Hawaii’s Wedding Professionals, Koolau Ballrooms and Conference Center and Watanabe Floral present DOWN THE AISLE ON AN ISLE – Travis and Cherie Show #5
In the first week of Down The Aisle On An Isle, our wedding couple, Travis and Cherie held preliminary meetings with many of their wedding vendors, starting with Darcie Wharton, of Royal Weddings by Lavender, their wedding coordinator and Koolau Ballrooms, their venue. In this week’s episodes, we continue to meet more of their wedding professionals as well as see the progress they are making in planning their wedding.
We open with Kahu Kalehua Featheran, Host and Producer of Hawaii’s Wedding Professionals and Down The Aisle On An Isle, on the 18th Green at Koolau Golf Club, with a wedding in progress in the background. This is another favorite venue of couples and later in the show, Kahu Kalehua will be speaking with Steven Nagamine, Events Services Manager of Koolau Ballrooms and Conference Center. As viewers can see, this awesome natural backdrop for a wedding ceremony lends itself to some great photos.
Most brides favor fresh floral bouquets and décor for their wedding. However, Cherie wanted her bouquet to last beyond the wedding and so she called on her Auntie Eileen for some suggestions. Long time family friend, Eileen Abe of Mana’o I’o creates silk bouquets and wedding arrangements, as well as kahilis so she got together with Cherie to come up with just the right look for Cherie’s wedding bouquet. Cherie likes tiger lilies so they became the foundation for the bouquet, of course, in pink and yellow and white daisies were added to give the bouquet a fresh appearance.
Back to the 18th Green at Koolau Golf Club and Steven Nagamine joins Kahu Kalehua, commenting that this area has one of the most breath-taking views in Hawaii. As the wedding continues on in the background, Steve points out that an arbor and chairs can be set up for the ceremony, as was done on this day and the couple, their bridal party and guests are brought to this outdoor ceremony site in vans. Stay tuned because Kahu Kalehua will be interviewing the bridal couple from today’s wedding for their feedback and comments about their experience with Koolau Ballrooms.
All brides want to look their best for their wedding day and Cherie is no exception. Today, she is stopping by at Headshots Hawaii to meet with owner, Natalie Brown-Aiwohi, who has traveled with Miss Hawaii 2010, Jalee Fuselier to the Miss America Pageant. After consulting with Natalie, Cherie decided to wear her hair half up, half down – side bangs with a little “poof” on top for her tiara and cathedral veil and ringlets curls. Since Cherie is already blessed with natural beauty, she wants very little make up applied for her wedding day, but she wants “smoky eyes”. Travis liked the description and for you guys, you just have to stay tuned to see what this looks like when Cherie comes back to Headshots Hawaii for a trial hair and make up session.
No wedding ceremony or reception is complete without music and Travis and Cherie elected to go with a DJ instead of a live band. Enter Gabe Gongob of Royal Entertainment, a division of Royal Weddings by Lavender. During a function at Koolau Ballrooms, Gabe meets with Travis and Cherie to get an idea of what they are looking for in the way of music. They want a variety of songs ranging from what’s heard on the radio today, all the way back to the 70’s. And, because Travis is Puerto Rican, he asked Gabe to be sure there is some “Borinki” music or “Kachi-kachi” music for his family and friends to dance to during the reception. And, although Gabe has music he can select for the various events during the day – ceremony, cake cutting, first dance, etc, he likes to have the couple’s input and ideas as well.
Speaking of panoramic views, Koolau has some fabulous scenery, but so does The Lotus at Diamond Head. General Manager, Ward Almeida shows Kahu Kalehua around his 51 room boutique hotel, across from Kapiolani Park. With views of the Park, Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach, this is a great place for Travis and his men to get ready on his wedding day. The 2 adjoining rooms were great but the penthouse instantly impressed everyone who saw it. It has 2 huge bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths, a full kitchen and a roomy wrap around lanai. And, complementing this great venue is the warmth, genuine-ness, experience and wisdom that Ward brings, with his old Maui style mannerism and roots.
