Dressing up the chairs!

I am constantly thinking of creative ways to tie the chair sashes at my events. It makes such a big difference when you try to tie in the colors of the chair sashes with the rest of the linens and decor. Sometimes, you can even use an accent color to complement your main color...

Photo Credit: Pacific Event Group, Inc.

Photo Credit: Sieber Studio

Photo Credit: Wedding Themes

Photo Credit: Element Studios

Kate and Jeff's O`ahu Scouting Trip

This morning, I flew over to O`ahu to meet up with Kate and Jeff for their scouting trip. Their wedding is in July 2009, but I have been working with them since January 2008 and finally got to meet them in person.

They are such a sweet and fun loving couple from San Francisco - YAY... my hometown! Considering that they are both graphic designers, they are super creative and it just shows in their personality. I can't wait to work with them on their wedding design and decor.

Photo Credit: Polka Dot Photography

We had such a blast today. As soon as they picked me up at the airport, we went to check out Lanikuhonua. The security was tight over there. Rumor has it that this beautiful Hollywood star is going to launch a new fragrance next spring, and she was at Lanikuhonua filming a commercial for that. Apparently, her boyfriend and their 4-month-old baby girl were there as well. Too bad we didn't get a glimpse of them! Bummer!

After the site visit, we spent the rest of the afternoon doing food and cake tasting, and we also met with a photographer. It was a super productive day. Kate and Jeff are actually on the island attending Jeff's cousin's wedding this weekend, so hopefully they will take lots of notes this week.

The 8-hour day went by so fast. By 5 o'clock, they had to drop me back off at the airport to catch my flight back to Mau`i. I really look forward to their wedding next year!

We are listed on the "Alltop Wedding" site!

I was very excited to receive an email this morning from Neenz and Guy at Alltop, that the Events by Evonne blog made it to the list of the "Alltop Wedding" site! It's so cool to be listed among all of my other favorite wedding blogs and sites. Much mahalo!

Alltop is a collection from "all the top" sites on the web in different categories and topics, such as weddings, photography, environment, science, sports, politics, fashion, celebrity... etc. You can think of an Alltop site as a “digital magazine rack” of the Internet. So have fun reading!

Nina Kuna Designs Trunk Show

My wonderful and talented friend Nina of Nina Kuna Designs had her very first trunk show at Macy's - Queen Ka'ahumanu Center yesterday. My hubby and I stopped by to say hello and to show her our support.

Here is a picture of Nina with all of her beautiful designs on the Manzanita branches. What a great idea!?! I think the branches will make great centerpieces at weddings, or you can use them to create a wish tree or seating card tree...

And here is a picture of me with Nina, and her showcase of the new "Wedding" collection. For more information on how to order these one-of-a-kind "Mau`i-made" necklaces, bracelets and earrings, please check out Nina's website link above. They make great wedding gifts or bridesmaid's gifts!


And I am now the proud owner of this pair of Crystal Blue Coral earrings in silver... Thanks, Nina! I love it... it looks absolutely amazing on me! =)

My Wedding Library

Most people know that I LOVE weddings (of course I do), and they have been asking me if I have a "wedding library" at home. As a matter of fact, I do - at my home office. I have a bookshelf full of books, magazines, clients' files as well as all the wedding invitations and favors that I have collected from the weddings that I was a guest at and planned. Very soon, I think I need to replace it with a bigger bookshelf as it's almost running out of space, and the shelving is slightly warping already from the weight of all the books and magazines!

Throughout the years, I have started collecting all these wonderful wedding books and magazines; most of which are my favorites and I'd love to share them with you...

I absolutely love Colin Cowie, Preston Bailey and Martha Stewart. You can always get incredible ideas from them. Vera, the Queen of Wedding Gowns, has this exceptional hardcover book called "Vera Wang on Weddings" (her first and hopefully not her last), that details everything from the blings to the wedding stationery to the ceremony to the bride's bouquet to the toasts... and of course the wedding fashion. It's a must-have for those who are planning a wedding or love weddings as much as I do.

Then, there was Emily Post, the Queen of Etiquette. Even though she has passed on for close to 50 years, her great granddaughter-in-law Peggy Post continues to be the spokeperson for the Emily Post Institute, and she wrote the book on wedding etiquette which is an excellent resource for all of you out there. It details all the do's and don'ts of every part of your wedding from the engagement parties to the invitations to the ceremony.

As for magazines, my 3 favorites are Pacific WEDDINGS, Grace Ormonde and The Bride & Bloom! They are each very different and unique, and have wonderful editorials, photographs and ideas. I can sit at my desk or my couch for days just drooling over these publications. They are amazing resources not just for brides-to-be, but also for wedding planners and designers. Which are your favorites?

