Saturday Briefing

By Patsy Narimatsu

It was a picture-perfect evening on Thursday, October 15, when the Outrigger Beachfront Division unveiled its new wedding packages, while at the same time showcasing the Outrigger Reef’s stunning Voyager Deck as the newest oceanfront wedding venue. With the availability of the Voyager Deck at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach and the expansive lanai fronting Suite 123 at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach, Outrigger’s beachfront properties now have two of the most memorable oceanfront settings on Waikiki beach for weddings.

Nearly 80 guests, comprised of wedding planners, meeting coordinators, vendors, and Outrigger executives, gathered at the exclusive Wedding Launch event. The Voyager Deck was set as it would be for an intimate, oceanfront wedding. Guests were greeted at a reception table, just as they would at a real wedding. They then mingled, while enjoying passed hors d’oeurves and chilled lychee martinis. The popular wedding trio Soul Bucket provided entertainment, and Billy V from Hawaiian 105 KINE and Sunrise on KGMB was the evening’s emcee.

Tables were set beneath a clear tent, and each was beautifully decorated with peach silk table linens, the finest of dinnerware, and a stunning floral centerpiece courtesy of University Flowers. The dinner buffet was top-notch, with Chef Harold Beltran, Food and Beverage Manager Dietrich Chillous, and the Kani Ka Pila Grille kitchen crew and wait staff showing off their skills. Everyone’s eyes lit up when they saw the colorful and tasty candy bar, and guests couldn’t resist snapping photos of the charming wedding cake surrounded by individual red velvet cupcakes.

A special addition to the evening was a fashion show of the all-new bridal fashion line from in-vogue local label, Fighting Eel, known for its simple, chic, and romantic line of dresses. Models passed through a lace-draped bamboo trellis decorated with fresh florals, then strolled among the tables for everyone to enjoy.

From comments received that evening and a flurry of follow-up emails asking for more information about the new wedding services, we can safely say the wedding launch was a success and our beachfront properties can look forward to a new avenue of business.

Many weddings can take a year to plan, but the professionals at the Outrigger Reef pulled together the wedding launch event in just a few weeks thanks to the efforts and hard work of a great team. Special mahalo to Gay Shinbara, Ricol Akana, Chef Harold Beltran, Dietrich Chillous, and Nurhan Enustun. We also need to say a big mahalo to our vendors who were generous in showcasing their special products and services, including wedding planner Linda Saito, Royal Party Rentals (tent/chairs), photographers David Miyamoto and Arna Johnson, University Flowers and Spinning Web for the exquisite florals, and Le Saison (linens).