Paia Garden

This is a beautiful ocean side property. It has a spacious lawn area with direct beach access overlooking the north shore and a portable stage which is perfect for wedding ceremonies, receptions, luaus, family reunions, company parties or any type of event.

Paia Garden is the perfect location for those who want an outdoor event right by the waterfront.

If you are interested in booking this location for your wedding or event, please visit Events by Evonne, LLC or send me an email.

"Centerpiece of the Week"

There is just something about flowers that are submerged in a glass cylinder. It's very simple yet very elegant. If you have a few of them with different heights, it gives a lot of dimension to the table. You can choose to have all the same type of flowers or different ones with the same color, just like the photo above. Some couples like to add a floating candle on top, but a few votives on the table will give that dramatic feel.

Beautiful Makena Estate

The Sugarman Estate (Honua Kai Lani) is my favorite private estate on South Maui. It's a 3-acre oceanfront property in Makena, with the main house and a large lawn and gazebo for weddings up to 150 guests. There is so much you can do in terms of the wedding decor and flowers. It's an absolutely breathtaking property. So far I have one wedding scheduled there in August and another one in September and I can't wait. I just did a site visit there a few days ago and Ted, the caretaker, was really nice. I'd love to book this estate more often.

If you are interested in booking this location for your wedding or event, please visit Events by Evonne, LLC or send me an email.

Christine and Peter's Wedding

Photo Credit: Michelle Warren Photography

Congratulations, Christine and Peter! Christine and I were in the same MBA program together back in San Francisco. She met Peter 3 years ago at a party, but the funny thing was their mutual friends set them up 2 months after their meeting, and they have been inseparable since then.

They got married on Sunday, December 16, 2007 at Avila Beach in Central California. Their wedding looks like one of those that you see in the Martha Stewart wedding magazines. The lovely orange and green made a great accent to all the clean and crisp white linens and chair covers. Don't you just love the "Sweet Treats"?

"Centerpiece of the Week"

If you plan to have a long table at your reception, it's best if your centerpieces are of different heights. That way, it will give more depth to the table and your guests across from each other will be able to enjoy their conversations much better without the centerpieces obstructing their view.

You can also add more colors to the decor by wrapping the vases in your wedding colors, and/or choosing table linen and napkin colors that will complement your wedding colors.

Angela's Scouting Trip

Photo Credit: Richard Pecjak

Today, I had such a great time with Angela, my bride from O`ahu. She flew in to Mau`i just for the day to check out the Pua Le'a Estate (Haiku Mill) and we also had 4 photographer's meetings. I picked her up at the airport at 10:00 am and we had meetings back-to-back till 7:00 pm when I dropped her back off at the airport. Jeff, her fiance, had to work and couldn't make it out.

Whew... it was a long day but also a very productive day. She loves the Haiku Mill and it would be a perfect place for her 130-person wedding. This is the 3rd Haiku Mill wedding that I have booked in the last 2 months! More and more people are finding out about this "hidden gem"! It really is a magical place.

Angela will probably be back on Mau`i again next month to check out the other vendors. That's the beauty of planning a "semi-local" wedding where you can come visit and have meetings as often as you want.

Local weddings vs. Destination weddings

Since I moved to Mau`i 2-1/2 years ago, most of the weddings I have done here on the islands were smaller destination weddings. But after Events by Evonne, LLC was opened for business, I have actually booked a few local weddings for 2008 ranging from 130 guests at the Pua Le'a (Haiku Mill) again, to 200 guests at the Honua Kai Lani (Sugarman Estate).

Wow, and I thought my own 100-person island wedding was big... but these are even bigger! It's going to be so much fun and I can't wait to see how the local crowds party compared to those on the mainland, specifically those in San Francisco where I was from.

Congrats, J & T!

You must be wondering why I have a belly shot on my blog. Well, I just found out that one of my previous clients has just given birth to their first son.

As a wedding/event planner, it's music to my ears... that my clients are happily married and creating a beautiful family between them! I am really happy and excited for J and T, and would like to say congratulations. All the best to you both!

"Centerpiece of the Week"

Lately, all of my brides have been thinking about their centerpieces... so I have decided to start a "Centerpiece of the Week" post to give all of you some suggestions. Every week, I will try to post different ideas and hopefully they will inspire you.

