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A Miami Beach Themed Bar Mitzvah Celebration
October 18th, 2011

A Miami Beach Themed Bar Mitzvah Celebration

The Cohen family celebrated their son Drew’s Bar Mitzvah on his actual thirteenth birthday, May 21, 2011.

They belong to the Jewish Congregation of Brookville and had their service at Tam O’Shanter Country Club followed by a celebration at Temple Or Elohim in Jericho, New York.

Drew loves visiting Florida, specifically Miami. They used elements of that location in his theme to achieve a “beachy Miami” feel for their celebration.

 

All photography was done by Simon Elliot Events and the rest of the vendor information is listed at the bottom.

Pictured L-R: Dad Adam, Bar Mitzvah boy Drew, sister Danielle and Mom Tammy

 

Stamp - Mitzvah Idea

 

As reported in an earlier story, a Mitzvah Tradition: A Friday Night Oneg Dinner was thrown for Drew and his family by close friends which kicked off his special weekend celebration.

 

Cohen Oneg
Drew is being presented with a special Bar Mitzvah gift

 

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Drew’s service took place at Tam O’Shanter Country Club in Brookville, New York.

 

 

Cohen Service

Rabbi Steven Moskowitz and Cantor Talya Smilowitz with the Cohens

 

Stamp - Mitzvah Style

 

Mom Tammy and sister Dani both wore silver. Tammy’s dress was custom designed by Kimberly at Runway Couture. Dani got her dress at Nordstom and it was altered by Kimberly.

 

Cohen style

 

stamp_minvite

 

Drew’s blue and grey sleek invitation was created by Darlene Barzilay.

 

 

Drew Cohen invite
Their invitation set the tone for their “Miami” styled party

 

Stamp - Mitzvah Decor

 

The Cohens worked with Denea from Stefan’s to create a specific feel for the ballroom at Or Elohim.

 

 

Drew Cohen Decor

The ballroom at Temple Or Elohim is transformed

Drew Cohen decor

Silver linens and large palm leaves were the centerpieces on some tables…

Drew Cohen decor

And candles, crystals and low florals were used on others

Drew Cohen decor
Draping and initial signage was used for the decor

Drew Cohen floor decal
A floor decal of Drew’s logo was created by Simon Elliot Events

Drew Cohen decor
Photos from a special Bar Mitzvah photo shoot with Simon Elliot Events lined the walls

Drew Cohen decor

 

Stamp - Mitzvah Music

 

Carl from ET was the musical entertainment and got the crowd going.

 

 

Drew Cohen DJ

Carl with Drew and his friends

Drew Cohen DJ

The young guests help the percussionist

 

mitzvahstamp_extra

 

The Cohens had many extra activities to entertain their guests.

 

 

 

Drew Cohen Magician

Magician David Levitan wowed adults and young guests with his mind reading and magic act

Drew Cohen games

The games for the kids were being played by the adults!

Drew Cohen games

Additional fun provided by Great Neck Games

Drew Cohen airbrushing

Airbrushing was also by Great Neck Games

 

stamp_msignin

 

Surfboard Beach Art created this sign-in board for Drew.

 

 

Drew Cohen Sign-In
Drew’s friends loved writing messages on his “surfboard” which now hangs in his room

Drew Cohen Sign-in

 

stamp_mfavor

 

Jake Mandel created Drew’s PJ pants for his friends.

 

Cohen favor

Drew’s initials and date

 

Stamp - Mitzvah Cake

 

Drew’s cake was designed and created by Hasson Caterers

 

Drew Cohen Cake

 

stamp_mexit

 

In keeping with the cool Miami theme, a Good Humor ice cream cart was available as guests left the party.

 

Drew Cohen Exit

 

Stamp Vendor's Directory

 

The following vendors helped make Drew’s party special. If you give any of them a call, please tell them you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.

 

Venue: Or Elohim
Temple: Jewish Congregation of Brookville
Caterer: Hasson Caterers
Service Venue: Tam O’Shanter
Photographer/Video: Simon Elliot Events
Florist: Danea, Stefan’s
Tammy’s Dress: Runway Couture 516-308-4639
Dani’s Dress: Nordstom
Music Entertainment: MC Carl, Entertainment Tonite
Games: Great Neck Games
Favors: Jake Mandel 516-984-8862
Sign-In Board: Surfboard Beach Art
Invitations: Darlene Barzilay 516-681-4602

 

 

Mitzvah Inspire: Hannahs New York
October 16th, 2011

Mitzvah Inspire: Hannahs New York

This Bat Mitzvah celebration, designed by M. Studio Events took place at Fred’s at Barneys New York.

