Are you going or participating in the Hawaii Bridal Expo?

The big questions of the week has been.......are you going to (or participating in) the Hawaii Bridal Expo at the Neil Blaisdell Center?

We do plan to attend the Hawaii Bridal Expo at some point of time this weekend (in between our other events) as we are always educating ourselves on what is available for our valued clients, it is always fun to see our old friends (and vendors) and also meet new vendors.

Although we don't have a physical booth at the Hawaii Bridal Expo this weekend, Hawaii Weddings and Events will have a presence at the Pacific Edge Magazine booth #411 where they will be distributing complimentary copies of their latest weddings and events guide.

The Go-To Gal: Dianna Shitanishi of Hawaii Weddings and Events is featured in the 3rd Annual Weddings & Events Guide: Pacific Edge's Guide to Weddings and Events in Hawaii (Leadership Edge-page 18) and as our business continues to grow also has invested in its first half page advertisement (see page 72).

In addition, we are a regular advertiser for BridesClub we also have the following specials featured on http://www.bridesclub.com/wedding-specials/hawaii-offers.cfm

To highlight:

1) First three brides that book our "For My Peace of Mind Package" save $100 (offer expires once first three brides confirm their date).

2) Free 3-tiered wedding cake with "We're Tying the Knot" Full Service Package (offer expires August 31, 2009)

Now my question to you, is are YOU going? If you can, I do encourage you to go, there are so many great ideas and vendors to meet first hand to get a sense of their style. Be sure to sign up with BridesClub.com and print your $1.00 coupon at http://www.bridesclub.com/bridal-shows/hawaii-bridal-expo-july.cfm

For your convenience, I've put the dates and hours of the Expo below:

Hawaii Bridal Expo - July

July 24-26, 2009

Neal Blaisdell Center

777 Ward Ave, Honolulu, HI

Directions

Phone: 808-527-5400

Hours

Friday 5:30 pm to 10 pm
Saturday 10:30 am to 5 pm
Sunday 10:30 am to 4 pm

Fashion Show Times

All day

Be Thankful

An Inspirational Poem
Be Thankful
By Author Unknown

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

Those Darn Song Selections

Those Darn Song Selections

For those of you that follow me on Twitter (Hawaii Wedding) you know that waiting for those “darn song selections” is an ongoing process.

In our bridal questionnaire, we not only ask for your wedding ceremony songs but for all of your special moments such as bride and groom entrance, cake cutting ceremony, first dance, father/daughter dance, etc. In addition, we also ask for the demographics of your guests, type of music that you want played , favorite artists and your “do not play” list.

Why do we ask for all of these songs when your wedding may still be months or even a year away?

Actually, the reason is that selecting song selections tends to be the number one procrastinated item in wedding planning , and in many cases, a lot more difficult than couples think. We ask these questions from the very beginning so that during the course of your planning when you listen to music you are more aware of songs and their lyrics and can start deciding the “feel” you want for your wedding.

Our goal is to send out your preliminary timeline with your song selections at least two weeks prior to your wedding day and a final timeline the week of the wedding. This process allows vendors an opportunity to see the entire day at the two week marker and confirm their timing and clarify any discrepancies and they can finish preparations for your wedding day.

What are the potential problems with the delay of providing song selections?

1) Your musician may not know the song, or your DJ may not have the song in their music library. By identifying this early, we can make the appropriate adjustments on the song selection, or the DJ has time to research and add the requested piece to their library for you.

2) Your musician or DJ often has several events in a week’s time with back-to-back gigs, or in some cases other job, so sending your final song selections the night before the wedding may seem like you “made it” but they may not even have time to access their computer before loading up for the next event. Fortunately with internet access, I’ve literally had some DJs that had to download music on-site, but it can potentially (and sometimes has) caused delays.

3) Special performances (i.e.: hula, etc.) can also be a challenge when the performer’s CD does not work, so we always suggest sending a copy to the DJ in advance to allow them time to check the CD before the event day. This avoids potential problems and unnecessary stress later.

4) Disappointment that your special song request is not played.

Why do you ask for our guest demographics and favorite artists?

The more we know about you, the better we are able to serve you. By knowing the demographics of your guests (ages, where they are from, etc.) we have a better understanding of what types of music may be most suitable. Having your list of favorite artists gives the DJ a better understanding of the type of music that you like to hear as well.

Why do you ask for our do not play list?

The typical do not play songs are YMCA, Chicken Dance and the Electric Slide. Ironically, these same songs have also been on the “must play” list for clients that liked the group participation or because it held another significance to them (i.e. bridal party met at Oktoberfest).

The other do not play songs you want to consider are songs that may remind you of a situation or perhaps even a past relationship that you may not necessarily want to be reminded of on your special day. An example of this is when my father-in-law passed away a couple of years ago a DVD slide show was made with a beautiful song on it, but every time I hear that song it makes think of him which brings emotions of happiness and sorrow.

Dianna Shitanishi featured as The "Go-to-Gal" in Pacific Edge Magazine

It was an honor to be interviewed for the "Leadership Edge" as The "Go-To-Gal" in the Summer Weddings and Events Issue of Pacific Edge Magazine http://thepacificedge.com/ (page 20).

The 3rd Annual Weddings and Events guide also features fellow Oahu Wedding Association (OWA) members Naomi Lee from Les Saisons who is the cover feature and OWA President Dave Miyamoto for "The Business of Weddings" about what it takes to succeed in the industry of love.