the wedding spotlight issue#4

Brides Club Hawaii Bridal Expo | Winter 2013 | Issue # HI02

WEDDING SPOTLIGHT MAGAZINE by BRIDES CLUB

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A DAY AT THE EXPO

“ The Wedding Expo was the perfect place to start planning my dream wedding. I was able to meet potential vendors and compare them side by side...I was even able to book interviews with a couple of planners at the show! ”

Welcome to the Brides Club Hawaii Bridal Expo

A DAY AT THE EXPO

“ The Wedding Expo was the perfect place to start planning my dream wedding. I was able to meet potential vendors and compare them side by side...I was even able to book interviews with a couple of planners at the show! ”

Welcome to the Brides Club Hawaii Bridal Expo

JANUARY 2013 | ISSUE # HI02 | HAWAII BRIDAL EXPO BY BRIDES CLUB

BUCKLES PRODUCTIONS, INC. 4957 Lakemont Blvd. SE, Ste C4 #04 Bellevue, WA 98006

WWW.BRIDESCLUB.COMPHONE: (425) 373-1894 | FAX (425) 373-1895TWITTER: @BRADBUCKLESFACEBOOK.COM/WEDDINGEXPOS

EDITOR & SALES DIRECTORBrad Buckles

CREATIVE DIRECTORChristopher Hendricks

WEBMASTERMarlon Sarmiento

OFFICE MANAGERHeather Buckles

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTSKasey Hendrickson

Table of ContentsWelcome to the Brides Club Wedding Expo 4

A Message from Brad Buckles 8

The Wedding Checklist 12

Spotlight - Express Unlimited Entertainment 20

Do Me A Favor 26

Spotlight - Rock Street Productions 30

Spotlight - Best Day Ever Event Planners 38

5 Tips for Destination Weddings 44

Spotlight - Aria Studios 52

Portfolio - Eugene Kam Photography 54

Spotlight - Jeanne Marie Photoraphy 64

Eco-Friendly Weddings 66

Index of Merchants 70

Floorplan - Neal Blaisdell Exhibition Hall 83

A MESSAGE FROM BR A D BUCK LES

Ringing in the New Year, we are proud to welcome our recently

engaged brides-to-be to the new issue of WEDDING SPOTLIGHT,

an e-magazine brought to you by BRIDES CLUB. As President of

Brides Club, I would like to personally thank you for your interest

in participating in the most exciting bridal event of the season, the

HAWAII BRIDAL EXPO. Over 1400 brides attend the Expo every

year, as we offer you, your groom, and the whole wedding party

access to exceptional services by wedding industry leaders and

the information to help you plan and inspire the wedding beyond

your wildest dreams.

The collection of retailers & wedding service providers we have

gathered are experts in their respective markets and are happy to

provide you with answers to your most difficult inquiries and with

ideas to suit your unique tastes and budgets. Come early and bring

your friends, as our vendors’ calendars fill up quickly! Enjoy the

fashion show and imagine the excitement of walking through the

aisle on your special day.

I wish you the happiest wedding day &

the most beautiful memories to follow,

HawaiiB Y B R I D E S C L U B

CHECKLISTTH E WED D I N G

Congratulations on your engagement! This is an exciting time, and deserving of celebration. However, you do not want to let your head stay in the clouds for too long. After all, you have a wedding to plan! Are you ready? Then let’s get started!

ORGANIZE E VE RY TH ING

While this may seem like something you can do later on, this is a very important step.

þ Get a big and sturdy folder to stuff everything in. You’ll be putting all your research in here, like band choices and location ideas. You’ll also want to use this folder to keep receipts and other wedding related documents in here. You may use more than one folder, of course.

DATE S

Of course it is simple, but it is imperative. Get the dates set as soon as possible.

þ Get the wedding date set. After all, this is the big day that everything else is revolving around. Consider the seasons. Do you want your wedding framed with green grass or white snow? Perhaps you would prefer the reds and oranges of autumn? þ Set a date for your rehearsal dinner. This should be no more than a week before the wedding itself, but preferably not the day before either. þ If you are having an engagement party, that should be set for a date not too far off from the engagement. Of course, you cannot just call everyone you know and tell them to come over that day after he proposed. Give your guests at least a month’s notice before expecting their presence at these events. þ Bachelor and bachelorette parties are usually planned by the best man and maid-of-honor respectively. This isn’t your job to plan this party. However, you should insure that your friends don’t plan the parties on dates that are inconvenient for you.

