This Saturday marks Hawaii Weddings and Events 300th event since launching our event planning firm on March 23, 2006.

We understand that the secret of our success has been to  meet the ever-changing needs of our clients, to continually educate our team be attending national catering and special event conferences, close relationships with our valued vendors and maintaining our core principle of “service excellence” which is reflected in our reviews http://www.weddingwire.com/reviews/hawaii-weddings-and-events-honolulu/20e45160b6edc0ab.html

We have been blessed to serve clients from all over the world, many of which have become our friends and we still keep in contact with them.     We consider it an honor to serve you and we’re so very grateful for your continued support.

One of the most common questions I receive is what does CPCE stand for?

The National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) encourages the professional development of caterers through voluntary participation in its certification program.    As a proud member of the NACE Hawaii Chapter since 1999, I know that my involvement with this association has been the key to my success throughout the years.

Achievement of the Certified Professional Catering Executive (CPCE) designation demonstrates expertise in the special events industry earned by taking a comprehensive examination that covers all aspects of professional catering including seven core competencies;

• Accounting
• Beverage Management
• Catering Services
• Contracts and Agreements
• Event Management
• Food Production
• Sales and Marketing

Achieving the CPCE certification was a personal goal which was achieved in 2002 and every five years I have to re-certify which requires an achievement of 60 points in employment experience, formal education, continued education, industry memberships, leadership positions and professional achievements.

I am honored to be the only professional event planner  in the State of Hawaii that holds the CPCE designation and the only person in the State of Hawaii that holds both the CPCE and Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) certifications.

This evening I was working on client files and after a few e-mails with changes one of my brides said “sorry, I’ve become high maintenance!”

The funny thing is this couple have been diligently working on their Lanikuhonua wedding plans, turning in all payments, checklists, information to vendors, etc. on time.   We actually finalized their wedding more than a month ago except the usual seating assignments and final guest counts that we’ll finish this week so they can relax and enjoy their wedding week with their family and friends.

Since she brought up the topic, I thought I would take a few minutes to share some of my thoughts about  “high maintenance” or what some people call a “Bridezilla” who are usually just people that get stressed out because they don’t understand and they let out their frustrations on others.

Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to serve people from all over the world and from many different cultures.     I have also had the privilege of either living or traveling to many destinations which helps me to understand the different “expectations” of people so I personally don’t believe in “Bridezillas” as we educate our clients on what their role is in planning and what our role is based on the level of service that we have been hired for.

For those of you that think you are “high maintenance” bride, these are things to think about:

1)  Understand that most vendors receive an average of 75-100 e-mails each day.     Personally, I do not mind receiving separate e-mails as thoughts or ideas come up, but understand that it will take us a little longer to get back to you and we do have to prioritize our responses, the same way you would prioritize a project you may have at work by its due date.

2)  Another option is to create a word document with your thoughts and inspirations and send it after you’ve had some time to think through your ideas which will save florists, caterers and bakeries time.  I always tell my brides there is “toggle time” and “decision time”.  Toggle time is in the beginning stages of planning when you’re getting ideas, colors, picking out dresses, etc. etc. and can still change your mind.    It is during this period that we keep collecting all of your ideas and we will start seeing some continuity and get the vendors that best match your needs.

3)  Understand that if you come on too demanding or have unrealistic expectations, that you will probably drive some vendors away.

4)  Keep in mind that those vendors that provide more reasonable pricing are going to be busier than those that have high rates.    For example, a floral designer that only does 2-3 events a month is going to be able to respond quicker than the florist that has a full-time business and does 4-6 events in a weekend which means you’ll need to have more patience if you’re not able to increase your floral budget.

5)  Remember that your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, but it is NOT all about you.  It is a celebration of two of you coming together as one, bringing two families together and being with those people in your life that are nearest and dearest to your heart.

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As a professional planner, we are always assisting our clients with securing their vendors and the value of what is actually being provided is often misunderstood.

