Our company was looking forward to 2020. We had a momentum going, our company was excited, our calendars was getting full, and opportunities were coming. It was supposed to be the best year we ever had. Little did we know, it didn't turned out to what we had hoped for. 
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January & February 2020 was a strong start for us. We had a total of 31 events for those 2 months. We had Weddings, Birthday parties, year end company events and school dances. We even had a monumental event of providing our cold spark services for the "Magic The Gathering" championships which was being held at Hawaii Convention Center. A venue that never allows cold spark machines to operate in. We also participated in the Kualoa Ranch Wedding Faire and also flew up to Las Vegas for the Photobooth Expo. 

We invested a lot to our future in 2020. We purchased additional photobooths along with a 360 booth. Both which we never had a chance to use yet even after having them for almost a year. We were planning to have 2 wedding showcases after the success of our first showcase at Alohilani the past November. We had a lot planned for 2020. Sadly, none were able to come to fruition. 

We were also getting emails from wedding clients saying they have to postpone and some of them cancelling. April and May, we had been wiped out with no events. 2020 was supposed to be our biggest prom season. It was heartbreaking that so many seniors will never get to experience prom and experience the final moments of what being a senior is like.

We wanted to do something special for these seniors. We couldn't think of anything better than to dedicate a 2020 lighting structure to the graduating class. So we decided to contact several schools to see if they were interested. Thankfully, they were all for it. 

We were all excited because it gave us something to do during this pandemic. Even if none of us were getting paid, we were doing something special. Something that gave back to these seniors which a lot has been taken away from. 

At the start of the year, we talked about doing more for the community and to give back to the community. We talked about participating more in fundraising events and be more involved in community events. We didn't think giving back would be in these circumstances. So we did what we could do. We utilized our lighting and projection equipment to pay tribute to all those working hard during this pandemic. We also lit up Haleiwa Rainbow bridge during the Christmas season to bring some joy as people drove through. 

As time goes by, things weren't looking any better at the end of summer. So we decided to focus on something that others were doing. We provide unique lighting services but our core root is music. We decided to create a live-streaming studio. We wanted to bring music and that party vibe atmosphere to everyone's homes since clubs, parties, and events weren't allowed. Music helps us all and we hope that brought some joy in peoples lives while being in isolation. 

We would normally stream on Fridays which we now call "Aloha Fridays". We would also have guest DJs come to our studio and stream on their channel. Constantly improving our stream and set up throughout the next several months, we decided to offer this as a service. 

Almost 7 months had passed since it all started. October was supposed to be a very busy month for us. Halloween was upon us. Thankfully, we were able to book a Halloween Drive-Thru event which was being held on Kaneohe Marine Base. It was the perfect event for us.  Using a large amount of projectors, speakers, uplights, and tv screens, this was our biggest event yet. 

In December, we had our first live-streaming booking. It was for a Christmas zoom event that was held at 53 By The Sea. Kids would join a zoom room and participate in decorating their cookies and cupcakes. 53 By The Sea provided a decorating kit to these kids to pick up and bring home to follow along on zoom. We had a host along with a chef that taught them how to decorate their cakes. We provided 2 cameras, mics for host and chef, and a zoom monitor so that the host and chef can interact with the kids. It was nice to see the kids enjoying themselves. Thankfully through our own live-streaming events, it helped us prepare for this event. We hope that more opportunities like this come through as we include this service. 

A year ago we were welcoming 2020 with our biggest event of 2019. We provided 20 cold spark machines where 8 were placed on the edge of their infinity pool. We projection mapped on both buildings surrounding the pool deck area and also provided stage wash and uplighting. This was at the newly renovated Alohilani Hotel. Never would we have thought what 2020 would bring us. 

2021 is finally here. A new year and in a way, it signifies a new start. A year ago, we were excited.  Today, we are trying our best to survive. What will 2021 bring us? All we can do is hope that it'll be better than 2020. 

With the pandemic destroying our industry, we were able to be a part of a unique event. A Halloween Drive-Thru event which happened at Kaneohe Marine Base. It was held on Halloween which was free for the military personnel on base. The drive-thru started at 5pm and ended at 10pm. 

The next section was the alien abduction area where we set up a 8 foot truss to and placed one of our moving heads on. We also set up a strobe and a haze machine to simulate a ufo abducting an innocent soul. Paired with a hidden sound system for that ufo sound effect. Loved how this section turned out. 

The next section was the witches area. We provided uplights to light up the trees and also a sound system to amplify the sounds from the witch animatronic. The last section in the campsite area was the ghostly apparition. We hung a transparent material to project on. Finding the right material was a bit challenging. We had to test several different materials until we found the right one. 

