As we approach our company’s fourth anniversary, I feel very blessed for the opportunities that have come our way to not only help our clients make their dreams come true, but also to give back to our community.

This past year we once again had the privilege of helping a deserving couple by donating our services for their “Wedding of a Lifetime” and also donated to the American Red Cross, Meals on Wheels, the Lokahi Program and food for Aloha Harvest.

Moving forward we are going to select one charity per month, and for every new confirmed booking we receive that month, we will donate between $25-$75 to the charity depending on the package selected.

March is kidney month, so we will be starting our new contribution program by donating this coming months’ proceeds to the National Kidney Foundation.   For more details on their organization, please see http://www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/kidneymonth/).

“It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing.  It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving.”  ~Mother Theresa~

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I’m very happy to showcase Hawaii Weddings and Events’ first “Featured Wedding.”

So, how did we select who to feature first?    With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching I’m quickly reminded of a very sweet and romantic couple from Washington DC who were married in July 2008.

Their wedding colors were a vibrant red and cymbidium green with a hibiscus theme .  They, like many of my destination weddings, used a combination of our virtual consulting time and day-of coordination which helped streamline the process of selecting their remaining vendors,  wrapping up loose ends and finalizing all details prior to their arrival in Honolulu so they truly could enjoy their wedding week.

Frank Amodo truly captured some amazing pictures of Ericka and Jeffrey (some are featured in the gallery along with a few non-pro pictures), including my favorite picture between the long surfboards and he also shot the winning image Swept Away for “Pacific Weddings” photo contest.   Reader’s remarked: “This photo reminds me of how I felt on my wedding day!”, “…a perfect example of a naturally captured moment”, “spontaneous, romantic, classic!”

Their ceremony was held at St. Augustine’s Chapel which was followed by what I heard was a very fun trolley ride with their bridal party prior to arriving at the Diamond Lawn located at the Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort to join their guests.

Her bridal flowers and centerpieces were created by Su-V Expressions.  As usual, given a little creative freedom, Sue went above and beyond when making her centerpieces which were even grander and more beautiful than we both imagined.

Another highlight of the evening was a keiki hula performance and special “surprise” karaoke performances by the bride’s family and their ceremony highlights from the Big Picture which was followed by their own special slide show.

To  this day, we still keep in contact, and in fact, I encouraged them to come back to  Honolulu to celebrate their 1^st anniversary.  Fortunately there were some great travel deals ad they were able to make it.

We had a great lunch at BluWater Grill in Hawaii Kai and started reminiscing about the wedding day.    Ericka asked “did you know about my family’s surprise?” and I told her “no, it was definitely a surprise, and we had to figure out the best place to merge it into the program.”  The other thing I shared was that there was some technical difficulties that delayed their slide show, so we I worked with the other vendors and the banquet captain to make some adjustments in the program while it was resolved.   Ericka said “I didn’t know about that” and I told her “exactly…..that’s why you had a coordinator!”

We ended our visit by going to Bubbie’s Ice Cream which I have a feeling will become a tradition for years to come.   Ericka is very interested in event planning, so we always joke about me opening an office in Washington, DC…..trust me, if I ever do, she will be the first person I call!

I’m very thankful for having the honor of being their coordinator, cherish their friendship and truly appreciate their continued support of Hawaii Weddings and Events.

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In December, I was asked to create a “do it yourself” Valentine’s Day tablescape for the January/February issue of  “Chromatic” magazine.

Needless, to say, I was ecstatic with the opportunity and took a few days to contemplate what I could do that would utilize items that couples’ may already have in their homes, could be purchased locally and most importantly, could be re-used for other purposes.

This year, Valentine’s Day (February 14, 2010) also happens to be Chinese New Year’s.  With that in mind, I wanted to incorporate Asian elements into the design of the table, while at the same time,  keeping costs down by limiting the use of traditional Valentine’s Day flowers such as red roses.

Using items that I already had on hand, along with a shopping trip to Pier 1 (absolutely one of my FAVORITE places to shop) the design started to evolve.  I found a rich burgundy table runner with beautiful embroidery that would be more versatile than bright red, gold trimmed votive candle holders, heart bookends, bubble vases with candle holder, a rich red picture frame, red and ivory essentials plates and amber crackle stemware.

To keep costs down, I used beautiful red mokara orchids with bear grass at the bottom of the bubble vases with Island Orchard votive candles.   The bubble vases can easily be changed into completely different theme such as a sea theme with beach sand, shells and a blue candle.    The red frame featured a “Valentine’s Day Gift” poem for the evening, and may be re-used for a picture of the couple at one of their favorite places.

