Paradigm Shift

There's a saying that goes "When the student is ready, the Master/Teacher will appear." Lately, that statement has been resonating loudly with me, considering how many of my mentors have come into my life recently. Tom Hopkins in September. Mark Ferrell this month. Tom & Mark had always been in my life, but never to the degree in which they influenced me until recently. Perhaps back then I simply was not ready to fully grasp their messages. But God/Source/Universe, in Its infinite wisdom, deigned that they come into my life at full force, and this time, I was fully prepared.

What is weird is how there have been many other synchronocities relating to this quote: In the last two weeks, I heard it from several colleagues and even clients I met with! Usually it was said in passing or paraphrased to make a point about an unrelated topic, but still...how much coincidence can it be? The latest was earlier today, when I saw it on TV in a commercial for Victoria's Secret (I kid you not!). Amazing, isn't it?

There is one particular person who recently came into my life, and that person's message resonates very very deeply into my core. I cannot quite explain it; it feels weird yet right at the same time. It's like the Universe is saying, "Marino wasn't ready to hear THIS message for 32 years, but now...it's time. He's ready. At this time, in this place, Marino is ready to learn, and ultimately, to serve."

If I learn my lessons correctly from this new teacher, expect a MAJOR shift in paradigm from me. Whereas the business model I currently have is pretty awesome...the future business model will be undescribably extraordinary.

Details will be released in due course...but it will be an exciting time.

With much love & aloha,

Marino
Your Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies
Ninja Entertainment

OWA Halloween Fun

Yesterday, I provided music and served as the Master of Ceremonies for the Oahu Wedding Association's annual Halloween Party.



This year, the event was held at WENDY ROBIN'S Studio W of Honolulu. The fun was evident from the get-go, with people arriving in costume:







The low-key costume contest was entertaining, and the delicious food by VANESSA HOLINGER with Beaches & Backyards Catering was 'ono (delicious). The food was sooo good that all of it (except for six pieces of sushi) were eaten!

All in all, it was a very lively and entertaining experience.



Special thanks to last night's "Production Crew" for making the event such a success:

• Dave Miyamoto & Michelle Gouda, Dave Miyamoto & Co.
• Wendy Robin, Studio W of Honolulu
• Vanessa Hollinger, Beaches & Backyards Catering
• Kris Labang, On3 Photography, for taking all of these great images
• Dina (Wendy's friend), for letting us use her studio next door as well

Thanks also to Ryan Pierce from Lift Your Spiritz for the fun spontaneous flair bartending demonstration!



And to those who came, thank you!

Find more images of this event here on the Oahu Wedding Association blog.

I am CERTIFIED

My clients always tell me that I am a great Master of Ceremonies, but I am always looking to improve on my craft and to become a more valuable resource to you. Which is why I spent the past few days attending an intense advanced training course on learning the art of being a Professional Master of Ceremonies. I'm not talking about the guys who simply emcee weddings as a side hobby. I'm talking about learning how guys like David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Billy Crystal do it. After all, a wedding reception is very much like the Academy Awards--it is a $20,000-40,000 live theatre event that has been produced for over a year, and the Master of Ceremonies is in charge of making sure that everything looks like it is running smoothly. Quite a monumental task indeed.

My instructors were Mark & Rebecca Ferrell, dear friends and mentors of mine. Over the past few days, I spent a lot of time behind the microphone working on what I do, and they spent a lot of time offering constructive criticism and giving me encouragement to do what I do...but better.

Graduation from the class was one of the most important days in my professional career, perhaps even more so than finishing college. After all, the Marbecca Method (which is the system that I learned) is one of only a few systems of certification for the career field of Masters of Ceremonies. And out of the many emcees in the state, there are only EIGHT (yes, count 'em on two hands, EIGHT) certified Professional Masters of Ceremonies here in Hawaii. That means I belong to an elite bunch. But what makes the eight of us very special is that we do not just see your wedding as a side hobby to give you a cookie-cutter presentation...but as helping you create a unique, stress-free, and memorable experience on the most important day of your life.



Here we are, with the Master himself. Thank you, Mark & Rebecca, for bringing the workshop here to Hawaii.

To my clients, I am excited to meet with you again soon, as I have a lot of great ideas to share with you in order to make your own wedding day much more personal, unique, stress-free, and memorable!

