Archive for October, 2013
October 29th, 2013
Party Perfect Orlando planned a “spook-tacular” party for a Halloween-themed Bar Mitzvah last year.
The venue was The Groove Dance Club at Universal City Walk in Orlando, Florida.
When your last name is Horowitz and you have an October 28th Bar Mitzvah date, then “Horowitz Horror Night” is the only way to go!
Inspired by Universal’s popular attraction, “Halloween Horror Nights,” this party delivered thrills and chills!
Marc Harmon Photography was the photographer and the complete vendor listing is at the bottom of this page.
The Groove Dance Club at City Walk Orlando
Vintage horror movie posters lined the front of the venue with the Mitzvah family photoshopped into each terrifying image
The posters read: “Maxula, He’s a real pain in the neck”, “Franken-teen – Body of a boy, mind of a monster!”, and “Creature from Max Lagoon!”
The ghoulish decor was seen throughout the food displays. Coffins, headstones and planks were used to display the appetizer buffet
The Red Room: A fiery room at The Groove was embellished with bloody lanterns and custom “Max” pillows
A close up of the customized pillows
“Want a drink?”
All the guests were given special “VIP Passes” for the night with a photoshopped image of the Mitzvah Boy as Franken-Max!
Dancing in the dark included white gloves that were handed out to all the guests before Max’s grand entrance. Black lights came on, white gloves started clapping in the air and Max descended down the stairs to a crowd of family and friends
After the Horah, confetti bursts surprised guests
Guests created their own “zombie wax hands” that were placed in custom clear boxes to take home as souvenirs
Actors posing as zombies, walking dead, and Dracula, were hired to interact and scare the guests throughout the night
The adults were seated in a separate section on the top floor of the venue. The spooky atmosphere was enhanced by a long table decorated with candles, florals and plastic Dracula teeth as napkin holders
Adult table decor included cobwebs on candelabras and skeleton hands that popped up out of floral displays
Max’s gift box looked like a zombie pushing out from the grave to grab the guest’s hands as they put their cards in the box. Skull eyes on the tombstone flashed and made creepy noises
Old barrels and a wooden plank provided the space for the custom candy bar and a giant ghoulish figure reigned over the candy, daring guests to grab a bag and fill it up!
A custom logo for Max’s Zombie Candy was created for each item on the candy bar
Green chocolate-covered pretzel rods with almond “finger tips” were created to look like monster fingers. Other mini sweet treats included chocolate RIP headstones, ghosts, and eyeballs
Fresh cotton candy was spun on LED sticks and handed out to guests at the end of the evening
Every guest received a custom Horowitz Horror Night stadium cup for their drinks
October 28th, 2013
Emma Becker loves Halloween. Her Bat Mitzvah is taking place on Halloween, October 31, 2014! Her parents got married on Halloween!
When it came time to choose a Mitzvah Project, it was clear it had to be connected to Halloween!
The Becker Family, who live on the Main Line in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, held a fundraiser they called, “Costumes for a Cause” benefitting Little Smiles.
Pictured L-R: Emma and her brother Dylan on top of all of their donated costumes.
We think this Mitzvah Project is pretty “Spook-tacular!”
MM: Why did you decide to take on this particular Mitzvah Project?
EB: I was born eight weeks early, and spent my first five weeks of life hooked up to tubes and machines while living in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Lankeneau Medical Center. When I heard about the Little Smiles annual costume drive for sick children, I knew it was exactly the type of charity work I wanted to be a part of for my Bat Mitzvah project. Little Smiles is a nonprofit charitable organization that supports children at many of the Philadelphia hospitals in my area as well as the Wesley House Shelter and the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald Houses.
Emma with her donated costumes
MM: Can you give us details of your Mitzvah Project?
EB: For my Mitzvah Project, I held a fundraiser at my home.Thanks to the amazing generosity of our community, I was able to collect close to 200 costumes for Little Smiles in just two weeks for this coming Halloween 2013. I want to keep it going and I want to collect more for 2014. Like WAY, WAY more. But I need your help. So please consider donating. Costumes can be any size, infant through teen, but they must be NEW (hospitals cannot accept used costumes due to germs).