CON SIDE R TH E COOR DINATOR

If you go down this list, and ask how on earth you are going to be able to do all of this, you may want to con-sider getting a wedding coordinator.

WEDDING SPOTLIGHT MAGAZINE by BRIDES CLUBPhotography by: Eugene Kam

þ Interview coordinators at your discretion. If you have family and friends that would love to help out, you may not need a professional coordinator after all. It really is up to you if you choose to do so, hire a co-ordinator.

MON E Y MAKE S TH E WE DDING

No matter who is paying, you need to work out a budget.

þ WORK OUT A BUDGET FOR THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES... ¨ Location fees (for both the ceremony and the reception) ¨ Invitations ¨ Food and drink ¨ Clothing and Makeup (this includes the bride’s dress, make up, and accessories, as well as the groom’s tuxedo) ¨ Decor (decorations for both venues) ¨ Service fees (for the officiant, the caterers, the florist, the photographer, the band/DJ, etc) ¨ Wedding Rings ¨ Stationary (for invites and programs) ¨ Transportation and After-Wedding Lodging

KE E P YOU R G U E STS U P TO DATE

Invitations and save-the-dates are pretty much cru-cial if you want people to come. Thankfully, there are other ways that people are keeping their guest list up to speed.

þ Prepare the guest list. You want to decide who should come from your family and friends and his family and friends. þ Prepare the invitations and R.S.V.P. cards to send to each household you are inviting.þ A wedding website. You can make free websites and blogs from various places like Wordpress and Blogger.

DE SIG NING TH E DR E AM

All white? Something blue? Or a splash of everything? Design plays a huge role during the big day.

þ Think colors. Do you want one or two? Maybe more? Whatever you choose, just make sure the col-ors do not clash. þ Think clothes. What style of dress do you want to wear? What kind of suit do you want him to wear? What do you want your bridesmaids to wear? What do you want the groomsmen to wear? These are very

important details.þ You can get a lot of ideas from magazines and websites. Take clippings and printouts to put in your wedding folder.

YOU R WE DDING PART Y

þ Start thinking about who you want in your wedding party. Start asking your girlfriends you would like as your bridesmaids if they want to be in the wedding. Have your groom start thinking about what guys he wants as his groomsmen.

þ Decide upon and finalize all the formalwear. This includes the mens’ tuxedoes, the girls’ dresses and all accessories.

PL ACE YOU R OR DE RS

After having envisioned what you want things to look like, it is time to get specific.

þ Find specifics. Choose the stores and specific items. Then, buy them. ¨ Find and pick out your dress. ¨ Then order it. ¨ Find and pick out his tux. ¨ Then have him order it. ¨ Find and pick out your decorations. ¨ Then order them. ¨ Find and pick out your bridesmaids’ dresses. ¨ Then have them order them.

þ Also find the services you want. ¨ Find a catering service you like. ¨ Then hire them. ¨ Find a photographer & videographer you like. ¨ Then hire them. ¨ Find a bakery you like for the cake. ¨ Then hire them.

þ Don’t forget the stationary. ¨ Print out and mail your invitations if you haven’t done so already. ¨ Have the programs designed and printed.

TH E LEGAL STU FF

As much of a personal, emotional event this is, it is also a legal ceremony.

þ Find an officiant. Whether you want a religious leader or just someone who had “the power vested in” them

¨ Call the florist. ¨ Call the band/DJ.

TH E DAY OF

The time has come...

þ Pay everyone whom you haven’t yet paid.þ Relax.þ Enjoy the day and all the beautiful memories that are sure to follow.

þ Take care of the legal documents. You will need to apply for a wedding certificate at your local city hall.

TH E WE E K B E FOR E

All the effort is accumulating this week.

þ Have the rehearsal dinner. Rehearse the ceremony as many times as it takes to get it right. Then treat your attendees to a small dinner. During the dinner, you may want to also practice the ceremony.

