New Decor Pieces Now Available from Curate Decor + Design

When it comes to weddings, we thirst for "the latest and greatest" in rentals to make a show-stopping and stunning statement.  It is the thoughtful touches and unique pieces, expertly put together, that can really give a wedding or event pizzazz.  Fortunately, forward-thinking rental and design companies like CURATE decor + design make having uniquely crafted weddings a possibility here in Hawai'i.

CURATE décor + design has just released a new limited edition collection which includes the Black Louis Ghost Chairs, the Globe Light Collection, and the Tuxedo Backdrop.

The Black Louis Ghost Chair plays a nice contrast to their iconic Louis Ghost Chair with its chic, modern appeal. The Globe Light Collection provides a stylish, dynamic option for lighting. Lastly, the Tuxedo Backdrop, inspired by the classic tuxedo, provides an aesthetic background with its sharp lines and monochromatic colors.

The sleek, contemporary, clean lines of this collection are perfect for those wanting to create an air of sophistication at their event.  To learn more about the new collection, contact the Curators at Curate, 808-455-9190.

Happy Planning!
Mona
neu events
(formerly known as "Weddings by Grace and Mona")

Planning a Wedding in Hawai'i: Step 1

Photo by L'amour Photography

Decided that you would like to get married in beautiful Hawai'i?  Whether you are local, living here in our island state, or planning a destination wedding from afar, step one in the planning of a wedding here is all about making some key decisions.  I will be sharing the other steps with you, so please visit again for future posts on helping to plan your destination wedding in Hawai'i.

Here are the things I urge couples to consider when first embarking on the planning of their wedding in Hawai'i.

Budget:  Determine how much you would ideally like to allocate to your wedding budget.  A wedding budget serves as a framework for basing many future decisions on as it relates to your wedding.  Be realistic, and reserve about 5% of the funds for any unexpected costs or "must haves" you later discover.

Guest count:  Create a preliminary guest list and identify a rough number of guests you would like to invite.  The guest count of a wedding will help to determine what kind of venue will work and will also influence the breakdown of your budget.

Wedding date:  Even if you are open to the exact date of your wedding, narrow this down by selecting the year, and at least the month or season for your wedding.  Remember, popular venues get booked quickly, especially for Saturdays, and some venues will take reservations as much as 14 months in advance, so give yourself ample time to plan.  Fortunately, we have mild weather year-round here in Hawai'i, so even our winter months of December, January, and February can be great for weddings (just be prepared for a greater likelihood of showers or rain).

Wedding planner:  A wedding planner can be brought in to the fold at any time, but to maximize a wedding planner's know-how, expertise, and experience, consider hiring a wedding planner for your wedding at this time.  The planner can lend further insight into the topics above, and can create your road map for the rest of your planning, seeing your wedding through to the very special day.

Now that Step 1 has been taken care of, ready for Step 2?

Happy Planning!

Mona

Lanikuhonua Event and Wedding Expo TOMORROW

Lanikuhonua, one of O'ahu's most popular venues for weddings and events, is hosting a highly anticipated Event and Wedding Expo tomorrow at the venue itself, situated in the beautiful Ko'Olina area.  Anyone looking for an outdoor, oceanfront site for a special event will surely benefit by attending.  It is an opportunity to see Lanikuhonua all dressed up, and will feature drawing for great prizes, food, beverage, entertainment, and an array of vendors who can help make an outdoor wedding or event come to fruition.  Participating vendors include caterers, rental companies, entertainment providers, planners, floral designers, decor companies, and more!  To attend this event, which is open to the public, purchase tickets purchase in advance at tix.com or or pay at the door.  Admission is $25 for adults, $12.50 for children 6-12 years old, and it is free for kids under six.  For more information, e-mail or call 808-674-3360.

We love weddings at Lanikuhonua.  It offers stunning views of the ocean and coastline, some of the best sunsets to be found in Hawai'i, an abundance of free parking, and vast open spaces, representing a blank canvas for designing unique and special events.  Here are a few photos from events we have planned there over the years, to provide a sense for how the space can come to life and be transformed for weddings.

Photo by Chrissy Lambert Photography

Photo by Dave Miyamoto & Company

Photo by Stephen Ludwig Fotographi + Art

Photo by Christie Pham Photography

Photo by Marcia Campbell

Photo by Chrissy Lambert Photography

Photo by Eugene Kam Photography

Happy Planning!

Mona

neu events

(formerly known as "Weddings by Grace and Mona")

Monday, Monday...why Mondays make great days for a destination wedding in Hawaii

Photo by Marcia Campbell Photography

For many couples, their preferred day of the week to get married is on a Saturday.  They and their guests can often times do not have to work the following day, so they can enjoy the Saturday wedding and "recover," if need be, by taking it easy the next day.  For this reason, Saturdays are the most popular day of the week for weddings, which means that venues and vendors book quickly on a Saturday.

Photo by Stephen Ludwig Photography

When it comes to destination weddings, however, I recommend Mondays.  It happens to be one of the least popular days of the week for weddings, and therefore, chances are great that a couple planning a Monday wedding will have all of their first picks in wedding venues and service providers.  It takes off some of the pressure then from having to book things quickly, and the search process can be done a bit more leisurely and carefully.

Mondays are also considered "weekdays," with Fridays being lumped in to the "weekend" category.  Venues and vendors will sometimes offer better rates or amenities for weekday weddings.  If there are any discounts to be had, weekdays are definitely where they are at.

Not to mention that Saturdays happen to be the best night of the week for night life, with the rest of the nights of the week being rather slow and often uneventful.  The happy couple and their friends can enjoy the night out on Saturday, rest on Sunday, and then have their wedding, the headliner of the trip to Hawaii, on Monday.

Photo by Chrissy Lambert Photography

This also makes it easy for guests who work Monday through Friday jobs.  They can work until Friday, catch a Friday or Saturday flight to Hawaii, and make it in plenty of time for the Monday wedding.  We also find that with destination weddings to Hawaii, many guests will make a vacation of it, and will then island-hop following the wedding, visiting the other islands prior to returning home.

Happy planning!

Mona

neu events

(formerly known as "Weddings by Grace and Mona")