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...

That nervous anticipation feeling

Maybe you can relate to this: you have a BIG presentation at work tomorrow, and you are going over your entire performance over and over to make sure it will turn out well. You have written it out, edited it, and now you practice your timing and delivery, synch it up to the powerpoint presentation, and repeat it again. After all, it's the day before the presentation, and did I mention this presentation is BIG? Like, if it doesn't turn out well, your company loses a key client, and your employers not only terminate you for being incompetent, but also sue you for botching up the relationship with their audience? And because you screwed up, you get blacklisted in your career field, meaning that no one wants to hire you? Really, there's no pressure...

In a way, that's what it's like to be me the week of a wedding. Except I do this almost every weekend. A wedding, after all, is the most important day in a bride's life, and it's up to me to make sure that it (and please excuse my bluntness) doesn't suck.

So what did I do this week for ASTRID & CHARLIE'S wedding this Saturday?

Earlier this month, I had a planning meeting with them by phone to finalize the details of the reception. For local clients, I meet them in person, but because Astrid & Charlie are planning this from California, we spoke for about two hours one Friday evening earlier this month and hashed out the specifics of their presentation. They chose the music for certain events (e.g., cake cutting, bouquet presentation, etc.), chose the unique activities to include (e.g., Circle Dance bouquet presentation), and I went over with them the pronunciations of their wedding party and all of the important guests I will need to recognize on May 31.

After the meeting, I got in touch with DIANNA SHITANISHI from Hawaii Weddings & Events (their coordinator), JAMES CHUN from Crane Media Productions (their videographer), and PAUL HAYASHI (photographer) to make sure we were all on the same page, and that they understood all of the unique elements that Astrid & Charlie are including in the presentation. A month before the wedding, things were starting to move fast.

Fast forward to this past Monday, May 26: I had my final in-person meeting with Astrid & Charlie to tie up the loose threads. After the meeting, the final program was put together.

Tuesday May 27, and Wednesday, May 28: scriptwriting, revising, and rehearsing. Taking all of the information that was given to me by the newlyweds, as well as from their coordinator and other vendors, I began putting together a rough script as to what I need to say, and how I should say it. Unlike other MCs who try to wing it through, my take on it is that the bride & groom have spent countless months planning and preparing for this big day. To go in unprepared and try to "wing it" means that an MC disregards all of the planning and prep that the couple has put in to make this day perfect.

Thursday, May 29: The script is finalized, and rehearsals intensify. There's a saying in radio called "hitting the post": this is where the on-air DJ talks over the instrumental introduction of a song and times it perfectly to end his speech right when the vocals of the song begin. At a wedding, there are times like the Grand Entrance in which "hitting the post" makes a subtle yet huge impact on the presentation. It may look easy, but it's not. The reason I make it look easy is because of the hours of practicing and rehearsing beforehand just so that it looks perfect on the day of the wedding.

Also, I begin putting together the musical soundtrack of the event, including making any necessary edits to songs and sound effects to generate a bigger emotional impact on the guests. Some songs are trimmed to start at the beginning of the chorus. Some songs (like the Father/Daughter Dance) are edited to be shorter, so the bride and her dad are not on the floor for a long time. For some moments, an instrumental version of a song would make a greater impact on the event than its normal version, so I scour iTunes, Musicmatch, and Yahoo! Music to find these tracks. Some song requests are not in my collection, so I also look for them.

I also start calling all of the presenters and speakers to make sure they all know their roles, and I can have a better idea of what they will be speaking about. If they are giving a toast, delivering the blessing, serenading the newlyweds, or performing a special dance, then I touch base with them.


Friday, May 30, the day before the wedding: three copies of the final script and timeline are printed and bound, along with some copies of the timeline to share with the other vendors. The musical soundtrack is finalized, and two copies will be burned. Tonight, I go to my storage locker to prep the sound equipment and load it into the van.

