Featured Wedding - Jaime and Peter

I had a wonderful time planning the wedding with my Canadian couple, Jaime and Peter. They are such a fun and laid back couple. When Jaime told me that her New Year's Eve wedding was going to be all black and white, I got really excited because I have always wanted to do a black and white wedding on Mau`i.


FLORALS: Bella Bloom. LINENS & LIGHTING: Pacific Event Group. PHOTOS: Bill Stockwell. RENTALS: Pacific Isle Rentals.

Jaime's parents spend 6 months out of a year here on the island. There was no better place to have this lovely wedding than at the lawn and pool deck of their house in Wailea. They are such a wonderful family. Jaime wore a beautiful Vera Wang gown and Peter was in his stunning Georgio Armani suit. Everything was perfect from the flowers to the decor to even the weather. It was still pouring even the night before the wedding!

Congratulations, Jaime and Peter! All the best to both of you and hope to see you again here in Hawai`i or in Vancouver!

The Couture Couple Contest

I just received a press release from my wonderful friends in the bay area - Maria Chang of Professional Makeup Artistry, and Jennifer Skog of Jennifer Skog Photography. They are offering a Valentine's Day giveaway for couples in any market nationwide. Here are the details:

DETAILS

A full-day stylized photo shoot with Jennifer Skog and hair and makeup design by Maria Chang of Professional Makeup Artistry. The Shoot includes up to 3 different looks and an opportunity for a Couple Boudoir in the bedroom.

REQUIREMENTS

In about 1,000 words share your love story. The most romantic story will be the winner and will be announced on Friday, February 20th. Jennifer Skog Photography will not actually be picking the winner; a carefully chosen panel of colleagues will judge the stories.

WHO CAN ENTER

Everyone! This contest is not limited to California residents – they will actually go to any location nationwide to do the shoot!

HOW TO ENTER
Email submissions to: seduction@jenniferskog.com
Please include 1 or 2 of your favorite photos together (1000 px max).
As well as your name, city, state and email address.

CONTEST DEADLINE
Valentine's Day (February 14th) at 12:00 Midnight!

Best of luck to everyone!

"Gung Hei Fat Choi"!

I am very excited to celebrate the Year of the Ox with my family in Toronto this year. I haven't seen them for over a year now and it's been ages since I have spent the Chinese New Year holiday with them, plus my brother (who lives and works in Hong Kong) will also be there. I am beyond thrilled and I can't wait to eat some GREAT Chinese food! :)

With that said, I am flying out to Winter Wonderland today and will be there till February 8th. I will have limited access to emails and hopefully will have some time to update this blog while I am all bundled up!

I am glad that the temperature has gone up a little. It was freezing there last week: -17C (1.4F) and -30C (-22F) with windchill. Brrrrrr.... For someone who's used to wearing tank tops and flip flops in the winter months, that's DEFINITELY more than I can handle! But I love snow in the winter, so I guess that's the sacrifice! I am sure it's beautiful there... will post some photos soon! :)

Photo Credit: Daily Dose of Imagery

Photo Credit: Events by Evonne

A Great Day

What a historical day... a man of color becomes the 44th President of the United States today, and it happens that yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr.'s Day. If Martin Luther King is still alive, he would be so happy and proud to see that his dream of racial equality finally comes true. And only 60 years ago, people of color — blacks, Hispanics, Asians — were still discriminated against in many ways.


Here in Hawai`i, we all love the Obama family. We are very excited to see new changes within our country and for the rest of the world. We know it's a tough time now for Barack to take office, but we are hopeful and we have faith in him and his administration that things will get better. It obviously won't happen overnight, but I know things have to get better and if we can all do just a little bit to help make this a better country and a better world, then hopefully there will be less violence and hatred. I am very proud to be an American. God Bless America!

Contest - Win 2 FREE tickets to the Movie-Me Seminar!

For all of you San Francisco bay area couples, today is your lucky day... well, actually for the next 2 weeks! Between January 19th and February 1st, you will have the opportunity to win 2 FREE tickets to the "Movie-Me" do-it-yourself wedding video seminar (valued at $98)! Please leave a comment on this blog post or send me an email and give a short explanation as to why I should select you as the winner of this contest. I will announce the winner here on this blog on February 2nd.

Here are the details of the seminar:

"Movie-Me" is presented by Chuck and Jewel Savadelis of Savadelis Films, an award-winning husband-and-wife team who are outstanding presenters with an engaging and lively style, who draw from their experience as wedding cinematographers and their long-time avocation as avid movie buffs.