þ Call everyone to double-check things. ¨ Call the caterer. ¨ Call the photographer. ¨ Call the officiant.

MAKE SU R E NOT TO WAIT U NTIL TH E L AST MIN UTE DO G ET TH E WOR K DON E . IF YOU HAVE FR E E TIM E , WOR K ON TH E WE DDING . AS LONG AS YOU DO NOT PUT ANY THING OFF, YOU WILL HAVE A WE DDING WITH AS L IT TLE STR E SS AS P OSSIB LE .

Call (808) 921-5185 & say “Marry Me at Marriott”For A Special Gift With Your

Confirmed Ceremony or Reception.

V ISIT M A R R IOT T.C OM/ H N L MC FOR MOR E IN FOR M AT ION.

If You’re Committed To Celebrating, So Are We...

WH AT OTH E R R E F E R R A L S SAY A B O U T M E : They take your vision and dream of the PERFECT DAY and turn it into reality

H OW M A N Y Y E A R S I N B U S I N E S S ? 9 H OW M A N Y WE D D I N G S A Y E A R? 15 H OW M A N Y WE D D I N G S L A S T Y E A R? 20 H OW M A N Y WE D D I N G S H AV E YO U D O N E OV E R A LL? 100+ WH Y S H O U LD A B R I D E O R V E N D O R WO R K WITH YO U ? Because we truly care about our clients and vendors and always go the extra mile for everyone. F U N N Y WE D D I N G M O M E NT: The grooms phone kept beeping during the vows... turns out it was his alarm that he put on snooze so that he would not be late. LOVI N G S E NTI M E NTA L M O M E NT: The father on deployment in Afghanistan surprised his daughter by walking her down the aisle. There was not a dry eye in the audience. WH AT K I N D O F FACE B O O K M E M B E R A R E YO U ? Passive WH AT I S YO U R FAVO R ITE SO N G? I CAN ONLY IMAGINE by MERCYME

FAVO R ITE T I M E P E R I O D : 80’s because you can always look back at the fashion and say to yourself (with a smile), “What were they thinking?“ WH AT A R E YO U R FAVO R ITE M OVI E S ? Somewhere in Time & Top Gun WH AT I S YO U R FAVO R ITE M OVI E Q U OTE ? “I feel the need, the need for speed!”

EX PR ESS U N LIMIT ED EN T ERTA INMEN TPROFESSIONA L DJ SERV ICE JOE Y & YOL A N DA GONZ AGA

Web: www.ExpressUnlimitedEntertainment.comPhone: 808.397.9798Email: info@EUEHawaii.com

Wedding Spotlight : Express Unlimited Entertainment

E N T E R TA I N M E N T SPOTLIGHT

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WEDDING SPOTLIGHT MAGAZINE by BRIDES CLUBS O U N D • L I G H T I N G • S P E C I A L E F F E CT S

DO ME A FAVORFOR CE NTU RIE S , B R IDE S AN D G ROOM S HAVE INCOR P OR ATE D WE DDING FAVORS INTO TH E IR SPECIAL DAY. OF TE N USE D TO SHOW APPR ECIATION ,

FAVORS AR E TH E ON E THING TH E G U E STS TAKE AWAY FROM TH E DAY, OTH E R THAN M E MORIE S OF COU RSE ! FOR THIS R E ASON , WE DDING

FAVORS SHOU LD B E A R E FLEC TION OF TH E HAPPY COU PLE AN D TH E IM P ORTANT DAY TH E Y SHAR E D WITH TH E IR G U E STS . FAVORS SHOU LD

INCOR P OR ATE TH E COU PLE ’ S PE RSONALITIE S OR PE RSONAL INTE R E STS , TH E IR WE DDING DAY TH E M E , AN D A PE RSONAL TOUCH TO LET TH E

G U E STS KNOW HOW M UCH TH E IR PR E SE NCE M E ANT. WH E N TH E SE G U IDE LIN E S AR E FOLLOWE D, TH E WE DDING FAVOR IS SU R E TO B E A

TR E ASU R E D TOKE N OF A HAPPY U NION .