Emma in the middle of her friends at her fundraiser
Emma’s parents Lance and Hollee and dog Mickey Jagger
MM: What are you doing to spread the word?
EB: I have a website that gives all the important information about this project. It is important to keep on buying those costumes after the holiday, (when stores mark them down big time!), because I will continue my collection over the next 10 months. Feel free to order your costumes online at Amazon.com and go to my page and have them shipped directly to me.
We thank Emma and her family for sharing her very “Boo-tiful” Mitzvah Project with our readers.
October 28th, 2013
Adam Wyner celebrated his Bar Mitzvah service and reception on October 31, 2009 at Kol Tikvah in Parkland, Florida.
After their traditional morning service and Kiddush luncheon, the family got ready for their evening Halloween party! The Wyner family called their celebration, “A Boo Mitzvah” party.
The family took advantage of their October 31st date and asked guests to dress up in costumes. They kept their family costume a secret until it was revealed that evening.
With a name like Adam, the perfect theme was a take-off on The Addams Family!
Everyone had a spooktacular time! All party photography was by Madgy Guirguis and the rest of the vendor information is listed at the bottom of this spotlight.
Pictured left (L-R): Dad Howard as Gomez Addams, Bar Mitzvah boy Adam as Pugsley, sister Sarah as Wednesday Addams, Mom Lori as Morticia Addams, and brother Jason as Uncle Fester
How many families can say they bought their Bar/Bat Mitzvah party outfits at Party City!
Here’s the family dressed in their Temple service clothes before their costume reveal!
A family shot including Mitzvah Mom Lori’s parents dressed up as hippies!
Their invitation was created by Lynvitations.
Notice the orange envelope!
Very clever language on the RSVP card
The entry way into the party was designed after the outside of the Addams family house on the popular television show.
They used this area for a photo op, taking pictures as guests entered their party
The Wyner family took advantage of Halloween wherever they could! Their place cards were blinking orange pumpkins with names attached.
Someone was hiding under the table! There’s a real arm coming out from the center showing guests funny quips
Mom Lori was the party planner and she says the decor was lots of fun to plan. She was going for a “Halloween Festive” look!
The main wall, where the buffet was, was piped and draped with dozens of multi-sized creepy eyes staring out and blinking the whole time
The kids area was piped and draped with over-sized spider webs and 4 foot lighted spiders. There were also bats and other creepy creatures hanging around
The table linens were either orange or purple fringed table clothes with huge candelabras that helped create the Halloween mood
Another area featured the “Scary go round”
Pure Energy provided the music entertainment with their MC and dancers playing fun games with their guests like “Toss The Body Parts” in the Cauldron. There was also a mummy wrap contest for the kids during the party and a lot of Halloween inspired music. While this was going on, the adults had themed drinks like “green goblin martinis” and “smashed pumpkins.”
Dad as Gomez up in the chair!
They served a buffet dinner featuring Halloween inspired items! In keeping with the theme, Parents Lori and Howard had their own “Sweetheart Table” for the evening. It was a take off on Morticia and Gomez with Kings chair. Additionally, some cold displays were shredded brain dip and jack o lantern crudite.
Doesn’t Maggot Stew (beef dish) with Devilish Muffins sound delicious?
There were large fun signs everywhere including “Snakes in Pond Scum” (pasta), “Night Crawler Salmon” and “Witches Fingers”
For dessert they had a buffet with fun foods like blood red velvet cakes, pumpkin cheese cakes and individual dirt pots. The kids had a candy bar where they could trick or treat to their hearts content
Adam’s favor for his friends was a black drawstring bag with an orange pumpkin created by Lynvitations.
The mouth was a cutout that had Adam’s name carved out along with the date
This special Boo Mitzvah was filled with special moments.
Mitzvah Mom Morticia dances with Adam
Dad giving his speech
The Wyner’s family and friends were such great sports and got into the dress-up aspect of this celebration! There were mimes, baseball players, game show hosts and greek godesses to name a few. Everyone dressed up and just had a great time that night.
