LEGO buffet table release for weddings

A delightful conversation with VERMA (wedding on Aug 8, 2009) brought to mind an original and fun way to release the tables to the buffet, using LEGO--those bright yellow, blue, red, and white bricks that we all loved playing with when we were younger.



Several years ago, I did a wedding for JOSHUA & SAMANTHA. Joshua was a contractor/builder, and Samantha had a two year old boy who loved playing with LEGO. So I incorporated both concepts into the reception with a very creative table release! Here's what I did.

Before the reception began, Samantha's "setup crew" and decorators placed several pieces of LEGO on each table next to the centerpieces.

When it was time to release the tables, I told the guests that the banquet captain would NOT release the tables. Instead, I would ask the guests to use the LEGO pieces to build homes, tying in Joshua's career as a contractor into Samantha's son's love for LEGO. The first three teams to complete the project to specifications would go next to the buffet. For example, I could ask for a two-bedroom, one-bath single story home, with two doors and five windows. Using the LEGO pieces, guests on each table built the house I asked for, and they got very creative with the construction. And of course, the first three teams to complete the project went next to the buffet.





While the houses didn't come out exactly like how you see above, the activity was a lot of fun, very personalized, and for many guests, it brought back wonderful memories of their childhood!

And finally, for VERMA, since she and DARREN are also big LEGO fans, here's an original "Save-The-Date" I found on the web.

Weekly Tips Are Out!

Members of my Wedding VIP Club, check your inboxes: the Weekly Wedding and Romance Tips are out!

• If I was your Master of Ceremonies or DJ for your wedding, you will be getting a great tip on keeping the romance alive in your marriage. This week's tip is especially useful if you live on the mainland, on the west side of Oahu, or in a place where you must deal with a lot of traffic every day!
• If you are a future client or have not yet reserved me for your date, you will be getting some great tips to make your visit to the Hawaii Bridal Expo this weekend (January 16-18) more productive!

So if you aren't getting these weekly tips, you can easily get them by joining my Wedding VIP Club. Simply register at

http://WeddingVIP.ninjaentertainment.com

Here is one free tip from the Weekly Wedding Tip newsletter, and this is a tip your man will truly appreciate if he is a football fan:

Sunday, January 18, are the conference championships for NFL Football. These games determine who will be in the Super Bowl on February 1. If your man enjoys football, he won't be thinking of your wedding if you bring him on Sunday. He may even feel some animosity towards you for taking him away from the games on TV! Your solution: bring him with you on Friday evening, January 16, or on Saturday, January 17, so he can watch his games on Sunday. He will GREATLY appreciate you for it!

Did I mention that becoming a member of my Wedding VIP Club was free?

New Issue of Wedding VIP Club Newsletter is OUT!

The January issue of the Wedding VIP Club Newsletter is out, and it's a good one! It is filled with great advice for the bride-to-be, as well as useful romance tips for the already-married bride. If you aren't getting it yet, you can become a member of the Wedding VIP Club by visiting

http://WeddingVIP.ninjaentertainment.com

The big news...starting this year, the newsletter will come to you WEEKLY. Ok, maybe not the full newsletter, but this is how it will break down:

• Brides-to-be will get Weekly Wedding Tips to make your wedding day more FUN, UNIQUE, STRESS-FREE, and MEMORABLE!
• Brides (those already married) will get tips on romance to keep the fires of love burning!

And at the beginning of every month, everybody gets the FULL newsletter, which combines both the Wedding Tips and Romance Tips, as well as Anniversaries & Events and Tips for the Guys!

So remember, to become a member of the Wedding VIP Club, simply register at

http://WeddingVIP.ninjaentertainment.com

Making your wedding more FUN, UNIQUE, STRESS-FREE, and MEMORABLE can really be that simple.

Wrap This!

In the spirit of the holiday season, here is a fun game that I recently presented to several of my corporate clients' holiday parties (I do team-building exercises and motivational speaking for companies and corporations in addition to weddings). This game can easily be adapted to a wedding, where the wedding party can compete against each other. Or, representatives from each table can compete to win the right to go next to the buffet. The ideas are limitless.

