Venue Spotlight: JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and Spa at Ko 'Olina

Of the many beautiful locations for weddings in Hawai'i, the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and Spa at Ko'Olina has got to be one of our favorites.  Their stunning Lagoon Lawn makes for an amazing, oceanfront ceremony location, and the resort offers many fine options for receptions such as their Ocean Ballroom, Malolo Room, Lurline Room, Hokulani Ballroom, and the Lagoon Lawn, for those wanting open-air dining with a view of the water.  From a planning perspective, we love weddings at the Ihilani due to the flexibility with decor possiblities and the great staff that makes events there come together.

Here are a few photos of weddings we have planned there over the years...

Happy Planning!
Mona

The bride and her 'maids make their way over to the "first look" location.  Photo by Mike Pham Photography.

A romantic kiss by the water at the Ihilani.  Photo by Eugene Kam Photography.

Destination Weddings in Waikiki - A Look at Pros and Cons

Gorgeous view of Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach from the Sheraton Waikiki.  Photo by Eclat Photography.

As a wedding planner, part of my job is to help couples weigh pros and cons regarding the numerous decisions they need to make regarding their wedding.  I recently had a bride ask for my thoughts about holding a wedding in Waikiki.  Here are some things I shared with her...

While Waikiki can feel a bit hurried at times, with traffic being a bit of a bear, it offers so many advantages.

Proximity to the beach.  If at an ocean-front property, the views of the water and of the iconic Diamond Head are spectacular, but anyplace in Waikiki is no more than a block or two from the beach, so photographers can easily take couples out for photos with their toes in the sand.

Nearby accommodations.  Waikiki boasts a slew of options for accommodations, ranging from budget to luxury, and includes resorts, hotels, boutique hotels, condo-tels, and rental units.  Guests can choose a place to stay in walking distance, at a price point comfortable for them.

This means that the wedding can probably be planned without regard for providing transportation to and from the wedding site for guests, since the assumption is that most guests will stay nearby.

Moments before the wedding in one of the beautiful guest rooms of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

Mild(er) weather.  Believe it or not, it can rain in one part of the island, and yet be perfectly dry in another.  Seldom do we find ourselves making a "rain call" to move a wedding ceremony indoors.

Overall, if looking for a wide, expansive space of country-side, Waikiki is not for you.  Overall, however, the benefits far outweigh the small disadvantages to holding a wedding in Waikiki.  That said, a wedding is one of those lifetime events where the decision on where to celebrate that special occasion is a very personal one.  Fortunately, we have numerous venues here in Hawai 'i, and there is sure to be someplace to please just about any couple.  Hiring a wedding planner can help a couple to seek out the best, and sometimes, little known venues.  I encourage couples to enjoy the venue search and to remember, it should not feel like work, but rather, part of the exciting time in life of being engaged, and a part of the journey in preparing for a wedding.

Happy Planning!

Mona

neu events

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

Trunk Show this Weekend at The Bridal Boutique

Attention all brides who will be on O'ahu this weekend!  The Bridal Boutique, located in Honolulu, Hawai'i, is kicking off the New Year with a bridal trunk show featuring one of their best-selling designers, Casablanca.  Known for their elegant and timeless styles, Casablanca’s bridal styles are sure to complement every bride and their desired look.

“New Year, New Styles,” will be held at the boutique’s store at 627 South Street, Suite 101 in Kaka'ako.  Gorgeous Casablanca styles will be shown and will be available at the boutique only for a limited time.

“We want to kick off the New Year by offering brides a trunk show with one of our award-winning designers,” said Cecilia Domingo, co-owner of The Bridal Boutique. “Casablanca is known for their original design and superb quality, which never disappoints.”

Now here's a bonus:  a 10% discount will be given on all pre-orders taken during the event!  Brides will also receive up to two free customizations and free shipping on their orders.  To make an appointment, call The Bridal Boutique at 808-597-8893 or email info@bridalboutiquehonolulu.com.

The Bridal Boutique also offers an array of bridal accessories, bridesmaid, flower girl, and mother dresses in a welcoming and intimate environment.  Be sure to take a look at these while gown shopping!

Remember that many bridal salons here on O'ahu suggest ordering a wedding gown six to eight months prior to the wedding, in order to ensure the gown's timely arrival on-island, and to allow ample time for alterations.  In other words, if your wedding is in June or later, now is the time to be shopping for and purchasing your gown (and if it is sooner than that, then it is time to hurry!)

Happy Planning, and Happy New Year!

Mona

neu events

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

Things to Know about Wedding Flowers

When it comes to the aesthetic of a wedding, much of it can be defined by the use of flowers, and for many, flowers rank high on their list of wedding-related priorities.  Often, brides have their heart set on a certain flower type(s) to help achieve their wedding vision, but it is worthwhile to bear in mind certain realities when it comes to flowers, particularly here in Hawai'i.

Ceremony flowers by Flowers by Jane.  Photo by Dylan Dawson Photography.

Being an island state comes with many obvious advantages, and along with it, challenges as well; we do not have the luxury of flower markets similar to SF where cut flowers are abundant and readily available.  In fact, lots of popular wedding flowers, even some of the tropical ones are shipped in (including orchids!).   Many floral designers' policies or contracts will specifically note that they will do their best to meet flower requests, but will also reserve the right to substitute flowers if need be.

Here are some scenarios where flower substitutions may occur.

• damages occurring during shipping
• shipments held up in customs
• flowers out of season
• flowers were different (i.e. smaller than/varying in color) from what was ordered
• weather hardships prevent growers from fulfilling their orders
• most recently, we were even learned that some suppliers of red flowers were refraining from taking orders now in anticipation of Valentine's!