The following vendors made Adam’s celebration great. If you give any of them a call, please let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: Kol Tikvah
Party Planner: Mitzvah Mom Lori
Music Entertainment: Pure Energy 954-782-6989
Photo Favors: Funtastic Photo Favors 561-306-3700
Invitation: Lynvitations 507-386-2320
Costumes For Family: Party City
Photographer: Madgy Guirguis, 954-749-2763
Videographer: Robert Moskowitz, Frontline Video Productions Inc.
Favors: Lynvitations
Hair/Makeup: MAC
October 26th, 2013
The Miller family from East Hills, New York, celebrated their son Max’s Bar Mitzvah on May 18, 2013.
Anyone who knows the Miller family can tell you that they march to the beat of their own drum. With a reputation for throwing over-the-top theme parties, it was inevitable that their son Max’s Bar Mitzvah would be very unique.
Dad David turned to his business partner Gil Aldad of PBG Miller Immersive Environments to help create a Bar Mitzvah that would be unique, creative and non-traditional.
The service and celebration were held at Sunrise Day Camp, the only dedicated day camp in the nation for children with cancer. The theme was surprisingly simple. Son Max is obsessed with computers and technology so it was an Apple Computer “iMax” theme!
Pictured left: Top Row, Dad David with Bar Mitzvah boy Max. Bottom Row, Mom Vicki and younger Brother Miles
The photographer was Felicia Lebow and the rest of the vendors are listed at the end of the spotlight.
The Bar Mitzvah was held in the newly constructed Pavilion at Sunrise Day Camp. The Havdallah service was upbeat, fun and non-traditional and held in a tent in the parking lot of the camp.
As guests arrived they were handed a yarmulke
Circles of Life created these yarmulkes made of seed paper in keeping with the green theme of Max’s Mitzvah Project. Read more about his Mitzvah Project here
Guests were given sachets filled with spices made by Mom Vicki who runs a spice company
Rock music versions of traditional Jewish songs were performed by percussionist George Hooks and Guitarist, Eric Komar
Children in the front rows were handed percussion instruments to play along
Dad David was the party planning parent and says, “Part of planning a memorable event is getting your guests excited and involved.” This started with Max’s invitation. The Miller family had received so many beautiful invitations that ended up in the garbage, so they wanted to give their guests something they could reuse. They decided to make every invitation by hand! Each guest received an iPad (look-a-like) and pen set!
The outside of the box mimicked the packaging for an iPad, complete with images of an iPad featuring apps that represented Max’s hobbies and interests (i.e. iDrum, iSki, iDJ, etc). Inside the box, the invitation was wrapped in paper with Matrix code designed with the date of the Bar Mitzvah (05182013), sealed with a round “Max’s Genius Bar Mitzvah” sticker, and a combination pen/stylus/flashlight attached, which was custom imprinted with the iMax logo
For the actual invitation, they created a custom note pad that looked like an iPad, with an email inviting their guests. To get the guests involved, they created a Mac-themed color dress code of white, silver or black
While guests wore silver, white or black, Mom Vicki and Dad David glowed in their EL Wire trim clothing.
EL Wire also created glowing corsets for the dancers too
When it came to decor, David turned to his business partner, Gil Aldad, from PBG Miller Immersive Environments. Having worked together on many other projects in the past, he knew that together they could create custom decor elements that would bring the theme to life.
Projection artist Dutch Masterson helped transform this space into a fully immersive high tech lounge environment. The room was pulsing with Matrix code scrolling down the walls and sound reactive light up computers on all the bars and tables
Cocktail tables were decorated with iPads with chocolate candy apps. Chemistry beakers and graduated cylinders were filled with candy to tie-in the Genius bar Mitzvah theme
Cameras were placed around the room with signs asking guests to take pictures with them or post their own, on Instagram
For the centerpiece of the room, a 70” plasma TV was turned into a giant computer and speakers, which was used for the breakout and the montage
The digital iSign board, created by Simon Elliot Events, looked like a giant “MaxBook” Pro computer.
Guests left messages for Max on this giant Max Book Pro digital iSign
All of Max’s special messages were compiled into the iSign Guestbook with a custom cover
Food buffets and other passed hors d’oeuvres were designed by caterer Andrea Correale of Elegant Affairs.
Taco Station for guests
Creative meatballs & spaghetti!