Each contestant gets an assistant of his or her own choosing. The contestant also gets two oven mitts, one scissors, a roll of tape, a roll of wrapping paper, and a gift box (the type that holds clothes, like the ones you can get from Macy's, are best.) When the Master of Ceremonies says go, each contestant must wrap his or her box using the wrapping paper, scissors, and roll of tape. The first one to complete the task wins! Simple, right? Oh yeah, there's a twist--each contestant will be wearing the oven mitts during the task. The assistant's job is to help cut measure out and cut the tape, but the assistant cannot touch the box or wrapping paper.



This game gets CRAZY! Don't believe me? The next time you have to wrap a gift, try it while wearing oven mitts, and give yourself a time limit of five minutes. It's not so easy! When we did it for the corporate holiday parties, the audiences were on their feet and screaming & cheering for their favorites!

New for 2009: We're going WEEKLY!

Starting with the new year, I'm rolling out a plethora of new things and ideas which will be announced in due time and with much excitement. But here's one to whet the appetite: for those of you who are part of the Wedding VIP Club and receive our monthly newsletter and tips...we're going weekly! Expect a new wedding tip each week to help you create a fun, stress-free, and unique celebration that your guests will remember forever! And depending on how successful this gets, the Romance Tips we send out to married couples may go out weekly too! It is an exciting time, and I really appreciate your support and feedback!

Not part of the Wedding VIP Club yet? Get your membership by visiting

weddingvip.ninjaentertainment.com

Have a great New Year!

Warmly,

Marino M. Regalado
Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies
Ninja Entertainment

Hugh Jackman & Your Wedding

The Associated Press reports that Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine in the "X-Men" movies, Van Helsing in the 2004 motion picture of the same name, and who will star in the upcoming "Australia" with Nicole Kidman, will host the 81st annual Academy Awards.

So what does this have to do with your wedding? Plenty!

YOUR WEDDING IS VERY MUCH LIKE THE ACADEMY AWARDS.

You and your guests are the stars of the night, and you are planning a lavish evening with great food and great entertainment at a very nice location.

• Many of you will hire a producer to help you scout locations and organize the finer details of the evening...in other words, you will hire a coordinator who will help you find locations for your ceremony & reception and help you put everything together.


• You will hire a Hair & makeup artist to make you look stunning.


• You will wear a gorgeous dress to walk down the red carpet...umm, aisle.


• The men, of course, will be in tuxedoes.


• Your set designer...ummm, decorator/linen specialist/florist will help you with the decor and look of the room.


• Like the Academy Awards, you will have photojournalists & cinematographers (photographers & videographers) to document the evening and take pictures of your guests (which hopefully won't get splashed on the tabloids the next day... :)


• The awards show will have many important presenters and speakers. Your wedding will have speeches by the Best Man, Maid of Honor, and other important guests.


• The organizers of the Academy Awards take a year or more to plan for the awards show. Most of you will take a year or more to plan for your wedding.


• The Academy Awards is a big-budget production. Your wedding may be a big-budget production.

And of course, there is Hugh Jackman. As the Master of Ceremonies for the evening, he is in charge of keeping the party interesting, flowing smoothly, and dealing with any awkward pauses in the presentation. He informs the audience as to what is going on, directs the activities, and guides the presentation.

OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, HUGH JACKMAN WILL PREPARE & REHEARSE FOR HIS ROLE AS THE MASTER OF CEREMONIES.

He will not go into it unprepared. With the awards show in February, Mr. Jackman will take the next three months preparing his presentation, going over what he has to say, and rehearsing it over and over until it becomes second nature.

The result of all of Hugh Jackman's preparation and rehearsal will be a very smooth, very entertaining awards show that will be enjoyed by everyone. Those who attend will have some very good memories of what happened, especially if their movie won an award.

HUGH JACKMAN WILL NOT SIMPLY SHOW UP ON FEBRUARY 22 AND TRY TO "WING IT."