Today’s wedding market is saturated with favor ideas and products designed for the bride and groom seek-ing the perfect gift for their guests. While it is crucial to consider budget and practicality when choosing a favor, it is equally important to make sure it reflects the couple’s personality and personal interests. Eco-friendly and earth-conscious couples may give out seed packets, reusable water bottles or shopping bags made of recyclable materials. The sports fan couples may provide drink holders with their team logo. A couple with diverse heritages may choose tra-ditional items from their respective cultures to share with friends and family. The point is making it per-sonally reflective of the couple. Since the favor is the take-away of the day, it should be a vivid reminder of who got married and how their lives and interests are blended together from that day forward. While a silk pouch of M&Ms does provide a nice snack for the drive home, it is quickly forgotten and does not speak of the couple’s lives merging. Unless of course, their initials are M and M!

Another way to personalize the favor and make an excellent keepsake for the day is to incorporate the wedding’s location or theming into the favor. A golf club reception may include tees personalized with the bride and groom’s name and date. Miniature tequila bottles are great for a Mexican fiesta reception. A wine bottle stopper or corkscrew is great for a Tus-can theme or a reception on the grounds of a win-ery. Couples should be careful to keep in mind that a great favor is also practical for the guests to keep once they arrive back home. A horseshoe with ribbon matching the wedding colors and the couple’s name hand painted may tie in beautifully with a barn wed-

DO ME A FAVORFOR CE NTU RIE S , B R IDE S AN D G ROOM S HAVE INCOR P OR ATE D WE DDING FAVORS INTO TH E IR SPECIAL DAY. OF TE N USE D TO SHOW APPR ECIATION ,

FAVORS AR E TH E ON E THING TH E G U E STS TAKE AWAY FROM TH E DAY, OTH E R THAN M E M ORIE S OF COU RSE ! FOR THIS R E ASON , WE DDING

FAVORS SHOU LD B E A R E FLEC TION OF TH E HAPPY COU PLE AN D TH E IM P ORTANT DAY TH E Y SHAR E D WITH TH E IR G U E STS . FAVORS S HOU LD

INCOR P OR ATE TH E COU PLE ’ S PE RSONALITIE S OR PE RSONAL INTE R E STS , TH E IR WE DDING DAY TH E M E , AN D A PE RSONAL TOUCH TO LET TH E

G U E STS KNOW HOW M UCH TH E IR PR E SE NCE M E ANT. WH E N TH E SE G U IDE LIN E S AR E FOLLOWE D, TH E WE DDING FAVOR IS SU R E TO B E A

TR E ASU R E D TOKE N OF A HAPPY U NION .

ding theme, but what will they do with that item when they return to daily life in a city?

The favor should not just be personal for the bride and groom. Weddings today are often out of town events that require hotel stays and airline flights. The clos-est family, friends and business associates are chosen to participate in one of life’s most important events. So the wedding favor needs to show appreciation for that effort and support. Perhaps a personal note could be attached to each fa-vor. A QUICK, HANDWRITTEN THANK YOU FOR EACH FAMILY ATTENDING CAN MAKE A LASTING IMPRESSION TO GO ALONG WITH THAT PERFECT SOUVENIR. Another way to personalize for each guest is to incorporate the favor with the place cards or table setting. A CD of the wedding music with each guest’s name

B Y T Y L E R W A R D

and table number on it can be an excellent place card. A small photo frame with the guest name printed inside can be placed at each table setting for guidance in seating arrangements. A digital camera and small photo printer onsite can allow each family to take home a snapshot of themselves with the bride and groom. These personal touches take a little extra time, but they demonstrate an appre-ciation for the time and effort it takes to attend a wedding event and support a marriage. Everyone enjoys feeling special, even on someone else’s special day.

Although wedding guests may not know or understand the history and tradition behind the wedding favors custom, they do understand being noticed and ap-preciated. Happy memories of a day of celebration and love will hopefully never fade. But it doesn’t hurt for wedding guests to take away a small memento that reminds them of the bride and groom, the details of that special day, and the ap-preciation that was felt for their presence. It’s like icing on the cake!

Since the favor is the take-away of the day, it should be a vivid reminder of who got married and how their lives and interests are blended together from that day forward.