Mini grilled cheese and soup along with other “apps” were served on trays that looked like giant iPads
The adult guests were served shots from servers wearing illuminated backpacks, with clear tubes filled with two different signature drinks. Waiters wandered the room wearing shirts designed to look like Apple store employees
Guests were offered cookies & milk and Twinkies imported from Canada
(Note: Twinkies were not available in the US at the time of this celebration)
When it came time for dessert, a donut wall was created by PBG Miller Immersive Environments. The sign read, “iGoNuts For Donuts” and was rolled out onto the dance floor
Cool Haus was there to create handmade ice cream sandwiches in unique flavors that were served in an edible paper wrapper with the iMax logo and caricature image printed on them
PBG Miller Immersive Environments created custom logos which were affixed to the bars, cocktail tables and even the center of the round white dance floor. The cool t-shirts, worn by staff and guests, were created by Gotham T-shirt.
iMax branding was seen all around the room
T-shirts, like the one above, were handed out to all of the guests
Printed on the inside of the shirts upside down was a caricature of Max
When the bottom of the shirt is flipped over your head, it creates a mask of Max
More Than Music provided the music entertainment with MC Genady.
The More Than Music crew poses with the Miller family
Two males break dancers entered the room dressed in EL wire illuminated costumes and performed a robot dance
Dad David enjoying his son’s celebration
Max’s younger brother Miles was carried into the room by the male dancers on a custom made illuminated horah chair-chariot, followed by Mom and Dad also dressed in EL wire-illuminated outfits
Miles entrance created a diversion so the guest of honor could hide behind the giant computer. As the MC announced “DJ Max Trax” the female dancers pulled away the keyboard on the giant computer to reveal Max, who was wearing an EL wire jacket and a sound reactive “Daft Punk” mask, standing behind his own DJ mixing board. He performed a mix of his favorite dance songs that he produced and the crowd loved!
There were many activities for all their guests during this celebration!
During the cocktail hour, guests were encouraged to look into the “Maxtrix,” a “Punk” booth with a hidden camera that captured them peering in. Later these awkward images of the guests were incorporated into the projections on the ceiling, creating the illusion of them looking in on the party below
Kids played games and activities provided by Simon Elliot Events, including this Candy Drop game above, a video game station and Stick A Pic photo favors below, along with airbrushed neoprene iPad cases
The video game station
Stick A Pic photo favors were available for all guests
Simon Elliot Events also provided a custom Beatz Box station
Each of Max’s friends received their custom headphones in a customized box
Guests were entertained by the extreme magic of Eric Wilzig
The iMax candle display was created by Name with Flame.
Candle lighting display
As Max invited guests to light candles the ceiling was engulfed in breathtaking images of realistic flames
When it came time to make his speech, Max’s Dad announced that he asked a celebrity to speak on his behalf. Using voice-to-text software, Dad held his iPhone up to the microphone, and Siri delivered his speech in the form of a humorous rhyme and introduced the montage video.
The montage created by dad, with help from Genius Bar staff of the Apple store, featured family photos, home movies, TV and movie clips, all creatively tied together with a soundtrack of classic rock and current hits
Max’s friends each had a cubby with a logo’d bag for all their party swag!
Bar Mitzvah Bouncer provided the security for this celebration.
At the end of the night when guests departed they were given retro telephone iphone handsets with cartoon labels saying “Thanks for dialing, you’ve left us smiling” on them, and bottled water labeled iRecycle and the Max Cent’s 4 Sunrise logo.
The retro phone handsets
We wrote about Max’s terrific Mitzvah Project called, Max Cents 4 Sunrise. He collected recyclables and donated the deposit money to Sunrise Day Camp, a camp for children with cancer, where Dad David has been involved since it’s inception and sits on the advisory board.
Read more about Max’s Mitzvah Project and how you can do something similar in your town here
Max’s Dad has produced many events in his career. Here’s some advice:
“What an awesome night! From the minute Max was born we knew he would become a Bar Mitzvah, but it wasn’t until he was eleven that we began to really talk about what type of experience we wanted for our son. A night of tradition and celebration does not happen without a lot of thought, preparation and coordination. My wife stayed focused and organized throughout the entire process. She kept detailed notes and files for every step, including the guest list, vendor contracts and payments, reply cards, gifts and thank you notes. You can prepare all you like for the perfect evening, but there is no event that goes smoothly or without a hitch. There will always be hiccups and things that do not go exactly as planned, but keep in mind that you are the only ones who will know; we had our share. But don’t sweat the small stuff.”