Bridal bouquet by Spinning WEB Florist.  Photo by Chrissy Lambert Photography.

We, as wedding planners, want to see every couple's wedding wishes come true.  With regard to flowers, we encourage couples to gather inspiration images that help convey their desired style, and we work closely with reputable floral designers to help ensure this, too.  While there are indeed challenges with flowers, understanding this and working with a great designer will best put you on your way to being a happy bride or groom on your wedding day.

Bridal bouquet and boutonniere by Spinning WEB Florist.  Photo by Chrissy Lambert Photography.

Happy planning!

Mona

neu events

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

Culture Note: the "Banzai" Toast at Weddings

Photo by Mike Pham Photography

Ask a local in Hawai'i if they know about "banzai" and two things might readily come to his or her mind:  the Banzai Pipeline surf spot on O'ahu's fabled North Shore, and the banzai toast at weddings.  Particularly popular with those of Japanese descent, the banzai toast is often reserved a spot in many wedding reception programs in Hawai'i.

"banzai"

The literal translation of banzai is 10,000 years (of life), but a closer parallel to English would be "long live."  Traditionally, the banzai toast is actually comprised of two toasts, led by two separate people, the first being from the guests to the bride and groom, and the second one being from the family to the guests.  The first toast giver, on behalf of the guests, asks everyone to rise, and shouts, with gusto, "Shinro shimpu, banzai," imparting well wishes to bride and groom.  The guests then respond in resounding unison by shouting back, "banzai."  The toast giver repeats "banzai" two more times, each time followed by the guests responding with a loud, "banzai!"  The toast is concluded with with a sip of drink.

This process is repeated with the second toast in honor of the guests.  The second toast giver/leader, on behalf of the family, shouts, "raihin shokun, banzai" three times, each time followed by the audience shouting back, "banzai!"  As with the first toast, a sip of beverage concludes the toast.

A note about verbiage for the second toast:  the word shokun in Japanese, meaning "ladies/gentlemen," suggests that the people who are being addressed are of a junior status.  For this reason, a more modern or honorific version would be raihin no minasama, which would be loosely translated as "all of you, our esteemed guests."

Also worth noting:  the word banzai is often associated with World War II, as Japanese soldiers would shout tennouheika, banzai or "long live the emperor" as they were dying.  Because of this association, it is becoming increasingly popular to replace banzai with the word kampai, which is more like saying "cheers!"  (In fact, at one wedding we coordinated, an entire table of guests chose not to participate in the banzai toast, and I suspect that this is because their ancestors were subject to the rule of imperial Japan.)

Being Japanese-American, born and raised in Hawai'i, and finding the banzai toast quite commonplace at weddings and key birthday celebrations, I was surprised to learn that is a tradition unique to Hawaii.  You will never hear banzai shouted at weddings in Japan and guests from Japan who attend weddings in Hawaii always find the banzai toast a bit of an oddity.  I suppose this attests to how the culture of a immigrant group evolves over time.

To recap, if planning to incorporate the banzai toast into your own wedding reception, here are the verbiage options:

Toast #1:  from the guests to the bride and groom:

• shinro, shimpu, BANZAI
• shinro, shimpu, KAMPAI

Toast #2:  from the family to the guests

• raihin shokun, BANZAI
• raihin shokun, KAMPAI
• raihin no minasama, BANZAI
• raihin no minasama, KAMPAI

Happy planning!

Mona

neu events

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

Wedding Photography: deciding on the photography package that is right for you

For many couples, photography tops the list of wedding-related priorities.  Choosing the right photographer can be a difficult decision, but even if you find the perfect photographer for you, how do you determine which photography package to select?

Often times, photographers base their packages on the number of hours of coverage to be provided on the wedding day.  Bear in mind that these are almost always consecutive hours.  Be sure to factor in travel time (i.e. going to the ceremony site and then to the reception site) as part of those consecutive hours of time.

If wanting to cover the "getting ready" portion of the day through 'til the end of the reception program, consult the photographer for his/her recommendation of how to allocate time for formal picture taking.  S/he can also help to determine what time hair and make-up styling services should wrap up, and this styling end-time serves as a rough starting time for photography.  Create a wedding day timeline, and a wedding planner can assist you with this.  Determine what time the reception program will end, and this represents a general end-time for photography, adding a bit of extra time, in case things run long.  The number of hours from the end of hair and make-up styling to the end of the program represents the general number of hours you would want to secure from your photographer, again, assuming you would like coverage of everything from the getting ready portion of the day until the end of the program.

Once determining the number of hours of photography coverage needed, it then becomes a matter of deciding whether to include any of the photographer's additional products and services.

Happy planning!
Mona

Photo courtesy of L'amour Photography

Tips and Advice: proper care for your gown

Photo by Chrissy Lambert Photography

We tote in our wedding day emergency kit just about everything for attending to spills and stains:  Shout wipes, Tide pens, baby powder, chalk,... but before we apply any products to a wedding gown, we prefer to know how your gown salon recommends treating your special garment.  While many assume that a detergent wipe can fix anything, certain fabrics just don't seem to get along with even the least bit of moisture.  In fact, delicate fabrics can be ruined with an application of just plain water.

Photo by Chrissy Lambert Photography

Before your big day, inquire with your bridal salon about the proper care of your wedding gown.  Ask about how to treat a possible lipstick stain from a well-wishing guest, or a grass stain from walking across an outdoor courtyard, or a soiled spot from a bit of spilled cocktail.  It never hurts to be prepared for those "just in case" moments, especially with an article of clothing as precious as a wedding gown.

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