If he did, don't you think the awards show would look very unpolished and unprofessional? If the audience tuned out of the broadcast because they were not entertained, don't you think that the organizers wasted their time and money? And wouldn't the terrible news be all over the tabloids and Internet the next day, as what happened with Britney Spears' "comeback performance" at the 2007 MTV VMAs?

So for your wedding "awards show"...will you have a Master of Ceremonies like Hugh Jackman, who will be well-prepared and rehearsed for the presentation, and give you a party that you and your guests will happily remember forever? Or will you have someone who has had little preparation and will try to "wing it", potentially giving you a bad party that will be the hot topic of watercooler gossip at work or among family for years?

Stuff to think about...

Fun Icebreaker Wedding Game for People Who LOVE Going to Vegas

Here is a game we recently played at a wedding where the bride, groom, and their families LOVE going to Vegas. (In fact, that is where they went for their bachelor parties...and honeymoon. And of course, the families had to go too because they all LOVE going to Vegas.) It is very fun, interactive, and involving for your guests.

As each guest arrives and checks in at the registration table, they are each handed a playing card with specific instructions "not to lose the card, since you will be using to win some fabulous prizes later on tonight."

Right before dinner, I will recognize the banquet captain and remind the guests to please wait for him (the banquet captain) to release their table to the buffet. "In the meantime, as you are waiting..."

Throughout dinner, I will call out a poker hand. Guests will introduce themselves to other guests and try to build the poker hand I asked for. The first team that shows me their hand would win a poker chip for each member of that team.


At the end of the night, the person on each table with the most poker chips wins the centerpiece!

This is a highly fun and addictive game that can be played throughout the night. It will motivate your guests and keep the energy going throughout the presentation!

The Time It Takes...

A bride recently wrote in a local wedding forum about her experiences with a particular dj/emcee and how disappointed she was with this vendor. While many of her other vendors did well, this vendor will stick out in her memories and the memories of her guests. This is what she wrote:

xxxxxxxx got pretty good reviews from the knot so I was more than excited to work with him. He was always quick to respond to my emails. I really like his set up online where you can go through his music and pick out which songs to play. That was helpful. But come day of, everything changed. I am reluctant to give him a B-, but only because he was helpful beforehand. For starters, I was able to look back at the videotape and oohhh and ahhh over things but I was soooooo sad that our bridesmaids didn’t get to walk down to the song I had picked for them. I had 8 bridesmaids and only the last 3 were able to. They let the mom’s processional song play on and on…and didn’t even know the processional for the bridesmaids had begun. They started the song so late! Then when my father and I walked (keep in mind, the walk was VERY far), they didn’t get that music cued on time. We arrived to the reception and it was complete chaos. We hired him to be the MC as well. I assumed he would have order and get things in order for us to all be announced. He didn’t do this. My maid of honor had to do his job. Instead of going over some of the last names and making sure he was able to pronounce them correctly, he just read them and really messed them up. During the dinner music, after every song was over, there would be a long pause. It sounded terrible. People would look around with an uncomfortable stare. There was NOT a good flow! Lastly, many of our guests would request songs to be played and he would turn them down. OMG, I had had it! I sent my DH over there to handle it. Never ever turn down suggestions. He told them things like “we’re only playing hip hop right now”, “we have to go in this order, sorry.” NOT HAPPY AT ALL!!

I know this vendor well. He is a good DJ and very affordable. His emcee service costs only $100. So aside from the price, what is the difference between a budget emcee and a Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies?

For one, the time invested into each wedding is very different. Because he only charges $100 for his emcee services, a budget emcee has to work a full-time day job, which prevents him from having the time to practice the names of the people he must introduce, program & edit the music so that there are no awkward silences, and rehearse the entire presentation. Overall, he probably puts in less than two hours of prep time into a wedding. The result is a disappointed and unhappy couple who now have some unfortunately sad memories of their wedding day.



What would a Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies have done differently?

For one, he would have sat down with the couple, by phone or in person, long before the event to go over all of the details. All of the names would have been rehearsed in front of them to make sure he was pronouncing them correctly. The Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies would have helped them organize the timeline to make sure that it will flow very well, with no awkward pauses.

The Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies would have attended the wedding rehearsal to understand the music cues and timing of the presentation. After the rehearsal, he would have had an understanding of how long each song would be, and then make the time to edit the songs so that they properly fit.

The Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies generally invests 40-60 hours of preparation & rehearsal BEFORE the wedding in order to ensure a FUN, UNIQUE, STRESS-FREE, and MEMORABLE experience for his clients.

A budget emcee sees the wedding as another gig.

The Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies see a wedding as the most important day in a woman's life, and it is his job to direct the presentation, inform the guests as to what is going on, and guide the festivities to a predetermined outcome. And like the great Masters of Ceremonies like Billy Crystal, he will have prepared and rehearsed his role to make sure the presentation turns out right.

Of course, there is a greater investment in a Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies, but the overall return on investment makes him a better value.

On the positive side, the bride did save a lot of money by hiring a budget emcee. But is it worth the stress and bad memories? When it is your turn to make a decision as to who will represent you, will it be about saving money or getting the best value on the quality of memories for your special day?

Stuff to think about...

September issue of the Wedding Newsletter is out!

The September edition of our VIP Wedding Newsletter is out! If you are not a member of our VIP club, shoot me an email and I will make sure you get registered. This issue has great ideas to help your Best Man & Maid of Honor come up with their speeches. For married couples, there is advice on handling one of the more traumatic experiences you could ever experience in a marriage. And for the guys, there are some ideas to score brownie points with your partner...for free! If you are not yet a member of my VIP club, send me an email and I will send you the current issue and get you signed up!

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.

Wonderful Hawaiian cultural resources for your wedding in Hawaii

Many destination brides I speak to often ask me for ideas to add a touch of Hawaii to their event. One way is to use the Hawaiian language ('olelo) in your Save The Dates, invitations, and stationery at the wedding. Hawaiian phrases always add a touch of authenticity and personalization to any wedding in Hawaii. To help, I found this great website with a variety of useful Hawaiian words and phrases; use this as you write out what your invitations will say, or memorize a handful and use them when you are here in the islands and dealing with the locals!

Find it at

http://www.alohafriendsluau.com/words.html

Another way to add a touch of Hawaii to your event is to use Hawaiian music (mele) at the wedding and reception. I am talking about authentic Hawaiian music and not the trite, touristy "Tiny Bubbles" or "Hawaii Five-O" or the like. You can find great Hawaiian music at

http://www.mele.com

They have music samples so you can hear what the songs are like before you buy them. And please do buy them; your support helps artists pay for studio time and rehearsal space to record new music and to keep Hawaiian music alive.

For cocktail hour, I recommend some upbeat Hawaiian music. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (IZ) works great, as well as Makaha Sons (Iz's old group).

For dinner, I suggest some mellower type Hawaiian music. Artists like Keali'i Reichel and collections of ki ho'alu/slack key guitar music are perfect for the occasion.

For walking down the aisle, instead of doing the "Hawaiian Wedding Song" that almost every destination bride chooses, I recommend The Road That Never Ends by Keali'i Reichel. The song is beautifully written, and the words will fit your wedding perfectly.

One more thing, for people who like Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's music but just know his "Somewhere Over The Rainbow/Wonderful World" song: there is much more music that he has put out besides that song. Many of his songs are beautiful songs that would totally be appropriate at your wedding, and it would set you apart from the rest by choosing a unique and original song. One of my favorites is White Sandy Beach of Hawai'i. Check it out!

If you really want to take it a step further, why not learn how to hula? SARAH CHANG with Wanna Hula? gives simple, easy-to-understand hula lessons for all ages. She can even teach the bride to dance a beautiful hula on the bride's wedding day--no previous hula experience necessary! Visit her website, and if you like what you see, give her a call. When you do, mention that I sent you, so she will take very good care of you!

By adding authentic 'olelo, mele, and even hula into your stationery, wedding day soundtrack, and presentation, you can make your wedding in Hawaii more unique and certainly more personal!

