The Knot's 2011Cocktails and Connections Honolulu event

If you by chance happen to be reading this, then you are already familiar with The Knot and its tremendous presence in the wedding industry. Understandably, then, you can imagine what an honor it was for us to be asked to orchestrate their Cocktails and Connections event in Honolulu earlier this year (on August 23, 2011, to be exact). Our response was a hearty "yes" and we dove right in to the planning.

As with planning any event, one of the very first steps involves selecting the location. Darby Sherwood, Account Executive for The Knot, simply requested that the venue be one that was located in Honolulu, and rather new or unpublicized in wedding circles. After a couple of site visits and a bit of deliberation, the YWCA Laniakea emerged as the choice of locale.

The YWCA's stately architecture drew to mind images of grand European fine art museums and hence arose the museum theme for the event. To bring to life the theme, we enlisted the services of stationer, Stacey Shiroma Branch of Emi Ink, who created beautiful program with fold-out maps and admission tickets for guests upon arrival, and placards for the various "art" displayed throughout the venue. In fact, even the valet tickets were customized to match all of the stationery pieces in matching fonts and card stocks.

As far as "art" was concerned for the museum theme, human statues graced the hall, and were poised on custom-made all white platforms beneath the charmeuse draped arches along the hall. Christine Gardner and Nica Jacinto of Flaunt airbrushed the models in gold make up to match the wedding gowns, also painted in gold by Christine. The placards on the platforms describing each statue completed the look for the "Hall of Statues" created in the space that separated the pool from the Courtyard.

Other pieces of "art" included the floral displays by Spinning WEB Florist, placed purposefully in the middle of the Courtyard, as well as in the "Portrait Gallery," which by day, serves as the YWCA's Cafe Laniakea. Wendy of Spinning WEB added a Midas touch to many of the items, playing with the white and gold color scheme of the event, incorporating over-sized frames to further emphasize the fine art feel. We added stanchions from Accel Party Rentals and Designs as well, to rope off the floral portraits on the walls, as one would find in many major museums. To top it off, benches from Vignette in front of each of the floral designs allowed guests to pause and admire the artwork.

Inside the Portrait Gallery, The Spa at Trump set up a mini spa for guests to enjoy chair massages and Gemstone hand massages with oils from Dubai. Naomi Lee and Cari Nakanishi of Vignette delineated the space with panels of sheer fabric and softened the area with a plush all-white, faux fur area rug and satin covered benches. Guests knew exactly which services to choose from by viewing the spa menu, designed by Emi Ink and set in a gilded gold frame from Scene Events.



Mahalo to all the participating vendors who made The Knot's Cocktails and Connections 2011 Honolulu event possible:

A Cup of Tea
Accel Party & Design
Ben & Maila
Big Island Candies
cakelava
Casablanca Bridal and Formals
Chrissy Lambert Photography
Eggshells Light Company
Emi Ink
Flaunt
Ginniberries Catering
Hawai'i Slam
Kai Media
Kimi Werner
Les Saisons
Lift Your Spiritz Mobil Bartending Service
Market ADvantage
Oeno Winemaking
Prestige Valet Service
Randy Allen
Scene Events
Shakabooth
ShowTime DJs
Spinning WEB Florist
The Spa at Trump
Vignette
YWCA - Laniakea
Wahoo's Fish Tacos
Waialua Soda Works
Weddings by Grace and Mona

Waialua Soda Works: island-made sodas perfect for destination weddings

Photos by Chrissy Lambert Photography

I don't quite remember when I first came across a bottle of Waialua Soda, but I do remember the cute label with the retro hula dancer, and the fun tropical flavors. In recent years, they've become mainstays at local eateries and supermarkets, and now, even at weddings!

I love the idea of providing guests who travel to Hawaii with welcome gifts delivered to their hotel rooms, particularly when those gifts contain delightful island-made products. In the welcome basket shown below, guests received bags of Hawaiian Isle coffee, a tropical scented loofah-soap, and of course, bottles of Waialua Soda, perfect for enjoying in their rooms. The colorful labels add a cheerful touch to the gift.


Waialua Sodas also make great beverages at off-premise events where providing your own drinks is encouraged. Pop off the cap, stick a bright colored straw in it, and you've got a fun drink which also looks fantastic in photos. Some couples will even choose the flavors that tie in with their wedding colors: Root Beer (ivory and brown), Pineapple (sky blue and yellow), Mango (chartreuse green and orange), Vanilla Cream (wheat and ivory), Lilikoi (bubblegum pink and pastel pink), and Kona Red (ivory and red). My personal favorite: pineapple! Best yet, if your wedding is taking place on the island of O'ahu, the folks at Waialua Soda Works deliver free of charge with a two-case minimum purchase. Can't beat that!