With the help of Dazzling Parties and Tom Kaufman Productions, the fabulous restaurant was converted into “Hannah’s Hot Spot.” Hugs and kisses in the form of “xoxo’s” were hanging from the ceiling with a color palette of fuchsia and silver.

 

stamp inspire

 

As you walked off the elevator on the 9th floor of Barneys New York, you were transported to Hannahs New York.

 

 

M. Studio Events: Hannah

The font used was similar to Barneys New York

M. Studio Events: Hannah

A step and repeat for photo ops

M. Studio Events: Hannah

Hannahs New York Hot Spot covered the real Fred’s signage

M. Studio Events: Hannah

Although there wasn’t any assigned seating for the kids, the 30 adults were seated in this gorgeous back area of the restaurant. Three long tables were set and they had their own plasma screen to watch the live simulcasts of the night as well as the montage

M. Studio Events: Hannah

Delicious cupcake push pops were ordered in a variety of flavors and frostings. They were customized with a Hannahs New York Yum! label

M. Studio Events: Hannah

Grey sweatshirts were the favors for both the boys and girls. Each one was personalized with the guests’ name. The boys received a sport pullover hoodie with their name, “New York,” and date making up a custom graphic in charcoal grey. The girls received a charcoal grey, off the shoulder, reverse fleece. Pink “xoxo” was on the front of each shirt with a big kiss and the date on the back. Barneys inspired font listed each girl’s last name down the arm

M. Studio Events: Hannah

A Barney’s bag was recreated as a “Hannahs New York” bag for the favors, complete with a personalized receipt

M. Studio Events: Hannah

M. Studio Events created this sign-in book for Hannah’s friends to write special messages

M Studio Events: Hannah
Dazzling Events created this wonderful faux dressing room table complete with mirror and seat where all of Hannah’s friends signed in

M. Studio Events: Hannah
Hannah New York was also on the napkins and soap in the bathrooms!


M. Studio Events: Hannah

Customized pillows added to the decor

M. Studio Events: Hannah

Light up stage and plasma screen from Tom Kaufman Productions. The Bat Mitzvah girl loves “hugs and kisses.” She specifically requested “xoxo” to glitter and hang from the ceiling as shown above

M. Studio Events: Hannah
Guests enjoyed a CD recording booth. Kids were able to make their own CD’s with branded logos

For more information about M. Studio Events, visit their Website.

A Reader’s Asian Themed Place Cards
October 16th, 2011

A Reader’s Asian Themed Place Cards

 

We already know our readers have great ideas from the hundreds of emails they send in, but we just got a place card idea we had to show you.

Recently we featured Fun & Fabulous Place Cards and asked readers if they had anything different to share.

 

 

We heard from a reader in Georgia and wanted to show you what she did for her daughter’s Bat Mitzvah.

Asian themed place cards
Bat Mitzvah girl Amanda had an Asian themed Bat Mitzvah party using origami fortune cookies for place cards.  The bottom of the place card said, “Open to reveal your lucky table number.” Once the cookie was opened, it said, “Amanda says you sit at Table 3”

Asian themed place cards
They were displayed on a big tray of rice

Thank you to our reader Julie in Georgia for sending in this great idea!

 

Sign-In Pillow Idea
October 16th, 2011

Sign-In Pillow Idea

Jane Fried Sheinfeld from The Pieced Palette came up with this new sign-in floor pillow after realizing that most sign-in boards were ending up in the basement, garage or at the curb!

She can take your logo or invitation and print it on heavyweight cotton twill. The fabric is mounted taut so that it can stand on an easel at your party for your guests to sign with permanent marker.

Sign in pillow

The fabric is ready for signatures!

When the party is over, she will take back the fabric and create a comfy floor pillow for lounging.

Sign-In Pillow

Pricing depends on the size chosen and whether or not you need it to be mounted and/or framed for presentation at the party (you might be able to get your florists or party planners to do it).

