The following post was written last Thursday, May 17, but only posted now because I've been busy:

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One of the things I do for my clients to make their day ultimately STRESS-FREE is to visit the venue at least a week before the wedding, to meet their catering executive in person and to visit the actual ballroom/location where their party will be held. I do this to see see the room and get a mental picture of the layout of the event (where to direct guests for the restrooms, buffet, and to see how the "traffic patterns" in the room will be like), as well as to go over the timeline with the catering executive and explain all of the intricate and unique plans that the bride & groom may have planned. This ensures that:

I am prepared for any logistical/physical challenges that may make the load-in, setup, and the presentation difficult;

And to make sure that the caterer is on the same page as I am in regards to the flow events. If we're all on the same page, it means a smooth-flowing STRESS-FREE celebration for our client.

So here I am, on the North Shore of beautiful Oahu, Hawaii, at the Turtle Bay Resort. I just met with SHERI, the catering executive assigned to ROBYN & GREG'S wedding at the end of the month. Sheri just gave me a grand tour of the facilities, showing me not just the Sunset Room where Greg & Robyn will have their reception, but also the other ballrooms and load-in areas. It was awesome to see the changes on the property since I was last here. Sheri was even so kind as to point out where the electrical outlets were! It was a good thing I visited: Greg & Robyn have planned a unique floorplan for their unique presentation, so knowledge of this in advance of the party will really help! It also became known that there is a major motion picture shooting on property that weekend, so traffic patterns may be different, so I need to take that into account when scheduling my arrival time. After such a thorough site visit, I am very confident in helping Robyn & Greg have a very stress-free and memorable celebration at the end of the month!

After the site visit, I went down to the beachside bar to do a little strategic thinking and to compose this entry. As I write this, the weather is simply gorgeous and unparalleled. It truly is a blessing to live here in Hawaii, and it is even more of a blessing that I am able to enjoy it. I'm enjoying a pretty good pina colada too!

Yesterday evening, I hung out with the guys of the Hawaii chapter of the American Disc Jockey Association. Every month, we get together at Pipeline Cafe to talk story, share ideas, network, and have a great time. I picked up some great ideas to introduce some "Latin spice" into my weddings from two awesome Latin music DJs, DJ Alberto & DJ Margarita. So if you want to do something different and include some Latin culture into your celebration, email me, and I'll share with you some of those ideas! Ultimately, all of this idea-sharing improves my presentation, allowing me to better serve you and to constantly provide you with a fresh, unique experience!

Having said all of that, here are a couple of Tips of the Day.

1. When hiring your MC, ask them what they have done recently to provide you with a unique, fresh experience. Many MCs have a "Know-It-All" mentality which keeps them from learning any new jokes or activities to make their events fresh. Unfortunately, this creates a "cookie-cutter" effect in which every wedding that person does begins to look the same. I've spoken to brides who have had their families hire the same MCs for past parties, so by the time they begin planning their weddings, they know all of the jokes, routines, and schtick. That's why they end up hiring me...because I give them something original & fresh. So when hiring your MC or asking a friend to host your party, ask them what they have done in the past six months to learn something new and to give you a unique presentation.

2. When hiring your DJ, ask them if they will be visiting the venue to see how the room will be laid out for your particular event, and to see if there may be any challenges that may arise. Will there be a movie shooting on property that weekend? Will there be a parade going through the area? Will the loading zone and pathway to the ballroom be under construction? Will the room be laid out in a unique way that's different compared to the norm? It helps to know all of this in advance. If your DJ will not be visiting the site ahead of time, ask them why. Are they so confident that they will know what to do if the unexpected arises? Will you be confident in them? If they leave their house at the usual time but get stuck in traffic because of the surf meet that they should have known about, will you be okay if they arrive at your party late?

3. Here's an idea called "Bowling For Kisses." It comes from SHANNON & FE'S wedding in February 2005. Shannon & Fe first met casually met bowling with some friends. Many of their friends & family were bowlers (some of them professional or semi-pro), so bowling was a big thing among their friends & family. To personalize their wedding and make it more fun and involving for their guests, we helped them create something called "Bowling for Kisses." This is how it works:

We first went to WalMart and bought those kiddie bowling sets--the type with the plastic bowling pins and plastic bowling ball (weighing almost nothing). At the reception, we set it up on the dancefloor and told the guests that "Because Shannon & Fe met in a bowling alley, and since many of you are professional or semi-pro bowlers, we wanted to incoporate this into the wedding. I know that many of you want to see them kiss. Well, to get them to kiss, you need to earn it. Since there are so many good bowlers here, we'd like to also give you a challenge. In order to get Shannon & Fe to kiss, you need to come to the dancefloor, where we have set up a mini bowling lane. You MUST hit a strike--not a spare, not a split--but a strike, and if you get a strike, they will kiss."

Sounds easy, right?

Not if you're used to a twelve pound resin ball striking oak pins 60 feet away. Now all of a sudden, you are rolling a five-ounce plastic ball 7-10 feet away to a bunch of multicolored plastic pins. Needless to say, the bowlers had fun trying to readjust their approach, and the guests enjoyed watching the professional bowlers miss. When the first strike was finally hit by the bride's uncle, the room exploded with applause! Instead of the guests sitting around and being bored while waiting for their turn to the buffet, they were treated to such a fun, exciting time! It got to the point where some guests did not even go to the buffet right away because they did not want to miss the action on the "bowling lane" at the moment!