The Truth About "Local Flowers"

anthurium, torch ginger, and cymbidium orchid bouquet - photo by Chrissy Lambert Photography

Upon meeting with couples who are just embarking on the planning of their wedding, I often hear that they wish to use "local flowers" for their wedding, drawing on the beauty of the flowers supposedly in abundance here in Hawaii. Such flowers not only represent the location of their wedding, but they also support local growers and give their wedding an island feel.

mixed arrangement with green cymbidium orchids and yellow mokara orchids - photo by Absolutely Loved

Then, upon viewing their inspiration photos, I realize that they often times really mean that they would like tropical flowers, but little do they and many others realize, that the so-desired and exotic tropical flowers, especially those viewed in photos found in magazines and on-line, are often times flown in to Hawai'i. Sure, beautiful tropicals such as torch ginger, monsterra leaves, and bird of paradise adorn the landscaping of resorts and homes, but many of the prized cymbidium and mokara orchids travel thousands of miles to get here and eventually find their way into a bouquet or centerpiece.

monsterra leaf on pew - photo by Taka of La Vie

Even roses, which are grown locally, are in fact, less popular for weddings than those grown in South America, as the imported versions tend to have a higher petal count and are often times larger and hardier...

As for the more delicate flowers grown in Hawai'i, such as plumeria and hibiscus, their fragile composition makes it difficult to incorporate into weddings. They easily brown and/or wilt. A good substitute, if wanting these blooms, is to consider deco clay versions, hand-made, and amazingly life-like.

deco clay hibiscus blossom on favor box with fresh mokara orchids on the napkin

I urge couples to consider flowers that they really want for their wedding as opposed to only looking at locally grown flowers. Chances are, the flowers they are desiring will need to be imported to our islands. For those who truly do want to stick to locally grown flowers, this is certainly a possibility, but understand that there are limitations as to what is available. Having a realistic understanding of locally grown flowers and tropical flowers will help to better define and inform your choices for your wedding. Happy planning!

Say 'Yes' to the Dress - in Hawaii

Photo by Chrissy Lambert

This morning's episode of Say 'Yes' to the Dress inspired me to pen a few words about the wedding gown market in Hawaii versus in major metropolitan areas on the "mainland" (continental U.S.). Many brides on the show set their budgets around $3,000 - $4,500 and donned gowns in the $3,500 - $6,800 range. These gowns, styled in luxurious fabrics and studded with stunning embellishments dropped jaws, moved brides to tears, and at times, caused sticker shock, but saying "yes" to almost double the original budget on the gown? Say what???

In many ways, the pretty penny charged for sumptuous gowns created by top designers is justifiable, considering the talent, workmanship, and materials that go into such a gown, and especially for such a momentous occasion. Fortunately or unfortunately, the higher end designer gowns barely exist here in Hawaii. This is in part attributed to the fact that many brides locally continue to include the cost of the bridesmaids' dresses in their attire budget, footing the bill not only for the bridesmaids' dresses, but also for their own gown. Many brides here set a ballpark figure of $1,500 for their gown, and local salons offer a wide selection of beautiful gowns at the lower price range of several hundred to under three thousand dollars.

For those desiring gowns from top designers, local gown salons can order some of them, or brides can purchase their gown on the mainland. Contrarily, for destination brides getting married in Hawaii, they can either bring their designer gown with them on the plane, or they can shop for very reasonably priced gowns while on a planning trip here (ideally half a year prior to the wedding date or a little more). The good thing is, pretty gowns can be found at every price point so brides can say "yes" to a gown at a price they prefer.

Wedding Style Tip #6: Notice Your Napkins

Photos by Dave Miyamoto & Company

One element that can make a simple and thoughtful statement in the overall look of your wedding decor is the napkins on your table tops. Get creative with the napkin fold; ask the hotel, caterer, linen provider, or wedding planner/designer if they would be able to get creative with the napkin fold. With the napkins shown above, we incorporated the bride's gold, braided cord and folded the napkins around the menu cards for a perfect fit, cuffing one edge of the napkin to reveal the other side of the napkin, which was a more tangerine shade.

Photo by Chrissy Lambert Photography

One of my favorite ways to add a "wow" factor to the napkins is by placing a fresh blossom on each napkin. In the photo below, a force-bloomed, fresh rose on each napkin looks fantastic; the size of the rose is significant enough to balance with the size of the charger. Any smaller blossom would have appeared dwarfed by the large scale of the napkin, folded as a wide vertical band over the charger.

Photo by Eclat Photograhy

On a side note, we have finally arrived at 2011 and I look forward to sharing more thoughts, ideas, tips, and featured weddings with you this year. Happy New Year, and may 2011 bring you and your loved ones much happiness, prosperity, and love!