WHAT OTH E R R E FE R R AL S SAY ABOUT M E : They would say I’m very professional with a nice personality and easy to work with. I’m a very versatile entertainer and flexible when I need to be. I do what I say I’ll do and have never missed an event, not to mention I’m always early. Clients are always happy! FU N NY WE DDING M OM E NT: A favorite memory was when the bride and groom did a last minute change to their speeches. The bride and groom were at the podium saying their thank yous to there guests and they invited the best man and maid of honor to join them. After they approached, the bride and groom mentioned how in their early days, the bride and maid of honor were moderate drinkers compared to the other two. So as planned, a catering server brought up two very small glasses (about 3 inches tall) filled with champagne for the bride and maid of honor. Likewise, the groom and best man were rather known for there drinking. So after a brief explanation, the server brought them their champagne glasses. They were each handed a glass that stood 20 inches tall and full to the brim. The funniest part was watching the best man do his speech while handling that super tall glass and making about ten toasts to various occurrences and people.

LOVING SE NTIM E NTAL MOM E NT: Nothing specific, but I do enjoy listening to young children or elderly family members give great well-wishes on the microphone. I also recall sentimental wedding moments where we played the well-wishes of loved ones from those who could not make it to the wedding.

SPECIAL IN S IDE R TALE NT: I do sing, play the drums & snap my fingers really fast and loud and I don’t mind being asked to do the opening prayer.

WHAT K IN D OF FB M E M B E R AR E YOU? I suppose you might say I’m mostly passive - sometimes active because I do check it mostly everyday - but I don’t post silly, meaningless thoughts all day long. I post what I consider to be news-worthy items with event pictures or details about upcoming events.

ROCK ST R EET PRODUCT IONGA RY ME Y ER , OW N ER

Web: www.rockstreetprod.comPhone: 808. 386-3981Email: gary@rockstreetprod.comFB: www.facebook.com/rockstreetprod

Wedding Spotlight : Rock Street Production

E N T E R TA I N M E N T D I S C J O C K E Y S

SPOTLIGHTI B EGAN MY B USIN E SS B ECAUSE :

Actually, I began my business for a number of rea-sons. At the time (April 2001), I was in the US Air Force and needed to officially start a business to take on a side job hosting the karaoke show at a lo-cal bar on Saturdays, the Long Board Bar. By then I had been DJing for special events for about 13 years. It was a pretty smooth transition and it just seemed right to go back to doing entertainment. So while I was starting a business, why not include weddings, as I had experience with those too. Even-

As with all matters of the heart: It is important to do your best and always put yourself in your clients’ shoes.tually, I transitioned fully to the entertainment indus-try, doing it full time and having a particular love for it. Currently, I book weddings and other events though my company and also work with other entertainment companies that I partner with. Life is good.

I G ET IN SPIR E D WH E N : I think about how I get to be such an important part of people’s lives at such high-lights of their lives, weddings, vacations, birthdays. Movies and sometimes songs also inspire me.

G R E ATE ST DE SIR E : To do God’s work as a commu-nicator, a public speaker, an entertainer or just be an inspiration in some way to those I encounter.

WE AKN E SS : Personal weaknesses might include a chocolate desert, a warm-hearted pretty girl’s smile, or a family member or a good friend asking for a fa-vor, but not necessarily in that order.

CONTRIB UTION S: I’ve regularly contributed to my church as a musician. I also provide a sound system, video projection or karaoke party whenever they ask

me to. I’ve also recently been donating DJ services to a wonderful team of talented dancers and promotion-al speakers as we tour around Oahu’s high schools and middle schools with an anti-drug/anti-violence assembly.

FAVORITE CHARITIE S : Catholic Charities, HIS (Insti-tute for Human Services)

HOW MANY YE ARS IN B USIN E SS? 24 years as a DJ, 20 years in the wedding industry.

HOW MANY WE DDINGS A YE AR? 20 to 30

WHY SHOU LD A B RIDE OR VE N DOR WOR K WITH

YOU? A bride and groom should choose a professional like me as I have a great deal of experience doing events and take pride in knowing how to warmly represent them on the microphone. I also bring a lot of fresh ideas to make every wedding more entertaining.

3 TH INGS I 'M G R ATE FU L FOR :

1. My wonderful family

Rock Street Production (Continued)...