Here are a few more samples:

The Pieced Palette
Cole’s pillow is 24 x 24 and on the larger side for their invitation pillows. They retypeset the front to match the invitation; and used the red “Cole” image on the bottom right of the invitation as a cool repeat for the back

The Pieced Paletter
This pillow for Abigail reflected her sense of style. Traditional, yet not formal and feminine without being very girlie. They used ribbon to match the invitation and added a tailored but fun pompom trim. The back had fabric filled with ice cream cones, sundaes and ice pops to match her theme!

The PIeced Palette
This Bar Mitzvhah boy had a circle invitation so they added more concentric circles and then designed two complementary masculine fabric patterns. The front has a fine blue dot on grey, and the back is a blue and grey plaid

Without mounting or framing, and with standard backing fabrics, the range is $285 for 27″ square pillow to $350 for a 36″ square pillow. Mounting on foamcore is available.   Shipping and taxes are not included.

For more information, visit their Website.

The Udell Bar Mitzvah Family Spotlight
October 11th, 2011

The Udell Bar Mitzvah Family Spotlight

Ethan Udell is into music and wanted a “Rock Tour” theme for his Bar Mitzvah celebration which was held January 22, 2011 at The Hamlet in Commack, New York.

We are excited to share their ideas with all of you!

All vendor information is listed at the bottom. Party photography was done by Classy Candids.

 

 

Pictured above L-R: Dad Stuart, Mom Stacey, Bar Mitzvah boy Ethan and sister Jillian

 

Stamp - Mitzvah Style

 

The Udell girls looked great!

 

 

Udell Mitzvah style

Mom Stacey found her dress at Oo La La and sister Jillian’s is from Flair

 

Stamp - Mitzvah Decor

 

United Floral did a great job transforming this ballroom using life-sized mannequins dressed as rock stars. They were placed on the tables as centerpieces and appear to be holding guitars, mikes and gear bags. They also used goth black lamps with red bulbs; black cylinders with faux red rose balls; vases with black florals.

 

 

Udell room decor-1

There were also enlarged posters of Ethan rocking out, along with posters of his favorite bands on easels around the room

Udell gobo

Guests knew they were in the right place when arriving and seeing Ethan’s name projected on the entryway floor!

 

 

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Ethan’s own guitar case served as the sign-in board.

 

 

Udell sign in

Guests also signed in on giant white guitar picks with a sharpie and got to “pick a wish” to send to Ethan

Udell Sign-in

Friends and family “sign-in”

 

 

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Ethan “makes his entrance” with the female dancers from Party Harty.

 

 

 

Udell Make an entrance

 

Stamp - Mitzvah Music

 

Party Harty provided the musical entertainment with Howard as the MC.

 

 

Udell DJ

Ethan poses with the Party Harty crew

Udell DJ-1

Ethan gives a dancer a dip!

 

 

Stamp - Mitzvah Cake

 

The Hamlet created a spectacular cake to go with the theme.

 

 

Udell Cake

 

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Check out a few of the special moments below:

 

 

Udell Mitzvah Moment

Ethan and his Mom share a special dance

Udell performing

Ethan, along with his friend Max, played guitar and sang during the party

 

stamp_mfavor

 

Beth Silverman, The Vernon Company provided the favors for the young guests.

 

 

Udell favor

The Rock Tour theme on sweatshirts

Udell favor

The favors were in these bags from Hot Topic in Hicksville, and were part of a donation made on behalf of the Udell family to this organization

 

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Guests got a delicious treat as they left Ethan’s celebration.

 

 

Udell Mitzvah Exit

As guests left they were given to-go cups of Dunkin Munchkin Donuts along with coffee, tea, hot cocoa and assorted cookies

 

Stamp Vendor's Directory

 

The following vendors made Ethan’s celebration great. If you give any of them a call, please let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.

 

Venue: The Hamlet in Commack, NY
Party Planner:
Mitzvah Mom Stacey
Music Entertainment:
MC Howard, Party Harty
Favors:
Beth Silverman, The Vernon Company, 631-462-5851
Party entertainment (Photo booth, magician, stilt walker etc):
Party Harty
Invitation:
Lion in the Sun, Huntington. Sleek silver plaque
Cake:
The Hamlet
Décor/Florist:
United Florist
Sign-In board:
Ethan’s own hard guitar case 
Dress for Jillian: Flair, Hunington
Dress for Mom: Oo La La, Great Neck
Suits for family members: Kenny’s
Hair: Gizay Michaels, Huntington, Station. Joseph, Anna and Gerry
Make-up: Joann Passero, 631-422-2189
Party security: The Hamlet
Photographer: Classy Candids
Videographer: Party Harty
Favor Bags: Hot Topic Foundation

Mitzvah Inspire: Your Child’s Artwork As Decor
October 11th, 2011

Mitzvah Inspire: Your Child’s Artwork As Decor

 

Party Excellence turns your child’s dream into an exciting reality for any occasion or event. They come up with unique and creative ideas that match your child’s interest.

