Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Songs You Will be Hearing at 2011 Summer Weddings!

We all know how music can make or break a wedding...better yet the party...but how do we know what songs are going to make your guests BUST A MOVE? Well it's hard to say, really, as every wedding/party/event has it's own vibe and guests. But choosing the type of music you want your DJ or band to play is an important detail as you have a better insight on what your guests like to party too.

Most DJ's and bands also have a great way of feeling out the crowd and finding ways to keep the dance floor packed and moving. Personally, I have worked with fantastic DJs that really know how to make a party a party and keeps the tunes coming and the dance floor hopping! But it is important to give your DJ or band some background on what your guests are like and what they may be in to music wise! I realize you can't make everyone happy with your music choices, but I guarantee you will help elevate the party to the atmosphere you are hoping to achieve by giving some background on your peeps.

With that said I am listing the songs you will hear at almost every wedding in the 2011 Summer Wedding Season. Hope this helps you with your own party playlist! Here's my "guaranteed to hear songs" and my suggestions on when they should be played:

Non-Traditional Ceremony Recessional: Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory



Grand Entrance: Taio Cruz - Dynamite



First Dance: Lady Antebellum - Just A Kiss



Father/Daughter Dance: Rascal Flatts - I Won't Let Go



Mother/Son Dance: Adele - Love Song



Bouquet Toss: Beyonce - Run The World (Girls)



Garter Toss: Far East Movement - Like A G6



Cake Cutting: Flo Rida - Sugar



Other Songs You Will Hear This Summer on the Dance Floor at Weddings and Parties

Jennifer Lopez - On the Floor



Britney Spears - Till the World Ends



Ke$ha - We R Who We R



Cee Lo Green - Forget You



Enrique Inglesias - I Like It



Rihanna - S & M



Lady Gaga - Born This Way



Nikki Minaj - Super Bass



Bruno Mars - Just the Way You Are



Chris Brown - She Ain't You



P!nk - Raise Your Glass



Justin Bieber - Baby

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Real Weddings: Leilani & Josh - TLC's Battle of The Wedding Designers - Aloha Wedding Bells

That's right...I won TLC's Battle of the Wedding Designers Aloha Wedding Bells Episode (Season 1 Episode 4)! I had the pleasure of competing with two of America's Best Designers and my friends and colleagues, Steve Kemble and Michelle Buckley. I am happy to have beaten the two of them and have the opportunity to design and plan Leilani and Josh's dream wedding!

I wanted to send a special thank you to the vendors who helped me out on TLC's Battle of the Wedding Designers. I appreciate all your help and for being there to make sure that I came in budget for Leilani and Josh's wedding. You are all incredible people and I could have not done this without your support and friendship. Here's to many years of working together and giving all our clients what we do best...quality service with a smile!

The Battle of the Wedding Designers journey was such a great experience and I met some wonderful people along the way. I hope that I can do more of the shows in the future, because I would really love to show more of what I am capable of doing. Plus the challenges are fun. There's a lot of design in me that's wanting to come out and be seen.

What I am most thankful for though is meeting Leilani and Josh and having the opportunity to design their dream wedding with an incredible group of vendors that I love working with! Here's a few photos of some of the details, taken by the incredible Vanessa Honda and Sheena Sales (yes my cousin) of Vanessa Honda Photography, on Leilani and Josh's wedding day.


This was the final product for the floral. Leilani and Josh wanted the pink and green concept. The original plan was to do really plain (black and white with a splash of color - yellow was the original splash for my pitch) which is below.



For the guest book, I opted to do a painted guest book that is now a piece of art that hangs in Leilani and Josh's home. Additionally, I used Capiz shells for both the escort cards and for the wish tree. The wish tree was shells were later transformed into wind chimes for Leilani and Josh's home.


 We had two types of cake due to Leilani's food allergies. The smaller of the two cakes was vegan and gluten free. The cake was designed after my overall inspiration of a Hawaiian Quilt.


 The Plumeria wedding ring was made to reflect Leilani's favorite flower which was used throughout the wedding space as well as accent flowers.



Thank you to the following individuals and companies for bringing my design and concepts for Leilani and Josh's wedding come true! For TV purposes we had to produce this wedding for $12,500 and we could not have done it without the help of some of my wonderful friends. These are the individuals I have to thank with all my heart! All of them incredible to work with!

Floral: Wendy Smith at Your Image Floral Design
Food and Beverage: Doug Biggs at DJ's California Catering
Location: Robert Cassar and Laura Schneider at Rancho de Las Palmas
Cake: Jana Richardson at Jana's Creative Cakes
Rentals: John Leenhouwers at The Tent Merchant
Linen Rentals (Pitch and Wedding Day): Dick Thomas at Sitting Pretty Chair Covers
Linen Rentals (Pitch Day): BBJ Linens
DJ and MC Services: DJ Luke Ferro
Hair and Makeup: Ja'Nice Estrada at Devenir Beauty
Hula and Hawaiian Music (Pitch Day): Kawika Valoria at Halau Hula a Kawika laua 'o Leinani
Hula and Drummers (Wedding Day): UC Santa Barbara's Iorana te Otea Polynesian Group
Photography: Vanessa Honda and Sheena Sales at Vanessa Honda Photography
Photo Lounge: Miguel and Solana Torres at Star Photo Party
Ceremony Pedestal Stands: Hans Lammersdorf at Rotoluxe
Aisle Runner: Stephanie Laudani at Starry Night Designs
Floor Decal: Lauren Atwaters at Ten23 Designs
Custom Garter and Dress Tag: Victoria Joanne at Hand Crafted Creations
Bride's Shoes: Mary Robertson at Nina Shoes
Tattoo Booth: Melissa Perez and Ross Beardsley
Painted Guest Book: Jana Brody at Paint Jam USA
Cookie Favors: Cary Goldberg at Luv Bug Cookies
Coordination Assistance: Gerri Sevilla
Wedding Dress: Prince Charming of Prince Charming's World
Orchid Lei's: Amy Vongpitaka at Amy's Orchids
Hotel Rooms: Tawny Byron at Grand Vista Hotel Simi Valley
Ministers: Deserae Tyae and Chris Kai'aokamalie
Special thanks to Michelle Ah Mook Sang for sharing her Hawaiian culture insights with me.


My deepest appreciation to all of you. Leilani and Josh says Mahalo for making their DREAM WEDDING come true!

Leilani & Josh were married on 5/22/10. Happy One Year Anniversary Leilani & Josh. I love you both very much! Mahalo!

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