Cute maps for your invitations

It was an absolute delight to find a sample of these cute letterpress maps in my mailbox today. It was designed by the talented Stephannie Barba of Couture Maps™ in San Francisco, CA. With the amount of destination weddings that I plan, these maps do come in very handy for my clients as Save-the-Date cards as well as a map insert for their invitations.

Stephannie also designs invitations and other stationery products. Please visit her other website for more details.

As you can tell, I LOVE paper products and I blog about them constantly! =)

Pacific WEDDINGS and "The List"

Yesterday at our wedding association meeting, I received the latest Summer/Fall 2008 issue of one of my favorite wedding magazines - Pacific WEDDINGS. I am delighted to say that Events by Evonne is featured as one of their preferred vendors in their Little Black Book - "The List"!

The magazine will hit the news-stands and major bookstores in July, so keep an eye out for it. As always, it has tons of amazing photos, ads and editorials that will get you inspired.

Fun game with words...

Thanks, Critsey for sending me WORDLE. It's been fun coming up with words that describe my personality as well as Events by Evonne... and this is what I have:

It's a great way to design your save-the-date cards or thank-you notes! Try it out and I promise you that you will be addicted! =)

Inspiration #5

As I was checking my mail the other day, I felt extremely honored when unexpectedly I received a package from celebrity videographer - Brett Culp of The CVP Experience. He has become one of the most respected event video producers in the nation capturing many of the top weddings and luxury events in the world.

Brett has won twenty-four prestigious WEVA (Wedding and Event Videographers Association) awards, and has impressive clients such as Author Tom Clancy, Singer Howie Dorough of The Backstreet Boys, Actress Delta Burke, New York Yankee Johnny Damon, NBA championship player Horace Grant, General Manager of the San Francisco Giants Brian Sabian... and the list goes on and on...

For those of you who are not familiar with Brett and his work, you HAVE to check out his website above. His work is exceptional and as he puts it:

YOU ARE A STORY
CELEBRATE IT
EMBRACE IT
CAPTURE IT
SHARE IT
!IVE IT

Thanks, Brett... for giving me my daily dose of inspiration! I look forward to the opportunity to work with you someday!

Martha Stewart Weddings, Collector's Edition 2008 issue

For the past 2 weeks, I have spent a lot of my free time enjoying the 2008 issue of the Martha Stewart Weddings, Collector's Edition. It's chock-full of amazing ideas for your bouquets, centerpieces, decors, favors, cakes, hors d'oeuvres, drinks, stationery... and so much more. It's a must read for all brides-to-be. I highly recommend it.

Colored Wedding Gowns

Brides are getting more non-traditional these days with their wedding gowns... gowns that are not in the usual white or ivory color palette. It's actually quite refreshing to see something different and unique. For example...


This is a one-piece, strapless, full A-line gown in GOLD with lace-up closure. Grand in design, this style features a scalloped neckline and an asymmetrically draped bodice enriched with floral beaded embellishments. The dramatic back treatment is created by cascading draped bustles caught up with elegant beaded motifs:

The is a one-piece, corset, strapless, A-line gown in SCARLET featuring soft ruching at the side waist bodice. The skirt is richly caught up with hand placed flowers. Bugle beads and Swarovski crystals spray the center of the flower motifs. The gown features a chapel train:

This is a one-piece, strapless, full gathered skirt with corset closure in LIGHT BLUE. This luminescent satin gown features a scoop neckline, asymmetrically ruched bodice, and gathered skirt highlighted with sparkling lace motifs:

This is a one-piece, strapless, A-line silhouette with corset back in MIDNIGHT LAVENDER. Intricate draping, creates the dramatic effect of this style created in our Capri Taffeta. Side godets of varying sizes accent both sides of the gown, and are embellished with Swarovski crystals, pearls, and seed beads. Includes matching purse:

This is a one-piece, A-line silhouette with corset closure in BLACK & WHITE. Tiers of beguiling lace create this classic style accented at the waist with a contrasting satin ribbon sash:

Photo Credit: Maggie Sottero

Buh-bye old Polaroid, and Hello new PoGo!

For those of you who are thinking about using the Polaroid cameras as guests sign-in at your reception, you better stock up fast as the company has announced that it will cease production this year:

BUT, no sweat... the old fashioned camera will actually be replaced by the new Polaroid Pogo (Polaroid-on-the-Go)! The $150 camera is an inkless printer that churns out 2 x 3-inch photos sent to it via Bluetooth devices like cell phones, or from plugged-in digital cameras. It uses technology created by ZINK (Zero Ink) Imaging Inc. to activate paper-embedded dye crystals. It will be in stores on July 6th, 2008. Can't wait to see one of these at my weddings:

Ice Cream for your reception?