SPOTLIGHT

2. My supporting friends and associates3. My God-given drive, talents, skills, opportunities and adventures

10 TH INGS PEOPLE DON ' T KNOW ABOUT M E :

1. I’m a practicing Roman Catholic since birth2. I’ve been playing the drums since age 83. I had been in the US Air Force for more than 10 years4. I was a pretty good artist as a kid and even now5. I have a big family who still lives in Ohio6. I’ve personally met Rob Schneider, MC Hammer, Shaun T, Chef Emeril Lagasse, Glenn Mederios, DJ Kool, Christopher West, Mike Mangione, Miss Hawaii USA 2006, Radasha Ho'ohuli, Melveen Leed, Linda Lingle, Fiji, Tiny Tadani, Ben Gutierrez, Frank Delima, Andy Bumatai, Augie T7. I still occasionally do events with Kut Master Spaz, Ben Vegas, Maila Gibson, Dave Dunaway of Imua, Da Braddahs, and Gregg Hammer8. Some call me Super G9. I’m a great driver but I would definitely increase Hawaii’s speed limits.10. I’m a pretty good photographer and videographer

I WANT TO : Be more active (sporty)

I L IKE : People - kind, energetic, creative, understanding people

FAVORITE FOOD/M E AL: Pizza and any Mexican food

DE SSE RTS : Ice Cream, definitely ice cream

CAN DY: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups then M&Ms, then Kit Kat, Snickers, Milky Way…

COLOR : As an artist, it’s difficult to choose just one color because I have color preferences for many different things. But I think that variations of blue are the one color that always caught my eye the most.

WAY I R E L A X: I like to chill out to movies and TV comedies.

3 WAYS I IN SP IR E MYSE LF: Watch movies, listen to music & attend events

Your Amazing Wedding with Gary Meyer and Rock Street Productions

FAVORITE PEOPLE : My parents, Partner Entertainers, Return Clients

FAVORITE TIM E PE RIOD : E Maybe 80s (but not by much)

IF I COU LD GO BACK /FORWAR D IN T IM E - I would want to go to: Witness any part of Jesus’ life.

I LOVE : Kids (especially my nephews and nieces), my heart just melts for them.

I DON ’ T L IKE : Disrespect, Profanity and Violence

I HATE IT WH E N : When people don’t use turn signals. When the ice cream is all gone.

M OVIE : “Pirates of the Caribbean” series

SU PE R H E RO : Bridezilla! …just kidding guys

MOM E NT IN L IFE : When I won a car at my high school prom

FAMILY: Mine is a large family from large families, six brothers and sisters and lots of cousins

FAVORITE P OSSE SSION : My drum set

W W W. DE ST I N AT ION W E DDI NG S H I .CO M

LE T ’ S PL ANYOUR WEDDING! !

M ON – SAT 10A M TO 6PM

S U N 10A M TO 4 PM

C LOS E D DA I LY: 12N OON TO 1PM

A PP O I NTM E NT S N E E DE D F OR GOWN TRY- ON S

W W W. H AWA I I PR I NC E S S B R I DE S .CO M | W W W. PR I NC E S S B R I DE SCOS M E T IC S .CO M | 12 21 K A P IO L AN I B LV D. S U ITE 102 , H ON O LU LU , H AWA I I 96 814

H I BR IDES !

W E K N OW TH AT YO U H AV E M A N Y W E D D I N G

PL A N N E R S , W E D D I N G COO R D I N ATO R S , TR AV E L

AG E N C I E S TO C H OO S E F RO M TO H E L P YO U

PL A N YO U R D R E A M W E D D I N G .

W H E N YO U C H OO S E D E S T I N AT I O N W E D D I N G S

H AWA I I TO WO R K W ITH , W E B ECO M E

FA M I LY A N D “ YO U R” D R E A M S A N D GOA L S

B ECO M E “O U R” D R E A M S A N D GOA L S . TRY U S !

I N Q U I R E A BO UT O U R E X PO S PE C I A L !

