New KFVE reality show follows duos to the altar

A first of its kind in Hawaii will debut on KFVE-TV on July 28 when "Hot Hawaiian Weddings" airs at 7 p.m.

It is not the same type of show as KFVE’s "Hot Hawaiian Nights," which features local musicians performing live.

Produced by Lexi Mackenzie and directed by Christiaan Phleger, each episode of "Hot Hawaiian Weddings" will depict a couple on the unscripted journey to their Hawaii wedding. The couples to be shown are a mix of local residents, mainland and international couples.

Show creators Mackenzie and Phleger have 15 years’ experience in wedding photography and will share their perspectives on weddings in Hawaii in a way they say will be uplifting.

The business partners have been working on the project for the past three years, Mackenzie said, adding that Phleger "was a photojournalist for the Sun Press and MidWeek" for some seven years before they started their business in 1999.

Phleger serves as cinematographer and will pre­sent the show in what Mackenzie called a "photojournalistic style."

Each couple will be shown engaging in an outdoor activity, whether kite surfing, surfing, diving or enjoying a helicopter ride, for instance, that will be shot "on a totally different day" from the wedding, just to introduce more of the couple to the viewers.

"Every show will feature some aspect of the Hawaiian culture that relates to a wedding," Mackenzie said, whether a chant by a kahu, a "lei ceremony" or, as in one episode, the kahu from Lanikuhonua, next to Ko Olina, blesses the bride and groom in a private ceremony before the wedding.

The ending of each show will comprise a slideshow of the best photos of the highlighted wedding.

"Hot Hawaiian Weddings" combines two genres — reality TV and wedding programming — said John Fink, general manager of KFVE.

The show was initially set to debut in April, but there was "no reason to start right before the May rating period," Fink said, adding that "we wanted to make sure we had 12 solid shows."

KFVE airs several locally produced programs including "What’s Cooking Hawaii," an instructional cooking show featuring the award-winning KCC culinary arts team and local restaurateurs; "Discover Digest Korea," a travelogue hosted by David Lim; and "Voice of the Sea," a show highlighting marine science and Hawaiian culture, hosted by Kanesa Seraphin, director of the UH Sea Grant Center of Excellence in Marine Science Education. KFVE also airs two shows hosted by local comedian and well-known gearhead Andy Buma­tai, "In the Car With" and "Toolin’ Around."

"My goal is to make KFVE the leader in quality local programming," Fink said.

Abundant Life makes move to abundant space

Abundant Life Natural Foods will be moving to a new location in Hilo, and growing at the same time.

"We are moving out of the tsunami zone to a place with over 30 parking stalls," Leslie "Malu" Miki told TheBuzz.

After the first of the year, Abundant Life will move from its leased bay-front space at 292 Kame­ha­meha Ave. to the old Farmers Exchange building at 318 Kino­ole St., a building the company owns. The business will be relocating from a 4,000-square-foot space into more than 9,000 square feet.

"We are building our dream store," Miki said.

Opened in 1977, Abundant Life is a mom-and-pop store. Miki is president; her husband, Cornelius Callaghan, is vice president; and her mother, Sachi, and daughter, Kahanu, are directors of parent company Hilo Health Foods Ltd.

For years, Maki said, the store was a "side gig" to her life as a dancer of multiple disciplines.

She was with Hawaii island’s first modern dance company and the first jazz dance ensemble out of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, was a member of an improvisation group called Playback Theater, and she has been a member of Halau o Kekuhi since 1977, when Abundant Life opened.

She joined Vistage, a CEO peer group, a year ago, and said, "I’ve learned so much."

"Since Vistage I’ve been taking my business seriously and working on internal upgrades to bring strength to our organization."

———
Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.