The following vendors helped to make Max’s celebration special. If you give any of them a call, please let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: Beth Fetner, Sunrise Day Camp, 516-766-4341
Party Planner/Decor/Donut Wall: David Miller, PBG Miller Immersive Environments, 516-358-0800
Video Projection: PBG Miller & Dutch Masterson Designs, 516-358-0800
Service Music: Percussionist George Hooks & Guitarist, Eric Komar, Komar Music, 718-344-0440
Music Entertainment: MC Genady, More Than Music, 516-626-9400
Invitations: The Miller family
T-shirt Favors: Howie, Gotham T-shirt, 516-676-0900
Magician: Eric, The Extreme Magic of Eric, 516-944-4792
Photographer: Felicia Lebow, Photography By Felicia, 516-242-1947
Caterer: Andrea Correale, Elegant Affairs, 516-676-8500
Seed Yarmulkes: Circles of Life, 978-2-KIPPOT
iSign, Beatz Station, Stick A Pic: Michelle Collins, Simon Elliot Events, 516-586-6822
Candle Lighting Display: Name with Flame, 609-933-0887
Ice Cream Sandwich Station: Amy McCullaugh, Cool Haus, 818-694-5733
Mom’s dress: Calvin Klein Custom Couture Dress
Suits for male family members: Glow City, 877-562-4569
Dancer Corsets: Electric City
Custom made sound reactive EL Mask: Jorge Pong
Security: Bar Mitzvah Bouncer, 631-367-1519
Valet Parking: Jeffrey Shapiro, Solutions, 516-432-7275
October 25th, 2013
By Lindsey Sklar
Summer is over and I’m excited to be back on the circuit! I have already started to attend Bar and Bat Mitzvahs for my friends and family. I’m so excited to write about each unique celebration. Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are so much fun and I love looking at all of the different trendy dresses, themes, party favors, and more! I’m very excited to share with everyone all of the unique ideas I see at each and every party!
Recently I went to my best friend Amanda’s Bat Mitzvah! It was a beautiful party and I can’t wait to write about it.
On the way into the party, I saw the place cards, which were shopping bags to match her theme! I was excited to be at the Chanel table. When I first walked into the party room, I did not expect to see what I saw. The room was gorgeous. There was a pink light shining on the walls to give it a pretty pink glow. There were also pink lace table cloths and more pink everywhere. Her centerpieces were adorable! They were either pink flowers, or a big picture of her on the cover of a magazine. On the tables they had little chocolates in the shape of shoes, purses, dresses, and much more. It was perfect and totally showed her personality.
Amanda had a band instead of a DJ. I thought that was a unique touch to her party. Not only was it different, but it was GREAT. They really brought life to the party.
The food was amazing! Like most Bar Bat Mitzvahs, the kids had a buffet style meal. There were chicken fingers, pasta, mini sliders, Mac and cheese, salad and fries. The adults got a much more exciting meal. They had seafood, and pretty much anything imaginable. I was jealous, but the food I had was excellent!
Amanda’s sign-in display was a giant pink locker that was spray painted with symbols that represented her theme. For example, there was a girl putting on lipstick. The locker was beautifully decorated and it looked like a lot of time was put into it.
I LOVED her favor! It was a thin sweatshirt. It wasn’t the usual bulky kind. It is almost like a long-sleeved shirt. Not only that, but it’s also a v-neck which I think is pretty cute! Her design was only on the front. It’s a perfume bottle that says ‘Amanda’ on it. Very, very cute!
I’m so proud of my best friend, the party was so much fun! Mazel Tov to Amanda and her family!
Read Lindsey’s last blog post here.