This week I have selected a centerpiece with green cymbidiums (my favorite) of course! It's simple yet elegant with all of the beautiful votive candles. Candles can add a lot of romantic ambiance to your table setting! Votives and tealights are the most popular.

Where heaven meets the earth...

Photo Credit: Reve Photography

What an appropriate description for this amazing place on the west side of O`ahu - Lanikuhonua. I was there for a site visit 3 months ago and was completely taken by the beauty of the location. It was totally breathtaking and I was, shall we say, mesmerized!?!

Of the two phases that you can rent out, I definitely like Phase II as it seems to be slightly bigger. There is so much you can do with the space... the possibilities are endless! I can't wait to do a Lanikuhonua wedding next. Maybe I should have my own vow renewal there in a few years!

If you are interested in booking this location for your wedding or event, please visit Events by Evonne, LLC or send me an email.

College Reunion in the UK!

I spent 3 semesters in London during my sophomore year in college, and in July/August 2008 they are going to have their inaugural overseas celebration reunion there. I am very excited to work with one of the organizers to do some of the planning from activities to meals and lodging.

It seems like a lot of my classmates will be able to make the trip and it will be a great opportunity to catch up with them and to meet their spouses and children. I am also thrilled that I am able to do some planning outside of the U.S. Perhaps someday, I can even expand my company to doing weddings in Italy... which is one of my favorite countries in the world!

Favor cookies!

Santa arrived early this year and I got one of the items on my 2007 Christmas Wish List - a KitchenAid Professional HD stand mixer. I have always wanted to offer favor cookies to my clients and now perhaps I can expand my company in that direction! Hmmm... YUM-O!

Maryrose & Mike's Scouting Trip

One of my wedding couples, Maryrose and Mike, were just here on Mau`i for a scouting trip. We had appointments and food tastings with vendors back-to-back every single day. I felt so bad that during their entire 5-day trip, they only had one FREE day to enjoy the beautiful beaches... but at least they got a lot accomplished.

They have selected their venues - Holy Rosary Church in Paia for their ceremony (photo #1 above) and the Pua Le'a Estate for their cocktail and dinner reception (aka the Haiku Mill, photos #2 & 3 above). They have also selected a florist and I think they are very close to choosing their caterer and photographer as well. Once those are done, we can move on to the rest of the planning! Maryrose and Mike are such a great couple, and it's going to be a lot of fun doing their wedding... I can't wait!

Imua 60th Anniversary & Fundraiser

Silent Auction Items

Silent Auction Items

Beef Station

Wine Station

Barefoot Natives (and Willie K's daughter), Kathy Collins and I

Imua Family Services celebrated their 60th Anniversary tonight with a "Barefoot Black Tie - Mau`i Style" Fundraiser at the Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center in Makawao with a wonderful reception, concert and silent/live auctions. I was one of the 15 members on their Committee and 3 of us helped out on the silent auction items.

250 guests attended the gala, which started off with the silent auction, pupus (appetizers) and cocktails. It was followed by a scrumptious buffet dinner catered by Catering from Soup to Nuts. Kathy Collins from Manao Radio was the Mistress of Ceremonies of the evening, and Imua Family Services prepared this heartwarming video which highlights all the wonderful services that they provide for the children with special needs on the islands of Mau`i and Lana`i.

A few items were being auctioned off during the live auction session - Hotel Hana Ocean View Cottage, 7-night package at the Royal Kahana Resort, 4-night package at the Hololani in Ka'anapali, an Oscar Schmidt ukulele and 2 "Dinner for 8" prepared by Catering from Soup to Nuts. Responses for these items were amazing and Imua raised close to $15,000 just on the live auction!

To end this incredible evening, the Barefoot Natives performed for 45 minutes with all the songs from their latest album - "Slack Key Circus". It was a very successful event and all the guests truly enjoyed themselves. Most importantly, Imua Family Services raised enough funds and awareness tonight in order for them to continue to provide early intervention services to Mau`i keikis (children) and their `ohana (families).

