Today's the Day!

After 15 months of planning, it's finally here! Some last minute things you may want to know...

- Please arrive between 5:30-6. The wedding will take place in the Hidden Village area of the restaurant...walk through the main dining room, there will be a table at the entrance where an attendant will be seated to direct you.

- In lieu of a guestbook, there is a "Well Wishes" card that you will receive upon arrival. Please write your name and address on it and a message in the space provided. These cards will be places into an album later.

- If you are reading this before you leave...PLEASE NO SUITS OR TIES! Trust me, this wedding is not the place for them. See the above photo for hints as to the wedding party attire.

- Have fun! Don the Beachcomber has some of the greatest Tiki cocktails on the west coast, make sure to try some of them! My personal favorite is the Rum Barrel...also worth trying are the 1934 Zombie (limit 2!) and the Mai Tai.

See everyone there tonight...we can't wait! Thanks so much!

Jason and Dannelle

Introducing the Tikiyaki Orchestra and Master of Ceremonies Marty Lush!

(video by Tim Keenan "ojaitimo")

Friends and family attending our wedding are in for a treat...the swinging sounds of the Tikiyaki Orchestra! From their website:

The Tikiyaki Orchestra is a musical experience unlike any other today. Utilizing a unique combination of sounds....smooth, mellow vibraphone, twanging, reverb-drenched surf guitar,
pulsating theater organ, lilting Hawaiian steel guitar, bongos,congas, and an arsenal of exotic percussion from around the world, all set against the sounds of the ocean and jungle.... the Tikiyaki Orchestra transports the audience to a place and time when Cantonese food was dubbed “exotic cuisine”, and people escaped the mundane with the aid of strong, sweet rum-based cocktails served in Tiki Mugs with little colorful umbrellas... ie : Waikiki in 1960.

Evoking the spirit of past masters such as Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman, and Les Baxter, The Tikiyaki Orchestra performs original material from their CDs “StereoExotique” (and "Swingin' Sounds for the Jungle Jetset" - ed.), written by award winning composer and band leader Jim Bacchi, as well as classics of the Exotica,traditional Hawaiian, lounge, surf, spy and cocktail genres, and provide the ideal sonic landscape for any tropical, Luau, swinger, fifties, lounge cocktail party, or other similarly-themed event.

The band has performed to sold-out crowds in Southern California and were the headliners at the 2008 Hukilau in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Hukilau is the East Coast's biggest and most attended Tiki weekender, attracting people from around the world.

featuring:
Jim "El Maestro" Bacchi - composer, producer, guitar, keys
Steady Eddie Cleland : Drums
Brian "Cassanova" Kassan - keyboards, guitar
Marty Lush - vibes
Gary Brandin - steel guitar
Jonpaul "Rummy" Balak - bass
Mark "Gus" Gusek - percussion


We're so glad the Tikiyakis will be there to provide the perfect soundtrack to our Tiki wedding!






Sticking around for MC duties will be Tikiyaki spokesman, vibe player, and accomplished pilot Marty Lush. I'm sure Lush is an ironic nickname...right? Guys? We better order more gin and vermouth just in case!


http://www.tikiyakiorchestra.com
http://www.tikiyakiairways.com
http://www.myspace.com/tikiyaki

Out-of-Towners

For all of you out of towners coming in for the wedding, we are still finalizing the details of the rehearsal dinner, and once finalized, we will send out all the details.

Also, we will be having a day-after-the-wedding brunch at the Hilton Waterfront Resort in Huntington Beach. We would love to spend some extra time with you!!!

As the day gets closer, we will post the meeting time for brunch.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone.

Save the Dates

Jason and I are so excited. The Save the Dates FINALLY went out and we can't wait to send out the invitations. We wanted to give a reminder to everyone that the attire for the wedding is Hawaiian since our theme is TIKI! Also, it is going to be a very SUPER kid-friendly event, so please feel free to bring the little ones!

Update - Change of Date

So, it's been awhile since we've posted anything about the wedding. As most people know, my mother passed away last November. Jason and I have decided that we would like to push the wedding back a little bit. That being said, the new date is June 12th, 2010! We are very excited to have the new date and the wedding planning has re-started.

We have secured the venue as well as the vendors. For all the out of town guests, there are a few hotels that are in the Huntington Beach area that are close to Don the Beachcomber. Jason and I will be spending the evening of June 12th at the Hilton Waterfront Resort in Huntington Beach. We would love to be able to see all the out of town guests for brunch on Sunday, June 13th if you are staying at the hotel or close by.

As the date is getting closer, keep checking back for more updates. We plan to post more information as it becomes available.

AND, keep an eye on your mailbox, the Save-the-Dates are coming soon!!!!

Where to buy Hawaiian shirts and dresses?

When the invitation hits early next year, you will notice that we are requesting suggesting that our guests wear Hawaiian apparel. Problem is, the invitations will probably show up sometime in January...and where the heck can you find a Hawaiian shirt or dress in January? To help you get a jumpstart on things, here is one of our favorites:

Exotical Hawaiian Apparel

8136 Firestone Blvd
Downey, CA 90241
(562) 869-0575

Exotical has been in business since 1964, in the same location on Firestone Boulevard in Downey. They have literally hundreds of different style shirts and dresses. Many of them have matching patterns in case you are the type of couple that likes to dress alike! You can also find white dress pants and shoes here (heads up wedding party!) They also sell all types of other Hawaiiana, such as beachcomber hats, leis, and music..you can even buy the Tikiyaki Orchestra CDs here! Also note they stock a lot of larger sizes which are hard to find anywhere else. They only accept cash (old school!), so hit the ATM first.
We also buy Hawaiian clothing from a couple of places online...just make sure to allow for a bit of extra shipping time, due to the fact that both are in Hawaii.

Avanti Shirts - sells silk reproductions of 1940s and 50s aloha shirts. A little pricey, but great quality for the price.

Jade Fashions - Great selection of designs at very low costs, many of their shirts are under $30.

The First Church of Tiki - Don the Beachcomber, Huntington Beach CA

The first step in planning the perfect Tiki wedding - the venue! And what better venue than Don the Beachcomber in Huntington Beach, former home of Sam's Seafood and for a couple of short years, Kona? Don the Beachcomber (aka Donn Beach, born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gannt) was one of the pioneers of tiki, opening his first Don the Beachcomber location in 1934. Over the years there have been 17 different Don the Beachcomber locations across the country, with the new Huntington Beach location being the first to open on the mainland in over 30 years (Another Don's opened in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii in 2005). With wedding planners Mendi and Jocelyn in tow, we met with Don's banquet coordinator Beth to hammer out all the important details. You know, stuff like, are we allowed to serve mai-tais during the ceremony?
Beth was very gracious and helpful..and most of all, she's going to help us make sure that no one's tiki mug runs dry during the wedding or reception!