Have you ever seen a really bad DIY wedding movie before with shakey footage, poor sound/audio quality with no editing whatsoever? This 4-hour informative, fun seminar will teach you how to DIY a wedding video the RIGHT way, in which a professional videographer will be filming a series of enactments of a ceremony, entrance into the reception, toasts, cake cutting and first dance. Attendees will see on a screen in real time what is being filmed, with narration of the right and wrong way to do it. There will also be a demonstration of how to edit.


This seminar is perfect for the brides and grooms and their friends who (1) will shoot and/or edit the wedding; or (2) are going to edit the wedding that a professional videographer shoots, or (3) will shoot and edit Fri and Sun activities (a professional videographer shoots the wedding).

Attendees will come away with: 5 common mistakes and how to avoid them, 5 ‘must have’ shots at the ceremony and 5 ways to make the video interesting. Easy tips and tricks will also be discussed, such as the single most important tip of how to frame an image, 4 ways to hold a camera steady, how to record sound and how to choose the best (unobtrusive) angles.

This is a great way to learn by seeing a professional do it than by reading a book, plus it will be a fun experience. What better way to spend a nice Sunday afternoon?! So what are you waiting for? Sign up now! For $49 per person, you cannot find a much better deal than that. On top of that, you can win a Flip video camera by entering the drawing online at www.movie-me.com. No purchase necessary and attendance is not required.

Again, here are the details:

WHERE: Julia Morgan Ballroom at the Merchants Exchange Club
465 California Street, 15th Floor, San Francisco, CA
WHEN: Sunday, March 22, 2009 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
MORE INFO: www.movie-me.com
QUESTIONS: info@movie-me.com

Wedding Magazine Galore!

I love reading wedding books and magazines, and to be a good planner and designer, I need to keep up with the latest trends and designs. There are so many publications out there, but I am excited to say that I have added 2 more to my "favorite list"!

SAN FRANCISCO BRIDES
Thanks to my wonderful friend, Jewel Savadelis of Savadelis Films in San Francisco, I received a copy of the premiere issue of this magazine in the mail a few days ago. It is published by the same folks at the SAN FRANCISCO magazine (also one of my "must reads")! This magazine is chock-full of ideas for location, invitation, gifts, dresses, accessories... and it has an event calendar detailing all of the wedding-related events that are happening in the San Francisco bay area. An absolute beautiful magazine!

WEDDINGS UNVEILED

This magazine is geared toward Southern weddings. I absolutely love the colors, the look and feel and the decor of these romantic nuptials. All of the real weddings are very inspiring and it's very refreshing to see so many talented vendors in the Southern states - definitely an overall well put together magazine.

Casual Dining @ Matteo's

My clients always ask me for casual dining suggestions and recommendations during their wedding week here on Mau`i. Matteo's Pizzeria in Wailea is one of my favorites. They have a pretty extensive menu from appetizers to salads to pastas to pizzas to desserts...

Tonight, my hubby and I went there for dinner and we ordered a 10-inch Meat-Lovers pizza and a Spaghetti Bolognese to share. They were delicious and we were so stuffed. Their prices were also very reasonable. It's definitely worth putting on your dining list!

SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE
Spaghetti pasta, veal, pork, beef, tomato ragu, sans parmesan cheese

10" MEAT-LOVERS Pizza
Margherita pizza with ham, bacon, sausage, pepperoni, green peppers and black olives, sans cheese

Photo Credit: Events by Evonne

Christine and Jay's Scouting Trip

I had a fabulous couple of days with my San Francisco couple, Christine and Jay. They are so easy going, fun and we really had a great time together on their scouting trip. Christine and I have very similar personalities, so I know we are going to get along really well and have tons of fun planning the wedding together. And Jay is just super laid back and cool with a great sense of humor. They make such a great couple!

During one of our site visits, we were talking and I told them how much I love taking photos of food because I love to eat! That evening when they were at dinner, they took a photo of the pizza and wine that they had and they texted me the link to view the picture. They did the same thing the next night... how cute! :)

It was a very productive trip. We looked at most of the private estates, had a food tasting and a few cake tastings. Hopefully when they get home this weekend, they will have a much better idea on their location as well as their date. I am looking forward to their wedding this Fall!

Holiday cards from clients

I meant to post this at the beginning of the year but didn't get a chance to take the photo until now.