 

 

stamp inspire

 

In this example, the guest of honor was Jason, a talented artist who likes to draw in charcoals. He brought his original artwork to Party Excellence and they created his party decor!

 

 

Mitzvah Inspire: Party Excellence
The party took place at Or Elohim in Jericho, New York. Check out the centerpieces featuring Jason’s original artwork as if you were in a gallery

Mitzvah Inspire: Party Excellence

Jason’s Art Gallery signage hung in the lounge area

Mitzvah Inspire: Party Excellence
Place cards featured a smaller version of Jason’s artwork

Mitzvah Inspire: Party Excellence
The adult tables featured Jason’s framed artwork

Mitzvah Inspire: Party Excellence
The club tables for the young guests featured balloons tied to paint cans which coordinated with the art theme

Mitzvah Inspire: Party Excellence
Matching framed smaller artwork sat on each table

To learn more about Party Excellence, visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.


Mitzvah Project: Duct Designs & The Joy Of Baking
October 11th, 2011

Mitzvah Project: Duct Designs & The Joy Of Baking

Hannah Sloane from Mamaroneck, New York will be celebrating her Bat Mitzvah on December 3, 2011 and is busy working on two separate Mitzvah Projects.

One is called, Duct Designs and will benefit her school system, Mamaroneck Public Schools and the other project she is calling, The Joy Of Baking and is doing this through Give A Mitzvah/Do A Mitzvah project with UJA-Federation of New York.

Pictured L-R: Molly and Hannah Sloane. Molly, her sister is helping with the projects.


We spoke with her to get more information on both projects:

MM: Can you give us details of your Mitzvah Project Duct Designs?
HS:
My sister and I started designing and making flower duct tape pencils over the summer and started using them in school. Everybody wanted them so I decided to take on a few friends to help us and make it a real business.

Hannah Sloane

Hannah showing off her duct tape designed pencils!

MM: Why did you decide to take on this particular project?
HS:
My money will benefit the Mamaroneck Schools Foundation, which buys things for the school such as Smart Boards, which will encourage kids to learn. Also I am donating money to my school’s Service Club which raises money to send to areas in need such as Japan after the earthquake.


Hannah Sloane Mitzvah Project


Hannah Sloane Mitzvah Project

MM: What are you doing to spread the word?
HS:
I’ve starting selling at the local stationary store, our pencils range in price from $2 -$4 and I am now working on a Website. Also just using them in school is great advertising.

MM: Please tell us about your other project.
HS:
In addition to my duct tape project, Donna Divon (divond@ujafedny.org) of the Westchester office for Give a Mitzvah/Do a Mitzvah with UJA-Federation of New York created a special project for me that combines my love of baking and giving back to help those less fortunate.

MM: Tell us what you are doing?
HS:
I love to bake, so for my Mitzvah Project, I have decided to bring my love of baking to kids who are less fortunate. I will be visiting the Pleasantville Cottage School in Northern Westchester each month and baking cupcakes to bring to the kids. I want to get to know the kids at the cottage and share my love of baking with them. I also want to purchase basic baking supplies (including mixers, bowls, spoons, etc.) for each of the cottages, so the kids living there can learn to bake for themselves and each other. I hope it creates a bond between them and gives them the sense of accomplishment I feel when I bake.

Hannah Sloane Mitzvah Project

PCS is a residential treatment center, which cares for 118 emotionally troubled youngsters. Most children come to the Cottage because their families are unable to manage them or because they have been neglected, abused, and traumatized.

MM: In your own words, what does it mean to you to do a Mitzvah Project for your Bar/Bat Mitzvah?
HS:
I am so excited for my Bat Mitzvah and I feel so fortunate to have the support of my family and friends, which not everybody has.

We thank Hannah for sharing her creative project with our readers. It’s another great example of how you can take your own talents and put them to use for a good cause!






