Shawn Starr pics of Jennifer & Kevin's wedding

Back in October, we helped Jennifer & Kevin make their Big Island wedding celebration very fun, unique, and memorable. Their photographer SHAWN STARR recently put up pictures of Jennifer & Kevin's wedding on his website. Shawn has a fabulous eye for taking fantastic wedding images, so if you want to see a sample of his work, check it out.

Work and My New Addiction

A week ago, I picked up this game at Costco. Two days ago, I got the hang of the online multiplayer mode. And with my bluetooth headset to talk to my teammates, this game has become my addiction, consistently keeping me up until the wee hours of the morning...

Once the novelty of online play wears out, it will be back to normal...

Speaking of work, ROY from Kahana writes in to ask:

Since you do this full-time, what do you do during the day while the rest of us work?

Thank you, Roy, for the wonderful question.

During the week, I actually work for this company I run. Officially, Ninja Entertainment is my employer, and like a good employee, I do have a set time that I go in to work on a daily basis. But because I know the owner, and the owner likes me, I have the flexibility to adjust my day accordingly. :) But in general, this is how my day goes.

I wake up around 6:30am almost every morning, have breakfast with my family, send them off to work, and then take care of my household chores, which include washing the dishes, restocking the water cooler, and making sure the dog has food and fresh water. Then after getting ready, I head out to the office.

At the office, I do paperwork. Like any good business, there is the administrative side of things, so during that time I return calls, set appointments, work on reception timelines, contact wedding vendors who I will be working with soon at upcoming weddings, rehearse the presentation and assemble the musical soundtrack for the next wedding, and write on my blog. Sometimes I will have a meeting with a catering director for a walkthrough of a reception site that I soon will be performing at. At other times, I will have lunch with another wedding vendor, to share ideas and to network. Most people see the five hours of the wedding reception and think that is all I do.

The reality is that I put in at least 40-60 hours before a wedding in order to ensure the success of those five hours of the event.

In the afternoon, if I have a meeting with a client, I stay later in the office for the consultation. If there is no meeting, I get off work around 5:30pm to go for a cardio workout on my road bike or do some weight-training at the gym. By 7pm, I am home, where I have dinner, spend time with family, shower, and get a hit of my new addiction. Somewhere around 2am, I go to bed.

And that is what a typical weekday is for me. Of course, things are different the week of a wedding, because the rehearsals for the wedding presentation intensify. You can read about the experience here.

And you can also read about what happens on the wedding day by clicking here.

Lucky part 3

For 6/7/08, I must have been the only wedding vendor not working on that date. The couple who originally had the date, VANGE & RODEL, moved their date to 6/14, and I was not able to rebook any other brides in that time. But that was okay because it gave me the day off to relax and do something I really enjoy doing in my spare time: ride my road bike. Cycling is my sport and passion (in addition to helping brides & grooms have awesome wedding receptions), and I manage to put in in an hour or two on the bike at least three times a week. It is rare, though, to get in a long ride, simply because there is not enough hours in the day, and on weekends, I am usually performing at a wedding. Since there was no wedding last Saturday, this was the perfect opportunity to get in a long ride. And because I had the whole day to myself (since my family had made other plans), I decided to ride around Oahu.

You did read right, I planned to ride around Oahu. For those of you interested in measuring that, it comes out to about 112 miles, and for you sports trivia buffs out there, the distance is the inspiration for the 112-mile bike leg of the Ironman triathlon. But I digress.

I started out at 7:30pm from my home in Liliha, a little later than I originally planned, but I was hoping to make good time. At my pace, it should have taken me six hours to complete the ride, 7-8 if you count in the stops here and there to refuel and rest. By 9am I was in Hawaii Kai, and by 11am I was in Kailua. My first real "pit stop" was at the Makapu'u Lookout. The weather was gorgeous, and the beach looked really inviting.



7-Eleven across from the Hygienic Store in Kahalu'u was the next stop:



I'd say I still look pretty good after riding 45+ miles.



By 1:30pm, I was in Kahuku, where I stopped for Lunch at one of the many shrimp trucks.



Icee never tasted soooo good.




By 2:45pm I was at Sunset Beach, where the weather was still just as gorgeous as it was on the east side of the island.



I reached Haleiwa at 3:15pm. The stretch of road between Haleiwa and Wahiawa (affectionately known locally here as "Pineapple Hill" because of the pineapple fields that the road intersects) is an incline, and when you couple it with a fierce headwind, made for a very, very painful experience. This killed the ride, and fortunately, I had friends who just got off work at Wheeler Army Airfield, and they graciously offered to pick me and my bike up and take me home.

Oh well, maybe next time I'll make it around the island, when I'm in better shape...

