Venice Post-Wedding Luau

Shaken Not Stirred performed bartending services for the second event of a three event weekend at a Venice, California post wedding luau.

The couple was married earlier in the year, but had family in from out of the country and decided to throw a Hawaiian themed event in their backyard for their friends and family.  They really spent a lot of time decorating and had a time and place tunnel that guests had to walk through when entering the party that takes them to “Hawaii”.

When I arrived the whole backyard was already full of people.  I panicked, thinking I was late and had the times mixed up. The host informed me I wasn’t late. I have never been late to an event yet, and don’t want to break my record. Even though I was on time, I was thrown right into the fire. Guests started lining up at the bar right away and I had to start making Pina Colladas, Mai Tais, and Blue Hawaiians right away. These are the standard drinks at all Luaus and there are different variations of them.

They had a Hawaiian trio, Lei Aloha, performing music and the food was provided by King’s Hawaiian Bakery. They had some of the best Hawaiian pork I have ever tasted. When the sun went down, the temperature cooled down nicely and I continued to make tropical drinks. The hosts had purchased some plastic coconut cups that were kind of fun. Many of the guests at the party were visiting from Holland and it was nice meeting and talking to all of them. I have a good friend in Holland, Big Pete, who is a successful musician, and I will give him a shout out here.

I have history in this particular neighborhood in Venice. I used to hang out with a girl and we would dog sit some dogs just down the street from where the party was held. We used to walk the dogs in that neighborhood and admire all of the cute houses in the area, fantasizing that we would someday own one of them. I recognized the address when I booked the party.

The highlight of the party was a performance at the end of the evening by some traditional Hawaiian dancers, Tausala Polynesia. They got the guests involved for a couple numbers, and then did a traditional fire show as their finale. Tonight, I do it again as I bartend a Christening here in the San Fernando Valley, in Porter Ranch. Two very successful events down this weekend, one to go.