Providing Your Guests with a Unique Experience for Your Destination Wedding in Hawaii

Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach

Photo by Dave Miyamoto & Company Photography

Whenever catching up with friends, the topic of conversation at some point, always turns to weddings, as everyone knows how much my career as a wedding planner is so much a part of my life and passion. Yesterday's lunch with an old friend was no different. He shared with me his experience attending a destination wedding in Cancun, Mexico, and how he wished the whole affair had involved more "culture," especially since the location, which he had never visited before, promised something unique and out-of-the-ordinary.

That conversation inspired today's blog topic; providing your guests with a uniquely "Hawaiian" experience for your destination wedding here.

A Hawaiian Kahu or Officiant During a Ceremony, Bearing Lei for Family Members of the Couple

Photo by Dave Miyamoto & Company Photography

What is it that makes Hawaii different from any other destination in the world? On a cultural level, it is the hula; the Hawaiian language found in song (although seldom spoken today); musical styling from the ukulele and slack key guitar; surfing (which originated here); Hawaiian prints in fabric and quilt patterns; the Hawaiian and local cuisine; the tradition of giving lei to love ones, the historic landmarks worth visiting; and of course, the aloha spirit and overall cheery disposition that most folks have around here. All of this and more can be incorporated into the wedding itself as well as into activities with guests both prior to and following the wedding.

Seared Blackend Ahi (yellow fin tuna) with Wasabi Aioli, Soy Sake Glaze, and Micro-Greens Served as the Appetizer Course at our August 9, 2010 Wedding Reception at the Beach House Restaurant
Photo by Dave Miyamoto & Company Photography

For our destination wedding couples, we have helped to arrange everything from private surfing lessons; rehearsal dinners at off-the-beaten-path eateries featuring an array of local dishes; private, guided site-seeing tours in trolleys for the visiting guests (sometimes, in multiple languages); private hula lessons for the bride to perform for her groom during the reception; a build-your-own-cocktail station with hollowed-out pineapple cups and an assortment of fresh island juices; custom designed and tailored aloha print attire for the bridal party; parties for the friends in a private karaoke room; and so much more. The possibilities are endless when it comes to treating your guests to a one-of-a-kind destination wedding experience in Hawaii. I encourage you to get creative when planning your wedding here; I assure you, your guests will thank you for it!

Custom Tailored Aloha Print Attire for Guests

Photo by Dave Miyamoto & Company Photography


Catholic Priest Wearing a Fragrant Maile Lei. (A thoughtful and appreciated gesture in Hawaii is to present a lei to the wedding officiant; a tradition which your guests might find very special.)
Photo by Chrissy Lambert

Bride by Stained Glass Window. (Note the pineapple in the bottom corner of the stained glass. The stained glass murals at Our Lady of Peace, known as the oldest Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the United States, depict the development of Catholicism in Hawaii.)
Photo by Chrissy Lambert

Painted Hibiscus Mural Serves as an Original "Vintage Hawaii" Backdrop. Location: Island of Molokai
Photo by Kai Photo

cakelava's Food Network Challenge to Air in April

As many already know, Hawai'i's very own cakelava participated in a Food Network challenge; no one but the show's producers and the challenge participants know the outcome, so to find out, tune in to the Food Network for the much anticipated airing of "Food Network Challenge: Sponge Bob Birthday Cakes." Here are the dates:

Apr 04, 2010: 8:00 PM ET/PT

Apr 05, 2010: 3:00 AM ET/PT

Apr 07, 2010: 7:00 PM ET/PT

The Food Network, on several occasions in the past couple years, invited cakelava to take part in their show and this one in particular was a great one for cakelava to be able to participate in for their very first time, as Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants show is one of the most popular shows on TV. Challengers invited to compete in Food Network challenges represent some of the very best in the industry and invitation is definitely an honor.

We're all so proud of cakelava and are looking forward to rooting for them on April 4th when the show airs and the results made public for the very first time!

In the meantime, enjoy some photos of cakelava cakes for clients of Weddings by Grace and Mona, a small sampling of cakelava's beautiful cakes for weddings during their five years in business in Hawai'i...


Images from (L-R) by name of couple for whom the cake was created: Andrea and Pete, Annabella and David (photo by Chrissy Lambert), Candice and Timothy (photo by Chrissy Lambert), Candice and Timothy (photo by Chrissy Lambert), Carisse and Todd (photo by Chrissy Lambert), Carly and Matthew (photo by Dave Miyamoto and Co.), Heather and Randall (photo by Christiaan Phleger), Janelle and Alex (photo by Stephen Ludwig), Janelle and Alex (photo by Stephen Ludwig), Kindy and Will (photo by Dylan Dawson)