ABOUT LINDSEY
I’m a 7th grader from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Dancing is my favorite after school activity, whether it’s tap, jazz, ballet, or hip hop. Somehow I’m able to fit in my other hobby, softball, during my busy week. On top of all of that, I do whatever it takes to have time for my friends. My own Bat Mitzvah is coming up soon. It will be taking place in November, 2013. I can’t wait!
October 23rd, 2013
Paddle You is the world’s first web-based table tennis racket designer. It enables you to customize a regulation size ping pong paddle with pictures or designs from your Facebook, Instagram, computer, phone, or tablet.
If your child loves ping pong or tennis, or you decide to have ping pong tables during your cocktail hour, we think this is a great idea!
PaddleYou.com streamlines the process so anyone can simply upload a photo, adjust the image, and checkout. The customization process is extremely fast and does not affect the quality or play of the paddle. All customized paddles ship from the PaddleYou.com production facility in New York City, and domestic orders will arrive within a few days.
Custom paddles start at $29.00
Your child’s favorite sports team
Your favorite pet
A funny saying
Click on Paddle You for more information or email them at info@tabletennisnation.com.
October 22nd, 2013
The Silverman family from Old Westbury, New York, have four daughters. We previously wrote about daughter Jillian’s celebration at Camp Pontiac and now it’s time for daughter number three, Rebecca! She celebrated her Bat Mitzvah at Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation followed by an evening party held at The Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York. This party was filled with lots of surprises including a live performance by the band, Mean Machine, an entrance video spoof on the movie Bridesmaids, and much more! We thank the Silvermans for sharing all their ideas with our readers.
Simon Elliot Events was the photographer. Additional vendor information is listed at the end of the spotlight.
Pictured L-R: Sisters Amanda and Tess, Mom Franceen, Dad Scott, Bat Mitzvah girl Rebecca, and sister Jillian
Rebecca’s pretty invitation in turquoise blue and purple, featured a purple metallic envelope with turquoise hand printed calligraphy, from Susan Lehrhoff at Ethan Niles.
A special insert card indicating, “Location To Be Determined” was put in every invitation right before they were mailed. You can read more about this “Mitzvah Mishap” below in the Mom To Mom advice section!
The Silverman family all looked amazing. Rebecca’s long gown was from Runway Couture.
Rebecca’s off the rack dress was short, so Kimberly of Runway Couture created a removable skirt in organza so it appeared as if Rebecca wore two dresses
L-R Amanda found her dress at Shag, the long blue gown Tess is wearing was from Outrageous Boutique, Mom Fran’s dress was made by Kimberly at Runway Couture and Jillian’s was also from Runway Couture, off the rack
The Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York, came to the rescue and was the perfect location for this “Rock n Roll” celebration. Pat Glenn Productions created a beautiful setting using lots of white, silver and vivid pops of blue, in varying shades. The high ceilings helped create dramatic views from almost every angle.
The ceiling treatment included disco balls and long silver tubes
The tables were a variety of shapes and sizes and featured beautiful stemware, flowers and table runners
Abundant arrangements of orchids were on the tables in royal blue, silver and white
Pat Glenn Productions provided the music entertainment.
A packed dance floor
Young guests sit on the dance floor to watch Rebecca’s montage produced by her sister Jillian!
The band, Mean Machine, got this Rock ‘N’ Roll party rockin’
Simon Elliot Events shot and produced this entrance video spoof. Bat Mitzvah girl Rebecca gets zapped into TV land and makes cameos in her favorite movies and TV shows including Bridesmaids, now called, Mitzvah Maids.
Watch here
Rebecca has been taking Zawacki dance for 10 years. She loves the hip-hop style. After her entrance video played, she entered the room on stage and performed a dance for her guests
Simon Elliot Events provided some of the unique fun during this celebration.
Instead of a sign-in board, the Silverman’s used MitzvahTV, a custom video studio built just for their party. Guests were able to record broadcast-quality video messages for Rebecca. After the party, all of the video messages were edited and uploaded to a custom website where guests can watch, download, and share all of their videos to social media
Friends enjoyed the custom photo booth
Magician/Mentalist John Born was on hand for the celebration to amaze Rebecca’s friends and family.
Rebecca with her cake that rocked!
Guests had the choice of many delicious desserts including Dad Scott’s 16 Handles yogurt bar to go!