Remember the wedding that was going on at the 18th Green? Kahu Kalehua concludes this episode of Down the Aisle On An Isle with a testimonial from the couple, who gave Koolau Ballrooms a “2 thumbs up”.
Hawaii’s Wedding Professionals, Koolau Ballrooms and Conference Center and Watanabe Floral present DOWN THE AISLE ON AN ISLE – Travis and Cherie Show #6
We open today’s episode at Masako Formals. It’s been a few months since the dresses were ordered and now with about a month to go before the wedding, the ladies have come in for their final fitting. There is a flurry of excitement as each of the bridesmaids try on their gown, complete with sandals so the seamstress at Masako Formals, Ligaya, can be sure that the fit is just right. One of the bridesmaids is in the first few months of her pregnancy so Ligaya, having a good degree of experience in alterations will adjust the gown so it can accommodate for the growing baby by the time the wedding day comes along.
Rona Mochizuki, Sales Manager/Wedding Consultant at Watanabe Floral tells viewers about the sample centerpieces (one tall and one low) that were designed for Travis and Cherie, keeping in mind the style, types of flowers and colors that the bride favors. As Darcie and Cherie walk in to meet with Rona, the cameras catch the joy and delight on Cherie’s face as she sees the sample centerpieces for the first time! You can tell these are winners in Cherie’s eyes!!! Rona did mention that there was a slight problem in having the design be as Cherie saw it in their photo album, but as Cherie says, the changes only enhanced it and made it more beautiful - kudos to the designer at Watanabe Floral. As with most weddings, there is a budget to be considered so Rona suggests a combination of the tall arrangement and low arrangement to stay on budget. The only problem that might arise by the wedding day would be the availability of pikake but there is already a substitute that has been selected, so it looks like everything is set. The last items are a written proposal, complete with the prices and a timeline from Darcie Wharton, Cherie’s coordinator from Royal Weddings by Lavender and we’re all set. Cherie says thanks to Rona for a great job and all the professionalism and service received – she loves the centerpieces!
What better way for the bride and groom to arrive in style, than in a limo and Platinum Limousine is the vendor that the couple chose for their wedding day transportation. Located at Aloha Tower Marketplace, Travis and Cherie are met at the door by Kurt and Amelia Tsuneyoshi, owners of Platinum Limousine. As they enter the office, they feel as though they stepped into the interior of a giant limousine and Travis’ comment is “WOW”. Matt Barros, one of the drivers, takes the couple on a tour of the office – there are several rooms that can be used for custom events, including bachelor or bachelorette parties, weddings and receptions. For their limo selection, Matt suggests 2 Chrysler 300 Limousines, which will carry 8 passengers and possibly an Escalade to whisk the bride and groom away to their honeymoon destination after the wedding. Sounds like a plan – the only thing left is for the couple to finalize the paperwork.
Food tasting at Koolau! Travis is up for it and so is Cherie. Once a month, Koolau Ballrooms holds a food tasting for their potential brides and grooms, offering a sampling of their menu items and wedding cake. Cherie liked the chicken with mushrooms and Travis said the mahimahi was great. Host and producer of Hawaii’s Wedding Professionals and Down The Aisle On An Isle, Kalehua Featheran, interviews Chef Jim Gillespie, Executive Chef of Koolau Ballrooms, the man behind the scenes of this menu tasting. Originally from New York, Chef Gillespie attended the Culinary Institute of America and here he is now in Hawaii. As Chef Gillespie explains, when you offer a buffet to guests that may number in the hundreds, it’s hard to please everyone, so they try to cook everything well and season the food correctly and just leave it to the guests to add on anything else themselves. Kahu Kalehua said he got a chance to sample the chicken and he enjoyed it – hard job but someone’s got to do it!
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