With the success of Wini & Kin Wai's reception last Saturday, I've been inspired to offer more "Game-alternative" receptions rather than the typical "formal program followed by dancing" that most weddings end up being. For Wini's wedding, she knew that most of her guests wouldn't dance, so we helped her design a program that had the guests playing a variety of interactive games instead. The guests really competed and had fun, and many stayed all the way to the end, in order to see who the grand champions would be.
So when I met with HIDEMI & PRESCOTT for their wedding next month, I mentioned it...and was pleasantly surprised when they took to the idea. Because of limitations in the ballroom and the timing of certain events beyond our control, dancing would have been awkward...but having interactive games would certainly work! And because of the unique nature of it, it would certainly be more memorable.
Then I met with CELESTE & CRAIG for their wedding in August. She originally had some fun ideas she wanted to incorporate into her party. We took her ideas, brainstormed a little, and came up with a whole plethora of games and crazy activities to involve and inspire their guests! Here's what's funny: their party will be at Rumours nightclub at the Ala Moana Hotel, originally because they wanted to have dancing at the end of the night. But after talking to her, she may want to simply have interactive games throughout the evening!
Interactive games...this may be the new thing in wedding receptions...
It also proves that having a good DJ is nice...but having an extraordinary Master of Ceremonies will help to make the party even more fun and memorable. In these cases, these weddings aren't even having dancing...but they will still be very lively and exciting!
Today's Tip of the Day comes from my conversation with CELESTE. Here's a fun activity to play during dinner. It's based on the Newlywed Game, so if you're having a lot of couples at your reception, this would be a lot of fun. Basically, call outgoing couples to the dancefloor, and have them stand back to back holding their shoes in their hands. Each person holds one of her shoes in one hand, and her partner's shoe in the other. Like in the Newlywed Game, the host will read a question about the couple (e.g., "Who does the cooking?") and the couple raises the shoe of the person who best answers the question. If the shoes (and answers match), then the couple goes on to the next round. If they don't, we jokingly tease the couple for not knowing each other that well, and then thank them for participating. It's going to be a very fun and wild activity, especially if there's a lot of missed answers among the couples!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Wini & Kin's wedding celebration!
WINI & KIN's wedding last Saturday was certainly a unique one: NO DANCING. Yep, the couple were sure that their guests would not dance, so instead they wanted to do something different to entertain them. In fact, Wini & Kin did not even have a First Dance or Money Dance!
So with no dancing, how do you keep 280 guests entertained so as to prevent them from leaving early?
You create a very personalized party that involves the guests throughout the presentation and is a reflection of who the bride & groom is.
We helped Wini & Kin create a celebration fully loaded with interactive activities that engaged the audience throughout the whole night. From the moment they arrived, there was something going on. As they checked in, guests were offered scrips, which they would redeem later on that night for prizes. During dinnertime, the guests tapped the glasses eagerly to see other people kiss, as we did the Kissing Games to keep the guests entertained as they waited for their turn to the buffet. Instead of the traditional bouquet toss, the ladies participated in the Circle Dance, a unique and organized way of presenting the bouquet.
After the traditional garter toss, the garter winner (BEN, one of the groomsmen) thought he was putting the garter on DIANNA, the woman who won the bouquet, but instead, we did the Reverse Garter. Ben, blindfolded and unaware, actually put the garter on another man's leg, and the audience went crazy!
After a "surprise" song serenade by the groom (which caused many of the guests to cry), we played more games like Last Man Sitting, Golf Ball Chop, and The Raffle. In a reception where you would think many would go home once the formal events ended, surprisingly, many guests remained until the very end!
It just goes to show that having a good DJ is nice to have at the end of the night...but having someone who knows how to emcee and entertain the guests for the four hours of the formal program is even much more important! After all, you can hire the best DJ with the best sound system and biggest music library in the whole world...but if your guests do not enjoy themselves during the program and leave once dancing starts, was it not a waste of money and time?
On the other hand, you can have a mediocre DJ at the end of the night, but if your emcee creates such a lively and engaging program which your guests will remember forever, wasn't it worth the investment in a great emcee? Especially if your guests stick around to dance because they had such a great time beforehand?
For Wini & Kin, having music at their reception was not really important...but having a stress-free, unique, and memorable celebration was.
