Marino's Hawaii Wedding Emcee & DJ/Entertainment Blog

In addition to my experience and training as a Master of Ceremonies for Hawaii weddings, I also have the experience as a live sound engineer, and with this knowledge, this post will be helpful if you are planning an outdoor wedding in Hawaii.

If you’ve ever been to a major outdoor rock concert or festival, you probably noticed that the sound company usually hangs their main speakers high in the air:

 

Images courtesy Rat Sound Systems

To understand why professional sound companies do this, we need to get into some audio theory and acoustic science, which I’ll try to keep simple, so bear with me.

When sound waves leave a speaker, the high and mid-frequency sounds are generally directional–they travel in the direction they are pointed at. Sound waves are also easily absorbed. So if you stack speakers on the ground and point them at your audience, the front 3-5 rows get painfully blasted by the loud sound. And because the front 3-5 rows absorb most of the sound, the guests in the back get a more muffled sound, which can be hard to understand. Many inexperienced sound guys will compensate for this by turning the volume up. As the volume increases, it gets even more painfully loud for the front rows, and the people in the back get a more muddied, muffled sound.

But if the speakers are placed above the heads of the front rows, then the sound can travel farther, since it won’t be absorbed by bodies in the front row. At the same time, the front rows won’t get blasted by the loud sound.

So how does this apply to your outdoor wedding?

Unless you’re hiring an independent sound contractor to provide the overall sound for your event, your DJ or band will usually provide the sound system for your outdoor Hawaii wedding. And many DJs are GREAT DJs…but many DJs have very little real-world experience doing live sound. So they may have a sound system set up like this:

Note the speaker placement at audience height, where the sound will get absorbed by the first two rows of your guests and muffled way in the back. Imagine your reception, where the guests up front endure a whole evening of loud music and announcements, and where your guests in the back can’t make out any of the announcements and thus begin to tune out your celebration. You wouldn’t want your guests to remember that experience, do you?

So ask (and insist) that your DJ or band place the main speakers above the heads of your front row. Whether on stands or hung from a truss, this allows the sound to be more evenly distributed among your audience, so it’s clear in the back and not so loud up front:

By doing so, you will get more out of your DJ or band’s sound system at your outdoor Hawaii wedding. Your audience will certainly appreciate it, and the even coverage will allow your guests to understand your program, enjoy the presentation, and create some wonderful memories that will last forever!

(Note: you’ll notice in the last picture that there are some speakers on the ground–these are the subwoofers, which produce the low-end bass sound. These speakers are generally kept on the ground. Getting into the audio theory and acoustic principles behind why they are placed on the ground is for another blog post, so for now, just remember, main speakers on stands above the heads of your audience, subwoofers on the ground.)

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Advice, band, DJ, sound, speakers

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

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

Last Monday, I wrote about The Movement, a celebration of dance produced by Island Fire Productions and headlined by America’s Best Dance Crew Season 3 winners Quest Crew. I helped provide audiovisual services for this event.

Click here to read about my experiences at this event.

Frank with Groove Entertainment recently posted a gallery of images from the event.

Check the gallery of images out!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: dancing, Fun, sound

When dealing with live musicans or any wedding professional, it’s always important to make sure you clarify that the band’s performance start time does not mean it’s their “show up time”, or the time of their arrival. To explain, let me share a story.

At last night’s event, there were two bands that were performing for the audience. They both had separate stages, and they would alternate playing back and forth throughout the evening. Although they were tied into the same sound system, each group had their own microphones, instrument tie-ins, etc. The soundman purposely did this to avoid having to adjust the levels to each group every time a group played, just so that it would sound good and look good from the audience’s perspective.

Showtime was at 5:00pm. Doors to the guests opened at 4:00pm.

Band A showed up at 2:00pm to set up their instruments and run through a full soundcheck. Band B, on the other hand, arrived at 4:30pm, as the guests were mingling and taking their seats. It would have been rude and disruptive to the guests if the band conducted a soundcheck while the audience was in the room, so it was determined to just “shoot from the hip” and pray for the best.

When the show started, Band A sounded stellar. Their music was at the right volume and mixed very well. Band B, on the other hand, sounded terrible. There wasn’t a nice blend of instruments, and at times it was too loud.

In the end, Band A was very happy with their performance. Band B was displeased and blamed the soundman for causing them to sound lousy.

But it really wasn’t the soundman’s fault. He was just doing his best to accommodate a challenging situation.

The true fault in why Band B sounded lousy was Band B themselves.

If they had arrived early enough like Band A did, they would have had a great soundcheck, helped the soundman a lot, and given the audience a great performance. But because they arrived during cocktail hour, as guests were mingling and being seated, they didn’t.

Ultimately, these people lost out on the bad performance:

• The clients, because they had hired two groups to entertain their guests, but only one sounded good, and
• The audience, because they were expecting two great performances but only got one.

When it comes to YOUR wedding, if you are having a live band, do you want them to sound good? If so, make sure they understand that “start time” does not mean “show up time”. Insist they arrive early for a full soundcheck, just so that they will sound good during your event.

