Win a Free Wedding with
Parasol Events' Wedding Giveaway

Presented by The Honolulu Advertiser

 

Attention, engaged couples:

Do you think you and your betrothed have the most romantic story in Honolulu? Is your love built to last, for better or for worse, through a lifetime of partnership?

Would you love to win a romantic, elegant, upscale wedding for 50, including your closest friends and family, on March 31, 2008? This stress-free event will be designed by experts in the wedding industry, with one lucky couple's cooperation.

Ready to place your wedding in motion? Then send The Honolulu Advertiser your story, and enter the Parasol Events Wedding Giveaway, presented by The Honolulu Advertiser.

Parasol Events has enlisted a team of Honolulu's premiere wedding professionals, and these experts are ready and waiting to design a breathtaking, custom wedding ceremony and reception at the one-of-a-kind Kahala Hotel and Resort on Monday, March 31, 2008.

The lucky winners will receive a wedding package valued at more than $30,000.

To win: Tell The Honolulu Advertiser, in 500 words or less, about your romance and why your relationship is meant to go the distance. One entry per couple. They'll accept entries through Dec. 10, then bring them to their relationship experts, Tom and Bobbie Merrill, authors of "Settle For More: You Can Have The Relationship You Always Wanted — Guaranteed!" (Select Books, 2005).

Their experts will choose four finalists. Judging will be based on the romantic appeal of the story of their courtship, and the strength of their partnership.

Readers will meet the four finalists in The Honolulu Advertiser's Island Life on Dec. 30, when they share their stories, and post stories and video online at HonoluluAdvertiser.com.

Then readers take over to pick a winner! The Honolulu Advertiser will give you information about our would-be marrieds and tally reader votes (one vote per household). A winner will be announced in The Honolulu Advertiser in January.

That's when the fun begins for the lucky couple, as they work with the wedding planners here at Parasol Events, and our partners in this giveaway, to put a ceremony together. You'll be able to read all about it in The Honolulu Advertiser's Island Life.

Qualified couples must be prepared to tell The Honolulu Advertiser their story, in print and via video, and to hold their wedding in March 2008, with services provided by Parasol Events and the participating wedding vendors. Design cues will be taken from the couple, but Parasol Events retains the right to creative control, with the aim of creating an elegant, showcase wedding. The winning couple will sign a release form, and agreements with Parasol Events and the wedding contractors hosting the wedding event.

Send your story to islandlife@honoluluadvertiser.com, with "Wedding Contest" in the subject line, or mail it to Wedding Contest c/o Island Life, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802.

THE WINNER'S PACKAGE

Parasol Events, a Hawai'i wedding and event planning company, has partnered with The Honolulu Advertiser to give away a free wedding package to a local couple. Parasol Events and its wedding vendors will each provide services to create an intimate wedding and reception for a bride and groom and up to four attendants, for a total of 50. The package is valued at more than $30,000. These vendors are contributing:

  • Parasol Events, Laura Ann Lewis, owner: Full consultation, and coordination of wedding ceremony and reception. Value: $3,950. Note: If a client books services with Parasol and is the winning contestant, a deposit will be refunded, but all terms of the giveaway will then apply.

  • The Kahala Hotel and Resort, Stuart Y. Kotake, director of catering and conference services: Beachfront ceremony site, with gazebo, chairs, stanchions, white carpet runner, signing table and sound equipment; dinner reception in the Waialae Ballroom. Value: $11,164.

  • Florist Grand, Evan Morita, owner: Bride's bouquet, groom's boutonniere, bouquets and boutonnieres for wedding party of four; gazebo and ceremony decor; table centerpieces and decor. Value: $4,500.

  • Nueva Vida, featuring Anita Hall: Dinner and dance music, with a four-piece band, including sound. Value: $3,500.

  • Chrissy Lambert Photography, Chrissy Douglass, owner: six hours of unlimited photos; online photo gallery; DVD of images (no copyright restrictions); DVD slideshow set to music. Value: $3,000.

  • Crane Media Productions, James Chun, owner: Three-camera video coverage of the ceremony; two-camera coverage of the reception; bride and groom preparation shots; two edited enhanced DVDs. Value: $2,400.

  • Midnight DJ’s Hawaii, Troy Michael Terazono, owner: Five hours of DJ music, with emcee, sound and lighting system. Value: $1,200.

  • cakelava, Rick and Sasha Reichart, owners: A custom-designed wedding cake made to serve 50 guests, including design, a cake-tasting appointment and delivery.Value: $800.

  • Les Saisons, Naomi Lee, owner: Registration table, banquet, with full-length, shantung draping; Chivari chair sashes for 50; six reception tables, with shantung covers; head table, with shantung overlay and peau de soie underlay; cake table with shantung overlay; set-up and breakdown included. Value: $760.

  • Visionari Photography, Jon Lagon and Mike Joy, owners: One-hour engagement photo session; 100 high-resolution images on disk. Value: $750.

  • Hair and Make-up by Vicky and CJ, Vicky Choe, owner: Hair styling and makeup for the bride, maid of honor and bride's mother; complementary trial, including travel if in Honolulu. Value: $600.

  • Bridal Emporium, Leslie Nakagawa, owner: Bride's wedding dress. Value: $600.

  • Black Tie Affair, Mike Chong, owner: Three formal rentals. Value: $420.
    Phone: 732-9474

 

THE FINE PRINT: The wedding will take place at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 31, 2008, with a reception to follow. The offer expires at midnight, Feb. 29, 2008, if planning has not begun according to these rules and the contract offered by Parasol Events.

Vendors will work with the winning couple to take design cues and reflect the values of the relationship, but these experienced professionals will have creative control over the celebration.

The prize wedding package will accommodate up to 50 people, including the bride, maid of honor, bridesmaid, groom, best man and groomsman. The winning couple may choose services beyond the prize value, if the couple assumes responsibility for the cost differences.

This contest is open to engaged couples (couples with an existing intention to marry) who are Hawai'i residents, who are not already legally married, and who are eligible to be married in the state of Hawai'i. The winning bride and groom will be responsible for applying for, receiving, and committing to a marriage in the state of Hawai'i.

Some responsibilities lie outside the scope of the winning package. These include, but are not limited to, wedding rings, travel and accommodations, obtaining the wedding license, mailing of the invitations, seating charts and wedding favors. Explicit details of the prize package will be included in a contract which the winning couple will be required to sign.  Click here to view the contract terms. The winners will be expected to sign a release from liability with The Honolulu Advertiser, and legal agreements with the vendors. This offer does not supersede any existing contracts with wedding vendors included in this offer. Any tax liabilities will be the responsibility of the winning contestants.