Mitzvah Diaries: On A Wing And A Prayer
October 9th, 2011

Mitzvah Diaries: On A Wing And A Prayer

By Stephanie Kepke Kaplan, Boys, Dogs And Chaos

“Have you gotten a dress?” This question started several months ago and filled me with anxiety. I wanted to get something amazing, but not spend hundreds of dollars so I put off shopping. When I finally went, I actually loved the first dress I tried on (a simple navy column dress with rhinestone spaghetti straps and a rhinestone accent on the bodice), but it was at a small boutique and cost over $300. Now, I know that is actually pretty reasonable from what I’ve heard, but I set a limit for myself of $150 and preferably $100 – maybe a tad unrealistic, but I believed that I could meet it. I know many Mitzvah Moms whose limits are hovering around the $500 (or higher) range, so I knew finding something for a fraction of that would certainly be a daunting task.

My first stop in my quest for a bargain dress was the mall. I tried on some beautiful gowns at Saks 5th Avenue, but none under $150. I tried on a whole pile of dresses at Lord & Taylor, none of which even looked remotely good, though the price was right for all of them. I was about to leave the store, when my mother pulled out a slinky black, one-shouldered dress with a simple sequin applique at the waist and a sequined shoulder strap – it was my size and the price tag read $102. Jackpot. Only it wasn’t very comfortable and honestly I didn’t love it. I bought it anyway, because it was the only one left and I like knowing that I had something to wear, even though I didn’t adore it. To my great surprise the dress rang up at $40. When I tried it on for my husband, he loved it. When I told him the price, he simply said, “Stop shopping.”

And I did stop shopping – for a while. But, every time I thought about wearing the dress, I just felt more disappointed than anything else. I wasn’t excited to slip it on. It looked so pretty on the hanger, but just didn’t make me say, “Wow!” when I looked at myself in it. It didn’t transform me. So, I kept shopping and I actually found another dress for only $59 that I liked. I called my mother to meet me, because it was final sale and that made me nervous. She took one look and told me to keep the first dress. She didn’t like the fabric or the cut and said it was too big. I put it back on the rack.

Eventually, I just gave up on finding something better and brought the first dress to the seamstress for alterations. But, standing in front of the mirror at my second fitting, I just felt deflated – the dress did nothing for me, even if everyone else liked it. It was ok – to be sure no one would whisper about it being ugly or inappropriate. In fact, I was pretty sure no one would whisper about it at all – good or bad – it was just there. And while I certainly don’t need to be the center of attention – that honor falls on D – I do want a dress that makes me feel special. That slinky black dress, pretty as it was, didn’t fit the bill.

So, right after that second fitting – a mere two and a half weeks before the Bar Mitzvah – I ran back to the mall in desperation. By the time I got there I had forty five minutes before I had to head back to get my kids off of the bus and I needed to move quickly. My mom and my sister met me there and I sifted through the racks at more than a few stores in record time, before I ended up back at Lord & Taylor. I was about to give up, when I saw it on the clearance rack – the dress I had been waiting for. To be honest, it didn’t look like much on the hanger, but something about it called to me. I didn’t even bother trying it on – I just grabbed it, paid and bolted out the door to rush home and meet the bus. I couldn’t try it on until that night, but when I did, I knew right away that it was “the dress” – the one that would make me feel special.

I brought it to the seamstress the next morning for some alterations and as I stood in front of that mirror, I finally didn’t feel disappointed. A woman waiting for a fitting exclaimed, “Beautiful dress! I love the color!” While the first dress was black and pretty much guaranteed I would blend into the crowd, this dress is a blue ombre – flowing from azure to pale blue at the bottom. The sequins and rhinestones adorning the v neck and strap add glitz, but not too much. My mom and sister met me again and questioned why I liked this dress better than the first. “I just do,” I answered, finally sure of my decision.

When I stepped into the dressing room to change back into my sweats, I heard the seamstress explain to them, “She just stands up a little straighter in this dress.” That was the exact essence of why I love it – I do stand up a little straighter. I feel more confident and that’s something that I just didn’t experience with the first dress. Would I recommend ditching your dress two weeks before your Mitzvah and buying a new one? Probably not, if it’s at all avoidable. Am I glad I did? Absolutely. And, the best part – the dress was an amazing bargain, over 85% off the ticketed price and well below my self-imposed limit.

It might strike many of you as odd and perhaps a bit tacky that I would admit that I bought my dress for a pittance, but this blog is about planning by the seat of your pants while sticking to a budget. I can’t think of a more fitting example than my last minute dress.

