Continue reading »]]> On Tuesday, November 9, I attended the NACE Hawaii monthly meeting. The keynote speaker was China Anderson with REA Events. China is an event designer–she helps you to create a beautiful and original “look” for your celebration, incorporating linens, chair covers, colors, lighting, staging, pipe & drape, and more.

China spoke about the trends that she is seeing as a Hawaii event designer. When creating your Hawaii wedding, these are good things to keep in mind.

Please note: as with any trends, trends can be fickle and can change upon the whims of the general public. These are simply generalizations based on China’s experiences.

COLORS

According to China, the following colors are on their way in for the new year:

• Purple/Eggplant
• Platinum & silvers, especially when paired with an accent color
• Burnt orange & ambers: China wasn’t sure if this is because people are gravitating more towards fall colors during this season in particular, or if this is a general incoming trend;
• The classic Black & White, which never goes out of style
• Garnet red, a very rich & dark color, and
• Champagne.

TRENDS

In addition, China is seeing these trends really develop and be requested among her clients:

• Lounge areas
• Full room draping (Pipe & drape, etc.)
• Backdrops: If you don’t have it in the budget to drape the whole room, consider draping behind the head table, main wall, cake, etc. It’s more affordable but still adds that “Wow” factor to the look of your event.
• Ceiling treatments
• Non-floral centerpieces
• Strung light strands: (like rope lights, Christmas lights, etc.). Please note that, while the lights themselves may be cheap, the labor to install and hang them may cost you. Hanging light strands correctly & safely is a labor-intensive process.
• Hanging lanterns and chandeliers
• Light monograms
• Lighting

One thing that China really emphasized was making sure that your lighting designer is qualified to help you create the right look for your event. Not all lights are created equal, and a company may rent you the lighting equipment, but

• The lights that the rental company or DJ rent out may not be adequate to create the look that you want to achieve;
• The setup guys may not know how to properly set the lights to match perfectly your colors and look (so as to not clash with your linens, drapes, etc.);
• The lighting designer needs to work closely with your event designer to achieve that look.

I learned a lot at this presentation. If you have questions about this or about event design in general, simply ask! Click here to email China and REA Events, or call them at 808-983-2800.

Tell ‘em that I sent you!

Image courtesy CHINA ANDERSON / REA Events

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Image courtesy DAVID O. BALDWIN Photography
 

When designing the layout and floorplan for your Hawaii wedding celebration, even if you don’t expect your guests to dance, it’s still important to have a dancefloor, even a small one. At the very least, you should have some open and available floor space. This is because you’ll need the space for some of the traditional things that usually happen on the dancefloor:

• The First Dance
• The Father/Daughter and Mother/Son Dances
• The Bouquet & Garter Tosses/Activities
• The Money Dance
• Any performances like a hula, song serenade, etc.

Without space, your First Dance will be awkward with you feeling cramped and moving back and forth. (And your photographer will have a difficult time capturing clean shots of your dance without any tables and guests in the way.)

Without a dancefloor, your girlfriends will be bunched up between tables trying to catch your bouquet, and for some of them, it won’t be a fair catch. (And you certainly don’t want your bouquet accidentally falling onto your guests’ meals, do you?)

Without a dancefloor, your guests will have to snake the line between tables for the Money Dance.

Without a dancefloor, your performers won’t have room to do their hula or dance presentation effectively.

Even if you don’t think your guests will dance, make sure you leave some room to accommodate the activities listed above so that you and your guests will be able to enjoy it!

Image courtesy L’Amour Photography
 

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Rodelyn & Garrett | Wedding Highlights Same Day Edit, courtesy Crane Media Productions
 

Garrett & Rodelyn Nishida wanted something different. With their wedding on Kauai, they knew that their guests’ experiences at weddings were limited to “typical weddings” that were very cookie-cutter, very carbon-copy. But they didn’t want to give their guests that. They wanted their guests to experience a completely different, very fun, and extraordinary celebration. So instead of asking a friend or relative to emcee their Kauai wedding, they asked me to help them create a very lively, very fun, and very original party that they and their guests will remember forever. And that’s what I did!