The next area, guests drove towards the cabin area where things got a bit more intense. On the way there, they would come across the graveyard area where they had live actors. We supplemented that area with some area lighting, audio for graveyard sounds, and also projected visuals on the far warehouse wall. We did add a continuous flow low lying fog machine but that didn't always work well. 

The actual cabin area was where they set up Bates Motel. I was surprised they were able to obtain a Bates Motel sign. They had Norman walking around and several other live actors. On one of the large walls, we projected a scene from the movie. We edited it to loop every 60 seconds and added the blood splatter effect. Used our ultra short throw projector to project on a wall that was about 20 feet wide. 

The last area was the one I was most impressed with. They wanted this area to be chaotic. We set up a sound system which included 2 subwoofers. We had screams and the sounds of a helicopter playing. The subwoofers really helped with the realism of it. We also set up 2 moving heads which simulated the lights of a helicopter. They had live zombie actors all over the place. Definitely the highlight of the night. 

Overall, it was a successful event. The core of our company is to provide an unforgettable experience at an event. The tools and experience that we have gained over the years made this event perfect for us. The experience would have been a lot more fun if people weren't restricted to stay in their cars but we really hope everyone enjoyed it.  

Check out the supplementary vlog below. 

Photo Credit-Kevin Chun
Video by Rob at Dream Fx Media

As I am writing this, we are supposed to be in the middle of our prom season. Sadly, we are not. We are in the midst of a shutdown due to the covid-19 virus. 14 out of 15 of our proms has been canceled except for that one lucky one which happened before the shutdown.  10 of which were senior proms. 

Prom season for us is the most anticipated time of the year. It's gratifying to see these kids have the time of their lives. It's also a time where we could get creative with our lighting and also hear what kids now days like to listen to. Unfortunately, we can't play everything they request due to vulgarity and/or content but it gives us an idea of what they listen to. 

We like to treat our proms as a big music festival show. We coordinate everything from music, releasing the balloon drop, and shooting the CO2/Confetti at peak moments of the night. Understanding what the kids like to hear and knowing which music works best, allows us to determine the best time to create that epic moment. 

It was very hard to see the emails of schools canceling their proms. It's missed opportunity for us to really give these kids a good time but we really felt for these kids who are going to miss out on their senior prom. 

At this time of writing, we don't know when things are going back to normal. Whether it be a few weeks to a few months or even a year. Things are very uncertain. We want to give these seniors a party before their year ends. Every day the possibility is getting slimmer and slimmer. Maybe a prom theme to somewhat make up for prom or just a music festival. We have contacted a few venues so we are going to try our best. 2020 doesn't end till December. We are in the works to throw an event for you. We want seniors to remember 2020 not for the virus, but having the best time of their lives at our events. Stay tuned! 

​-Marvin

Chelsea and John booked our DJ package which included 16 uplights, low lying fog, 3 cold spark units, and our upgraded lighting package. With the upgraded lighting package, we added on additional lighting to transform that room and also gave her an additional cold spark unit. 

The wedding was held at the Ko'olau Grand Ballroom in Kaneohe. It's always great working at Ko'olau Ballrooms. The staff is really good to work with. Always accommodating and flexible with our needs such as allowing us to set up earlier than scheduled. They don't always allow us but it just depends if they don't have an event prior. 

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Having the time to set up and not rush things is something we wish we could have for every event. It allows us time to tape down cords, adjust colors, fine tune placements of lights and gobos, etc. We want to have the cleanest set up possible. We want to make sure our equipment is out of the view of the photographers and videographers but also have a really big impact. Notice how you can't see any of our equipment in the photos and videos below. We take great care in doing so. 

With the upgraded lighting, we threw in an additional 16 uplights. We decided to place 16 of them on the drape and the rest were placed around the room. Having that many on the drape really made it pop. It also made for some really cool effects. 

Every wedding we do, one of the most important things is communication. With this wedding, we needed communication between our cold spark operator and our low lying fog operator. Just like any show, we needed communication to ensure the couple and their guests get the best experience possible. Here is a video to hear the communication between the two operators.  

The lighting gobo decor that we projected on the walls was used with one of our more popular designs. We covered the walls with leaves to bring the room to life. It fills the blank walls with pattern and it is also a great backdrop for photos. We have 1000s of designs to choose from so we can also match the theme of your event. 

One of the things that makes us unique is our capability of fully controlling our lights and to use our lighting equipment to it's fullest potential. We covered this whole room with lighting and help enhance the mood. We were able to keep it subtle enough so that it does not take away from the feel of the room but also give it some excitement especially during garter/bouquet toss. We match the lighting to the moment that it's happening. 

We really enjoyed ourselves at this wedding. Having the ability to set the mood and create memorable moments with what we do is a great thing to do. Having an awesome line up of vendors is always a plus. Our emcee made sure the night went smoothly and entertained everyone throughout the night. Our DJ complimented our MC but more importantly, played music that everyone could enjoy. When the dancing started, that is where we let our DJ and Lighting Designer work their magic. 

