The Events by Evonne blog

Our friends over at Hazel & Harlow and Envision Beauty are having a special event from February 15th through March 15th.  Here is what you will get:

One (1) grand prize winner will receive from the Hazel & Harlow signature collection a stunning antiqued “Love Bird” Pendant. The pendant is hand carved in 24K vermeil with white and green topaz stones to create a beautiful and romantic piece of jewelry (Retail Value: $150). One (1) grand prize winner will receive a 3-month supply of The Solution by Envision Beauty, a multi-use facial moisturizer that the most effective ingredients from Nature + Science in one powerfully concentrated formula (Retail Value: $237).

Three (3) runners up will receive Hazel & Harlow antiqued “Heart of Gold” petite pendant. The pendant is made of 24K gold vermeil set with pave white topaz stones that enhance the star motif (Retail Value: $75). Three (3) runners up will receive a bottle of The Solution by Envision Beauty, a multi-use facial moisturizer that the most effective ingredients from Nature + Science in one powerfully concentrated formula (Retail Value: $79).

Each individual entering the contest on the Hazel & Harlow site will receive 25% off their next purchase of Hazel & Harlow and of The Solution by Envision Beauty by entering the promo code “ENVISION” at check out (code valid from 2/15/2010 – 3/15/2010). Visit www.hazelandharlow.com and www.envision-beauty.com to purchase.

About Envision Beauty:
Revamp your skincare regimen in 2010 with Envision Beauty, a brand that aims to combine maximum simplicity with unparalleled quality. Their flagship product The Solution is formulated with the most luxurious and effective ingredients found in Nature and Science. Combined it powerfully nourishes, brightens and evens out the skin- repairing and preventing the signs of aging. Applied twice daily in place of a day cream, night cream, eye cream, moisturizer, anti-aging serum and pre-makeup base, The Solution rapidly produces drastic, visible results. Throw out your entire shelf of expensive, filler-laden beauty creams and serums! The Solution is all you need to Restore, Protect, and Perfect your skin.

About Hazel & Harlow:
Created from a sincere passion for emerging designer fashion, Hazel & Harlow makes each day an opportunity to experience the warm, contemporary and fashion forward shopping site, giving each individual something they can fall in love with – all at the most affordable pricing for such unique and special jewelry and accessories.

I am so excited to see that the Haiku Mill photo shoot that I did with Kevin Chin and Nancy Liu Chin in early December is featured on the Green Wedding Shoes blog today.  You can read the post HERE.

And you can see more photos shot by Darren and I below:

Behind the Scenes
Part One
Part Two

Thank you to Bonnie, the Owner and Operator of Bonita J, for sending us this article on wedding jewelry:

Beach weddings are one of the most gorgeous ways of celebrating your marriage.  The mood is perfect and the back drop is beautiful.  Finding wedding jewelry that coordinates with your sea side celebration is important to finish off the little details and pull your entire look together.

A great way to coordinate your beach wedding theme with your jewelry is to incorporate the colors found on the beach.  Of course sandy browns and pacific opals are the trend, but burnt orange and bright hues of blues and greens are great too.  This color pattern is great for bridesmaids but can also be worn by the bride if she prefers that extra splash of color.

Brides that want to still incorporate the ivory, creams, whites and crystal tones in their own look can still find crystal clear crystals and creamy ivory and whites to incorporate into their looks.  If the bride wants that beachy feel, wearing a clear starfish that sparkles is a great way of collaborating that look together.

Another way of incorporating the beach theme is to select a crystal starfish that matches your color theme, whether you’re the bride or bridesmaid, there are a wide variety of color choices available in stores and online, so finding a great match is easy if you are looking out for this design.

Beach bridal jewelry is a nice touch that looks fantastic on your wedding day, but can also be worn on your honeymoon and other vacations.  If you choose to give your bridesmaids beach wedding jewelry, they too will be able to wear their jewelry again after the big celebration.  Starfish are very popular accessory items currently, so wearing your beach wedding jewelry again is both stylish and trendy.

Thanks so much, Bonnie for being a wonderful guest blogger.  Make sure you visit Bonnie’s website at http://www.bonitaj.com for the rest of her bridal collection!

For those of you who are thinking of getting married on O`ahu in the Fall of 2011, you will have another new resort to consider - the Disney Aulani Resort & Spa.

Here is the press release that they announced today:

Disney Announces Name For Oahu Resort
Disney’s first stand-alone property to be called Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa.
PRESS RELEASE — Hotels, 1/19/2010 12:13:55 PM

KO OLINA, HAWAII — The highly anticipated Disney destination resort currently under construction on the Hawaiian island of Oahu now has an official name and a dynamic new Web site offering an inside look at the project. The resort’s name - Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawaii - reflects the company’s deep commitment to celebrating the islands’ rich history and traditions. Plans call for the first phase of the resort to open in fall 2011.

“We want this resort destination to reflect the vibrant culture that surrounds it. The name ‘Aulani’ expresses a connection to tradition and deep story-telling - and its roots are here in this land,” said Joe Rohde, Senior Vice President, Creative for Walt Disney Imagineering. “We’re so grateful to the local Hawaiians who led us to the discovery of this name, and our goal is to live up to its meaning.”

Rohde noted that Aulani translated from the Hawaiian language to English, means “the place that speaks for the great ones” or “the place that speaks with deep messages.”