Invitations & Stationeries

Photo Credit: Cards de Luxe

This is one of my favorite elements of any wedding or event - invitations and stationeries. Usually, they give your guests the first glimpse of what your event will be like. They totally set the tone and therefore, should be a unique reflection of you and your style.

There are so many ways of printing invitations:

ENGRAVING

Engraving is the most traditional form of invitation printing, and one of the most expensive. Text is etched onto a copper plate, which is then coated with ink and wiped clean, leaving the ink only in the indentations. Soft, high-quality paper is pressed hard against the plate, causing it to deform into the etchings. Result is raised, crisp text. You can tell true engraving by the "bruise" or dent on the back of the paper.

THERMOGRAPHY

Thermography was developed as a less expensive alternative to engraving. The printer uses ink and a powder resin combined with heat to reproduce the raised lettering effect of engraving. The text has a shiny finish and is often said to not be as sharp as engraving.

LETTERPRESS

This old-fashioned technique has become popular again. A letterpress printer presses inked letters or designs into a piece of paper, forming an indented surface. By repeating the process, you can create images with more than one color. Letterpress wedding invitations typically have a vintage or whimsical feel, but they can be designed in more formal styles as well. Many people appreciate the tactile nature of letterpress, although some dislike its lack of crispness.

EMBOSSING

Most often used for small insignias, monograms, or return addresses, this process creates a raised impression on paper by running the paper through two metal sheets. When no ink is used, it is called "blind" embossing. Although a printer can perform this service for you, you can also buy a small embosser with your monogram or return address on the plate, allowing you to create custom stationery in a more affordable way.

OFFSET PRINTING OR LITHOGRAPHY

Most modern printing is offset printing, also known as lithography. From magazines to postcards, this flat style of printing is a familiar one, and appropriate for an informal invitation. Traditionally, an inked image is transferred from an inked plate to a rubber "blanket", which is then passed over the paper. The quality of offset printing can vary greatly, so be sure to look for a printer who can deliver crisp quality and true colors.

I find that the most popular is either letterpress or thermography, but depending on your budget, there is always a printing method for everyone.

Mau`i - the "Best Island in the World"

In the 2007 Conde Nast Traveler Magazine readers poll, Mau`i was named the "Best Island in the World" once again with an overall score of 90.0. Mau`i also surpassed all other top destinations across the globe. It beat the Best Australian City, Sydney, which scored 87.8; the Best U.S. City, San Francisco, 85.5; the Best European City, Florence, 84.8; and the Best Asian City, Bangkok, 82.6.

According to Terryl Vencl, Executive Director of the Mau`i Visitors Bureau: "Mau`i continues to capture the hearts and imagination of visitors from across the globe. Our island's amazing natural beauty, cherished host culture and gracious aloha continue to entice and inspire!"

O`ahu, Kaua`i, Lana`i and the Big Island are also named the "Best Pacific Island". No wonder so many couples decide to have a Hawai`i wedding! There are close to 33,000 weddings performed in the state of Hawai`i every year, and destination weddings are getting more and more popular these days. Here at Events by Evonne, LLC, we can help you with all of your planning needs. Give us a call or email us to see what we can do for you.

"Barefoot Black Tie - Mau`i Style" Fundraiser

I have the privilege of being a part of the Planning Committee of Imua Family Services'Barefoot Natives. All proceeds from this event will help children with special needs access necessary therapeutic intervention programs and services.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of this wonderful event and for a great cause, please send me an email at info@eventsbyevonne.com.

Much mahalo for your generous support!

Let's talk flowers!

Photo Credit: Yvonne Floral Design

I didn't learn to appreciate flowers until I started planning weddings and events. They always seem so fragile and they only last such a short period of time. But you just can't have a wedding or an event without them; it will be so boring then! Besides, who doesn't like flowers?

When I work with my clients in choosing flowers for their events, the best way to do it is to select the color scheme and not the specific type of flowers. We are on an island and a lot of the flowers have to be flown in from California, Holland, New Zealand, Ecuador...etc., and therefore, might not always be available. However, the more flexible you are, the better chances that you will end up having the flowers (or at least the colors) that you want. But of course, all of our florists and floral designers will do the best they can to fulfill your dream and vision!