A variety of desserts were set-up inside
There was a 16 Handles station for guests to pick their flavor and toppings and take their delicious yogurt to go!
And That designed a variety of favors for this celebration including the sweatshirts, dance floor shirts, backpacks and glasses. They also created custom shirts for the band and the staff.
The front and back of Rebecca’s sweatshirt favor for her friends featured a cool logo
Young guests also received backpacks
Rebecca decided to donate a portion of her Bat Mitzvah gifts to a place this family holds dear to their hearts, The Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York. Rebecca’s sister Tess was saved by the nurses and doctors at this hospital and the Silverman family are forever grateful to them.
Some advice from Mom Franceen:
“Rebecca’s party was supposed to be at a different venue. The place cancelled on us after the invitations were already printed. So to say we had to scramble, is an understatement. There is usually something that will go wrong but you never think the venue will be canceling. If you keep calm and put everything in perspective, things always have a way of working themselves out. We quickly found The Cradle of Aviation, (but not before the invitations had to go out, and put “To be determined” on the invitation. People were actually intrigued and thought we were doing something funny. In the end, it was something to laugh about and the Cradle of Aviation was PERFECT!!!”
The following vendors helped to make Rebecca’s celebration special. If you give any of them a call, please let them know you read about their products and services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: The Cradle of Aviation Museum, 516-572-4111
Catering: Tom Cataldo, Philip Stone, 516-326-2156
Party Planner/Decor/Music Entertainment: Pat and Glenn, Pat Glenn Productions, 212-337-1911
Screens/Lighting/Staging: Marcus, More Than Music, 516-626-9400
Photography/Videography: Michelle, Simon Elliot Events, 516-586-6822
Video Sign-in/Photo Booth: Simon Elliot Events
Favors: Jen and Amy, And That, 516-364-9222
Invitation: Susan Lehrhoff, Ethan Niles, 516-626-3666
Magician/Mentalist: John Born, 646-508-1170
Montage: Sister Jillian
Dresses for Rebecca, Jillian and Mom Fran: Kimberly, Runway Couture, 516-308-4639
Dress for Tess: Outrageous Boutique, 516-931-3331
Dress for Amanda: SHAG, 516-484-3133
Suit for Dad Scott: Mark Russell Clothing, 646-430-5658
Hair/makeup: Valerie from Anne DeMarco, 516-367-2077
Yogurt Bar: 16 Handles, 516-318-4978
October 18th, 2013
Evoke Event DC, is a Washington D.C. based event planning firm who planned the Bar Mitzvah of a Baltimore Ravens fan who wanted to create a football themed celebration with his favorite team as the inspiration. The Clarendon Ballroom in Arlington, Virginia, was transformed into Jonah’s very own sophisticated stadium party.
Are You Ready For Some Football? Enjoy reading the details of Jonah’s Baltimore Ravens-themed celebration.
Photography by Steve Canning Photography.
Place cards with mini helmets attached
A personalized Sign-In Shirt sat in the middle of the place cards for all to sign, using pens in Raven colors
All signed in
Kids picked out tickets…
…then found their coordinating ticket number which was tied to a chair
Custom cocktail napkins with football terms
A sophisticated room with purple up-lighting
The centerpieces on the adult tables were clip boards with football team names. This table was the Jacksonville Jaguars
Custom pillows added to the masculine lounge decor
Even the soda pop got in the game with their own helmets
October 16th, 2013
Jared Steinhart celebrated his Bar Mitzvah on his birthday, March 24, 2012. The service was at Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, Texas, and his reception was held at the Hotel Palomar also in Dallas, Texas.
Mom Randi is a marketing and event planning professional and put all of that experience to good use when it was time to work on her son’s Bar Mitzvah.
She created a modern and sophisticated party design using Jared’s logo as the theme throughout.
Pictured L-R: Bar Mitzvah boy Jared, Mom Randi, younger brothers Will and Matthew.
Photography was by Jim Woods Photography.
The modern pocket-fold invitation was from The Write Invite. On the front, Jared’s name was laser cut to show the green accent color through the black.