My point in sharing this with you? First, to give you a glimpse of what I do when I am not helping a bride create a fun and memorable party experience. Secondly, to show you just how lucky it is to live in Hawaii!

June issue of Ninja Wedding News is out!

The June edition of the Ninja Wedding News is out! If you are not on the VIP list, visit my website at http://www.ninjaentertainment.com to register. This newsletter is filled with a lot of great information, including some ideas on how to make the cake-cutting fun; how to stay in touch with your guests, family, and friends after the wedding; and for the guys, there is a section on the meanings of different colors of roses. (Handy for those times in which they want to say something special to their mate!) Drop by my website to sign up.

NACE 50th Anniversary Party = success!

So we had the 50th Anniversary Party for the National Association of Catering Executives, of which I am a member, and the event turned out to be a smashing success! We had over 100 guests, lots of great food, great entertainment, and tons of fun. The money raised went to some great causes, including the Lokahi Giving Project to support former Aloha Airlines employees; Aloha Harvest, which helps distribute food to the needy; and the NACE Hawaii Scholarship Fund, which helps to support up-and-coming catering executives.

What made it great was how everybody all worked together to put on this awesome event. Members of the board and the chapter graciously donated their time and talents, and the results were very impressive. As one of the hosts of the event (sharing hosting duties with local celebrity JIM LEAHEY), and I received many positive comments--a good sign.

Our next fundraiser will be sometime in October...If everyone pitches in again and comes together, it should be just as successful as this one.

Astrid & Charlie's fun, chic, and memorable wedding reception

After months of planning and preparation (even down to the wire by the newlyweds), the wedding of ASTRID & CHARLIE last Saturday, May 31, happened even beyond their expectations! When I first met them, they said that they wanted a really interactive, really fun, and very chic and elegant party to entertain their guests, many of whom had flown in from around the world to be there. We had guests not only from Hawaii and California, but also family from as far as the Philippines and London. (Complete with sexy British accent!)

Before going further, it's helpful to read what went into preparing for Astrid & Charlie's wedding day, in order to give you some perspective into what was done to ensure a successful celebration. This post will be more about the results, and Astrid & Charlie's "return on investment".

As I wrote in my last post, I had gotten up on Saturday, May 31, actually around 8:30am. I had breakfast, spent some time with my nieces, and hung out with family. Around 2:30pm, we left home for the beautiful drive to Ko Olina. Arriving at 3:00pm at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort, the weather was gorgeous and sunny--a perfect day for a wedding! After quickly unloading the sound equipment and moving the van to the parking structure, we began setup around 3:30pm. By then, DIANNA with Hawaii Weddings and Events was putting the final touches on the decor and working well with the banquet staff at the Ihilani to ensure a stunning and chic atmosphere.



RICK & SASHA from Cakelava were there too, setting up the beautiful wedding cake.



I quickly set up the sound equipment, ran through the soundcheck, and changed into my tuxedo--ready for Astrid & Charlie to arrive.

By 5:30pm, most of the guests had arrived, and they were enjoying pupu (appetizers), drinks, and beautiful weather on the lanai outside of the Lurline Room. After quickly sitting the guests, lining up the wedding party, and warming up the audience, it was showtime!

"On behalf of the Flores & Ruiz families, it is my pleasure to introduce to you...your wedding party!"

With that, the presentation was underway! The Grand Entrance was a fun and exciting affair, with the party dancing their way in to the music of Pink's Get This Party Started. Not to be outdone, the newlyweds came in with arms above their heads to a standing ovation. The atmosphere was electric! And it remained that way throughout the evening. A fun trivia game kept the guests guessing, laughing, and running to the podium in between courses. The ladies had a fun time with the Circle Dance, a bouquet presentation activity. The highlight for many was the garter game Last Man Sitting, an activity that involved not only the unmarried men, but the audience as well. Because it was a small intimate group (around 65 guests), the action was fast & furious as the men worked with the audience to stay in competition. When we were down to the final two, the game became even more crazy, since the winner would be the first man to text message Charlie with Astrid's married name! The game even went outside to the lanai because the groom and final two contestants lost cellular signal halfway through the texting!





The rest of the night was fun and full of energy. The centerpiece game kept the momentum going. Guests enjoyed the slideshow produced by the newlyweds. And after an original and choreographed First Dance by Astrid & Charlie, the guests took to the dancefloor and danced to almost every song, even doing the Electric Slide to Rihanna's Don't Stop The Music!



All in all, from start to finish, it was an energetic and exciting affair--and most definitely memorable. After the reception, many guests told Astrid that their wedding certainly stands out as being one of the most memorable ones. Behind the five hours of superb celebrating, the 40-60 hours of preparation and rehearsals really made a difference in the success of the party. In the end, it's not about the time spent preparing for the wedding, nor the five hours of the party...it's about the memories that last a LIFETIME.