Pomaika'i kakou! Aloha!

Marino

Staying fresh!

One of the things to consider when hiring an MC for your event is how eager they are at bettering themselves and learning something new. I know MANY MCs out there who are so content with their services that they "don't need to take any classes or workshops to get better." But if you look at other industries, you need to take classes to stay on top of your field. Real Estate agents need to take classes every two years to get re-certified. Doctors need to attend seminars to learn the newest breakthroughs and medicinal techniques. Even teachers in Hawaii have "Teachers Institute Day" every quarter, in which teachers attend seminars and workshops to learn new techniques and ideas (meaning that the kids get a day off!!). What about MCs & DJs?

The consequence of this "Know-It-All-Already" mentality is this: it often leads to stale presentations and cookie-cutter wedding receptions. Is it any wonder that when I first meet a bride-to-be, she says that all of the weddings she's been to have looked the same? Many local comedians who host weddings on the side often use the same jokes because it works for them. But as a guest, if you've been to more than one wedding with the same MC, pretty soon you will get to know all of the jokes, and may even learn the punchlines. Where's the originality in that?

The best hosts constantly hone their craft by attending conventions, seminars, and by purchasing educational DVDs, in order to learn something new and to offer their clients something unique. With every wedding being different, it really helps to have a huge "arsenal" of ideas to creatively personalize every wedding, making it a very unique reflection of the bride & groom's style & tastes.



So when you meet with your prospective MC, ask what he has done in the last three months to improve his skills, and what he will do in the next three months to improve his skills. If they tell you they do not need to learn anything new because they already know it all...RUN. Unless, of course, you want an average, cookie-cutter reception...

As for me...I will be attending the MC Workshop in October in Honolulu. This workshop is an advanced hands-on workshop which will help me improve my presentation skills to better serve my clients. I'm excited about it!

I am happy.

I enjoy efficiency, especially when it comes to computer systems which allow me to do my job and serve my clients. So when my trusty HP desktop-replacement PC finally bit the bullet last year, I was heartbroken. So I replaced it with another laptop computer, and I thought life would go on the way it was, and all would be well. Unfortunately, like all PCs sold after the first quarter of 2007, this one was loaded with...Windows Vista.

I had heard horror stories about Vista from IT friends and other colleagues, but I wasn't expecting it to be that bad. To say that Vista was a resource hog is an understatement. Whereas my portable laptop would fly along under Windows XP, the new one would painfully crawl under Vista. I beared it long enough until just recently, when I reached my breaking point and went out to buy a new copy of XP.

It took a day to wipe all traces of Vista from my computer and install XP, then another day to replace all of the drivers and reinstall all of the software I normally use. But after all of that, I am quite happy. My computer flies along really well, and efficiency is back where it is supposed to be.

---

Since we are talking about efficiency, here is an idea on how to make your wedding reception run more smoothly and efficiently. If you are having someone bless the meal from the podium, it will take some time for that person to walk from his seat to the podium to deliver the blessing. During this time, in order to not have any "dead air" (awkward silence), have your MC handle all of the "housekeeping" announcements--restroom locations, where to find parking validations, where to smoke (for the smokers in your audience), and any other significant announcements that must be made. By the time your MC is done making the announcements, the person blessing the meal should be standing at the foot of the stage or nearby, ready to approach the podium and deliver his presentation.

After the blessing, your MC can make a smooth transition into dinner by recognizing the banquet captain and reminding the guests to wait for the banquet captain to release their tables to the buffet. Your MC should also remind the guests that you have a fun and entertaining program for them after dinner, so please stay after the meal to enjoy the evening's presentation.

Of course, as your MC and party host, I would handle these announcements with style and make sure it all runs smoothly, so that you and your guests can simply enjoy yourselves throughout the entire event!

Aloha from Maui!

Aloha from the beautiful Valley Isle of Maui! I'm here at the Krispy Kreme (the only KK in the state) checking my email, doing some work, and posting on my blog!



Many locals make it a point to stop here on their way to the airport on the return home, but since I was on my way in and barely had breakfast this morning, that would be a good excuse to pick up some doughnuts.