Saturday, May 31, the day of the wedding: I will get up late, around 9am, have brunch with my family, and relax all morning. Of course, the presentation will always be in the back of my mind, but I'm not one of those guys who will obsess over it. If I do not know it hours before the wedding, then I will not know it at all. (Just like finals in college!) Fortunately, because I have been rehearsing it over the past few days, I do know my stuff.

Because doors to the ballroom open around 4:30pm, I plan on leaving my house around 2:00pm, giving me enough time to drive down to the Ihilani without rushing. When I get there, I unload the sound equipment, move everything to an area near the ballroom, and wait until I can get access to it around 3:30pm. I quickly set up, soundcheck, and by 4:30pm...it's showtime.

Bonita & Victor, happily married May 2004,
at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort (same ballroom as Astrid & Charlie's)

With everything right on schedule, I am excited about tomorrow's wedding! It will be a great time!

More networking

In two days' time, I did a lot of networking with fellow wedding vendors and colleagues, and it was a fun whirlwind of a time! Tuesday night was the monthly Oahu Wedding Association meeting; this month it was held at the Mid-Pacific Country Club in Lanikai. Laura from the club gave us the tour of the facilities, and the place is gorgeous. If you are still looking for your location and want an outdoor wedding that is an alternative to the overcrowded beaches and ballrooms of Waikiki, then Mid-Pacific Country Club is the answer for you.

Yesterday, the Hawaii chapter of the American Disc Jockey Association met, and I spent time hanging out with some of the smartest and most successful DJs in the state. The highlight was spending time with Ed Frank and Dave Green, two dear friends, emcees, and DJs from KENTUCKY. They are here in the islands to help another friend with several Project Grads. In our conversations, I picked up a bunch of great "nuggets" to help make my wedding presentations so much more elegant and exciting!




Overall, while the last two days have been busy, they also have been quite rewarding. Learning from others and making oneself better in order to better serve one's clients...isn't that what it's all about?

North Shore Fun - Lucky We Live Hawaii 2

With no weddings this past Memorial Day weekend, I was able to spend time with family & friends and hang out at the North Shore. When some of my friends said they were going to be at Kualoa Ranch for an airsoft/paintball contest, I couldn't pass up the chance to be there, not for the shooting, but to ride my bike on that side of the island. (Most of my workout rides are in town, and it's rare that I get out there for leisure.) So while they were running around in the dirt "killing" each other, I was in sexy spandex/lycra cruising along Kamehameha Highway at 17-20 miles per hour. Went as far as Turtle Bay, turned around, and even managed to ride past the awards ceremony for the Hawaii State Time Trial bike race, which was wrapping up by Malaekahana.



My apologies for the small pics, but my phone camera apparently was reset and took the images in its smallest resolution.

With so much beauty and sunshine here in the islands, I am constantly reminded about how very fortunate and blessed I am to be here, in this place, at this moment in time.

Lucky we live Hawaii!

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!

Jazzed about things...

I attended the NACE meeting earlier tonight and had a great time! I met a lot of awesome wedding vendors and made some excellent contacts. The big news is that the NACE 50th Anniversary Party is coming together very nicely. Later today I will try to write more info on it, but suffice to say, I am very jazzed about it!

Another thing that's going to be in development is an improv production I am working on with Lawrence at Crane Media Productions. Plans are still very much in the elementary stages, with nothing firmly set yet, but if things fly, it will be a very fun and interactive activity...

Think experimental, experiential live theatre...I am jazzed about it too. When things get more firm, I will write more about it!

Jantzen & Brenda's wedding

We helped BRENDA & JANTZEN create a really fun, stress-free, and memorable daytime reception back in July last year. This video was created by our good friends Janice & Davis at Video 21 Productions. If you are looking for a great videographers, check these guys out!

(Hit play, and wait for the video to take a minute or two to load, since it was documented in High Definition. The wait will be absolutely worth it.)

Lucky we live Hawaii

Every day I never regret the fact that I live and work in beautiful Hawaii. I am truly blessed to be here, doing what I love, and meeting brides & grooms I enjoy working with. I was on my workout ride yesterday (cycling is my sport) and came across this reminder of how lucky I truly am to be here:



This photo of Ala Moana Beach was taken with my cell phone camera. Time of day was late afternoon, around 630pm, right around sunset. Gorgeous view, right?

