Bilingual MC — Hawaiian and English. Weddings, cultural events, and the corporate program that wants the welcome to land in the language.
I'm Kainoa Pālama. I MC weddings, cultural events, and corporate programs in both Hawaiian and English. I came up through the ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi immersion school system and work as a Hawaiian-language teacher by day; the MC work started as side gigs for friends' weddings and turned into a real practice.
What I bring is the bilingual program. The welcome in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi that grandmothers will cry through. The English MC work that keeps mainland guests inside the experience. The pivot between the two without it ever feeling performative.
I do weddings, milestone family events, and corporate welcomes. I work Oʻahu primarily; neighbor islands by quote. I prepare meticulously — every program is custom-written for the ʻohana being honored.
Kalei & Bryce L. · Honolulu
Kainoa MCed our wedding in both ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and English. The bilingual welcome at the start of the reception was the most powerful moment of the night — my grandmother cried, my mainland aunties said they'd never experienced anything like it. Kainoa prepares meticulously and it shows.
Cultural foundation event lead · Honolulu
We needed a bilingual MC for a cultural foundation event welcoming visiting kūpuna from Aotearoa. Kainoa was perfect — respectful, prepared, fluent. He's now our first call for any program needing ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.
These are starting packages. Most vendors will customize for your date, headcount, and the kind of party you're throwing — ask.
Up to 4 hours
Reception MC — first dances, toasts, send-off. Bilingual welcome included.
Up to 8 hours
Ceremony cues through reception. Custom bilingual program.
Up to 6 hours
Corporate welcome program — full bilingual welcome, cultural framing, on-stage delivery, awards. For visiting executives + retreats.
Booked dates are pulled from the vendor's own calendar. If your date is open, you can request a quote — they'll confirm in their reply. Most events lock in 2–6 months ahead in Hawaiʻi; for May–August dates, sooner is safer.
Performances rooted in lineage. Kahiko and ʻauana under the direction of Kumu Hula Lehua Kalama-Iaea.
Restored 1930s plantation hall on the windward side. Six acres, room for 200, sliding-door views of the Koʻolau.
Third-generation North Shore shave ice. Real fruit syrups, fresh from the family stand, brought to your party.