Beneath the dark cloud of COVID-19, the experience of exchanging vows is still so important,” says Mona Hirata, Owner of Neu Events. “It’s these happy memories that allow people to focus on the positive and keep going.” In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mona took the lead on developing a new hybrid approach to virtual weddings, determined to keep herself and her industry alive. Her success not only proved that wedding ceremonies are still beautiful, meaningful, and worth celebrating during this time, but it also provided her with the opportunity to finally have her dream marriage come true.

In mid-March, Mona’s full calendar of weddings, private events, and non-profit fundraisers was postponed. While new online experiences flourished, weddings were at a standstill with the limited gathering and travel restrictions. Although a couple could have a marriage ceremony livestreamed for their guests to see, the emotional investment and shared connections that people long for in a wedding ceremony seemed lost without the ability to hug each other, smell flowers, taste cake, drink champagne, or dance together. “You have to admit,” said Mona, “It’s kind of boring just watching people dance and eat through a screen.” So, Mona searched for other ways to keep people engaged through virtual lenses.

Eventually, a news report of nightclubs going virtual caught Mona’s attention. Nightclubs had been able to keep the feeling of club experiences alive with a cover charge to enter the Zoom Room, a dress code and pressure on appearances, a bouncer who would kick you out of the Zoom Room for bad behavior, and live DJ broadcasts with proper sound equipment. Mona realized that upholding some of the same standard rules of a wedding ceremony, just like the nightclubs were doing for their industry, could bring a virtual wedding to life. She put together a COVID-19 compliance team, sought out her vendors and tech support, and decided to put Hawai‘i on the map. What Mona was not expecting was the trouble of finding a couple willing to test out their wedding dreams during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was then that Mona’s on-the-back-burner wedding plans with her fiancé became the guinea-pig wedding for her business!

Mona hired a coordinator, so she could enjoy her wedding, and approached Chef Chai, one of Hawai‘i’s top chefs, as he kept his venue closed to the public on Mondays and had enough space to separate tables in compliance with COVID-19 regulations. With Chef Chai’s cooperation, Mona was able to set up an in-person ceremony at his Pacifica restaurant for eight in-person guests, her soon-to-be husband, herself, and the remote guests. While a hybrid wedding may seem cheaper since there are fewer guests in person, Mona still had to arrange for technology accommodations, like a large LED-wall to visually host the remote guests, and pay for food delivery for remote guests that was arranged as a part of their attendance. Nevertheless, the hybrid wedding format allowed for an accelerated timeline, less in-person lines for meals and parking, less clean-up at the venue, and an unlimited number of guests that could be invited to the virtual livestream. The success of this wedding not only validated Mona’s genius idea to continue wedding ceremonies in a hybrid format during the pandemic, but it also gave Mona the chance to celebrate her love and tie the knot in a way she will be able to savor forever.