And just to show proof that I was on my workout, here's a pic of me:




Tonight is the monthly NACE meeting. The big discussion will probably focus on our upcoming 50th Anniversary Party on June 3, which will double as a fundraiser for Aloha Harvest and the Lokahi Program, which will benefit families affected by the shutdown of Aloha Airlines. Tickets will be in the $50-60 range but will go to a good cause. If you are free on the evening of June 3rd, come on by! There will be games, good food, free drinks, and much more. I will be providing the sound system for the evening's entertainment.

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.

Aloha to our new readers!

The latest Wedding Newsletter is out, and there are a bunch of links within it to this blog! So all of my new readers and visitors...



The latest newsletter has a bunch of ideas and links to help brides-to-be create really FUN, STRESS-FREE, and UNIQUE receptions that they and their guests will REMEMBER FOREVER. There also some ideas for newlyweds on how to keep the romance and passion going long after the "I Do's" have been said.

If you are not on the VIP List, shoot me an email at weddings[at]ninjaentertainment.com, and I will certainly add you!

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.

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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!

Building REALationships

As part of my commitment to serving my clients and making their wedding day as stress-free and smooth as possible, I attended a meeting of the Oahu Wedding Association last night at RumFire in the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. I attend these wedding industry functions in order to network and get to know a lot of my colleagues. By building REALationships and getting to know one another before the wedding day, it makes it easier to work with your photographer, videographer, etc. on the day of YOUR wedding. I had a great time, spent some quality face-to-face time with some photographers, videographers, florists, and entertainers I really enjoy working with, and had some good food.

Before that, I spent the day following up with brides I met at the World Class Wedding Expo two weekends ago. I met a lot of 2008-2009 brides who are looking for something unique and different for their celebration, and many were turned on to the fact that what I can help them create is something that will make their celebration more lively, fun, unique, and memorable. So if you haven't heard from me yet or if you were strongly interested in knowing more about what I do, check out my website today! You can find it at www.ninjaentertainment.com

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Since we're talking about building REALationships, here's a good low-key icebreaker-type game you can play at the beginning of your reception as your guests arrive.

For many of your guests, particularly your co-workers, friends, and extended family, your wedding may be the first time they have met each other. So have some fun with them as they get to know one another--after all, everyone is now one big ohana/family, right?

As the guests check in, each guest is given a sheet with boxes of different categories that may describe your guests. It may look something like this:

Is one of the bride's best friends	Drives the same type of car as the groom	Owns a car like the bride
Is directly related to the bride	Works with the groom	Went to college with the bride
Traveled the farthest to be here	Lives a block away from the bride	Is wearing a tux

More categories can be added and personalized to fit the bride & groom's personal styles and tastes, and to more accurately reflect who the guests are.

During cocktail hour, guests are invited to go around to meet each guest and see if that other guest applies to any of the given categories. If that guest fits, then he or she places his signature in the box underneath the category.

And the end of dinner, the guest who has collected the most signatures wins! A good prize to reward their efforts may be to send them FIRST to the buffet line, after the bride & groom's families have gone through.

To take it a step further, you can even make this game more exciting during dinner, although a little more prep work may be involved. To do this, a few weeks before the wedding, the bride, groom, and their families get together and play the game, but instead of looking for signatures, they try to imagine who among their guests best fits each category. Hopefully they come up with 2-3 or more names per category. Each name is then put on a strip of paper along with the related category, and then put in a box.

During dinner at the reception, the guests will play bingo with their funsheets! The bride & groom will randomly pull a name out of the box, and if a guest has gotten THAT particular signature in THAT particular category, they cross out the box, just like in bingo! The first person to cross out a row, column, or diagonal wins! This addition makes mealtime much more entertaining, since the guests are actively involved rather than simply sitting around waiting for their turn to the buffet.