Marino's Wedding Entertainment Blog is moving!

One of the things I learned at the conferences I attended over the last two weeks is that

A BLOG ISN'T AS EFFECTIVE IF IT ISN'T HOSTED ON YOUR WEBSITE.

As much as I loved using Blogger/Blogspot to host my blog (mainly because of its ease of use and constant uptime), it just wasn't helping me as effectively in reaching you. So I finally "bit the bullet" and switched over to Wordpress.

The old content will remain with blogger, but new content starting in March 2009 will be based at my website.here. So please go there for information, ideas, stories, pictures, and more! I look forward to serving you.

My Wedding DJ Buddy & his family = Famous

DON FAUMUINA runs Spin Doctors Mobile Disco/I Do Wedding Entertainment here in Honolulu, HI. He is a very good friend of mine. His wife BELLA sings in a local musical group called NA WAI HO'OLU'U O KE 'ANUENUE (The Colors of the RAinbow). Last year they released a music video of "Oh Boy," one of their hits, and their video is exploding on YouTube and on local TV! Check it out! You will see Bella throughout the video, but look for cameos of Don and their two boys! My DJ friend is famous!

Vegas Day Zero

It's been quite a day! I'm in the room relaxing before the big Welcome Get-Together later tonight. It has been a very intense day, with LOTS of learning and ideas, ultimately which will be shared with you to help you make your wedding day more FUN, UNIQUE, STRESS-FREE, and MEMORABLE.

Here are some highlights from today's seminars and workshops:

JIMMY JOHNSON warmed up the audience before the first seminar.



PAUL KIDA talked about finding inspiration, and being inspiring to your clients. From this seminar, I picked up a BRAND NEW table release activity that is VERY INTERACTIVE and A LOT OF FUN.



ROB PETERS, MIKE FERNINO, and SCOTT FAVER spoke about tax strategies, doing events for non-profits, and maximizing your exposure in dealing with these organizations.





The ThinkCycle Session was a workshop on maximizing your business and performance. Everyone shared ideas and gave constructive criticisms on how we market our businesses and communicate with our clients. I was able to pick the brains of some people from Kansas, Indianapolis, and Chicago; get their insights on how they communicate in their markets; and adapt what I learn to the brides & grooms I meet in Hawaii.

Officially, the day is over, but there is still a lot going on! There's the Welcome Party tonight, and I'm going over to Bucca de Beppo with some good friends for dinner. There are over 70 of us going, so the experience should be interesting!

Come back tomorrow for more stories and images from my adventures here in Las Vegas at the Mobile Beat DJ Conference!

Aloha from Vegas!

I finally made it! I'm in my room here at the Riviera, and it's the morning of the first "unofficial" day of the MOBILE BEAT DJ CONFERENCE. The flight itself was uneventful.

Thumbs up, we are a Go for takeoff!

DON from I Do Wedding Entertainment/Spin Doctors Mobile Disco and I finally arrived at 11:30pm Pacific Time. Although we didn't get to our room until around 1:30am (due to many factors), we were still in pretty good spirits.





After dropping off our stuff in the room, we went out for food. We ended up meeting JERRY, a DJ from San Diego, and his wife LISA, and having breakfast with them. It was cool to pick their brains and see what unique things they are doing for their brides and clients in their market; likewise, we shared some of the original things we do for you in Hawaii. In the end, Don and I picked up some very good ideas that we can use to make your wedding more FUN & UNIQUE! And the seminars haven't even started! By the end of the week, I'll have many more ideas, which will ultimately help you have a more FUN, UNIQUE, STRESS-FREE, and MEMORABLE experience at YOUR wedding!

Stay tuned throughout the week as I post new ideas, thoughts, and experiences that I will learn about! Check back often for the latest!

More learning = more unique presentations for you

On Sunday, I leave for Vegas for two conferences, where I will learn about new trends and ideas to help you make your wedding day more FUN, UNIQUE, STRESS-FREE, and MEMORABLE. The first one is the Mobile Beat DJ Conference, held officially on February 17-19, but with more educational seminars on February 16 as well.




I'll be learning and developing new games, activities, routines, and more, which in turn will help you have a more personalized, interactive, and original experience at your wedding, since many of these games and ideas originated from conferences like these.

The week after is the Catersource/Event Solutions Conference & Tradeshow, held this year at the Las Vegas Hilton. This is where I network and learn about the latest wedding trends for 2009: what's "in" (candy buffets, going "green", value-oriented presentations), what's cool (linens, chair covers, photobooths), and what's "out" (chocolate fountains, Hummer limos, extravagant events). When I get back, I'll have more ideas to help you make your wedding look "current" but still within budget!

And when I get back, I have some business training workshops to attend to here in Honolulu. These workshops will help to streamline my business, which ultimately will help me save time and money to better serve you!