So, if you’d like to buy a bargain dress of your own, here’s my advice: Broaden your horizons – boutiques are wonderful for the princess shopping experience (and I mean that in only the best way), but you might not find rock bottom prices. Department stores almost always have a clearance rack and you just might find an amazing gem hidden among the aging stock.

Know the number of a top notch tailor who works quickly (I used Nedeida Turcios of Neddy Alterations in Hicksville 516-359-9600) this will allow you to pounce on a bargain, even it’s not quite the perfect fit.

And, most importantly, listen to your gut. Even if everyone tells you that you look great in a dress, if you don’t feel great in it, keep searching – there’s an amazing dress out there with your name on it. You just need a little perseverance (and perhaps a dose of desperation) to find it.

Mdiaries_banner

About Stephanie Kepke Kaplan
Stephanie Kepke Kaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. Before kids she was an arts reporter, covering the Boston music and cultural scene (even though she is a born and bred Long Islander, she lived in Boston for nine years and her first son was born there). Now, she blogs at Boys, Dogs and Chaos (about life with – you guessed it – three boys and two dogs) and Mitzvah Mom. She is also working on a novel about a PTA mom. She has also written for Long Island Parent magazine.

Catch up on Stephanie’s previous posts:
Post 1
Post 2
Post 3
Post 4

The Best Bar/Bat Mitzvah Themes & Their Matching Invitations
October 9th, 2011

The Best Bar/Bat Mitzvah Themes & Their Matching Invitations

When planning a Bar/Bat Mitzvah one of the first questions to ask yourself is, What will the theme of the party be?” This answer will pretty much dictate everything that follows, from the Bar/Bar Mitzvah invitations and party favors, to the decorations and centerpieces.

While many popular party themes for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs come and go with the seasons and trends, there are a number of classic themes that have stood the test of time.

BarMitzvahCard.net is showing us some of those Bar & Bat Mitzvah themes along with some unique invitations and party ideas to accompany each.

Entertainment (Broadway & Hollywood)
Popular for both Bar/Bat Mitzvah themes, the entertainment industry related theme ideas are quickly becoming the “go to” option for many Bar/Bat Mitzvah planning families. The most popular in this category are definitely the Hollywood and Broadway themes. Being such a vague category, there are a number of appropriate invitations you can go with.

BarMitzvahCards.net

Hollywood Movie theme Bar Mitzvah invitations

BarMitzvahCards.net

Broadway ticket theme Bat Mitzvah invitation

BarMitzvahCards.net

VIP Pass Bar MItzvah or Bat Mitzvah invitation

Sports (Baseball, Soccer, & Basketball)
Sports are undoubtedly one of the most classic theme ideas for a young man’s Bar Mitzvah. The three most popular are baseball theme, basketball theme, and soccer theme (or football depending on where you live). While not as popular for Bat Mitzvah parties, it is not unheard of as a Bat Mitzvah theme. Here are a few sports themed invitation cards.

BarMitzvahCards.net

Soccer theme Bar Mitzvah invitation

BarMitzvahCards.net

Basketball theme Bar Mitzvah invitation

 

Beach & Luau
Beach themes are a great way to bring a tropical flair to your party. Beach and luau parties are usually very casual and laid back. This can be conveyed through the invitations that you choose. While it works well for boys and girls, beach themeing seems to be more popular with Bat Mitzvahs. Here are some warm examples and invitation ideas for your beach themed party!

BarMitzvahCards.net

Surf’s up beach theme Bat Mitzvah invitation

BarMitzvahCards.net

Aloha luau theme Bat Mitzvah invitation

Candy
Candy land, candy bar, & candy in general are great themes for any Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah. It has gained popularity in recent years and who can be suprised by that? Candy themes are very gender neutral and are usually equally appealing to both young men and women. Bright colors (and candy of course!) are great ways to allow your themeing carry over into your party invitations. *Note – this is a great theme for creating your own personalized candy wrappers!

BarMitzvahCards.net

Candy “candy land” theme Bat Mitzvah invitation

BarMitzvahCards.net

Candy tree theme Bat Mitzvah invitation

 

Oldies/Retro (50’s, 60’s, Disco, Rock Star & more)
This is definitely a very broad category when it comes to picking a theme for Bar or Bat Mitzvah parties. Encompassed in this category is everything from 60’s to disco to rock star theme ideas – and everything in between. Very nostalgic for adults and always fun for kids, you simply cannot go wrong when choosing any of these “throw-back” themes.

