A Yorktown Heights Bat Mitzvah
May 3rd, 2015

A Yorktown Heights Bat Mitzvah

The DiPietra family of New York City celebrated daughter Sarah’s Bat Mitzvah at Temple Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City and a reception at Elevate Event Lounge in Yorktown Heights, New York.

This New York City girl was looking for a fun party that was not in her hometown and she found the perfect spot!

Pictured L-R: Dad Lenny, Brother Ezra, Bat Mitzvah girl Sarah, Sister Yael and Mom Nicole.

The photography was from Double Image Event Productions and the rest of the vendor information is listed at the end of the spotlight.

DiPietra invite

The family worked with By Invitation Only Designs on the invitation. The pretty tri-fold invitation had clear bubbles which also was used as a graphic for Sarah’s logo

Rothchild service

 Temple Congregation Ansche Chesed has a beautiful ark. Here, the family posed with Sarah holding the Torah

rothchild service

 Sarah surrounded by family during her prayers 

rothchild style

Since the Bat Mitzvah girl wanted a party outside of her hometown of New York City, Elevate Event Lounge was selected as it was a short bus ride to Westchester County. Marie Eliseo, the event coordinator, helped Mom Nicole with every detail.

 The entrance to the venue was wrapped with balloons and looked very festive

Dipietra decor

 LED high top tables, plasma screens and purple up-lighting created a nightclub feel

dipietra decor
Trendy white leather lounge furniture offered a lot of seating options

rothchild food

Guests enjoyed an amazing array of food choices from Chef’s Table, Ltd. who catered both the kiddush luncheon after the service and the party at Elevate Event Lounge. Everyone raved about the sushi!

rothchild food2
Sarah’s cheery logo was on display 

Dipeitra entrance

Chris from Double Image Event Productions provided the music entertainment.

There was lots of energy in the room when Sarah entered her party and was cheered on with streamers

DiPietra fun
The dancers helped distribute socks to guests

 DiPietra dj

 Sarah, pictured here in the middle of her sister and cousins, enjoyed the dance risers

rothchild dj
A dance crew entertained guests

DiPietra fun

Elevate Event Lounge provided a photo booth, photo station, airbrush and face painting stations.

Sarah and friends showed off their tattoos.

DiPietra fun

The photo booth had great props!

DiPietra fun
Sarah’s friends enjoyed the body painting

DiPietra cubbies
Cubbies were available for the favors which included airbrush shirts and hats. 

  rothchild favor

 All guests received this logo’d bag to hold the goodies

dipietra mitzvah project2
Sarah helped with the centerpieces

Through her temple, Congregation Ansche Chesed, Sarah volunteered at the homeless shelter which provides food, clothing and care for homeless men.

 Some advice from Mom Nicole:
“Start early! Get your venue booked; get your DJ, photographer and other vendors. Work closely with your planner, and listen to what your child wants to do. The staff at Elevate and Double Image Event were very accommodating and helped us every step of the way. We called one day inquiring where to get a good sign-in board made and he asked what we were looking for and told us to send him the photo and he would just take care of it. Also we asked him if we could add more activities for the kids to do, he gave us a few ideas and we chose a few that Sarah wanted and all were enjoyed by our guests!”

The following vendors helped to make Sarah’s Bat Mitzvah special. If you give any of them a call, let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com

Venue/Party Coordinator: Marie Eliseo, Elevate Event Lounge, 914-352-6400
Photographer/Videographer: Double Image Event Productions, 914-773-1950
Music Entertainment/MC: Chris, Double Image Event Productions,914-773-1950
Décor/florist: Ava Soffer, Chefs Table Catering and Floral Design, 212-427-1089
Caterer: Ava Soffer, Chefs Table Catering and Floral Design, 212-427-1089
Favors
: Jo Dwek, 732-673-8324
Party Entertainment: Photo Booth, Air Brushing, Face Painting: Elevate Event Lounge, 914-352-6400
Invitation: By Invitation Only Designs, 212-877-9666
Dresses: Red Carpet Boutique, 973-258-0028
Hair: Julia Rose
Makeup: Cara Goldberg, carabethbeauty@gmail.com
Party security: Elevate Event Lounge, 914-352-6400

Israel Tour Connection: Bat Mitzvah In Israel
April 30th, 2015

Israel Tour Connection: Bat Mitzvah In Israel

Israel Tour Connection is a family owned and operated Tour Company that specializes in creating Israel B’nai Mitzvah experiences that your child and family will carry with them forever!

ITC has planned tours for thousands of families from across the United States, whether with a group or a customized private family tour, to celebrate their special simcha and discover their Jewish roots in Israel.

Odeya Lahav and her family celebrated her Bat Mitzvah with family and friends in Israel with ITC providing all that they needed. They started their weekend with a fabulous Bat Mitzvah in Jerusalem at the egalitarain section of the Western Wall (Robinson’s Arch) followed by a fabulous luncheon and party with tons of special details incorporated!

Following this exciting weekend they then toured the country together with friends and family from the top of the Golan to the southern tip of the country in Eilat!