It's always a treat for me when I hear from my past clients, and it's especially nice to see their wedding photos gracing the cover of their holiday cards! I never get sick of looking at them! Hopefully this will give my 2009 clients the idea for their holiday cards this year!

Photo Credit: Events by Evonne

Welcome/Rehearsal Dinner @ Tommy Bahama Cafe

My hubby received a $50 gift card in the mail from Tommy Bahama a few months back, and the expiration date on the gift card was this past Saturday. So our plan was if he couldn't find anything he liked in the store, we would have lunch at the Cafe instead. We went to the one at Shops at Wailea. Now based on the pictures below, you know what we ended up using the gift card for! But the question of "Why would they send him a gift card?" remains a mystery.

His reasoning was because he spent quite a significant amount at their store at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto 3-1/2 years ago for all of his groomsmen gifts. But that was 3-1/2 years ago. Why would they wait so long to send him a "Thank You" gift card? Hmmm... Maybe it took them this long to track us down and finally realize that we have relocated to Mau`i? :) Who knows?!

Mango Iced Tea

Sour Dough Bread

SOUTH SEAS SCALLOP SLIDERS
Two sauteed jumbo sea scallops served between mini buns with Asian slaw,
roma tomatoes, fresh basil, chipotle aioli all topped with crispy "Tobacco" onions

ARUBA ARUGULA SALAD
Caribbean cracker-meal seared jumbo shrimp and scallops on a bed of fresh baby arugula,
tossed with tamarind vinaigrette. Garnished with sliced papaya and chopped peanuts

SABA STEAK SALAD

Marinated and char-grilled tenderloin medallions, served over a bed of fresh mixed greens,
tossed with tamarind vinaigrette. Garnished with grilled potatoes, vine-ripened roma tomatoes, shiitake chips and garlic aioli

Photo Credit: Events by Evonne

Anyhow, the food at their Cafe was excellent. The service was wonderful and it's at a great location. If you are thinking of having a welcome dinner or a rehearsal dinner on the south side of Mau`i, you should definitely consider the Tommy Bahama Cafe. Or even if you want to do just a bridal party luncheon, it will be a great spot for that as well.

P.S. These pictures were taken with my new Canon lens 50mm f/1.4 USM!

2009 Internship Opportunities

Recently, we have been approached by a few college students asking about internship opportunities at Events by Evonne. As our 2009 wedding season is fast approaching, it's time to start the search and the interviews.

If you are interested in wedding/event management and have what it takes to work in a fast paced, high pressure environment, please email your cover letter and resume by February 28th to evonne@eventsbyevonne.com. We do not accept any applications by phone. Please see details below:

We are looking for two to three qualified candidates to assist us throughout our 2009 season. I will begin interviewing those who qualify starting in March.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintain communication between team and vendors
• Assure effective coordination during the event
• Assist in set up, facilitate both ceremony and reception alongside a team member
  

EXPERIENCE & REQUIREMENTS

• College junior or senior in a related field preferred
• Strong organizational and leadership skills
• Excellent interpersonal communication and phone skills
• Must be a dependable proactive team player who is able to multi-task and think on their feet
• Must be detail oriented and work well under pressure
• Must be energetic, fun, with a positive attitude
  
• Previous event experience a plus
  

COMPENSATION, HOURS & LOCATION

• This is a part time, non-paid internship
• Hours will vary by event (mostly on the weekends and some weekdays/weeknights)
• Most events are on Mau`i where we are based, but we travel throughout the Hawaiian islands (any costs relating to travel to the neighbor islands if necessary will be covered)
  

Events by Evonne's New Assistant

After months of searching, I have finally found my new assistant and here he is, hard at work and reading all of my brides' emails!

Please join me in welcoming Sheldon to the team, and if you have any questions on your wedding, please feel free to email Sheldon and I... we will take very good care of you!

Photo Credit: Evonne's hubby!

Here is Sheldon after a VERY long day at work!

Thirsty, anyone?

With the warm weather we have here in Hawai`i all year round, it's nice to offer your guests some lemonade or cucumber water as soon as they arrive, especially if the ceremony and the reception are at the same location. Yes, your guests can certainly help themselves with a bottled water or canned iced tea in a tub, but there is nothing like having these refreshing drinks served in a cute glass jar! And it's also the little details that your guests will always remember about your wedding! :)

Southern Weddings Magazine

Our friends over at Southern Weddings Magazine have just launched the premiere issue today. Congrats, ladies! I know every page is going to be fabulous and full of amazing ideas. I just hope I will be able to find it here on Mau`i! The cover photo is by none other than the talented Jose Villa!