The brainstorming began from the moment they decided to move forward. We knew that we wanted to incorporate Garrett’s love of fishing, the competitiveness of his friends, and Rodelyn’s desire to have a stress-free event into the presentation. As the months went by and the day approached, everything came together nicely. I even flew to Kauai a few days before the wedding to make sure that everything was set so that on September 25, there would be no surprises.

With everything in place, Rodelyn & Garrett were able to relax and enjoy their wedding that morning. When they and their guests arrived at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall for the reception, everything was good to go! Guests enjoyed the delicious pupu (appetizers) and the wonderful music by Garrett’s friend Coppin and Coppin’s group.

A high-energy Grand Entrance kicked off the fun, followed by an entertaining yet romantic First Dance.

 

Images courtesy CRANE MEDIA PRODUCTIONS
 

 

Images courtesy MICHELLE DEL ROSARIO CLARABAL
 

Guests learned a little about Rodelyn & Garrett’s favorite foods and places to eat during dinner, as we played a trivia game to send guests to the buffet. Because Garrett loves to fish, we brought out a fishing pole and laid out some cloth fish on the dancefloor. If guests wanted the groom to kiss his bride, they needed to come to the dancefloor and catch some fish–in essence, Fishing for Kisses! This went over well with many of the fishermen and children.

Following a sweet cake-cutting, guests laughed at the funny stories told by the groomsmen & bridesmaids.

 

Images courtesy KELSIE NISHIDA
 

Image courtesy MICHELLE DEL ROSARIO CLARABAL
 

Rodelyn, Garrett, and their guests were having a great time, but things were going to get wilder! First, instead of tossing the bouquet, Rodelyn instead did the Circle Dance, an original and unique way to safely give away the bouquet.

 

 

Images courtesy MICHELLE DEL ROSARIO CLARABAL
 

I explain to our bouquet winner not to disappear…we’ll need her later for the Reverse Garter.

Image courtesy MICHELLE DEL ROSARIO CLARABAL
 

After a traditional Garter Removal, the unmarried men competed against each other and worked with the audience to try to win the garter in Last Man Sitting! As the game progressed, it got wilder and crazier!

 

 

 

Images courtesy MICHELLE DEL ROSARIO CLARABAL
 

 

 

Images courtesy KYLE ISHIDA
 

And we have a winner!

Image courtesy RODELYN NISHIDA
 

With the energy at an all-time high, we kicked up even higher with the Reverse Garter! Surprise #1: The garter winner is told that he needs to put the garter on the woman who won the bouquet!

Image courtesy MICHELLE DEL ROSARIO CLARABAL
 

Surprise #2: Garter winner has to do this blindfolded.

Image courtesy MICHELLE DEL ROSARIO CLARABAL
 

Surprise #3 (and we didn’t tell the garter winner about Surprise #3): We swapped the bouquet winner…with a man. And of course, the man who Garrett & Rodelyn chose to sit in the “hot seat” and be The Leg puts on a dress, a wig, and fishnet stockings. The audience went CRAZY.

Image courtesy MICHELLE DEL ROSARIO CLARABAL
 

Image courtesy KELSIE NISHIDA
 

We continued to ride this wave of positive energy through the centerpiece giveaway game, Father/Daughter Dance, Mother/Son Dance, and Money Dance. When we opened the floor, guests took the party that started at their tables and moved it over to the dancefloor, where they celebrated to the fun mix set by Andy Battaluyan with Audio Sensation Mobile DJ.

 

Images courtesy KELSIE NISHIDA
 

 

 

Images courtesy MICHELLE DEL ROSARIO CLARABAL
 

As the party ended and the cleanup began, there was no doubt that this was a party that Kauai will remember for a very long time. Or, at least the people who attended Rodelyn & Garrett’s wedding celebration on September 26! The comments to the newlyweds were overwhelmingly positive, and the memories that everyone collected throughout the night were priceless indeed.