Yummmm...bad for my fitness, but good for my tummy :) (And yes, there were originally six in the box, but somehow two managed to disappear into my mouth, never to be seen again...BWAHAHAHAHA)

I'm here this weekend to meet with some brides-to-be, to network with some wedding vendors, and to have lunch with some local DJs and MCs. Based on the response I got from the recent Hawaii Bridal Expo and the success of Jennifer & Kevin's wedding on the Big Island last October, I may be hosting more neighbor island events in the near future. While other MCs may shy away from hosting neighbor island events because of time away from their day job, I welcome it! After all, since I do this full time, I'm better able to serve my neighbor island clients by offering awesome customer service, which includes traveling to their island to meet them! Besides, any excuse to travel is a welcome one!

Since I'm traveling this weekend, today's Wedding Tip Of The Day is geared towards my destination couples, but could also be applied to local couples with many out-of-town guests.

For all of the key people involved in your wedding (e.g., wedding party, parents, etc.) who are flying into Hawaii, insist that they try to arrive at least three days before the wedding. While scheduling days off may be beyond their control, at the very least they should try. With the delays in air travel these days, the slightest delay can have a profound effect on your wedding. We recently did a wedding for a couple who was traveling from the East Coast. Most of their wedding party and parents were on the same flight that was supposed to come in on the Thursday before the wedding. But due to horrible weather in Chicago (where the flight stopped over on its way west), the flight was delayed for a day. Then the bad weather continued, and the flight was pushed to the night before the wedding. Fortunately, they landed just in time to go straight to the church, get ready quickly, and have the wedding, but needless to say, the bride-to-be was very very concerned up until the limo pulled up to the church and the wedding party spilled out.

Save yourself the terror, frustration, and stress on your wedding day. Make sure your wedding party books their flights early enough so that any delay in the air travel system will be of minimal impact to your celebration!

Travel safe,

Marino M. Regalado
Ninja Entertainment

What a week!

It's been quite a busy week, which is why I haven't been able to post anything recently. If anything, it has been quite eventful!

Last weekend was spent in Hilo, for a meeting with ROB & KEHAU, as well as some much deserved rest & relaxation. I met their families in Pahoa, talked about their celebration (to be held in Volcano), and gave them a bunch of ideas to make their party very fun and engaging for their guests. Most of them will be flying in from the mainland and Oahu, so it was important for ROB & KEHAU to create a party that really made it worth their guests' time and money to travel for the wedding.

Then I spent the night with my nieces and family in Volcano.

The next day was shopping, eating, shopping, and more eating in Hilo. Visited the Big Island Candy Factory, bought some new clothes at Macy's, went back for more stuff at the Big Island Candy Factory, went shopping at Ross', and ate some more at the local food court. Lots of eating and shopping...

Monday was spent eating, and hanging out with friends in Hilo. I finally flew back Monday evening, and it was right back to work!

Tuesday and the rest of the week was spent "rebuilding" my computer. Before I left for my trip, my trusty main computer finally had its last breaths after faithfully serving me for over seven years; it was time for an upgrade. Before I left, I bought a new computer, so I spent this week installing all of the software and files I need. There's one thing I learned during this whole process: I hate Windows Vista. Not only did I have to upgrade most of the applications (since most of them required an upgrade to be Vista-compatible), but this system runs soooo slow. Bring back Windows XP!

I'm about 95% done with the install, and I'm back to full efficiency. Only a few video editting programs to go, and I'll be back to where I was pre-crash.

So that's where I'm at today. Like I said, it's been busy...

Today's Wedding Tip of the Day falls under the stress-free and unique categories.

Planning to have a band play during cocktail hour and the meal at your reception? In addition to start time, make sure you specify what time you want them for setup and soundcheck. I've worked with some bands that are told by the newlyweds to start playing at 6:30pm, for example, and they don't show up until 6:30pm. This means that they are setting up and doing the whole "check, 1, 2" while the guests are trying to enjoy their cocktails and dinner. Not only is it embarrassing to you, but it really detracts from the smooth presentation you have planned. So when dealing with the band, make sure you tell them to arrive before doors open so that they can have enough to set up, run through all their soundchecks, and be ready to rock when doors open to your audience!