You can find the magazine at retail outlets such as - Army & Air Force, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, Bi-Lo, Brookshire, Grocery, Bruno's Supermarket, Fiesta Markets, Food Lion, Gerlands Food Fair, Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Homeland Supermarkets, Lowes Marketplace, New Center, Niemann Foods, Piggly Wiggly-Carolina, Publix, Rice Rood Market, Rouse's Supermarket, Safeway Rand-Thumb, Super S Food, Sweet Bay/Kash N Karry, Target, United Supermarkets and Winn Dixie.

Photo Credit: Jose Villa

iWedding app for iPhone

Serendipity App Company recently introduced their new iWedding application for the iPhone. For $7.99, you get a comprehensive tool to help you organize all the decisions that you make for one of the most important days of your life.

On the home screen, there is your Top 5 To-Do List in addition to the countdown to your wedding day:

Other features include:

• Full integration with Contacts/AddressBook - Giving direct application access to Telephone, Email and Address information and applications
• Recording of extensive information including times, dates, deposits, total costs for many areas, including: venues, flowers, transport, catering, favors and even the honeymoon
• A To-do List (which can be expanded with custom To-dos)
• Budget Planning (which can be expanded with custom expenditure)
• Guest List Planning - All Day and Just the Evening, including custom Meal Preferences
• Seating Arrangements (up to 40 tables)
• Summaries available On Screen and as customized Email
• Suggestions for First Dance Songs and even Gift Registries
  

This app is only good for one wedding and is more geared toward the bride and the groom. I wish they can create one for professional planners! :)

The Wedding University

The Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley in East Palo Alto, California, is going to host the First Annual Wedding University. According to their press release, "The Wedding University is an educational seminar that provides brides with the tools and resources they need to plan their ideal wedding. The Wedding University is an all day affair taking place on Sunday, February 8, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

"Brides will enjoy the sounds of a harpist while wine tasting and menu sampling from the culinary team at Four Seasons and roaming models will provide a preview of the current season’s wedding gown trends. They will also have the opportunity to attend a variety of presentations from top wedding planners, acclaimed designers and celebrated photographers who will share their secrets for planning a successful and memorable event.

"Attendees of The Wedding University at Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley will be able to select from a variety of presentation topics and educational seminars, including the following:

• Secrets of designing a beautiful and personalized wedding
• The impact of music at a wedding and first dance instruction
• What to consider with photography and videography
• How to select the perfect wedding gown and accessories
• Learning to manage a wedding budget and event flow
• Keys to designing a delectable wedding menu

'We know that planning a wedding is no small task,' says Kelly Nelson, Director of Marketing at Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley. 'The Wedding University will undoubtedly be the premier resource for the upper tier of wedding services in one place at one time. We hope to make wedding planning easier and more enjoyable for brides by providing the tools they need for a truly remarkable event.'

"Brides-to-be will have access to the region’s most celebrated wedding professionals, who will be available to answer questions and provide helpful tips to ease the planning process. Guests of The Wedding University will also be entered into a contest with the chance to win a honeymoon stay at a luxurious Four Seasons Hotel and they will depart Four Seasons with a goody bag assortment of items from top wedding vendors.

"Valet Parking will be available at Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley at a discounted rate for guests. Tickets for the event are $25.00 for one guest and $40.00 for two guests. To purchase tickets, please click here or call Cassie Conching at (650) 470–2894."

Sneak Peek of Jaime & Peter's wedding

Happy New Year! Yesterday's New Year's Eve wedding in Wailea was unbelievable and it was such a gorgeous day after almost a week of rain. We couldn't have asked for a better day and everyone had such a wonderful time. Thanks to all who did the "sun dance" for me! It worked! :)

Here is a sneak peek of the fabulous black and white decor that I took with my brand new DSLR camera (please click on the photos for larger view). Stayed tuned for the professional photos by Bill Stockwell of Photos on Maui, and Matthew Alvarado of Beloved Weddings!

The lounge and cocktail area

Beautiful chandeliers

One of the lovely centerpieces

Black & white napkin with personalized menu on a black square charger

Place setting for each guest

Amazing table setting for 52 guests

Awesome view of the ocean from the dining area

Photo Credit: Events by Evonne