Here are a few photos from Odeya’s special Bat Mitzvah day.
 

Israel Tour Connection

Odeya at Robinson’s Arch, near the Southern steps of the Old Temple in Jerusalem

 

Israel Tour Connection

After their full tour of Israel, it was time for a Bat Mitzvah celebration in Jerusalem held at the Southern Steps of the Western Wall in the Old City

Israel Tour Connection

Odeya reading from the Torah at the Wall, becoming a Bat Mitzvah!

Israel Tour Connection
Mazel Tov Odeya! Here with the Rabbi amidst the stones of the ancient walls of the Old Temple

 Israel Tour Connection

Following the ceremony, Odeya and her family continued the celebration at The Harp of David Restaurant and Art Studio

Israel Tour Connection

A celebratory luncheon with a Mediterranean feast! The group dined on dishes hand made by the studio’s potter, Arik

Israel Tour Connection

Odeya’s friends and cousins joined in an art project assembling pottery shards with archeologicist’s methods into oil vessels, for each to take home as a souvenir of the day

Israel Tour Connection

All of Odeya’s guests wrote a message to the Bat Mitzvah girl on individual clay shards

Israel Tour Connection

The shards were then assembled together for her to take home as a momento of her spectacular day

Israel Tour Connection

This work of art represented all of the various pieces of her family and friends coming together to celebrate her simcha!

Israel Tour Connection

 There was also a DJ for dancing the afternoon away!

Israel Tour Connection

A special candle lighting ceremony was held with candles in handmade clay vessels. Each member of Odeya’s family came up for a special tribute. Here are her grandmothers lighting a candle together

Israel Tour Connection
Odeya’s friends give a final farewell at the end of a very fun day!

To learn about how Israel Tour Connection can plan your family’s tour in Israel, visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory and call Vicki at 1-800-247-7235.

 

Mitzvah Inspire: Elegant Beach Themed Bat Mitzvah
April 29th, 2015

Mitzvah Inspire: Elegant Beach Themed Bat Mitzvah

Inspired by This is a wedding and lifestyle blog that recently featured an elegant beach-themed Bat Mitzvah that we thought you’d enjoy.

The venue, The Resort at Pelican Hill, is on the Pacific coastline in Newport Beach, California. This party combined elegance and relaxed chic.

Event planner Jeannie Savage of Details Details, worked with an incredible team of vendors bringing the Bat Mitzvah girl’s vision to life. From Evian bottles to beach chair escort cards and beach vignette decor, everything was set for a day in the sunshine to celebrate beach style chic.

Photography by Studio EMP and the rest of the vendors are listed below.

 

 

Inspired By This Beach invitation

 The coral and turquoise invitation set the tone

 Inspired By This Beach deocr programs
The service program and kippot were displayed in a shabby chic container

 IInspired by the beach placecards
The escort cards were placed on mini Adirondack chairs in a container filled with sand and shells

 Inspired By This Beach place cards

The beach version of the classic Mash sign stood in a large clear vessel

 Inspired By This Beach deocr vignette.2jpgBeach decor included surf boards, bicycles, towels and life guard chairs 

 Inspired By This Beach deocr vignette

 Water and sunscreen displayed on weathered furniture

Inspired By This Beach bar decor
The bar over looking the beautiful ocean was the perfect backdrop

 

elegant beach theme lounge decor
A cozy outdoor lounge area

Elegant beach theme indoor decor
There were outdoor styled cabanas inside, with lots of pillows, poofs and couches for the kids to sit on

Inspired by this beach theme venueh
Farm tables were set up for dining, decorated with turquoise and white accents

 153

 The menus were placed on mini surf boards with a starfish accent

 Inspired By This Beach favors
Each guest received a variety of goodies, perfect for a day at the beach

 

We thank Inspired by This for sharing this amazing Beach Bat Mitzvah with our readers.

Photography: Studio EMP; Event Planner: Jeannie Savage, Details Details; Event Design: Jeni Maus of Found Rentals; Floral Design: Art With Nature; Vintage Furniture and Props: Found Rentals; Venue: Pelican Hill Resort; Rentals: Signature Party Rental; Revelry Event; Tabletop Rentals: Casa de Perrin; Linens: La Tavola Linen

The Mitzvah Mavens: Mitzvah Project Support
April 29th, 2015

The Mitzvah Mavens: Mitzvah Project Support

The Mitzvah Mavens is a family-run business dedicated to the creation of unique Bar/Bat Mitzvah Favors. They have the knowledge to turn your party favors into instant hits! They know what your guests will love and are fully aware of all the latest trends. Design your own logo using their Website or have one of their artists create a custom logo specifically for you!  

 

NEW! The Mitzvah Mavens Create Custom Apparel For Mitzvah Project Fundraisers

The Mitzvah Mavens would love to help you create and sell t-shirts to help you and your child raise funds for their Mitzvah Project Fundraiser.

They will provide a FREE Webpage for your child to promote their fundraiser so friends and family can purchase fundraising t-shirts directly. You may choose to pickup and distribute the t-shirts personally, or The Mitzvah Mavens can ship anywhere. This is particularly helpful for out-of-town family and friends who want to support your child’s efforts!