To be successful, many hands from across the state contributed to make this event extraordinary:

• Lucy Balmores and her crew with Mama Lucy’s, who catered a delicious spread of food;
• Ed Sarita and his team at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall, for the convenient and large location to host the celebration;
• Rick Shimamura & Cezar with Nagamine Studios, for capturing all of the memories and being so easy to work with;
• James Chun, Lawrence Medeiros, and the team at Crane Media Productions, for providing the wonderful slideshow, screenbooth, and videography services;
• Benie & Andy Battaluyan with Audio Sensation Mobile DJ, for providing the sound system and dance music later in the evening;
• Garrett’s friend Coppin Colburn and his group of musicians, for the wonderful music during cocktail hour and dinner; and most importantly
• the 300 family & friends who joined Rodelyn & Garrett in celebration of their marriage. Your attendance and participation greatly added to the wonderful memories and positive vibe of the night.

Congratulations to Garrett & Rodelyn. Thank you for allowing me and my team to be a part of one of the most important days of your lives.

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Merlyn + Joseph // party time (SDE) courtesy ARIA Studios.
 

Merlyn & Joe Guieb wanted a great party. For their Hawaii wedding in Waikiki, they had decided early on that they wanted their guests to leave the reception at the end of the night with a lot of positive & happy memories, and they wanted their wedding to be completely different from all of the weddings that their guests had experienced in the past. With that in mind, they approached me to help them develop a party that was going to blow their guests away! Instead of a cookie-cutter wedding experience like their guests were used to, we were going to give Merlyn & Joe’s audience a party that would stand out in their guests’ minds and be the talk for many months after the wedding.

And did I mention that we did this all in a month?

Fortunately, when we first started speaking, they already had the groundwork in place–they had a great photography & videography team (Aria Studios), a great DJ (Exquisite Entertainment), a great location (the Hyatt Regency Waikiki), and a detail-oriented planner (Joe’s sister Jen). All they needed was a professional wedding Master of Ceremonies to help them tie it all together. And tie it together I did! In the month leading up to Merlyn & Joe’s wedding, I worked closely with their Hawaii wedding professionals to make sure that EVERYONE knew of the original and creative things that Merlyn & Joe were planning to do, in order to best serve them on their wedding day.

When August 28 rolled around, the stage for a great party was set. After a beautiful wedding ceremony and fun cocktail hour, the party kicked off with a bang! The Grand Entrance, based on Joe’s love of fast cars, was the first surprise of the night, which led into the second surprise–a creative and choreographed First Dance routine that was fast and involved their wedding party!

 

 

Images courtesy MERLYN & JOSEPH GUIEB
 

And there were even more suprises in store for the guests. Kissing Games during dinner kept the mood happy and light-hearted. Instead of tossing the bouquet, we did the Anniversary Game in which Merlyn honored the longest married couple, happily married 54 years. And in the spirit of competition, the unmarried men competed with each other and worked with the audience to win the garter in a twist to the traditional garter toss!

It all built up to an night in which the energy and fun that started at the tables was transferred to the dancefloor once the lights went down and the dance music began!

Merlyn & Joseph’s Hawaii Wedding – Dance Battle
 

Merlyn & Joseph’s Hawaii Wedding – Grandma Is The Life of the Party
 

Merlyn & Joseph’s Hawaii wedding – Having Fun
 

By the end of the night, Merlyn & Joe glowed as their guests said their goodbyes and told them that their wedding was truly one of the best, most memorable Hawaii weddings that they have ever been to!

Of course, many hands went into the success of Merlyn & Joe’s celebration. Special thanks to:

• Michele Ganiko with the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, for being so great to work with;
• Kolby Akamu and her crew at Aria Studios, for capturing all of the great times and wonderful memories;
• China Anderson and her team at REA Events, for the spectacular decor & design;
• Jason Akiona, Chris Todd, and their crew with Exquisite Entertainment, for providing the sound system and the great music during dancing;
• Joe’s sister Jenifer Guieb, who helped keep Merlyn sane and organized during the planning process, as well as to successfully juggle her role as point-of-contact AND bridesmaid on the day of the wedding; and of course
• the 275 guests who joined Merlyn & Joe; your presence helped to make it even more special & meaningful to the newlyweds!