Near historical sites on the western side of O’ahu, Aulani will be located on 21 acres of oceanfront property in the Ko Olina Resort & Marina development. The Resort is planned to have 360 hotel rooms and 481 two-bedroom equivalent Disney Vacation Club villas.

Design plans call for amenities to engage every member of the family, a hallmark of a Disney vacation. Among the recreational highlights planned for the resort are pools and sunset facing hot tubs, a snorkeling lagoon, a variety of kids’ club and other play programs for children, and a river, suitable for tube floating, running through a specially created volcanic outcropping.

The resort will also include an 18,000-square-foot spa designed with families in mind. The resort, built adjacent to a crystal blue lagoon and a white-sand beach, is planned to also have two restaurants, a 14,545-square-foot conference center and 48,685 square feet of outdoor venues. Located nearby are the existing Ko Olina Marina and a Ted Robinson-designed, 18-hole Championship Golf course.

Disney has launched a new preview Web site, www.DisneyAulani.com, to provide updates and background information on the resort now under construction. The site also details some of the adventures and amenities under development, and includes conceptual art, descriptions of resort highlights, regularly updated resort information and photos of Aulani as it nears completion.

“We are looking forward to welcoming guests to Aulani to share the fun, immersive family vacation experiences Disney is known for combined with the beauty and culture of Hawai’i,” said Djuan Rivers, Vice President, Disney Vacation Club and Resort, Hawai’i. “We are turning to the Hawaiian culture for inspiration in everything we are doing at Aulani, and we hope our guests will not only enjoy the Disney experience, but will also embrace the unique culture of Hawai’i and its diverse people.”

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My very first job out of college was with The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, so of course the Disney family has been really close to my heart.  I can’t wait to see how the resort looks!

A lot of brides have asked me why wedding photographers charge so much for just a few hours of work on the day of the wedding.  As most of you know, my hubby and I have recently started Evonne & Darren Photography together, and last Friday, I had the privilege of shooting an 8-hour wedding with Joanna Tano and Kim Aihara.  Let me explain a little how photography works.

Even though the photo session is from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm, the photographers have to leave their studio way before 1:00 pm to get to the location.  Then they shoot non-stop for the hours that are contracted, and that’s also the time that you actually “see” your photographers at work.

After the event, the photographers have stacks and stacks of memory cards of files (probably thousands) to download to their computer hard drive, their external hard drive, a remote server somewhere.  Then they start looking through all of the photos and do slight edit and color correction on each of them, so that they can upload to an online proofing gallery for the client.  Editing is a very time consuming process.

Photo Credit: Evonne & Darren Photography

And after the client selects the photos that they want, the photographers then further edit those photos and make sure they look perfect before they either burn them on a disc or order prints for the clients.  And if the client orders an album, that can take weeks to design the entire album and months to get it printed.

The few hours that the client sees the wedding photographer on site, is actually just 20% of what the photographer does.  A lot of work is being done AFTER the event to ensure that each client has amazing photos and memories of their most special day.  Hopefully you all have a better idea now as to why photographers charge what they charge.

I am a huge fan of letterpress printing and when Stacey Nomura, the Owner and Creative Director at Bradley & Lily sent over these amazing photos and catalog, I couldn’t help but drool all over them!  I am just excited that we finally have a letterpress printing/stationery company here on the islands, and I can’t wait to recommend them to my clients!

Check out some of these great invitations!  Here is what Stacey said:

Mokulua Invitation Suite
For her wedding invitation suite, the bride requested a two-color letterpress design that would reflect her upbringing across from the Mokulua Islands and also incorporate a vintage feel.

Photo Credit:  BluFotografica

K+F Invitation Suite
With a groom from Ireland and a bride with Hawaiian roots, our mission was to meld the two cultures together on paper. The three-color invitation was letterpressed on ecru metallic paper.  We used a breezy, casual script for the names to contrast the drama of the heavily layered invitation to set a fresh and fun tone for the wedding. The custom Celtic style monogram was used on the custom postage stamp, faux wax seal and menu.

Photo Credit: Visionari

Darren and I are finally back on the island.  We had a wonderful holiday with our family and friends on the mainland, and now we are ready for another year of wonderful weddings!  You can see some of our travel photos on our photography blog!  Happy 2010, everyone!

I am still out of the office this week, but I found out this morning that Away Soiree once again is listed as one of the Top 100 Wedding Blogs in 2010 on BrideTide.com!  You can see the rest of the Top 100 wedding blogs here.

Thank you so much for all of your support!  It is such an honor to be listed amongst all of these other amazing wedding blogs.  We look forward to bringing more inspirations to our readers this year!

Whenever Darren and I head back home to San Francisco, I always try to meet up with my industry friends.  December is usually our slow wedding season, and it’s nice to be able to catch up with one another.  Last night, we had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants - Ana Mandara with a few of my good friends:

Here is me and Augie of Augie Chang photography:

From left to right:  Stacie Tamaki of The Flirty Guide, Chung of Chung Li Photography and Duncan of Duncan Reyes Events by Design:

And here is Kevin of Kevin Chin Photography, Augie, me and Darren:

IMAGE SOURCE HERE

We had such a great time and I can’t wait to catch up with them the next time we are in town!

Darren and I will be heading to San Francisco and Toronto today to see our families for 3 weeks!  We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season.  We will try to post photos of our travel on our photography blog, so please stay tuned!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!