A few months ago, one of my September brides asked if she could have an ice-cream truck at her wedding reception, so all of her guests can just order their own individual ice-cream. Of course she can have whatever she wants, it's her wedding after all... but the challenge is, where do I find this ice-cream truck?

It happened that a week right before she emailed me, I got an email from this company called Real Fruit Ice Cream Hawai`i, promoting their products AND their ice-cream truck. The timing couldn't be more perfect.

They charge a base price which includes:

• travel from their store to the wedding location;
• set up the trailer; and
• up to 50 ice creams!
  

Those 50 ice creams are custom and made-to-order. They supply 10 different varieties of fruit and the guests can select their own custom blends right on the spot. The next 50 ice creams will be at a discounted rate... so on and so forth.

That really sounds like a fun idea, and who doesn't like ice-cream?

A New Face Lift!

My blog, that is... =) A big shout out to my wonderful and talented friend, Nicole, who put together my lovely blog header. Four months ago, she made me these beautiful dry-embossing note cards with the green cymbidium orchids on them. I still haven't used them yet 'cuz they are in this amazing package and I didn't want to open it and untie the lovely ribbon! =)

What have I done to deserve such a great friend like you, Nicole! Thank you so much! You are simply THE BEST!

Signature Cocktails

Photo Credit: Element Studios

Photo Credit: John Henry Photography

There is nothing better than to create your own signature cocktail. Most of my clients create theirs based on the color of their wedding/event and they all have a special name for them. I like how they all look so colorful, and they definitely complement the rest of the decor.

How about an "Asis Bliss" (photo #1 above) or a "Rubiotini" (photo #2)?

MTV Casting for "True Life: I'm Having a Destination Wedding"!

I received an email on June 11th from Destination I Do magazine, promoting the MTV hit show "True Life". Here is the info:

MTV is casting for the hit show "True Life"
Only this time, the subject is destination weddings!

The producers from MTV have enlisted Destination I Do Magazine's help for casting an upcoming episode of "True Life: I'm having a destination wedding".

Whether you're getting married in a tropical area such as the Caribbean, Mexico, or Hawai`i or if you've decided to celebrate in Europe, Asia, Africa or even a domestic seaside location we want to hear from you. Make your wedding even more extraordinary by having MTV document your journey.

If you appear to be between the ages of 18-28, are having a destination wedding in either July or August of this year and have a special story to share, email us and you may be selected to be on the show.

Send your name, wedding location and date, phone number and a photo of you and your betrothed to info@destinationidomag.com for consideration.

For all of my summer brides, please let me know if you get selected on the show! Good luck!

Wedding Gift Guide Etiquette

These questions have been asked by my wedding couples quite often, and my hubby happened to find this article when he was reading the Wall Street Journal/Smart Money online, and thought it would be a good topic to share with all of you on my blog. Thanks, honey! =)

The Wedding Gift Etiquette Guide by Lisa Scherzer

1. How much should I spend on a gift?

The amount you should spend on a gift is one of those gray areas that vary based on the wedding location, your age and your budget. A typical amount, says Betsy Goldberg, features editor at Modern Bride magazine, is $75. If you bring a date, expect to give a present worth double that. Don't be afraid to ask other attendees what they plan to spend to get a better sense of what people within your social circle are giving, she says.

Though the gift amount is somewhat arbitrary, Summer Krecke, deputy editor of WeddingChannel.com, offers a few guidelines based on the guest's relationship to the bride or groom: If it's your co-worker's wedding, you should spend $75 to $100; a relative or friend, $100-$125; and if it's your close friend or close relative, anywhere from $100 to $150 or more is acceptable.

2. What if I can't afford the $120 five-speed blender because I have four other weddings this month?

Most brides and grooms don't want you to go broke as a result of their wedding. Therefore, guests should always consider their budget constraints. If you've been invited to five weddings that take place within three months of one another, you'll need to take into account expenses for all those events (not just the gifts, but any required travel and lodging, as well). At destination weddings, for example, most couples understand that the $500 you shelled out to attend their Bahamas beach wedding doesn't leave you much to spend on a big-ticket gift. "They appreciate that people go so far to be with them for their wedding," says Goldberg.

Also, keep in mind that your gift obligations don't start and end with the wedding. Factor in the surrounding celebrations, like the bridal shower, the bachelor/bachelorette party and engagement party. Once you tally it all up, you'll probably feel like you need a second job to afford your loved ones' nuptials, making it all the more important you don't break the bank on one gift.