This is the final timeline for Wini & Kin's wedding reception:
And here's their soundtrack. Please note that the links to youtube videos may not represent the final edits used for each song. In some cases, the songs were edited or cued to certain points of the music for greater impact on the presentation, or to time the music better with my vocal cues for the activity at hand. These edits were done for several days before the wedding, as part of the prep work for Wini & Kin Wai's celebration.
Music for cocktails and dinner consisted of a great mix of jazz, love songs, and Chinese music specifically chosen by Wini & Kin. Grand entrance music was performed live by Wini's cousin PATRICK, a classically trained violinist, who played Pachelbel's Canon in D as the wedding party entered.
Special thanks to ALAN & JAN, who co-hosted the party with me last Saturday. Originally, they were asked to emcee the entire five-hour event, but thankfully for them, they only had to tell stories about the couple and make a few announcements in Chinese for the Chinese-speaking-only guests. Most of the time, ALAN relaxed with friends and his girlfriend at his table, and JAN enjoyed herself among her friends, many of which she told me later that she had not seen since they had left for the mainland many many years ago! This was one big class reunion for them!
Wini & Kin's wedding was an awesome way to kick off the new year!
So with no dancing, how do you keep 280 guests entertained so as to prevent them from leaving early?
You create a very personalized party that involves the guests throughout the presentation and is a reflection of who the bride & groom is.
We helped Wini & Kin create a celebration fully loaded with interactive activities that engaged the audience throughout the whole night. From the moment they arrived, there was something going on. As they checked in, guests were offered scrips, which they would redeem later on that night for prizes. During dinnertime, the guests tapped the glasses eagerly to see other people kiss, as we did the Kissing Games to keep the guests entertained as they waited for their turn to the buffet. Instead of the traditional bouquet toss, the ladies participated in the Circle Dance, a unique and organized way of presenting the bouquet.
After the traditional garter toss, the garter winner (BEN, one of the groomsmen) thought he was putting the garter on DIANNA, the woman who won the bouquet, but instead, we did the Reverse Garter. Ben, blindfolded and unaware, actually put the garter on another man's leg, and the audience went crazy!
After a "surprise" song serenade by the groom (which caused many of the guests to cry), we played more games like Last Man Sitting, Golf Ball Chop, and The Raffle. In a reception where you would think many would go home once the formal events ended, surprisingly, many guests remained until the very end!
It just goes to show that having a good DJ is nice to have at the end of the night...but having someone who knows how to emcee and entertain the guests for the four hours of the formal program is even much more important! After all, you can hire the best DJ with the best sound system and biggest music library in the whole world...but if your guests do not enjoy themselves during the program and leave once dancing starts, was it not a waste of money and time?
On the other hand, you can have a mediocre DJ at the end of the night, but if your emcee creates such a lively and engaging program which your guests will remember forever, wasn't it worth the investment in a great emcee? Especially if your guests stick around to dance because they had such a great time beforehand?
For Wini & Kin, having music at their reception was not really important...but having a stress-free, unique, and memorable celebration was.
This is the final timeline for Wini & Kin's wedding reception:
Sequence | Time | Event |
0 | 2:00pm | Wedding Ceremony at Atherton Chapel (Central Union Church), followed by photos with SHAWN STARR |
1 | 5:30pm | Cocktail Hour; Doors to the Leahi Ballroom open to the guests; Receiving Line |
2 | 6:30pm | Welcoming of Guests, Grand Entrance |
3 | Greetings & Welcome by the Newlyweds | |
4 | Announcements (e.g., parking validations, restrooms, etc.) | |
5 | Lion Dance by the WAH NGAI LION DANCE ASSOCIATION | |
6 | Recognition & stories about the Families, by Wini’s friends ALAN & JAN | |
7 | 7:00pm | Meal
|
8 | 8:00pm | Video/slide Show, presented by WINI & KIN WAI |
9 | Speeches & stories by ALAN & JAN, followed by open floor | |
10 | Speech of Gratitude & Acknowledgments by WINI & KIN WAI (they will also recognize out-of-town guests) | |
11 | Cake Cutting | |
12 | Bouquet & Garter Activities (Circle Dance; traditional garter removal & toss; Reverse Garter) | |
13 | "Surprise" Musical Performance by KIN WAI | |
14 | Interactive Games | |
15 | Centerpiece Giveaway (Hot Centerpiece Time) |
And here's their soundtrack. Please note that the links to youtube videos may not represent the final edits used for each song. In some cases, the songs were edited or cued to certain points of the music for greater impact on the presentation, or to time the music better with my vocal cues for the activity at hand. These edits were done for several days before the wedding, as part of the prep work for Wini & Kin Wai's celebration.
