Every year we receive at least 15-20 job inquiries, with the majority with little or no experience in event planning or even a proper resume.       So what does it take to be a successful Hawaii wedding planner?   I really can’t answer for everyone, but I can share my own journey to owning my own wedding and event planning firm and also share insight into the qualities that I look for.

My journey started in 1984 when I moved to Hawaii from Edwards Air Force Base, California (yes, smack in the middle of the Mojave dessert) and got my first  job as a secretary at the Plaza Hotel by the airport in Sales & Catering.    Previously I worked as a clerk stenographer in Civil Service for a project office, so the change to living in Paradise and working in the hospitality industry was an exciting one.      I worked at this property for a year and then moved down the road to the Holiday Inn Airport in the same capacity, but I had the opportunity to handle all of the catering events and many of my clients following me and I achieved a 32% growth in business within a year.

I will never forget the General Manager when I worked at the Holiday Inn Airport……we sat in an employee meeting and he told them “you are all professionals, and that is why you are here.   You know what you need to do to get the job done and I trust that you will do what it takes to take care of our guests.  If you need to comp a dessert because a guests meal was delayed, you don’t need to go find a manager to approve it, you have the authority to do so.”      This property used to run 120% occupancy (yes, they could turn over rooms 2-3 times with delayed flights) because the staff all worked together as a team.   Front desk clerks used to help housekeeping clean rooms, we used to help bag luggage, if there were 200 guests walking in the restaurant in 20 minutes, we all went to help.      The most important lesson I learned from working at this property was to empower your staff, for if you allow them the opportunity to make decisions on their own, they will appreciate the trust that you have given them and will confidently be able to take care of our valued clients.

After a hotel management change which got rid of 80% of the existing staff, although I was chosen to stay on, I ended up moving to the Holiday Inn Waikiki two weeks later and started off as a Front Desk Clerk and moved up to Assistant Hotel Manager.    I had never worked front desk before, but because I had taken the time to learn the Holidex reservation system when I worked at the airport Holiday Inn, they gave me a chance.       This is one of the reasons why I always stress to learn what you can, when you can, because it will always help you.   Working as an Assistant Hotel Manager you learn how to respond quickly to situations, trouble shoot and listening skills, which are all important qualities of a wedding planner.

At this point in my career I was pregnant with my son and the graveyard shift hours did not agree with my pregnancy and also having my 2-year old daughter at home, so I ended up leaving the hotel and took a few months off.      Now with two kids at home and needing a regular Monday through Friday job, I started working at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel in the Sales department where I also had the opportunity to assist with inputting group reservations, preparing group rundowns, conducting site inspections for familiarization tours, learned about marketing strategies from one of the best Director of Sales in the industry and continued educating myself by attending any and all classes that were offered.

I moved on to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and started as the administrative assistant to the Controller and Food and Beverage Director.  Not one to just xerox a bunch of papers without knowing why, this is where I learned about profit and loss statements, labor costs, budgeting, and worked with all of the restaurant outlets as well as the chefs.       I was fortunate that both of my bosses gave me the latitude to work on projects on my own with very little guidance.   As my desk was positioned in the Executive Office, I also was exposed to all levels of VIPs whether it be hotel guests or our own corporate officers.

Throughout the years at The Royal Hawaiian, my position changed to working only for the Food and Beverage department and then I was combined with Catering.  Once I got the taste of catering, this is when I finally knew what I wanted to do.    I loved everything about it, the menu planning, creating floor plans, seeing the details evolve, the beautiful decort, and helping guests create memories for a lifetime.       At the time I didn’t foresee the Director of Catering or Catering Manager leaving anytime soon, so when I heard about The Kahala Mandarin Oriental, Hawaii opening up, I contacted a sales manager that was there that I had previously worked with at the Princess Kaiulani (another lesson:  always keep your contacts!).

The Kahala Mandarin Oriental, Hawaii  had already established their catering team, but they were looking for a Food and Beverage Administrative Assistant, so I went to apply wearing a hard hat as they were still under construction.      Although I would actually be taking a significant pay cut to take the position, I took a chance as it was an opportunity to open a resort property and as they would be marketing the property, I would be able to assist with their food and wine events.   This by far was one of the best career moves of my life…..

I started in the Food and Beverage department and was part of the crazy opening team (if you’ve ever opened a hotel before you will understand how intense this can be).    I then moved to Catering manager (after my second try), then was promoted to Director of Weddings where I helped to develop the market from 200+ weddings a year to over 800 when I left in 2006.  I then applied for the Director of Catering position but was advised I didn’t have enough experience and knowledge yet, so I worked with the training director and created a plan to go back to school and work towards the Certified Professional Catering Executive (CPCE) certification which covers all aspects of catering (both on premise and off) which would gain the knowledge while I continued to get more experience.    It took me three years to earn enough points (which included years of experience, education and actively being involved in catering and event associations) and I successfully passed the exam in 2002.

The next time the Director of Catering/Conference Services position opened up, I got the position which is only because of getting my CPCE certification.    As continued education is important, I also went on to obtain my Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) certification in 2005 which is on the Convention Management side of the event world.

I truly loved working at Kahala and for Mandarin Oriental, which truly exemplifies high standards and service.    It was a second home for a long time (I was there 10 years) so it was heartbreaking to hear that they would no longer manage the property after it was sold to private investors, and as the new management company had different philosophies, I decided to leave and start my own wedding and event planning company.

It is hard to believe that it has already been 4 1/2 years since Hawaii Weddings and Events was born.    I never would have imagined owning my own company, but every position that I have held throughout the years helps me in what I do now.     As a small business owner, you not only wear the hat of wedding planner, but you are also the accountant, salesperson, public relations, administrative support and when you fully understand both the front and back-of-the house operations you become a valuable resource to the hotels as well as clients.

So what are the qualities that I look for?     First of all it is passion, no matter what you decide to do in life, you need to enjoy what you are doing.  Wedding planning is a lot of long hours and dedication (more hours than everyone realizes), but it is also very rewarding to be a part of someones’ special day.   I also look at education, experience, willingness to learn, common sense and true desire.  I am willing to “make” the time to mentor those that truly has a genuine interest in our industry, and that is why we offer non-paid internships with our company which allows you to gain valuable “hands on” experience.

To have a business that you love and be acknowledged by one of my event idols, Steve Kemble, otherwise known as “America’s Sassiest Lifestyle Guru” with the Best Catered Wedding Event of the Year, Budget under $25K (our portion of budget, not total cost of event) at the recent National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) Experience Conference in Austin, TX was icing on the cake.