I R E N E@ D E S T I N AT I O N W E D D I N G S H I .CO M

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W W W. D E S T I N AT I O N W E D D I N G S H I .CO M

PH OTO G R A PH Y BY:F E R N A N D O H E R ZE R

W W W. DE ST I N AT ION W E DDI NG S H I .CO M

M ON – SAT 10A M TO 6PM

S U N 10A M TO 4 PM

C LOS E D DA I LY: 12N OON TO 1PM

A PP O I NTM E NT S N E E DE D F OR GOWN TRY- ON S

I N QU I R E A BOUT W E D D I N G GOW N R E NTA L S !

PH ON E : 8 0 8 . 592 . 8 8 8 8

E M A I L : I N F O@ H AWA I I PR I NC E S S B R I DE S .CO M

W W W. H AWA I I PR I NC E S S B R I DE S .CO M | W W W. PR I NC E S S B R I DE SCOS M E T IC S .CO M | 12 21 K A P IO L AN I B LV D. S U ITE 102 , H ON O LU LU , H AWA I I 96 814

“S O F T“S O F TVIN TAG EIN TAG EL O O K S”

we began our business because: i havea passion for entertaining and creatingamazing parties. i love it when every detailcomes together and love the idea of usingspace to create an atmosphere that peoplecan have fun in. i've been designing ele-gant and over the top parties my entire life,wedding planning came naturally. mean-while erika is amazing with details, she isthe ultimate organizer and budget planner,together we are the perfect team ~Nicole

we get inspired when: the bride and groom have a clear ideaof what they want their wedding to look like or the experiencethey want their guests to have, but they don't know how to bring itall together. this excites us because we can pull all of their mis-matched ideas together to create a unified vision they can bothfall in love with. the bride loves penguins and the groom lovesgangnam style, no problem:) we love bringing our couples per-sonalities into their weddings. it's what we’re really good at.

what's our favorite saying: "cheers to your best day ever!"

funny wedding moment: in one of our weddings the bride andgroom had a pet chicken named "pinky". pinky was supposed towalk down the isle following a trail of grapes thrown by the flowergirl, however, pinky got overwhelmed on the day of the weddingwith all the people and refused to go down the isle. nicole downon her knees tried to nonchalantly chase pinky down the isle.the attempt did not work... but nicole di d manage to get theflower girl back on track and everyone thought it was funny, in-cluding the bride & groom.

3 things we’re grateful for:1. love. 2. our supportive and loving husbands.3. the opportunity to do what we love.

favorite food/meal: bacon cheese fries. or anything withbacon or anything with cheese. ~Erika

pets: nicole has a golden retriever named cally, erikahas no pets, but her two girls keep her plenty busy!

way we relax: spend a lazy afternoon at the beach.

we love: meeting new couples, getting to know them and learn-ing about how they met and got engaged.

why should a bride or vendor work with you? we arecompletely dedicated to our couples and the success of everywedding we are a part of. our couples become our family.

favorite people: my kids - they drive me nuts sometimes, butthey are my world - they laugh at all my jokes, think i'm the bestsinger ever, and they give the best hugs! ~Erika

contributions / favorite charities: share the aloha is a wed-ding flower donation charity we started about a year ago. wedonate left over wedding florals to senior care homes around theisland including island care home, hale nohea, the plaza atpunchbowl, and manoa senior care. we also visit kapiolanimedical center (children’s cancer floor). we found that many

wedding flowers are often left behindespecially head table pieces, archpieces and other non-centerpiecearrangements. we started share thealoha so we could bring these flowersto those who could really use a smile.seeing the flowers go full circle is ab-solutely amazing and is something welove to do. we spend time visiting

with the seniors and often take photos to show the bride andgroom afterwards. most flowers are re-cut and re-vased before itgoes out to the senior care homes. recently our share thealoha program got featured in pacific edge magazine! the costis free, contact nicole or erika to schedule a pick-up.

how many years in business? we have been planning eventsand weddings for over 12 years, however, we did not officiallybegin best day ever until about 2 years ago.

how many weddings a year? 12-25

how many weddings last year? 14

how many weddings overall? too many to count

1 love: the wedding ceremony, there is this moment that every-thing feels right and you can just feel the love between the bridein groom.

we dont like: traffic

3 ways i inspire myself: 1. looking through design books. 2. browsing through wedding blogs and pinterest. current fa-vorites are oncewed, ruffled, pacific weddings and of coursestyle me pretty. 3. watching engagement videos on youtube.