Jared’s name in various contemporary type styles was featured on the outside
A great use of color highlights the service, party and RSVP card
Mom Randi, owner of RS Event Productions in Dallas, worked with graphic artist Molly Freze at Skratch Creative on Jared’s logo. The Bar Mitzvah fell on Jared’s 13th birthday which lent to the theme and was used for branding throughout the party.
The party was held at the modern boutique Hotel Palomar in Dallas, Texas. The room was masculine, warm and sophisticated in a color palette of black with green accents and up-lighting.
Floating Kermit balls in the tall cylinder vases looked great on the entry table
A great use of odd space is using the black banquettes between the columns for seating and pairing it with a banquet table and chairs
Black shag linens gave texture to each table and green was used throughout. Three different centerpieces were used: a mixture of wheat grass, Kermit balls and floating twisted green orchids
Simple and sophisticated
This party really shows how to incorporate your logo into all the decor elements.
Custom cocktail napkins
Great cylinder containers with Jared’s logo perfect for French Fries
Food stations were placed around the room, guests were served Chinese food out of authentic containers with Jared’s logo
Signage on the DJ Booth was branded as well
DJ Roger Haze played great music and kept this party rocking all night.
All the kids having a great time on the illuminated dance floor
Lighted acrylic highboys and tall stools from Shag Carpet Events and Decor surrounded the dance floor used for kids seating
Jared made his own sign-in board using his logo in the center and pictures he chose of himself.
Signed by all of Jared’s friends
Jared’s cake by Delicious Cakes, followed the same color palette and design and was delicious!
RS Event Productions created the reusable favor bags and blankets with Jared’s logo.
All of the favors lined up ready for guests
Grey blankets with green and white stitching
For his Mitzvah project Jared, along with some friends, volunteered for the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas’ centennial celebration. They helped the North Texas Food Bank put together backpacks of non-perishable foods. The backpacks were given to low-income children so they have food over the weekends. He also volunteered at the Aspen Animal Shelter in Aspen, Colorado, where he took care of all types of dogs during his summer vacation.
Advice from Mom Randi:
“Organization is key, and if it isn’t your strong point, hire a planner. You will still be involved in every aspect of the planning process but it allows you to expand on your own ideas and actually be able to enjoy your event. I am a strong believer in involving the guest of honor in the planning process; it’s what will set your event apart from all the rest. Finally, branding is one of the most important elements; use the logo throughout the event.”
The following vendors helped to make Jared’s celebration special. If you give any of them a call, please let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: Hotel Palomar, 214-520-7969
Party Planner/Favors: Mom Randi Steinhart, RS Event Productions, randisteinhart@yahoo.com, 214-924-5458
Music Entertainment/MC: DJ Roger Hayes, 214-893-0611
Photographer: Jim Woods Photography, 214-395-5036
Décor/florist: Shag Carpet Events & Decor, 214-742-5252
Logo Design: Molly Freze, Skratch Creative, 509-795-1835
Lighting and lighted dance floor: Absolute Entertainment, 214-871-9900
Music Videos: Wow VIP Events, 972-300-4100
Invitation: The Write Invite, thewriteinvite@sbcglobal.net
Cake: Delicious Cakes, 972-233-2433
Sign-In board: Bar Mitzvah boy Jared
Transportation: Executive Coach
Party security: RS Event Productions staff
October 14th, 2013
MakeABall.com is an interactive site that lets you design personalized sports balls with amazing vibrancy, edge to edge printing, quality and customization.
Consider Make A Ball for your Bar Bat Mitzvah favors, gifts, part of the centerpieces, and/or place cards!
These balls will not crack, fade or peel over time. If you like baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball, volleyball or hockey – you’ll love Make A Ball for your sports themed Mitzvah or as the ultimate, unique keepsake for the sports enthusiast!
Check out some of these samples below:
Include your custom Make A Ball in centerpieces for a basketball themed Bar Bat Mitzvah celebration
A custom Make A Ball volleyball “serves” as the table number at this beach themed Bat Mitzvah celebration
Use custom Make A Ball baseballs in vases for decor!
In this example, each guest has a Make A Ball baseball favor on their plate and some are also incorporated into the centerpiece
Looking for a Hanukkah gift for the football lover?
To learn more, visit their Website.