To brides who have not booked me yet but read this blog regularly, when it is time to book your Master of Ceremonies, ask them if they are certified. If not, ask them why not. If they tell you that they don't need it, consider this: would you trust your health to a doctor who is not licensed and certified by the state Board of Health?

Things to consider...

Diamond Event at the Wedding Ring Shop

My friend SARAH from Wanna Hula does some consulting on the side with diamond shops, particularly the Wedding Ring Shop. She recently alerted me to a very special Diamond Event that will happen at the Wedding Ring Shop on October 24-26. Diamonds from the S. Muller & Sons Collection will be available at a superb value. This opportunity is not to be missed.

To my male readers/grooms-to-be: If you are planning to buy a very special ring for your special someone at a good value, you should attend this event.

To my female readers/brides-to-be: If you do not own your wedding ring yet, drop by to take a look at the selection. At the very least, it can give you some ideas on what your own ring may be like.

To receive your own invitation, call 808.945.7766 and ask for SARAH CHANG. Tell her Marino sent you!

Images & more from Chris & Tia's wedding

In my last blog post, I wrote about how honored I was to be performing at Chris & Tia's wedding last Saturday. I wrote about how I wasn't just making announcements for five hours...I helped them and their families create a lifetime of memories.



Documenting the memories were Kim & Nate from Aihara Visuals, and they have teaser pics up on their blog. Check it out!

This is one of my favorites:



Tia, Chris, and their guests are surely having a lot of fun, aren't they?

Here's another one:



You may be wondering why there is a picture of a Heineken bottle instead of a table number. It was one of the fun ways we personalized Chris & Tia's wedding and how we got the guests involved during dinner.

Those who know Chris & Tia know that they are very social drinkers and connoisseurs of beers and spirits, and they and their friends are very knowledgeable about drinks. So instead of the banquet captain traditionally releasing their tables to the buffet, we played a game! Each table was named after one of Chris & Tia's favorite beers or spirits, and throughout the evening, I would read trivia about these drinks. Guests would guess which spirit or drink I was speaking of, and when they guessed correctly, the table named after the spirit would go next to the buffet. Instead of guests simply sitting bored at their tables, guests got into the fun by yelling out the answers and encouraging the correct tables to go to the buffet! And for those guests who were not drinkers, it helped them to understand one of Chris & Tia's major passions.

Tables were named after the following spirits and were released in random order unless otherwise noted:

• Dirty Skyy Vodka Martini - Chappell/Waits Family Table, first to be released
• Jameson Whiskey - Sablan/Hayami Family Table, second to be released
• Newcastle English brown ale
• Bass English pale ale
• Guiness Irish dry stout (mmmm...Guinness...yum)
• Red Stripe Jamaican lager beer
• Boddingtons English bitter, "the Cream of Manchester"
• Heineken Dutch pale lager
• Pabst Blue Ribbon American beer
• Spicy Bloody Mary
• Bushmill Irish Whiskey

Here's how Chris & Tia's final timeline looked like:

Sequence	Time		Event
0	4:30pm		Wedding Ceremony in the Maile Gardens
1	5:30pm		Doors to the Waikiki Ballroom open to the Guests; Cocktail Hour; Receiving Line
2	6:30pm		Welcoming of Guests, Grand Entrance, Greetings & Welcome by the Newlyweds
3			Announcements (e.g., parking validations, restrooms, etc.); Invocation/Blessing of the Meal by Chris’ uncle TIM
4			Meal (Favorite Beers Table Release; Kissing Games)
5	7:30pm		Recognition of Family & Out-Of-Town Guests
6			Cake Cutting
7			Toasts & Speeches by Maid of Honor MYLA; Best Man DAMON; Chris’ father GEORGE; Chris’ stepfather WAYNE
8			Bouquet & Garter Activities (Bouquet Surprise; Traditional Bouquet Toss; Traditional Garter Removal & Toss; Reverse Garter)
9			Centerpiece Giveaway (Hot Centerpiece Time)
10			Video Slideshow, presented by NORTH SHORE VIDEO PRODUCTIONS
11			Mother/Son Dance (Chris dances with his mother TERRI) (No Father/Daughter Dance)
12			“Father/Daughter” Dance (Chris dances with Tia’s daughter ABIGAIL)
13			First Dance, into Money Dance
14			Open Dancing
15			Grand Finale