​-Marvin

Photos by Red Ring Studio

taryn@atouchofyouhawaii.comEntertainment(Dj, Emcee, Lighting, Cold Spark, Low Lying Fog)-Hawaii Events Unlimited

Coordination
A Touch of You-Taryn
https://www.atouchofyouhawaii.com/
​taryn@atouchofyouhawaii.com
@atouchofyou
808-227-9909

Photography, Videograpny, & Same Day Edit
Red Ring Studio
http://www.redringstudio.com/
info@redringstudio.com
808-232-6355

Floral
Su-V Expressions
https://www.flowersbysuvexpressions.com/
@suvexpressions
808-372-3644

Drapery
Elegance with Grace
elegancewithgrace@gmail.com
@elegance_with_grace
808-927-9921

Venue
Ko'olau Ballrooms
https://koolauballrooms.com/
@koolauballrooms
808-954-7000

Formerly known as Pacific Beach Hotel, this venue has done a complete 180 turn with their recent renovations. With recently having done our Hawaii Wedding Showcase there in November of 2019, this is definitely one of our favorite venues. 

We visited Alohilani after their renovation and we were in awe struck. It got us excited. The possibilities with this venue especially with what we do made us giddy inside. Nice white walls, beautiful carpet, and a ceiling that can change color to what ever matches your style. 

One outstanding feature that we took notice is the staff and management of Alohilani Resort. During our Wedding Showcase, we noticed how professional they were especially in accommodating our needs and last minute changes. We have worked with a few of their staff before but we noticed a higher level of professionalism. 

Their staff constantly checked on us and made sure we had everything we need. They made sure we had their contact info just in case we needed to get in touch with them if they were not in the room. It almost seemed that they were checking in on us every 30 minutes to make sure we were ok. That in itself is great customer service as we all took notice. 

With the renovation that has changed at the previous Pacific Beach Hotel, we noticed the direction that they were going for. It is something that is a lot different from the other hotels in Waikiki. A lot different. There are some new staff and also new management. We understand the direction they are going toward but what stands out the most out of it all is their Aloha Spirit. Their willingness to work with local businesses especially ours. They have taken risks and it shows they are not afraid to fail. Hawaii Events Unlimited notices and we want to make sure we all don't fail. 

​Marvin

Services provided:
Premium Wedding Package
-4.5 Hour Photo Booth w/kiosk & unlimited prints
-Emcee service by Braddah Bryan
-Music by Dj Flip
-​Custom Monogram
-24 Uplighting
-12 effect lighting
​-Led Bar

Here is a highlight video of their wedding day created by DreamFx Media.

DreamFX Media provided their photography and videography needs for Mark and Lynda's wedding. They are a really great group which we always enjoy working with. That is always a positive thing when you book vendors that work well with each other. The quality of work tends to be better. 
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This wedding was held at the beautiful venue Cafe Julia. Both ceremony and reception was held at the very same location. Immediately after the ceremony, everyone is moved into the restaurant for cocktail hour while the staff of Cafe Julia brings out the tables and rearranges the chairs for the reception. This process usually takes about an hour to complete. 

We set up our dj booth under the walkway to the left. Our photo booth was set up in the restaurant which is right under the monogram. 

We had our monogram between the 2 windows on the wall to the left when facing the walkway. 

We had 12 of our uplighting in and along the walkway while the other 12 placed around the venue. We also had our LED Bars lined up against the railings and floor in the walkway to give a cool and fun dance area(too bad they did not want to dance in this area). 

For their first dance, we provided our "Dancing in the cloud" effect". Using this effect outdoors is always a gamble. Any kind of wind no matter how slow it blows, will easily blow the low lying fog away. Luckily for their first dance, the breeze held on long enough just for their first dance which made for a beautiful video captured by DreamFx Media

Our emcee was Bruddah Bryan. Bryan is one of our most popular emcee. He is also a radio dj on 94.7 Kumu. Always a great person to work with. Here are 2 videos below where Bryan leads the countdown for the Bouquet and Garter toss. 

We enjoy providing our services at Cafe Julia. The staff is friendly and they give us lots of time to set up. They normally don't have day events which allows us to set up as early as noon. Lugging our equipment in to the location is really easy for us. Lots of accessible power throughout the venue. The other great thing about this location is that it gives us lots of options for us to explore with our lighting. 

The location of this venue  is right in Honolulu right next to Iolani Palace. Giving lots of opportunity for some awesome wedding photos and videos. Tons of parking and far from residential areas. There are a few tall buildings around which blocks the sun early in the day making set up a lot more pleasant. 

We highly recommend this outdoor venue. They even have an indoor location in case it rains. 