3. Should the amount I give depend on the price per dinner plate or how posh the venue is?

Quite simply, no. "Never think about it in those terms," says Martha Woodham, author of "The Bride Did What?! Etiquette for the Wedding Impaired." Instead, think about it this way: You're not expected to pay for your meal at a friend's dinner party, so why should you be expected to pay for a night of dinner and dancing at a wedding? A gift is separate from the party itself and should not be considered "the admission price to the wedding," says Woodham.

4. If I can't make it to the wedding, do I still give a gift?

Yes. Ideally, says Woodham, guests give gifts to help the couple commemorate the occasion and start their new life together — and that should be the case whether a guest partakes in the wedding festivities or not. "If you care about the couple, you send a gift — not just because you were invited to the wedding," she says.

5. Is it always best to get a gift from the registry?

The great thing about wedding registries — and the reason why they're such a big business — is there's little risk involved. Brides and grooms tell you what they want, so you don't spend an afternoon shopping for the perfect espresso machine only to find out later that neither of them drinks coffee. With a registry item, "you know when they get it, they'll be happy and excited about it," says Woodham.

Since registry gifts veer toward the impersonal, Goldberg suggests including a note with the gift to make it less so. If you buy a couple that loves to entertain a cheese board, include a note that says something along the lines of: "We love coming over for your parties and thought this would be useful to you," says Goldberg. One bit of advice when buying from the registry: Shop early to make sure you have various price points to choose from.

6. Is it in poor taste to hand an envelope containing a check to the bride or groom during the reception?

Generally, a gift of cash or a check is acceptable — and, for the most part, welcomed. "I don't know of any bride or groom turning down a check," says Krecke. Most couples will put either the best man or a parent in charge of receiving and holding onto checks at the wedding.

What is inappropriate, however, is bringing a gift to the wedding — especially if it's a cumbersome 10-pound rice cooker. Many couples don't get married in their hometowns, so you make it more difficult for them to haul the gifts home post-wedding. Instead, send the gift directly to the couple's home address or to one of their parents several weeks before the wedding, says Krecke.

7. I can send them a gift later, right?

While it's fine to celebrate the special day with the couple and send a gift later — don't wait until well after the bride's written all her thank-you notes. Some people think "you can wait up to a year to give a gift," says Krecke. "We generally say anything more than six months is poor etiquette."

Hmmm... yummy cakes!

Besides flowers, linens and decor, my other favorite part of wedding planning is choosing a cake with my clients. Who doesn't like cake, right? Well, some of my brides prefer the miniature cakes and cupcakes, but some do prefer the traditional tiered cakes and no one does them better than Anne Heap of Pink Cake Box in Denville, NJ.

Her cakes are colorful, creative and most of the time they look so good that you don't want to touch them! These are only a few of them that I chose from her website... she has more fun ones on there, so check them out! You might get some inspirations for your own cake!

Featured Wedding - Rhonda and Jeff

It was a gorgeous day today at Kapalua with a slight breeze and plenty of sunshine. Rhonda and Jeff both looked amazing on their special day, and they were so happy and in love. The ceremony was at The Plantation House Restaurant lawn, overlooking the beautiful Kapalua Bay, and the reception was at the restaurant (a buyout).

Rhonda picked the most beautiful colors for her wedding - turquoise blue, apple green and espresso brown. We had brown linens with blue chair sashes, green and blue fabric swags for the stairs railing, green and blue silk napkins, brown ottomans with blue and green pillows... The combination was unbelievable.

CAKES: Maui Wedding Cakes. FLORALS: Dellables. LINENS: Pacific Events Group, Inc. PHOTOS: Element Studios.

Guests enjoyed their pupus (appetizers) and a blue Signature cocktail, while a Hawaiian duo serenaded them. The dinner reception included an 8 course wine-pairing menu. That was the most extensive menu I have ever seen of all the weddings I have planned on the islands. To top it off, each guest got their own individual wedding cake.

Congratulations, Rhonda and Jeff! All the best to you both, and hope to see you again when we go back to the bay area to visit!

Here are their non-professional pictures and their professional pictures.

Inspiration #4

There are a few event designers that I admire, and one of them is the legendary Preston Bailey (I will feature my other favorites soon)! His talent and sense of style combine with his exuberance makes him one of the world's most sought-after designer.

I love the way he uses different colors and textures for his designs and brings everything together. He can transform any "raw, ordinary spaces" into any client's fantasies.

Thanks, Preston... for giving me my daily dose of inspiration!

Got shoes?