You’ll get your money’s worth, and your guests will certainly appreciate it!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Advice, ideas, music, preparation, setup, sound, stressfree

It’s a sign of summer when the blogging slows down because business picks up…and it truly is a busy time for me. Here’s what’s been happening since my last update:

• June 4: Had AWESOME planning meetings with GENESA and her mother ANNA for GENESA & BRIAN’S wedding on June 27, and ASHLEE & ALVIN for their wedding on June 20. Both weddings will be quite unique and very interactive. At Genesa & Brian’s wedding, the guests will be doing several group dances in honor of Genesa’s Italian heritage. And at Ashlee & Alvin’s wedding, there’s going to be a bunch of original surprises that we’re springing on the audience!
• June 5: Follow up with all of the vendors for Genesa & Brian’s wedding, and Ashlee & Alvin’s wedding. Send these Hawaii wedding professionals a copy of the reception timeline and a description of all of the unique activities planned for the celebration. Also, prepare for birthday party the next day.
  
• June 6: My niece MORGAN has her birthday party. For once I’m not on the microphone and simply was “the DJ” who plays music. My niece’s mother brings in her friend Marie to play party games and entertain the kids. I learn a bunch of things from her and invite her to join my team and head up the kid parties division.
• June 8: Hang out with Hawaii wedding DJ friends. My friend Ed from Kentucky is in town, and we pick his brain the whole evening as to how they do things differently in Kentucky. I pick up some original ideas to stay in touch with friends and clients.



• June 9: NACE Hawaii meeting. DAVID WILKINSON with Sandler Training teaches me how to better communicate with my clients, and I briefly get recognized for my work as the NACE Hawaii webmaster.
• June 10-11: Prepare for a private Taco & Margarita Party.
• June 12: I go back to my club DJ roots and spin salsa & Latin music at a TACO & MARGARITA PARTY. Guests have a great time eating, drinking, singing, and trying to dance. Later on, the audience plays Rock Band 2 while drunk on Coronas and Margaritas. I have an awesome time.
• June 13: Buy a new digital point-and-shoot camera from Best Buy, to replace the one that grew legs and walked away from me on Maui last month.
• June 15: Send out anniversary cards to Vange & Rodel and James & Charlene, who are celebrating anniversaries this month. Also send out birthday cards to
  • Chris,
  • Davis from Video 21 Productions,
  • Joslyn,
  • Kath-E from Gayle Weddings & Lifetime Events,
  • Kai from Digital Expressions, and
  • Crystal from The Waterfront at Aloha Tower.

  Also sent out appreciation cards to brides-to-be who I met at last month’s World Class Wedding Expo, thanking them for dropping by my booth.

• June 16: Insane kind of day:
  • Begin final preparations and rehearsals for ASHLEE & ALVIN’S wedding this weekend.
  • Fix my wireless router, which had been wonky for the past few days.

  

  • Put together this week’s Wedding VIP Club Weekly Wedding Tip, which gives you an fun, original idea to involve your guests during dinner. This idea involves your baby pictures and is great for brides & grooms who aren’t having a video slideshow. Become a member of the Wedding VIP Club to get this idea for FREE.
  • Drive out to CoffeeTalk for the Oahu Wedding Association board meeting…only to realize I’m a week early. At least I get a smoothie, an hour’s worth of parking, and a chance to write this on my blog. LOL.

Tomorrow (June 17), I meet MELINA, her grandmother, and her wonderful children, to see if I can help her create something fun and lively for her wedding on November 28.

Busy, huh?

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: DJ, Emcee, event, Fun, music, owa, preparation, sound, unique

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

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

Two days ago, I posted about the Anne Namba Dream Wedding Event on Sunday. Here are some pictures from the event.

Here is the load-in before the show. Pro-audio equipment is always used by me…because every event should sound good as well as look good.

The flowers, decor lighting, and lounge area design were crafted by Yvonne Chapman and Alex Garcia with Yvonne Floral and MOOD Events.

Naomi Lee with Les Saisons provided the gorgeous linens.

The yummy cake was provided by Abi Langlas at Cake Works (formerly known as Mary Catherine’s Bakery). Elite Catering provided the delicious hors d’eouvres.

Stacey with Emi Ink created the beautiful invitations.

Kelly Sugano and Mary Cachuela with A Perfect Day Wedding Coordination produced the event. Julie Aragaki of Hawaii Bride & Groom Magazine was the executive producer and presenter.

And of course, the highlight of the event: the dresses designed by internationally-known fashion designer Anne Namba.

Makeup, by the way, was provided by Alison Hayashi with Kiss and Makeup. Anna with The Meng Dynasty provided the jewelry & accessories.

Anne had a nice surprise for the brides-to-be: with a traditional bouquet toss, Anne awarded two tickets to the upcoming stage production of “Mama Mia!” to a lucky woman.

You can find more images and stories of this event by visiting the blogs of Blue Nalu Photography (where most of the images in this post came from–thanks Nick & Rachel!), Emi Ink, and A Perfect Day Wedding Coordination.

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: fashion show, music, networking, Partnerships, sound