"Centerpiece of the Week"

I just helped my friend Beth with a wedding at the Seawatch Restaurant this past weekend, and they had some lovely centerpieces. It worked really well because the vases were tall enough that guests could talk, plus the vases were clear and only a few orchids were submerged. Then they had some smaller and lower arrangements that added more color to the table. It was absolutely stunning.

Monique Lhuillier China Collection

My favorite wedding gown designer, Monique Lhuillier, has launched a new collection of fine china, stemware, flatware and crystal giftware with one of my favorite English bone china companies, Royal Doulton.

Now, THAT'S a match made in heaven, I'd say! I am not surprised if Monique is going to follow Vera's footstep and start designing lingerie, fragrances, home decor and even mattresses!

Thank you, Nicole & Kristen!

My 2 wonderful, talented friends - Nicole and Kristen made some complimentary notecards for Events by Evonne, LLC. Nicole got the orchid stencil and did her own embossing with my company colors, and Kristen used my company logo and the chartreuse color for her letterpress plates. They all look so lovely that I don't want to use them and just keep them to myself! =)

Kristen has her own stationery business in Washington State - Crybaby Ink and her website should be done very soon!

Thanks so much, Nicole and Kristen! I am so blessed to have friends like you gals. You are the "bestest"! Love you both! =)

Eri and Aris' Scouting Trip on O`ahu

It was so nice meeting with Eri and Aris today. Their wedding is going to be on O`ahu in November 2008. I took an early morning flight out to Honolulu today and spent the entire day with them meeting with vendors and checking out some of the sites. They are such sweethearts and we had so much fun together. Eri and I both have the same taste in terms of flowers and wedding gowns (we picked the same designer)! We are going to have a great time planning the wedding together.

They really like Lanikuhonua and hopefully it will be available on their wedding date. As for photographers, they are definitely going with one of my favorites, Visionari. They are also planning to have a Polynesian show with a few hula dancers and one fire dancer right after their sit-down dinner. It will be such a fun wedding... can't wait to see everything coming together for them.

Oh, and by the way, Happy Valentine's Day!

Ahhh... Linens & Flowers!

Photo Credit: Wildflower Linen

Lately, I am having a blast working with my brides on their linens and flowers. Even if you only have a handful of tables, they add so much color and depth to the table top, and can totally transform your entire event.

My favorite "mainland" linen companies are:

Wildflower Linen
BBJ Linen
Resource One

And here are the different types of linens and fabrics:

BENGALINE
- A fabric with a crosswire rib made from textile fibers (as rayon, nylon, cotton or wool) often in combination.

BICHON
- A fabric with a crinkled silk feel to it.

BROCADE
- A heavy, exquisite jacquard type fabric with an all-over raised pattern or floral design.

DAMASK
- A glass jacquard fabric, usually made from linen, cotten, rayon, silk, or blends. The patterns are flat and reversible.

DUPIONI SILK (my favorite)
- An elegant fabric woven with slubbed yarns, medium weight with a crisp, scrunchy hand, a beautiful luster and uneven texture.

LAMOUR
- A smooth, matte-satin fabric.

ORGANZA
- A crisp, sheer, lightweight plain weave fabric, with a medium to high yarn count commonly made of silk, rayon, nylon, or polyester.

SATIN
- A smooth fabric of silk or rayon; has a glossy face and a dull back.

TAFFETA
- A lustrous, medium weight, plain weave fabric with a slight ribbed appearance in the filling (crosswise) direcction.

"Centerpiece of the Week"

This is a very creative way of utilizing the Chinese lanterns as centerpieces for your reception. Normally you see them being strung on trees for an outdoor wedding, but you can definitely use them indoors as well.

Here you can see that each individual lantern is being supported by this one pole in the center of the centerpiece. It totally transforms the entire ballroom, giving it a very dramatic feel if you have them on every other table. It also adds a lot of colors to the space.

Maui Bridal Fair

For those of you who will be on Mau`i doing a scouting trip during the weekend of March 22 and 23, you should stop by the Maui Bridal Fair. Here are the details:

Date: Saturday, March 22, 2008
Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Place: Maui Tropical Plantation

For more information, please click here.

For directions to the Maui Tropical Plantation, please click here.

Eddy and Julie's Wedding

Photo Credit: Rhee Bevere Photography

Congratulations to my wonderful friends, Eddy and Julie. Eddy and I used to share this nice 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartment in San Francisco. He was doing his 2nd Bachelor degree in Computer Animation while I was doing my MBA in Finance.

Both of our significant others (i.e. Julie and my hubby) would be at our apartment 24/7 as if the 4 of us shared the place. But it was fun 'cuz all of us were in school/grad school full time, so it reminded us of our college days. Julie was going to law school while my hubby was also in the same MBA program as I was. We really had some great times and I couldn't be happier when they announced their engagement.

They are actually one of the success stories of Match.com. They met in March 2002, just one month before I met my hubby, and they finally tied the knot on September 29, 2007 in San Jose, California. The ceremony was at St. Anthony's Church where Julie has been going since she was a little girl, and the lunch reception was at the Mexican Heritage Plaza. They had a full on mariachi band (to honor Eddy's Hispanic heritage) and tons of great food. It was an absolutely beautiful day.

Nina Kuna Hawaii

My friend Nina is a very talented photographer as well as a jewelry designer. She has recently launched her company - Nina Kuna Hawaii and is designing all these custom earrings, necklaces and bracelets for all the lovely ladies and brides.

If you are interested in seeing her designs, please email me.

"Centerpiece of the Week"

Most of my brides LOVE candles as part of their centerpieces, and if you have a lot of them (like the photo above), it will create a romantic feel and ambience for the entire event... not to mention enough lighting for the table itself!

I am usually not a big fan of long, rectangular tables because it makes conversation between guests really difficult, but from the decor standpoint, it's absolutely an event planner's dream because you can do so much with the tables all put together.

Sunnyside Farms

Every time when I drive up to Makawao, I am always fascinated by this beautiful white plantation house and its HUGE manicured lawn. I would ask my husband: "Honey, wouldn't it be nice to do weddings there? Look at that beautiful lawn!"

About 6 to 9 months after I have asked that question, finally the answer is YES! Deb, the owner, showed up at one of the Maui Wedding Association monthly lunch meetings to let all of us know that she is opening her home for weddings and events.

Ideally, it's a perfect location for up to 200 guests, but if the guest count is larger, it will be negotiable. The price includes trash removal, up to 2 "VIP Style" portable toilets, onsite assistance by the owners such as help in directing parking, a Bride & Bridesmaids dressing room with closet and full bath, kitchen available for minimal caterer and cake preparations...

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"

Incorporating a bit of nature in your centerpieces can be quite refreshing, such as the one featured this week. The hanging crystals give a little sparkle at every table setting whether it's a daytime or evening reception, and they balance out all the floral clusters on the branches as well as the planter box at the bottom. A very cute idea for a Spring wedding.

My ad in the Pacific WEDDINGS magazine

Very exciting news. My new ad is finally in the Winter/Spring 2008 issue of the Pacific WEDDINGS magazine, which is distributed nationally, with an annual circulation of 60,000 magazines to major metropolitan cities of California, Hawai`i, New York, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Washington, Illinois, Oregon, and Georgia.

Make sure you pick up a copy at your nearest bookstore!

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!