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.

Birthday fun.

Not too long ago was my birthday...and to celebrate, some friends took me out to dinner at Sam Snead's Tavern at the Pearl Harbor Golf Course. Yummy food, good times, and great friends...it was nice to simply relax and not have to rehearse for a wedding the next day.

Here's the handsome birthday boy.



And my goofy nieces. They are awesome.





The food was good.



So was the Guiness.



No birthday cake, but a scoop of ice cream makes a worthy substitute.



I would like to take a moment and say "Happy Birthday" to my "birthday twin" NAOMI LEE with Les Saisons Fine Linens...born on the same date, just several years apart.

Happy Mother's Day!

I love my Mum. She is awesome. She and my Dad made a lot of sacrifices to get me where I am today, and I am forever grateful to them.

This is my family:



Me, my brother, my Dad, and my Mum.

On this Mother's Day holiday,

Happy Mother's Day

to all mothers.

HALLLLLOOOOOOOOWEEEEEENN!

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I get to dress up and be goofy without people looking at me funny, because everyone else is dressing up and being goofy as well.

So I spent the evening with my nieces & family, and we went trick or treating at Ala Moana Center. One of my nieces went as a playing card:



Awww, so cyuuuuuuuuuttte...

The other went as a zookeeper:



And of course, I went as a tourist:



The only thing missing from my costume in the picture is the big digital SLR camera I was carrying around, snapping pictures for posterity and to fit into character.

Overall, the experience was fun, and it was a great opportunity to spend quality time with family.

Today, I spent prepping for MISTY & DON'S wedding on Friday, and for JENNIFER & SCOTT'S wedding on Sunday.

MISTY & DON's wedding want their celebration to be simple yet fun. They actually are already married; this is the party they didn't have when they tied the knot! This is what their timeline looks like:

Sequence	Time	Event
0	4:30pm	Wedding Ceremony
1	6:30pm	Cocktail Hour; Doors Open to the Guests (no receiving line)
2	6:50pm	Welcoming of Guests, Grand Entrance
3		Greetings, Welcome, & Acknowledgements by the Newlyweds
4		Announcements (e.g., parking validations, restrooms, bar limit, etc.)
5		Invocation/Prayer Before The Meal by Misty’s godparents AUNTIE BENING & UNCLE FRANCIS
6	7:00pm	Meal (Song Serenade throughout dinner to get the newlyweds to kiss)
7	8:00pm	Recognition of Family & Out-Of-Town Guests
8		Cake Cutting
9		Toasts & Speeches by Misty’s friend ERICA, Misty’s aunt LEINA; and Misty’s father MIKE; followed by open mic for a few speakers (if at all)
10		Anniversary Game (bouquet & garter presentation)
11		Centerpiece Giveaway (Hot Centerpiece Time)
12		Combined Father/Daughter & Mother/Son Dance
13		First Dance, into Money Dance
14		Open Dancing
15		Grand Finale

Some unique elements of their celebration:

MISTY had mentioned that many of her guests like to sing, so we're going to use this to our advantage as a way of involving the guests and entertaining everyone at the same time. If guests want to see the newlyweds kiss, they must convince all of the people at their table to join them in serenading the bride & groom with a song. If Don & Misty like the guests' rendition, the newlyweds will kiss! Things could get pretty interesting, since many of the guests like to sing.

Instead of a typical bouquet toss, we're going to do the Anniversary Game to involve everybody (not just the unmarried women), and ultimately Misty will present the bouquet to two very very special people to her. Any guesses?

Dancing at their reception will be a unique situation. Because they are in the Laulima Rooms at the Hale Koa Hotel, the hotel won't allow us to pre-set a DJ dance music sound system until after the buffet is closed. Yikes! So the way things will work out is that I will bring in a small cocktail system to entertain the guests and to emcee the formal program. When the buffet closes, my good friend DAVID from Dynamic Sounds will come in and set up the dance music system (the buffet room will be closed to the guests, allowing Dave to set up without interrupting the presentation). When the dancefloor room is reopened, Dave should be all set and ready to rock the party! It should be a treat working with him.

I'll try to get pictures to post by Tuesday! And if I have time on Saturday, I'll try to write an overview of JENNIFER & SCOTT'S wedding on Sunday. Until then, have a fantastic weekend!

All the best,

Marino M. Regalado
Emcee & Interactive Entertainment Specialist
Ninja Entertainment