A few red roses were used along with the river rocks (which always lends itself to an Asian feel) along with the decorative chopsticks, wooden flatware and a Valentine’s Day menu printed on parchment paper which was custom designed to fit inside the plate and and printed on a basic HP Officejet printer.

Our non-pro picture is posted here, with professional images from Kris Labang are featured on pages 30-33 in the magazine alongside Elite Catering which is now featured on-line at http://www.chromaticmagazine.com/

“Chromatic” magazine which is a quarterly publication providing the people of Hawaii information on the latest fashion, beauty, hot spots, entertainment and lifestyle.

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Honolulu, Hawaii, January 19, 2010- WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced Hawaii Weddings and Events has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Wedding Planning!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

Hawaii Weddings and Events is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We are happy to announce that Hawaii Weddings and Events is among the very best wedding planners within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™.

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Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.

~ Author Unknown ~

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Hawaii Weddings and Events had the honor of being the event designer and coordinator for Niko and Tazsha’s “Wedding of a Lifetime.”

Check out Hawaii Bride and Groom and OC-16’s one hour special tonight at 7:30pm on OC16.    If you can’t get to a television, you can also watch it online at www.oc16.tv tonight at 7:30.

Additional air times are listed below:

Tuesday January 12^th at 1:30am and 9:00pm

Wednesday, January 13^th at 9:00am

Saturday, January 16^th at 1:30pm

Sunday, January 17^th at 11:30am

Tuesday, January 19^th at 4:00pm

Thursday, January 21^st at 12:00pm

Friday, January 22^nd at 9:00am

Saturday, January 23^rd at 10:30pm

Sunday, January 24^th at 4:30pm

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of the extraordinary Oahu wedding professionals who were involved in the wedding.  As with every successful event, it is a culmination of everyone’s talents that makes dreams come true.

Stay tuned as we highlight everyone’s contributions and additional pictures after the show has aired (non-professional pictures in our new blog photo gallery).

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You may apply for your Hawaii Marriage Application up to 30 days prior to your wedding date, but please be aware that in addition to being closed on Saturdays, Sundays and State holidays, the Department of Health is also closed two (2) Fridays per month as part of the statewide furloughs.

Please note the following dates:

CLOSED January 15, 18 and 29, 2010
CLOSED February 5, 12 and 15, 2010
CLOSED March 5, 12 and 26, 2010
CLOSED April 2, 23 and 30, 2010
CLOSED May 7, 14 and 31, 2010
CLOSED June 11, 18 and 25, 2010

The current Holiday and Furlough calendar can be found online at  http://hawaii.gov/health/vital-records/vital-records/vital-records/pdf/furlough_calendar.pdf

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December is the slower time of year which provides me an opportunity to spend time with my kids, catch up with paperwork, establish new goals and reflect upon the past year.

2009 was truly an emotional roller coaster as we lost famous stars that many of us we grew up with, and I also lost a very dear friend who was instrumental in helping me launch my website.

Through these difficult periods, I’ve found that focusing on the positive, living a life with gratitude and giving to others through donating my time, services or just my knowledge to those who want to learn about our industry has became my saving grace.

While reconciling my books, I printed a recap of all the events that Hawaii Weddings and Events had the honor of serving this past year.  It brought back so many wonderful memories, and I am very happy to able to keep in contact with my clients long after their wedding day via Facebook and holiday cards.

Even with a “down economy” we were truly blessed to increase our business through referrals from past clients, continually trying new ideas and keeping a positive spirit that has opened the doors to so many wonderful opportunities for both of us.

As we wrap up the year, Wai and I want to sincerely thank you for all of your support and wish you and your families a prosperous and healthy New Year!

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Kae-Sa-Luk, the unique Thai art of carving fruit and vegetables into intricate flower shapes that please both the eye and the palate, was begun in Thailand in 1346. No other country practices this same decorative treatment of foods. Only a few people are still trained in this ancient court art, even in modern Thailand.

Wai and I had the privilege to meet a young lady named Mai that is training in this ancient art and wants to start her own business.    To help introduce her talents, we created a tablescape using a variety of her beautifully carved fruits and vegetables which included watermelon, daikon radish, carrots, regular radish and persimmon.

This beautiful centerpiece is all edible and the watermelon could easily be used as part of your guests’ dessert.

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