Planning on having the band play at the end of the night, for dancing? Make sure you tell them to set up and soundcheck before doors open, and then send them on break until right around the time they are supposed to start. This is important because some bands will show up in the middle of your presentation and conduct their setup and soundcheck while everything is going on! Imagine this: your maid of honor is trying to tell a story about how you two met, but in the background, their lead singer is going "check one two one two one two louder please in my monitor one two turn it up more," the guitarist is playing some licks, and the drummer is just banging away at the bass drum trying to find a good tone for the sound guy. Your maid of honor's toast just lost all of its impact. Most professional bands will arrive before doors open, set everything up, do their soundcheck, leave for dinner, and come back just in time for dancing. But some bands will pop in during your program and rudely create a ruckus. Make sure you make it clear to them that you would prefer them to setup and soundcheck before your doors open!

Have an awesome weekend!

All the best,

Marino M. Regalado
Ninja Entertainment
Honolulu, HI

November E-Newsletter is almost ready!

For the most part, the November Ninja Wedding E-Newsletter is done and soon will be ready for distribution. If you're in the network, look for it in your inboxes within the next week or so. If it doesn't come in, check your bulk mail boxes, as the file may sometimes get accidentally sent there by your spam filter.

For those of you who aren't on the VIP list...what are you waiting for? :) Shoot me an email that you wish to subscribe, and I'll send you instructions on how to get onboard. The e-newsletter is a FREE resource that is filled with ideas and tips to make your wedding more FUN, STRESS-FREE, UNIQUE, and MEMORABLE. This month's content is going to be awesome! I'm excited about it!

For those of you still planning your wedding, there is a list of "Five Ways to Get Your Guests Up To Dance." Ever been to a wedding where the party died when dancing started? You know, when the lights go down, the DJ starts playing, but the guests start leaving, so by the time you get to the end, there's only about 10 people or so left. This list will give you ideas on how to prevent that mass exodus of people heading for the door at the end of the program.

For my married clients, there's an awesome article written by David Zinczenko entitled "Five Ways To Keep Your Man From Straying". These are awesome ideas on how to keep the passion alive in your marriage. It's definitely a must-read.

I can't forget the guys! There's a section just for you, and in this issue, I give you great ideas on how to have a really romantic date that will score you a lot of brownie points. Best of all, it's simple, easy, and affordable!

And of course, we must celebrate the most recent additions to the Ninja Entertainment "family" of married couples, as well as those celebrating recent anniversaries. Congratulations!

Erin & Mike, happily married September 16, 2007, Hale Koa Hotel

It's an exciting issue that shouldn't be missed! So if you aren't on the VIP list yet, shoot me an email and we'll get you going!




Excitedly,





Marino M. Regalado
Interactive Entertainment Specialist & MC
Ninja Entertainment

Busy today

Hope you had a great day today!

Spent most of the day updating the music collection, getting new music from iTunes and other sources. I got all of the national music charts up-to-date; tomorrow or early next week I will pick up the local music charts. It's all an effort to get ready for JEN & MARK'S wedding next week!

In the evening, I was on youtube watching concert videos. Why? To get ideas from lighting designers! A lot of the designs they use can readily be adapted to a wedding performance, particularly during the dance portion.

This one's pretty cool.

Since we're talking about lighting, it's a great way to talk about today's Wedding Tip Of The Day. This one falls under the Fun and Memorable categories.

When it's time to dance, insist that the caterer turn off the lights over the dancefloor, and if possible, throughout the ballroom. Why? People would rather dance when it's dark. If there is too much light, most people won't venture over to the dancefloor for fear of being identified and becoming the subject of gossip the next day. Think of the last concert you went to. The stage area was lit, but where you were in the audience...dark, no? If it's dark enough, it may even encourage your Aunt Mildred, who never dances, to actually come to the dancefloor to let loose! If it's dark enough, she may unleash her inner Donna Summers!