- Dido - Thank You sample (thank you speech) (0:53)
- Justin Lo - Best Thing in My Life (cake-cutting)(3:09)
- Nelly - Hot in herre instrumental sample (unmarried women to dancefloor) (3:36)
- Black Eyed Peas - Let's Get It Started (Circle Dance Edit) (0:24)
- Black Eyed Peas - Let's Get It Started instrumental(unmarried men to floor) (4:47)
- Herb Alpert - Love Potion #9 (Garter Removal & Toss) (3:03)
- Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On (Reverse Garter)(4:03)
- Shrek soundtrack - I'm A Believer(Reverse Garter Reveal) (1:12)
- TV THEMES - Price Is Right (Raffle Game) (7:55)
- U2 - Mission Impossible Theme (Last Man Sitting Edit) (3:14)
- Danny Elfman - PeeWee edit (Golf Ball Chop edit) (3:45)
- Boots Randolph - Yakety Sax (Benny Hill Theme - Heineken/chopsticks game) (4:28)
- FRANK SINATRA - LOVE AND MARRIAGE (Newspaper poetry game edit)(2:35)
- Vengaboys - We Like To Party (Centerpiece Game) (3:14)
Music for cocktails and dinner consisted of a great mix of jazz, love songs, and Chinese music specifically chosen by Wini & Kin. Grand entrance music was performed live by Wini's cousin PATRICK, a classically trained violinist, who played Pachelbel's Canon in D as the wedding party entered.
Special thanks to ALAN & JAN, who co-hosted the party with me last Saturday. Originally, they were asked to emcee the entire five-hour event, but thankfully for them, they only had to tell stories about the couple and make a few announcements in Chinese for the Chinese-speaking-only guests. Most of the time, ALAN relaxed with friends and his girlfriend at his table, and JAN enjoyed herself among her friends, many of which she told me later that she had not seen since they had left for the mainland many many years ago! This was one big class reunion for them!
Wini & Kin's wedding was an awesome way to kick off the new year!
Hawaii Bridal Expo
To all of the brides-to-be who dropped by my booth at the Hawaii Bridal Expo two weekends ago: thank you! It was a pleasure meeting all of you. I look forward to hearing your stories and sharing what I can do to help you make your wedding celebration very fun, memorable, stress-free, and unique!
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expo
Monday, January 07, 2008
Iris & Casey's fun wedding celebration
December 8 marked the wedding of IRIS & CASEY. They wanted a fun, unique, and entertaining party full of surprises! And we helped them to create it. Throughout the night, we surprised the guests with a variety of games and activities to keep them entertained and smiling throughout the night. The biggest surprise was a toast that Iris, the videographer, and I knew about, and the "victim" was the groom! This was the surprise:
Casey is very very close to one of his cousins. In fact, in our meetings, Casey had mentioned that his cousin Ty would have been one of the members of the wedding party. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, Ty could not make it to the wedding. So Iris & I conspired to have him be there...by having him record a toast and greetings to the newlyweds, which we would play back at the reception. Ty made the toast even more special by recording a VIDEO toast, so not only did Casey get to hear his cousin on his wedding day, but he got to SEE Ty...
Watching Casey's reaction as he witnessed this surprise was one of the most dramatic moments of the reception. It's moments like these that remind me of how much of an impact a good Master of Ceremonies & entertainer can make to the success of the reception.
Casey is very very close to one of his cousins. In fact, in our meetings, Casey had mentioned that his cousin Ty would have been one of the members of the wedding party. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, Ty could not make it to the wedding. So Iris & I conspired to have him be there...by having him record a toast and greetings to the newlyweds, which we would play back at the reception. Ty made the toast even more special by recording a VIDEO toast, so not only did Casey get to hear his cousin on his wedding day, but he got to SEE Ty...
Watching Casey's reaction as he witnessed this surprise was one of the most dramatic moments of the reception. It's moments like these that remind me of how much of an impact a good Master of Ceremonies & entertainer can make to the success of the reception.