Best Day Ever HawaiiHawaii’s Premiere Wedding Planning & Event Design Teamnicole salmoiraghi & erika uegawachi, owners

web: www.BestDayEverHawaii.comphone: (808) 561-1957 or (808) 386-4795e-mail: dropaline@bestdayeverhawaii.com

facebook: www.facebook.com/hawaii.wedding.plannertwitter: bestdayever808blog: www.bestdayeverhawaii.wordpress.com

Photo: Jenna Clark, www.CreatrixPhotography.com

what other referrals say about me:

"the wedding day i felt like a queen!! everything was perfect!!erika and nicole was very professional and had everything soperfect... they were everywhere! helping with the bridal party,the groomsmen, the vendors setting everything up and of coarseme, the bride :) it was our "best day ever!" ~Sandy T. via yelp

"the wedding was perfect. everything we had pictured and withthe extra details and design package they suggested, it waseven better than we had dreamed. we got nothing but goodcompliments from our guest saying it was one of the better wed-dings they had attended and it was all because nicole and erikahad the skills to pull it off. so very glad we found them. it was thebest day ever! ~Micah R. via yelp

"Just a story to illustrate how nicole and erika went the extra milefor us: on the day of the wedding, as i was getting ready, wecould not find my wedding shoes. they were blue flats that weresupposed to be my "something blue." not only did erika offerher own slippers for the time being, but then they somehowfound time during that hectic pre-ceremony period to buy cuteblue slippers for our beach ceremony. throughout the lead upand during the ceremony and reception, nicole and erika han-dled every request of ours patiently and expertly. we really feltwe were in good hands from the get-go, and this allowed myselfand my husband to relax and enjoy the wedding. both stayeduntil the end of the reception, and we were just so happy withtheir help. in sum, nicole and erika were kind problem solversthroughout, and invaluable. go with best day ever! they did anamazing job!" ~Tasha W. via yelp

10 things people don't know about us:

1. we love to eat. we are not “salad” type of girls. note the“bacon and cheese” quote from erika.

2. we are obsessed with details. we truly believe it is all aboutthe details when it comes to weddings. personalization is key.

3. we are both organization and clean freaks. everything mustbe organized and put in it’s specific place. when things getmessy we get grouchy. we actually find joy in cleaning.

4. we are both perfectionists and over achievers. we will stay upall hours of the night to make sure all details are perfect.

5. erika labels everything. it’s part of the organization thing iguess. i wouldn’t be surprised if she labels the pb&j sandwichsfor her girls before school.

6. we were both president of our elementary schools. this is ac-tually how we first met, at leadership camp in 6th grade.

7. nicole is a trained graphic designer and actually spent thefirst part of her career as an art director. best day ever offersgraphic and design pkgs. at a killer price for their couples be-cause of this.

8. we both played in a kickball league called 808 sports lastyear, our winning team: “the hotpockets!”

9. we both really love what we do and are still completely in-spired by the notion of creating your “best day ever” on themost special day of your life - your wedding. we know how rareit is to find “the one” and we always feel it to be an honor to be apart of such a magical moment.

10. we get to be very connected to our couples by the time theweddings come around and often get emotional at the cere-monies. erika is usually crying by the time they say “i do”.

weakness: saying no.

hobbies: haven't had time to do so in a while, but i love to sewor build things by hand. ~Erika

people say we look like: each other. people always ask us ifwe're sisters. we have even been asked twice if we were twins.we are neither, just good friends and business partners.

why should people care about "what" you are before theyunderstand who you are?" we actually think the two comehand in hand. "what" a person is can often be a generalizedterm, while "who" a person is speaks of their character anddepth.

as with matters of the heart: i know this sounds corny, butwe are still touched by how special each wedding day is andabsolutely feel it should be nothing less than your “best dayever”.

W E D D I N G S P O T L I G H T: E V E N T P L A N N E R S SPOTLIGHTW E D D I N G S P O T L I G H T: E V E N T P L A N N E R S

Photo: Shawn Fields, www.BlackTieCinema.com