Photo Credit: Critsey Rowe Photography

Photo Credit: Amanda Pryde

Photo Credit: Dulce by Visionari

I have blogged about bridal sneakers and flip flops in an earlier post, but lately, I have been noticing the different types of shoes that my brides are wearing. You know, it's not all about the dress! Most of the wedding shoes I have seen are the traditional white or ivory heels... some with beautiful rhinestones, but some that are actually in different colors.

Brides are getting so creative these days... and even grooms don't wear the traditional dress shoes anymore. The Converse seems to be quite popular in this day and age. For me, it's all about comfort! So what shoes are you going to wear?

P.S. Thanks Critsey, Amanda and Ryan for the lovely photos!

Out of Town Welcome Bags

99.9% of my couples provide the out of town (aka OOT) welcome bags for their guests during their wedding week here in Hawai`i. You can pretty much put whatever you want in the bag, but these are a few of the items that my brides put together:

• bottled water (sometimes with their monogram on them);
• Hawaiian snacks (macadamia nuts or taro chips);
• sunblock;
• chapstick;
  
• beach towel;
• flip flops;
  
• visor or baseball cap;
• sun umbrella;
  
• a map, a guide book and pamphlets of the island that they are getting married on;
• an itinerary of the wedding week;
• a handwritten thank you note
  

Since all the guests are staying at different resorts and condos, the best time and place to deliver them is during your welcome dinner when you can personally hand the bag to the guest and thank them for coming from so far away. If you are not having any pre-wedding celebration, then check with the individual resorts to see if they will be able to deliver the bags to the guests upon their arrival.

Welcome bags are really a nice gesture and I am sure all of your guests will appreciate all the time and hard work you put into them.

Lounge

Photo Credit: Mindy Weiss

The lounge area is getting more and more popular these days. More than 50% of the weddings that I plan have the lounge with ottomans, couches and pillows. They are so fun to have and guests do love to "lounge" around with their favorite drinks and just hang out with one another. If it fits into your budget, I highly recommend having it.

Technorati

Thanks, Critsey, for introducing me to the world of Technorati! It's just full of information on there from different bloggers. Here is my profile, go check it out!

Back from Kaua`i

This was where we stayed

The view from our Ocean Suite

Ceremony setup of a wedding

Reception setup of a wedding

Beautiful greenery

Our anniversary trip to Kaua`i was everything we have dreamed of and more. It was even better than our honeymoon 3 years ago! Here are some of the highlights:

• If you go to Kaua`i, you HAVE to stay at the Grand Hyatt Kaua`i Resort and Spa in Poipu. It's just heavenly. They have beautiful grounds and the service is impeccable. Since my hubby works for the Hyatt Regency here on Mau`i and he knows the Managers on Kaua`i very well, they upgraded us to the Ocean Suite with the Grand Club Lounge privileges (free breakfast, snacks, cocktails, desserts...etc.), and we got wine, champagne, chocolate-dipped strawberries and other snacks in our suite too! =)
  
• Be sure to visit one of the spas on the island. I had a 50-minute treatment at the Anara Spa and I was all rejuvenated by the time I walked out. The one I had was "Anara" - a personalized massage that allows your therapist to intuitively address imbalances in your body, mind and spirit, inducing deep relaxation and a profound sense of lokahi (harmony). I think it was a mixture of lomi lomi, aromatherapy and the sports massages. Getting a spa treatment is one of the best things you can do to your body, mind and soul!
• We did most of the activities the last time we were there (kayaking, hiking, ATV, sight-seeing), so this trip was more a relaxing one. We drove up to the North Shore one day and visited 2 beautiful waterfalls. Then the next day we headed to the West to try this Shrimp Station right by the Waimea Canyon. I had the Coconut Shrimp and my hubby had the Shrimp Tacos. They were soooo good! My hubby was ecstatic when they asked him if he was a kama'aina (local), and the owner gave us 2 FREE drinks. He said: "That's great, I look like a local now!" As for me, people still think I am from Honolulu! I guess I have that "city girl" look! =)
  
• We were able to meet up with one of my college friends and her hubby for dinner at the Beach House Restaurant. They flew out from Illinois and they were also celebrating their wedding anniversary. I was actually one of their bridesmaids! It was so nice to catch up with them after all these years!
• They were setting up for a wedding at the resort, and of course being the planner that I am, I sprang into "work mode" and HAD to snap a few shots of the decor. It was a beautiful setting and it didn't need much floral and linen decor.
• We spent the last day hanging out at the lovely pool from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm before catching our flight at 4:20 pm. I was able to catch up with my reading which I haven't been able to do in the last few months! The book I am trying to finish is "Saving Fish From Drowning" by Amy Tan.
  
• And just like any vacation, it's never long enough! =)