I would like to encourage vendors to explain that their total pricing is not just for the amount of time that they are on-site for the wedding day, but it also includes time devoted to:

• Pre-wedding preparations which may include finalizing details with your venue, site walk throughs, remixing songs, practicing special song selections, rehearsing the script as your emcee, ordering and prep work for flowers, pressing linens, food preparation, packing equipment, etc.
• The years of training and/or their investment in state-of-the-art equipment to professionally serve you.
• Attending mainland conferences to keep abreast of the latest trends, technology and products.
• Travel time to and from your venue(s).
• Post production work (editing of pictures, video production, returning cake stands, linens, rental vases, etc.

Time is money, but you’ll find that countless hours are devoted to the success of your Hawaii wedding.   We’re all just like you…..trying to make ends meet and take care of our families.

Our greatest reward is the great satisfaction that comes with serving others, creating wonderful memories and meeting people from all over the world.

One of the most critical elements to a successful and stress-free wedding is timing is creating a timeline that is realistic and works.   Our top ten tips are listed below:

1)    Most start thinking about their timeline when they get closer to the wedding day, but actually your timeline starts being developed from the time you book your venue.   Be sure to verify the time you have access to your venue.   Most clients assume that they are the only event that day, but truth is that most venues (especially hotels) do have more than one event a day in their banquet space.   Unless you have “bought out” the morning space, you typically do not have access until after 3pm or sometimes even later which may impact your décor ideas.

2)    Know what time you need to be ready by for your pictures.    The answer to this question is dependent upon whether you are doing “getting ready” pictures or video and whether you plan to see each other prior to the wedding, as well as whether you are already on-site or traveling to another venue for your wedding.   This will also help you determine how long you will need to hire your photographer and/or videographer.

3)    Ensure that you let your hair and make-up stylist know exactly how many attendants or family members that you have when you make your appointment.   Most hair and make-up stylists may do two or three weddings on a busy day, so they schedule your time slot based on what time you need to be ready and the number of attendants you have.  If you decide to add on people later you may find that they are not able to accommodate your request due to other obligations.

4)    Let your vendors know what time they have access to the space when you do your consultations to ensure that you do not breach your end of the contract.     For example: I’ve seen clients sign a contract with their florist that guarantees them a minimum of 2 ½ hours of set-up time for the ceremony décor they have ordered only to find out they only have 1 or 1 ½ hours for set-up which ultimately results in scaling back on décor, adding more staff or the event starting late.

5)    Do not scale back on staffing during set-up.  When we are hired to manage events the first priority is ensuring that your event is able to be set-up within the time allotted which means that your rental company, caterer, florist, linen company, lighting, and musicians may be simultaneously setting up while your coordinator is ensuring everyone is on-site as scheduled, on track with their set-up, ensuring bridal party has their flowers, setting up reception table, favors, trouble shooting, etc.    Set-up fees do add-up, but there is a reason why the labor is added, and that is to make sure everything is completely set prior to your guests arrival.

6)    Understand the staffing levels of your event, especially for off-premise events. We recently were hired for an off-premise wedding that was going to be a buffet for 140 guests.  The client received a great quote, however, the caterer only had scheduled 2 servers along with the on-site manager which is not sufficient to provide quality service to that number of guests.   In the end, they ended up adding on two more staff which still wasn’t the best ratio and was an added cost they hadn’t budgeted for, but it certainly was better than what they had and was worth every penny.  Remember, service, or lack-of, is one of the things that guests always remember.

7)    Ensure that your program does not interfere with the quality of your food (especially for plated meals).   We normally recommend toasts after the entrée is served as speeches as you don’t want your food to be sitting in a warmer getting overcooked as a result of someone speaking longer than anticipated.   It is possible to “merge” in some activities during the course of the meal, but it has to be done by carefully coordinating with all concerned throughout the evening and does come with experience knowing how long it takes to serve, eat and clear dishes before the next course.

8)    Don’t schedule every second of the day.  Give yourself some time to have a moment for yourselves before the reception and some time at the end of your event to visit with your family and friends that have come to celebrate with you.

9)    Start the day on time.  This is the most important item that is communicated during our wedding rehearsals.  The stress of the wedding day starts when people are running late or stuck in traffic and can snowball from there.   If you’re on-time or better yet, a little early, you are in a relaxed state of mind and are better able enjoy the day.

10) End the day on time.  Ending your event late can result in costly overtime charges.