Services provided:
Premium Wedding Package
-4.5 Hour Photo Booth w/kiosk & unlimited prints
-Emcee service by Slick Vic
-Music by Dj Flip
-​Custom Monogram
-32 Uplighting
-4 Star Gobo fixtures
-Hashtag Print Station
-12 effect lighting

Here is a highlight video we created for this wedding. 

For this wedding 1/3 of the full ballroom was not used. Around 175 guests attended. There was no head table but there was a family table where the bride & groom sat. The dance floor was wrapped with their custom monogram. The wrap was provided by Accel Party Rentals. The room was fully draped and provided by It's So Pretty Linens. 

The couple originally got married in Napa Valley so they wanted the wedding theme to represent their wedding there. 

The uplighting color they wanted was a lavenderish/purple color. We also provided 4 star gobo fixtures. 2 of the fixtures were facing on the dance floor and the other 2 on the wall besides the monogram. You can see samples of them in the photos above. We had the uplights static for most of the night until the dancing portion where we did some cool effects. 

With the amount of uplighting we provided, we placed 16 along the wall with the monogram. The other 16 we placed around the room. 32 is a good amount for a venue this size to get almost a full room coverage. We could not place any on the wall by the buffet tables. 

We normally create the custom monogram for you but the bride wanted to make it herself. She sent us the monogram and we projected it onto the drapes where she wanted it. 

Our dj mixes music and our lighting designer controls the lighting to the music. For almost every new song, our lighting designer changes the lighting up. For the video above during the song "September", our lighting designer used colors that represents fall which starts in September. Our LD also uses cool chase and strobe patterns which go to the beat of the song. 

Along with our uplighting, we also provided 12 effect lights. These effect lights are primarily used during the dancing portion of the night and in some occasions, during the first dance, father/daughter, or mother/son dance. In the video above, our effect lighting is the white dots going around the room. It simulates a mirror ball effect and also can change colors. The other effect lighting we used are the large triangles going across the room. We occasionally switch the triangles with other patterns like stars, hearts, swirls, etc. throughout the night. 

Below is a 360 video which gives you an idea of our full room lighting coverage. 

The couple selected Slick Vic as their emcee because the couple wanted a fun and energetic emcee. Slick Vic is a great choice for that. Slick Vic is not a part of the premium package but we can add him to the package for a small charge. You can listen to Slick Vic in the mornings on 98.5

We also provided a hashtag print station. The couple utilized the hashtag print station as a game. They provided a list of items on each table. The guests that obtains the most items on that list, wins a prize. A great and fun way to get everyone taking pics at your event. 

For the photo booth, we created a strip style layout. When it prints, our guests get's 2 copies. The background used was a gold sequin backdrop. The image on the bottom of the layout was also created by the bride. 

This was a great wedding with a great couple. It's always a pleasure working with the staff at the Hyatt. The staff there are really easy to work with and their vendor meals are really good. The loading dock makes it easy to move our equipment in and out. 

In the past year, we have seen a big increase in weddings happening at the He'eia State Park Banquet Hall. We have booked quite a few there and had many inquiries. 

We are not sure why this venue has become really popular the past year or so. Maybe it's the location? The rustic feel? The view? 

Here is a highlight video we did at this venue. 

The services we provided was our Essential Package along with our Dancing In The Clouds effect. We also provided extra microphones and equipment for the 3 person band that was performing. 

We provided 18 uplights. 10 of which we placed on the backdrop behind the sweetheart table. The rest of the uplights we placed on the 6 pillars where the hanging drape ends. There weren't much other areas to place our uplights on so most of the uplights ended up behind the sweetheart table since that is the direction of where the focus is. 

We did provide our monogram service which made it really tricky to place. The original plan was to place it behind the sweetheart table but was not able to because of the pallet structure that was placed there. The only other option was to place it on the floor. This made it extremely awkward with our projector. Luckily, we had the equipment to work with the angle that we had to work with. 

As you can see in the photo above on the left, the monogram was not projected from the front or back, but to the side. With the projector and equipment we had, we were able to project from the side, and also fix the skew it would've had from projecting at an angle. This makes it possible to set up our projector almost anywhere. 

For our effect lighting, we added patterns like stars and other shapes during the dancing portion of the wedding. All which is controlled by our dedicated lighting designer. 

A lighting designer can bring so much depth in your event. The right lighting and the right effect can enhance your wedding. Here is one example with the video below

The uplights give a chasing effect which leads to the front where the groom is. When he throws the garter, our lighting designer gives the strobing effect to signify that the garter is in the air. Once the guest catches it, the lights go full on to show that someone has caught it. 

Most people will notice the lighting but subtle things like what we did with the garter toss video above, most people will not notice. Doing things like that will add to the mood of the event subliminally. Allowing your guests to enjoy your event even more.