Special thanks also to JAMES, JOHN, & MARTY from Crane Media Productions, as well as PAUL HAYASHI and his assistant JENNY for documenting this event. Mahalo kakou (Thank you) to RENEE, KEITH (awesome banquet captain), GIDGET, KALAI, DEAN, and the rest of the Ihilani staff for taking care of the newlyweds and guests, and for the ono (delicious) food. Thank you to LESLEY (my assistant), not only for being a super-fantastic assistant and for hitting all the music cues perfectly, but also for taking the great photos you see in this post. Along with DIANNA from Hawaii Weddings and Events, they were all fabulous to work with and made my job as the emcee/entertainer so much easier. If you are looking for a great team to make your wedding day as stress-free as possible, consider these vendors (with me, of course!).

Here is the final timeline for Astrid & Charlie's celebration:

Sequence	Time	Event
0	2:00pm	Convalidation Ceremony at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace
1	4:30pm	Cocktail Hour outside on the lanai; Doors to the Lurline Room open only after ASTRID & CHARLIE have seen the untouched room; ASTRID & CHARLIE to take photos around property
2	6:00pm	Welcoming of Guests, Grand Entrance
3		Greetings, Welcome, & Acknowledgements by the Newlyweds
4		Announcements (e.g., parking validations, restrooms, etc.)
5		Invocation/Prayer Before The Meal by Charlie’s niece JESSICA
6		First course (soup) (Trivia Game to determine first table to be served; Song Serenade to include & entertain the guests; both activities repeat throughout the evening during and between all courses)
7		Recognition of Family & special guests
8		Second course (salad)  (see special note below)
9		Main course (entrée)
10		Toasts & speeches by Astrid’s sister AYESA; Best Man DANIEL
11		Dance Performance by Charlie’s family
12		Cake Cutting
13		Dessert course
14		Video/slide Show
15		Bouquet & Garter Activities (Circle Dance, Last Man Sitting)
16		Centerpiece Giveaway (Hot Centerpiece Time)
17		Father/Daughter Dance
18		Mother/Son Dance
19		First Dance (choreographed) (no money dance)
20		Open Dancing
21		Grand Finale
		*  Special note: ASTRID & CHARLIE to take sunset photos with PAUL  around 6:40pm; sunset @ 7:18pm

Here is their soundtrack:

1. Pink - Get the Party Started (Wedding Party Grand Entrance Extended Instrumental) (6:17)
2. Ventures - Hawaii 5-0 (Bride & Groom Entrance) (1:54)
3. Alisha's Attic - Alisha Rules The World (Bridesmaid toast intro edit) (1:30)
4. Duran Duran - Wild Boys (Best Man toast intro edit) (1:52)
5. James Taylor - How Sweet it is (cake cutting) (3:39)
6. Weather Girls - It's Raining Men (instrumental) (unmarried women to the dancefloor)(4:08)
7. Weather Girls - It's Raining Men (circle dance edit) (0:18)
8. Baha Men - Who Let The Dogs Out (instrumental) (single men to dancefloor) (3:16)
9. U2 - Mission Impossible Theme (Last Man Sitting Edit) (3:14)
10. Vengaboys - We Like To Party (Centerpiece Game edit) (3:14)
11. Natalie & Nat King Cole - Unforgettable (Father/Daughter dance edit) (1:58)
12. Israel Kamakawiwoole - Somewhere Over The Rainbow What A Wonderful World (Mother/Daughter Dance edit) (2:06)
13. Julia Fordham ft the Foundations - Hope Prayer and Time (Buttercup edit) (First Dance) (3:53)
14. Kool & The Gang - Celebration (First song to open dancefloor)(5:00)
15. Patti Austin - If I Believe (Special dedication to VIVIENNE & ADEL) (3:28)
16. Seals & Crofts - Summer Breeze (3:25)
17. Joshua Kadison - Beautiful in my Eyes (4:09)
18. Maureen Mcgovern - Very Special Love (4:13)
19. Simply Red - Stars (4:08)
20. Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl (3:05)
21. KT Tunstall - Big Black Horse and the Cherry Tree (4:56)
22. Santana ft Rob Thomas - Smooth (4:58)
23. Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes - (I've Had) The Time of My Life (Last Dance/Grand Finale) (4:45)

Music for cocktail hour and dinner was a mix of Hawaiian music and Broadway love songs. For dancing, a wide mix of music was requested, and we played everything from some oldies all the way to Rihanna and Justin Timberlake. My favorite part during the open dancing was the cool mix of 80s music that was requested and played, including some classic Michael Jackson, Madonna, ABBA, and Bee Gees. When the guests started doing the whole "Stayin' Alive" thing, there was no turning back...