We understand all of the above can be overwhelming, which is why Hawaii Weddings and Events creates your timeline and also manages it on the wedding day.   The timeline is a “road map” to your wedding day, but we all know sometimes detours are made due to unforeseen circumstances (weather, accidents, late arrivals), which is where experience on how to navigate these changes without impacting your event and effectively communicating with your vendors comes into play.

Here’s a picture from my “mini” vacation with my best friend in Lake Tahoe.

We’ve been friends since our freshman year of high school and although we have not lived in the same state since I moved to Hawaii in 1984, we still have remained great friends throughout all of these years.

The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.  ~Elisabeth Foley

The great thing about getting together is that no matter how many years it takes us to see each other, the moment we get together it seems like no time has passed and we can just pick up where we left off.

With cell phones, e-mail and Facebook, it is easier than ever to keep in touch.  It is hard to imagine that we used to have to worry about the very expensive long distance phone calls and write letters without the aid of a computer.

There is no “good time” to take a vacation as there is always work to be done and clients’ needs to be met, however, we also know how important it is to have balance in life.   Everyone needs to take a few days here and there to reconnect with those that mean the most to them and to rejuvenate their body and soul.

We encourage you to “make time” for that special person in your life…….it will be good for both of you!

Living in “Paradise” does come with a price tag, which is why many residents in Hawaii have two or even three jobs or businesses to make ends meet.

Personally, I own Hawaii Weddings and Events and also serve as President of the Hawaii Event Group, which is comprised of a team of individuals which does large scale events such as festivals, fundraisers, corporate events and conferences which are typically held during the “off season” for weddings or managed by another team member.

We wanted to inform you that our Special Events Manager, Wai Phungpradet, will be starting a new full time job today and will no longer be taking consultations for new clients.

Wai has worked with Hawaii Weddings and Events on a part-time basis for the past 2 1/2 years and also worked part-time for a bookkeeping company and other odd jobs during the “off-season.”   In a time when full time jobs are still hard to come by, the opportunity for a stable income with benefits could not be passed up.

Please rest assured that arrangements have been made with her new employer and Wai will be finishing all of her current events for Hawaii Weddings and Events.  Wai will still remain as an “on-call” assistant so don’t be surprised if you still see her working with us on future events.

Moving forward, our Special Events Coordinator, Ramona Char, will be our primary coordinator for beach weddings, day-of wedding management, partnership-in-planning packages  and will also assist with full-service packages.

Our Director of Special Events, Dianna K. Shitanishi, CPCE, CMP, will focus on full service packages, training administrative support staff, business development and identifying and training another part-time coordinator who has the same passion, work ethics and dedication to service excellence.

During this transition period, we will be limiting the number of events that we take each month as our focus is continued quality events as reflected in our client reviews http://www.weddingwire.com/reviews/hawaii-weddings-and-events-honolulu/20e45160b6edc0ab.html not quantity of events.

Have you ever heard “Attitude is Contagious…..is Yours Worth Catching”?

Everyone is human, and we all have “those days” that just nothing seems to be going as planned, but think about this:

1.   You woke up this morning…….there are some that didn’t make it another day.

2.   You have family and friends that love you and accept you for who you are.

3.   You have a roof over your head……some people are homeless.

4.   You are enjoying breakfast or your favorite Starbucks hand crafted beverage……there are people in this world that don’t have any food.

These are just but a few little things in life that we often take for granted.    One of the greatest lessons I have learned is that having a positive attitude changes everything!

Have you ever gone to a busy shopping center and thought “I’m never going to find parking” and proceeded to go around and around, and around looking for a stall?    Personally, when I go I tell myself  “all I need is one” and 9 out of 10 times someone in front of me starts to pull out.   Do I have negative feelings that one time it doesn’t happen?  The answer is “no” because I am grateful for all the times that it did happen.

How do you stay positive?   Personally, I surround myself with positive people and naturally tend to avoid negative people that never have anything good to say.

These are just a few of the sources of inspirations.   Take a few minutes out of your day and find a few resources that give you a sense of peace, hope and gratitude.

SuccessConsciousness.com http://www.successconsciousness.com/index_00003a.htm

ThinkExist.com http://thinkexist.com/quotations/positive_thinking/

The Secret Book http://thesecret.tv/living.html

“I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.” Winston Churchill