Carlos & Rolanda's crazy wedding reception
December 30 was the wedding of ROLANDA & CARLOS. This party was a blast from the very beginning. Even with the Grand Entrance, the guests were standing, cheering, and going crazy as each couple was introduced. The room hit fever pitch when we introduced the newlyweds, with the audience creating the loudest cheering you have ever heard! It worked well as the bride & groom headed to the dancefloor, where we "scratched out" of their entrance music and threw on the song Brickhouse, at which point Carlos & Rolanda started groovin' and shakin' on the dancefloor!
From that point, it was a nonstop party, with the guests constantly cheering and eagerly participating in all of the activities that Carlos & Rolanda planned for them that night!
One of the highlights was garter game Last Man Sitting. In that activity, instead of the groomsmen fighting over the garter, they would run into the audience looking for object which I call out, and the last person to come back to their seat on the dancefloor would be eliminated. When we were down to the last two finalists, I called out the final object they needed to find...and the two guys immediately started WRESTLING with each other to try to prevent the other from searching. Guests went crazy as the two guys finally broke free of each other, ran all over the ballroom, and looked under every table, nook, and cranny to find the last object. When this object was found, the guy who first found the object had a difficult time to win because the other guy tried stealing this item away!
By the end of the night, Rolanda & Carlos were still smiling, laughing, and very very happy. Their reception was a great way of ending the year on a very high note!
From that point, it was a nonstop party, with the guests constantly cheering and eagerly participating in all of the activities that Carlos & Rolanda planned for them that night!
One of the highlights was garter game Last Man Sitting. In that activity, instead of the groomsmen fighting over the garter, they would run into the audience looking for object which I call out, and the last person to come back to their seat on the dancefloor would be eliminated. When we were down to the last two finalists, I called out the final object they needed to find...and the two guys immediately started WRESTLING with each other to try to prevent the other from searching. Guests went crazy as the two guys finally broke free of each other, ran all over the ballroom, and looked under every table, nook, and cranny to find the last object. When this object was found, the guy who first found the object had a difficult time to win because the other guy tried stealing this item away!
By the end of the night, Rolanda & Carlos were still smiling, laughing, and very very happy. Their reception was a great way of ending the year on a very high note!
Caden's First Birthday Party
January 5 marked the first birthday party of CADEN. We first met his family at the wedding of Caden's parents RON & CELESTE, who got married back in December 2004. So it was quite an honor for me to be asked to host their child's first birthday party. (For my mainland clients, first birthday parties in Hawaii are very very significant events, much like bar mitzvahs, except for babies instead of teens. Many parents rate this as the second most important party they ever had to throw, besides their wedding. So for Ron & Tran, this was HUGE.)
Since it was a daytime event with a good mix of children & adults, we needed to help them create a good mix of activities that appealed to both kids and their parents. And we did! For instance, one game for the kids was called Balloon Pickup. After blowing up several bags of balloons, the kids had to pick up the amount of ballons I called for. So if I said twelve balloons, they needed to scramble and pick up 12 balloons, or they would be out of the game. It was very very cute watching the children run all around the dancefloor trying to hold onto their balloons and chasing after the ones they still needed to get.
For the adults, we played a new game called Golf Ball Chop. This was a crazy activity in which each adult contestant was given a pair of chopsticks. When I said "Go," they scrambled to the center of the dancefloor, which had about a 100 golf balls in a hula hoop. The team with could pick up the most golf balls with their chopsticks by the end of the game would win. By the time we were down to the last few balls, EVERYONE was around the dancefloor watching the spectacle and cheering for their favorites!
By the end of the day, RON & CELESTE were happy, and Caden has many memories to look back upon as he grows up!
Since it was a daytime event with a good mix of children & adults, we needed to help them create a good mix of activities that appealed to both kids and their parents. And we did! For instance, one game for the kids was called Balloon Pickup. After blowing up several bags of balloons, the kids had to pick up the amount of ballons I called for. So if I said twelve balloons, they needed to scramble and pick up 12 balloons, or they would be out of the game. It was very very cute watching the children run all around the dancefloor trying to hold onto their balloons and chasing after the ones they still needed to get.
For the adults, we played a new game called Golf Ball Chop. This was a crazy activity in which each adult contestant was given a pair of chopsticks. When I said "Go," they scrambled to the center of the dancefloor, which had about a 100 golf balls in a hula hoop. The team with could pick up the most golf balls with their chopsticks by the end of the game would win. By the time we were down to the last few balls, EVERYONE was around the dancefloor watching the spectacle and cheering for their favorites!
By the end of the day, RON & CELESTE were happy, and Caden has many memories to look back upon as he grows up!
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