed this moment long before the cameras rolled.

Your wedding won’t be watched by millions of viewers…but it will be watched several of the most important people to YOU. Your master of ceremonies will introduce many speakers (Best Man, Maid of Honor, whoever is doing the blessing, you, etc.) and many events. Do you want the presentation to feel very smooth and polished, like an episode of American Idol? Or do you want it to come across as very amateurish, awkward, and disjointed, like in this clip:

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Advice, american idol, Emcee, preparation, ryan seacrest