Congratulations to Merlyn & Joe, and thank you again for letting me and my team be a part of your special day and your memories.

Happy at the end of the night!

Continue reading »]]> I’ll admit that my blog hasn’t been getting much love lately. Then again, as we wrap up the busy summer wedding season, it’s a good sign that I have been spending my time on my clients’ events rather than writing for this blog. Please keep in mind that this isn’t simply a “show-up-and-talk-on-the-microphone-for-five-hours” job; in order to deliver a smooth and stress-free presentation for you, there is A LOT of preparation, planning, and practice beforehand.

As things start slowing down for autumn, I’ll have more time to write more helpful & informative blogposts, but in the meantime, to stay updated to what I’m doing on a very regular basis, become a fan of my business fan page if you haven’t done so already.

Click here to visit the Ninja Entertainment Facebook Fan Page.

I’m on Facebook daily, so I update that page more often than this blog. Become a fan!

Don’t forget to also check out the image galleries and client reviews as well.

I look forward to serving you!

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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
 

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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

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I first met Carol & Martin Miyashiro at the Hawaii Bridal Expo. They stopped to chat and listen to what I had say, and when we connected a few days after the expo, Carol & Martin had a great time talking about how fun and crazy their families were, and how lively, fun, and different they wanted their Hawaii wedding to be. The ideas flowed, and soon, we had sketched out a party full of personalized moments to surprise & delight their guests.

And so it was, on June 26, at the Koolau Ballrooms in beautiful Kaneohe, Hawaii. After months of planning and preparation, both on their end and on my end as their Master of Ceremonies & DJ, everything came together in a beautiful storm of crazy fun! Among the surprises and highlights from their celebration:

After an original and funny Grand Entrance in which I told stories about Martin & Carol’s wedding party, Martin & Carol kicked off the festivities with an exciting Evolution of Dance-inspired “First Dance.”

Instead of tossing the bouquet, Carol originally intended to present it to Aunty Kap, who is Carol’s kumu hula (hula teacher) and mentor. But I gave her an idea to make her bouquet presentation more fun and involving for everyone! With the Bouquet Surprise, all of the guests participated in a simple activity that involved everyone and yet ultimately had one winner–Aunty Kap! And of course, Aunty Kap’s prize was the bouquet! It was a touching and emotional moment for all as Carol presented the bouquet to Aunty Kap and told everyone just how special and meaningful Aunty Kap is to Carol.

 

Images courtesy VANCE & KIM OWEN / Owen & Owen Photographers
 

Following a simple garter presentation to Best Man Ken Combs, Martin had a hilarious surprise in store for Ken and his audience–the Reverse Garter! Ken thought he was putting the garter on Aunty Kap…but he was in for a surprise!

 

 

Images courtesy VANCE & KIM OWEN / Owen & Owen Photographers
 

Throughout the party, the guests enjoyed every surprise and every moment of the event.

 

Images courtesy VANCE & KIM OWEN / Owen & Owen Photographers
 

From the beginning of their planning, Martin & Carol wanted a very lively, very fun, very original, and quite unforgettable Hawaii wedding. And they most certainly did!

Mahalo (thank you) to the following Hawaii wedding professionals for helping to make Martin & Carol’s celebration so successful:

• Steven Nagamine, Jaime and the awesome staff at Koolau Ballrooms for the awesome location, food, and service;
• Vance & Kim Owen with Owen & Owen Photographers, for taking all of the great pictures that you see here–they are so easy and great to work with too!

Finally, congratulations to Carol & Martin Miyashiro! It truly was honor to be the Master of Ceremonies of your Hawaii wedding. Thank you for letting me be a part of your celebration and memories!

Continue reading »]]> 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!

Continue reading »]]> 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.