Over the next three weeks, there will be a lot of learning, but it is necessary to consistently provide you with a fresh, original, and unique palette from which to create your own celebration.

Of course, while I'm away, I will still be checking my email and voicemail, so please feel free to call or email! You won't wait too long for a reply! Or if you're going to be in Vegas for the next two weeks, call me; let's get together and hang out while we're there!

Get Motivated!

Last Monday (Feb 9), I attended the Get Motivated! Conference at the Blaisdell Arena. As a person who motivates audiences at weddings and parties, it was good for me to get some motivation as well! Seminar topics included leadership, business, and building relationships with people--skills that I need to have as a party host and Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies. These skills allow me to motivate your guests and make sure everyone feels comfortable at your event. So this day was a day of personal and professional development, and I was taught by some very inspiring teachers.

ELI MANNING, quarterback for the 2008 Super Bowl Champions New York Jets, talked about leading and inspiring a team towards a common goal. I got some great ideas on how to keep an audience going and moving towards a common goal--a fun and lively wedding.





The great ZIG ZIGLAR, a master sales trainer, spoke about the importance of building relationships. Relationships are the key to bringing out the best in people, from your wedding party to the guest of your parents whom you have never met.




University of Hawaii head football coach GREG MCMACKIN talked about goal-setting, and how your values are directly tied to whether or not you achieve those goals. If you create a wedding that doesn't fit who you are and your core values, don't expect it to have the same impact as one that is directly rooted in your goals.




TAMARA LOWE was a fantastic Master of Ceremonies. She really knew how to keep the energy up between speakers and how to get people motivated. I learned many new things from her.




Former New York mayor RUDY GUILIANI spoke about leadership through difficulty. He shared his experiences in dealing with 9/11 and how people remained calm through the tragedy. Likewise, if things go wrong at your wedding, try to remain calm and remember that you have a great team surrounding you. From your vendors to your wedding party, they will work hard to help you overcome whatever obstacle that comes up.




The crowd was huge! It was sold-out on the day I attended.




And of course, being the gearhead, I had to take the obligatory picture of the audio rig, which was provided by Rhema Systems. (From what I was told, Hawaii Stage & Lighting Rentals provided by the lighting & staging. Not sure who provided the video, but they were awesome too.)




Overall, it was a very educational day, and a lot of the things I learned will be applied to your wedding or special event in order to make it more FUN, STRESS-FREE, UNIQUE, and MEMORABLE! By becoming motivated, I can have YOUR guests GET MOTIVATED!

Linked to Facebook!

In an earlier post, I wrote about how I now have a Facebook page to stay in touch with my friends, clients, and you. Today, I think I figured out how to link this blog to the page so that every time I post a blog entry, it will be reflected on Facebook as well. This is the first post that should be cross-posted between this blogsite and FB. Let's see what happens. (And if I crash the World Wide Internets, my apologies. :)

"I thought it was pepper."

At many weddings during the toasts, the bride & groom may wish to "open the floor" to guests who wish to say a few words to them. At this one wedding, one guest wasn't paying attention to what was going on and was handed the microphone. Hilarity ensues. (No, it wasn't one of my weddings, but I did laugh when I found the clip on the web.)

INCREDIBLE Offer for Videography from Advanced Visual Arts

Are you still looking for a great videographer to document your day? GREG and the guys from Advanced Visual Arts have an incredible offer.



AVA has two videography packages. The Basic Package includes:

• 1 Camera at your Ceremony
• 1 Camera at your Reception
• 6 Hour Coverage
• Professionally edited with Music and Titles
• Custom Designed Video Case
• 3 Complimentary DVD Copies

The Classic Package gets you:

• 1 Camera at your Ceremony
• 1 Camera at your Reception
• Professionally edited with Music and Titles
• Custom Designed Video Case
• 8 Hour Coverage, instead of six hours
• Prebridal Coverage
• Records the Photo Session
• Interviews with Bridal Party & Family
• 5 Complimentary DVD Copies, instead of three

Normally the investment for the Basic Package is $895, and the investment for the Classic Package is $1095. But GREG (AVA's owner) is offering you the opportunity to have the Classic Package for the same investment as the Basic Package. This gives you so much more value to your videography package!

To be eligible for this offer, you need to...

• Already be my client. So if you haven't booked me yet to be your Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies, this is another good reason to.
• Understand that Greg will not be onsite on the day of your wedding, but he will edit the final copy of your video. Greg has a wonderful team of experienced videographers to capture your day. I have worked with them; they are superb guys.

I have worked with Advanced Visual Arts on many occasions. They are outstanding people with incredible product. Get more info and check out samples of their work by visiting

http://www.advancedvisualarts.com

Tell GREG that Marino sent you!