BarMitzvahCards.net

Rock star theme Bar Mitzvah invitation

BarMitzvahCards.net

Retro purple submarine theme Bat Mitzvah invitation

BarMitzvahCards.net

Grunge rock themed Bar Mitzvah invitation

 

Green or Eco-Friendly

While this party idea is still in its infancy, green and eco friendly Bar and Bat Mitzvah themes are becoming quite common. There are a couple different ways to convey this theme in your invitations. You can focus on nature (the tree of life for example) or actually try to cut down on the paper used (as shown in the bookmark save the date cards below).BarMitzvahCards.net

Eco-Friendly “green” themed Bar & Bat Mitzvah bookmark invitations

BarMitzvahCards.net

Tree of life Bar Mitzvah theme invitation

 

Travel – Israel or other Destination
Another great theme for Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah – destination and travel party themes can be conveyed through the invitations in a number of ways. From passports to travel tickets, these invitations are all very fun and original.

BarMitzvahCards.net
Destination themed Passport Bar Mitzvah invitation

BarMitzvahCards.net

Travel themed boarding pass invitation – Travel themed flight pass invitation

These are just a small number of examples of how your Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah party theme can be incorporated into your invitations.

All of the invitation ideas and samples you have seen in this theme idea post are available at BarmitzvahCards.net,  where your order always ships for free.

Samples of any of these themed invitations are also available at no cost. BarmitzvahCards.net is also happy to include hebrew names on your invitations and even custom make your very own designs. All of the invitations you have seen here also have matching ensembles of: response cards, save the date cards, thank you notes, & party favors available (bookmark favors and personalized candy wrapper favors).

 

 

 

 

Bar Mitzvah at Sleepaway Camp
October 8th, 2011

Bar Mitzvah at Sleepaway Camp

The Silvert family had a very casual outdoor celebration which took place the week before day camp began at the JCC Camps. Their entire service and celebration took place in one location with full use of the camp’s fantastic facilities including swimming, boating, volleyball, water trampoline & other fun floating activities. The JCC also has great rain options with lots of closed buildings and covered pavilions which thankfully they didn’t need.

All photography by Silver Image Photography.

Pictured above L-R: Sister Eden, Dad Dan, Brother Jakob, Mom Cindy & Bar Mitzvah boy Ben.

 

Silvert

Ben’s service took place on the camp grounds. The event took place on a Monday, so there was no issue with music, driving, photos, etc., as there would have been for this family on a Saturday

Silvert

Guests enjoyed many of the fun activities available at the camp. The beautiful woodsy camp grounds gave it a relaxed and fun feel

Silvert

Guests enjoyed boating…

Silvert

…and trampolines

Silvert
Frisbees with Ben’s logo were from Gimmees

 

Silvert food

The food was provided by Howie Goldstein from Prestige Caterers above a delicious summer salad

Silvert food

They had lighter breakfast fare for kids (waffles, French toast, croissants & eggs), and a classier menu for adults (fish, Portobello burgers etc., with both menus open to all)

 

Silvert dancing

The Klez Dispensers provided the music. They played a combination of Jewish, Klezmer, Israeli and Jazz music. Everyone loved them and some guests even ordered CD’s

 

Some Mom Adive From Cindy

Mitzvah Mom Cindy has some advice for our readers: “Start early, prioritize, delegate as much as you can. Get advice from other moms. Try to stay focused on what’s important. Don’t let too many chefs in the kitchen regarding unimportant decisions such as door prize or menu.” For their sign-in: “We made a book of Ben and his friends and cousins at Shutterfly.com for people to look at and sign-in with a message for Ben. We did this instead of a slide show/montage. The quality of the book was excellent.”

 

Vendor Directory

The following vendors helped to make Ben’s celebration special. If you give any a call, please let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.

Caterer: Prestige Caterers 718-464-8400
Music:
The Klez Dispensers 917-647-4374
Venue
: JCC Camps at Medford, NJ 856-424-4444
Favor/Logo’ed Aviator Sunglasses
: Branders 877-630-7913
Favor/Logo’ed Frisbees
: Gimmees.com, 888-926-6385
Transportation:
Alberts Limos, 856-429-9600
Photographer: Silver Image Photography, 856-616-0094