And here is Chris & Tia's final reception soundtrack:

1. Kool & The Gang - Celebration (Bridal Party Grand Entrance edit)
2. KC & The Sunshine Band - Get Down Tonight (Chris & Tia's Entrance edit)
3. Bryan Adams - Cuts Like a Knife (cake-cutting)
4. Natasha Beddingfield - Pocketful Of Sunshine (Maid of Honor toast intro edit)
5. Bob Marley - Jammin (Best Man toast intro edit)
6. AHA - Take On Me (instrumental - women to floor for bouquet)
7. The Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (bouquet catch edit)
8. Guns N Roses - Welcome to the Jungle (instrumental - men to floor for garter)
9. Herb Alpert - Love Potion #9 (Garter Removal & Toss)
10. Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On (Reverse Garter)
11. Shrek soundtrack - I'm A Believer Reprise (RGarter Reveal)
12. Vengaboys - We Like To Party (Centerpiece Game)
13. Kenny Rogers - Through the Years (Mother/Son Dance edit)
14. Temptations - My Girl (Father/Daughter Dance edit)
15. Jimmy Cliff - Rebel In Me (First Dance)
16. Spandau Ballet - True (Money Dance)
17. Percy Sledge - I'll Be Your Everything (Special Dedication to Rachell & Shawn)
18. Semisonic - Closing Time (Last Dance)

Special thanks again to Kim & Nate from Aihara Visuals, as well as Les from North Shore Video Productions, for documenting Chris & Tia's story. They are all awesome people to work with! Mahalo to the catering and banquet staffs at the Hale Koa Hotel for being so super, too!

This is why I do this.

Meet RACHELL & SHAWN, happily married three years ago, on September 17, 2005.

It was truly an honor to be a part of their celebration and the wonderful memories that were created that night.  They have such a loving and supportive family and friends,and I was blessed to be a part of all of it three years ago.


So three years later, when Shawn's brother CHRIS finally decided to marry his longtime love TIA on October 4, they called me.  They had told me that, in between Shawn & Rachell's wedding and now, they had been to several other weddings, but none matched the passion, romance, and fun as they had experienced at Shawn & Rachell's celebration.  So it was again an honor to be asked to be a part of this family's memories.


So when October 4 arrived, it felt great to see everyone again.  Family who I had met three years ago greeted me like no time had passed, and it was amazing to see just how people have changed in three years...and how people have stayed the same.  Shawn & Rachell now have a darling baby boy.  Chris' mother TERRI is still looking lovely as ever, and Tia's daughter ABIGAIL, who was a wee little lass when I first met her, is now blooming into a precocious and active ten year old.


It dawned on me as I welcomed the guests at the start of the festivities just how special this day meant, not just to Chris & Tia, but to their families and friends.  This wasn't just about five hours of eating, laughing, and socializing...this was about coming together as a family and creating a lifetime of happy memories.


And once again, I felt truly blessed to be a part of it all.

Congratulations, Tia & Chris, on your wedding day.  It was indeed an honor to be a part of your memories...and that of your family.  I look forward to continuing to be your family's preferred party host for all of life's most significant milestones.

To my readers:


If you are already married, drop me a line and let me know how you have been doing since your wedding.  It's always nice to hear from you, and how things are different now...and how some things are still the same.


If you are getting married soon and have already reserved me for your wedding day, I look forward to helping you create a lot of positive and happy memories for you...and your family.  Memories that will indeed last a lifetime.

If you haven't booked me yet...what are you waiting for?  After all, I'm not just providing 4-5 hours of MC'ing...I will help you create a lifetime of happy memories for you and your cherished ones.

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And on that note...the October edition of the VIP Wedding Newsletter will be arriving in your inboxes shortly! Please check it for more tips and advice to make your wedding more FUN, STRESS-FREE, UNIQUE, and MEMORABLE. This issue's main topic is on ethnic toasts: the information will help the people you ask to deliver the banzai, Mabuhay, or any other ethnic toast.



As for my married couples, read about how you and others have been faring since saying your "I Do's". For some of you who just started a family, your first Halloween with children may be right around the corner. The newsletter has some tips on how to have a safe, family-friendly Halloween.

And if you are not a member of the VIP club yet, shoot me an email so we can activate your VIP membership.

I look forward to serving you.