Keep on dancing,

Marino
Ninja Entertainment

Big Bits O' News!

I hope you are having a great weekend!

Normally I don't post on weekends, but this is big: two big bits of news that can't wait for Monday.

First, my good friend Peter Merry just finished his book The Best Wedding Reception...Ever!. It's a great book about choosing the right entertainment for your celebration. Peter is a former president of the American Disc Jockey Association, and he operates Merry Weddings, a wedding entertainment service in Southern California that has a very similar philosophy and approach to wedding entertainment as mine. He was gracious enough to let me "beta-test" the first two chapters of the book, and from what I've read so far, it is one resource that every bride who wants a fun, stress-free wedding should have.

Tomorrow I will post the link where you can get foreword and introduction to the book (for FREE), and from there, you too will be able to download the first two chapters...FOR FREE! It's all an effort to make your wedding day so much more FUN, STRESS-FREE, UNIQUE, and MEMORABLE!

The other big news: I now accept all major credit cards! In the past, I was rather limited by my merchant services company to accept ONLY American Express, but with this new service (which uses Paypal), I can accept all credit cards, meaning more convenience for my clients...especially the ones trying to get Frequent Flyer Miles on their Visa or Mastercard! Hey every cent that goes to those miles for the honeymoon counts, right?


Have a great Sunday, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Yes, Web Designer is a part of my title.

It was a productive day today. Finished most of the projects I set out to do.

Spent most of the day laying out and sending February's e-newsletter. If you want to read it, you can find it here. Like this blog, it is filled with tips and advice for brides-to-be (current clients), marriage advice for recent brides (past clients), and news for my friends and colleagues. It's all an effort to stay in touch, keep you informed, and (in the case of future brides-to-be), make your wedding planning experience easier!

I also updated the website to link to this blog. After getting tired of updating each individual page, I found out about Textpad, a cool notepad replacement tool that allows you to make changes to all html files at once, rather than taking forever to do each individual one.

Still need to update the meta tags.

No weddings this weekend. The next one JEN & MARK's reception at the end of the month, and it will be a fun one. Just to give you an idea, we're introducing the wedding party to Survivor's Eye Of The Tiger, and when we introduce the bride & groom...Queen's We Will Rock You. It will be exciting! I'll reveal more as we get closer to the date; I have two weeks to rehearse and prepare.

And now, for today's Wedding Tip Of The Day, Part 2: Again, this is for the grooms-to-be. KEEP YOUR TUX JACKET ON DURING THE ENTIRE FORMAL PROGRAM. During all of the traditional moments of a reception (e.g., cake-cutting, garter toss, toasts, etc.), you will look much sharper and more confident in a full tux than a shirt and vest. And it will appear in the photos and videos. Your bride will love it. And besides...when else will she get to see you in a tux again? So keep it on until it's time to dance.

Coming up next week: an important tip when it comes to choosing your wedding date and location.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Let's add Marriage Counselor to my title

The other day, I was at Starbucks for a meeting with a bride & groom-to-be. After the meeting, as I was wrapping up and finishing my notes, the store manager Cheryl stops by my table. I've known Cheryl since college, and she's a dear friend. She says that her employees told her that her "marriage counselor" friend is here, and they pointed me out to her.

Fancy that..."marriage counselor."

Perhaps it's because I dole out so much advice and information at consultations, I seem like a marriage counselor.

Speaking of advice, here's today's Wedding Tip of the Day, Part 1:

Remember how I wrote yesterday that I would give grooms two strategies on how to make your bride really happy and to make you look good on your wedding day? Here's the first strategy, and the second will come later today.

On your wedding day, guys: REMEMBER TO ALWAYS KEEP SMILING. You never know when a camera is going to take a photo of you, and it's always nice to be caught with a smile on your face rather than a frown or dumb look. Besides, when you smile, you will appear more confident. It will make your bride more confident as well, and it will make your guests feel more comfortable. So let those pearly whites shine!

The second strategy comes later today, so stay tuned!