Where to stay in Hawaii

When planning a wedding in Hawaii it is common to want to help your out of town guests by giving them accommodation suggestions. For your guests traveling on a budget, vacation rentals can be a great alternative to a hotel. There are vacation rentals located in almost every area of the islands. One popular website that can help you and your guest is Vacation Rental By Owner. On this site, rentals can be searched by island, city and house size. http://www.vrbo.com/

Sunset Hale is a great example. It is the perfect spot for two people who are looking for privacy, and a little dose of island living. This vacation rental is beautifully furnished and located across the street from Sunset Beach. Since beach cruisers and beach chairs come with the rental, you know your guests will be having fun in their downtime between wedding activities. This is especially ideal for weddings taking place on the North Shore of Oahu where hotels are few.

http://www.vrbo.com/254465

Lounges continue to be popular at outdoor weddings in Hawaii

Lounges have become very popular at outdoor venues here in Hawaii. They have been a trend for the past few years and continue to gain momentum especially at private estates like Lanikuhonua and the Bayer Estate. Their open lawns are optimal for creating intimate areas for conversation or just luxuriating in the views.

This photo is from a recent wedding at Lanikuhonua. The lounge was rented through Designs by Hemingway as well as the tables and the luxurious silk dupioni pillows.

Designs by Hemingway also was responsible for the gorgeous linens and floral arrangements at this event. If you would like to see more of this event check out the recent blog post at - http://designsbyhemingway.com/blog/

Shout out to Black Tie Affair

Black Tie is Parasol Events' "Go To" for men's formal attire. Mike & Karen Chong consistently provide unparalleled care and professionalism for our clients.

The groom & groomsmen are beneficiaries of Black Tie's impeccable inventory, knowledge of fit, style and etiquette. What I love the most is that in addition to looking fantastic, they are all comfortable.

I hear "industry stories" all the time about poor fit, rentals with the wrong sizes or missing items. While on hotel properties, I see other weddings where the men are in tuxes and they look awkward or out of date. Poor guys!

Black Tie Affair was founded in 1988 with the good old business tradition adage “This should and could be done better”. The need to do it right and redefine the traditional tuxedo service has resulted in Black Tie Affair becoming a very different kind of tuxedo store. Formal, as it was meant to be, elegant, conservative, refined and unquestionably formal.

www.BlackTieAffairHawaii.com

Anita Hall & Nueva Vida rock Lanikuhonua!

Anita Hall & Nueva Vida rocked Lanikuhonua last weekend! With brides and grooms being ever mindful of budgets these days, live bands have taken a back seat to DJ's. What a shame!

Experiencing live music especially with a talented performer like Anita just reminded me of how personal, exciting and intimate a band makes a wedding. It was my pleasure to watch the guests asorbing and enjoying every minute of the show and the difference between a DJ and a great live band was not lost on any of the seasoned wedding professionals attending (photographers, caterers, etc.) who all remarked on how much more amazing, awesome and special the reception felt by having authentic & heartfelt vocals in tandem with talented musicians.

When it comes to weddings & events my advice is to weigh intangibles like pleasure, making memories and setting the tone when evaluating all elements & details. The best wedding planners help you work outside of checklists or $$$.

To learn more about Anita Hall you can visit her website at www.AnitaHallOnline.com