 To learn more about The Mitzvah Mavens, visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory. 

A Peace, Love & Cupcakes Theme Bat Mitzvah
April 25th, 2015

A Peace, Love & Cupcakes Theme Bat Mitzvah

The Johnson family from Houston, Texas, celebrated their daughter Haley’s Bat Mitzvah at Congregation Brith Shalom in Bellaire, Texas with a reception following at The Wynden, a catering facility in Houston, Texas.

The theme, “Peace, Love and Cupcakes,” came about three years earlier when Haley saw it on a sign in a cupcake store. At that moment Haley declared that would be her Bat Mitzvah theme. From that point on there was no looking back!

The family put together a bright, cheerful party to reflect Haley’s bright, colorful personality.

Pictured above L-R: Dad Keith, Bat Mitzvah girl Haley, Brother Noah and Mom Betsy. 

The photography was done by Jordan Scheiner Photography and the rest of the vendor information is listed at the bottom of the spotlight.

The family worked with Marsha Rubenstein of Stationary Etc. on this laser cut invitation.

haley johnson invite
The entire invitation suite was in various colors and font sizes

haley johnson service

 Haley was all smiles on the bimah. Haley’s service was held at Congregation Brith Shalom

 haley johnson family kippot
Brother Noah wearing the tie-dyed custom kippot. Mom Betsy bought tie-dye fabric from a local store and then had all the kippot custom made by Greenfield Judaica.

Johnson entrnance

Mom Betsy is quite creative and talented and came up with many of the elements and details herself including the place cards, centerpieces, giant cupcake gift holder and candle lighting display. She also worked with Jim Koehn, of Behind the Scenes, who designed most of the colorful and festive ballroom decor and signage

 haley johnson welcome signage

Decor included bright and happy colors to accentuate the fun and whimsical feel

 haley johnson spotlight cupcake place cards
The place card table held vibrant colored trays with cupcake place cards

haley johnson spotlight cupcake place cards2

Each cupcake place card featured the guests’ name and was placed on sprinkles; so cute!

 

haley johnson spotlight signage

Custom made directional “Mash” sign let guests know which direction to go

Johnson lounge
The kids’ lounge area had couches accented with peace sign and cupcake pillows

 haley johnson spotlight decor

The theme was carried through to the centerpieces, incorporating vivid images of cupcakes, peace signs and hearts 

haley johnson spotlight cupcake gift box
One of the many details Mom Betsy created was this cupcake gift holder

 haley johnson spotlight centerpiece

The cocktail tables had cupcake centerpieces along with custom napkins with Haley’s initial

haley johnson  sign in

 This black light-up peace sign, from PB Teen, was the perfect sign-in. The peace sign now hangs in Haley’s bedroom

haley johnson dj

  Haley and her friends enjoyed an awesome evening of entertainment and dancing courtesy of MC Corey and Maxed Out Entertainment

haley johnson horah

For the Horah, Haley was lifted in a special chair decorated by her Mom

haley johnson dj2
Haley had a blast with her friends dancing…

haley johnson friends

And with all of her friends on the dance floor

Haley's horah chair

One of the many creative touches from the party, this Horah chair, was lovingly designed by Mom Betsy

 haley johnson horah chair
The back of the chair included Haley’s Bat Mitzvah date and theme

haley johnson fun

 There was a henna artist on hand to create beautiful designs. Wait til you see where one creative guest had his henna tattoo placed! 

 haley johnson tatto fun2
One guest chose to have a kippot design on the top of his head!

Haley Johnson fun

There were fun props that guests enjoyed and the photos were customized with Haley’s logo and graphics
  johnson cake

This tie-dye four tiered cake in Haley’s favorite colors included peace signs, hearts and a giant cupcake on top

johnson candle lighting

 The candle lighting display was also created by Mom Betsy. It had cupcakes on either end, peace signs, hearts and the base was wrapped in a tie-dye fabric

haley johnson centerpiece
Some of Haley’s friends lighting their candle

haley johnson favor

Haley’s friends left with a tie-dyed t-shirt that said, “Got Wild and Ate Cupcakes at Haley’s Bat Mitzvah”

 Johnson Mitzvah Project

Haley collected board games that were donated to Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas

Some advice from Mom Betsy:
“My advice is start early and only work with people that see your vision. They will make your weekend so much easier and less stressful. And remember this is a party for your child so make sure they are included in the decisions. The planning can be as much of a wonderful experience as the weekend. And when something crazy happens (like your cupcakes for your cupcake party don’t show up…yes that really did happen) hug your child, drag them on the dance floor and just keep the party going.”

The following vendors helped to make Haley’s Bat Mitzvah special. If you give any of them a call, let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.

Venue: The Wynden, 281-768-6070
Party Planner: Mom Betsy
Photographer:
Jordan Scheiner Photography, 713-828-0374
Videographer:
Joseph Lipp Lipp Videography, 713-385-8184
Music Entertainment:
MC Cory Baum, Maxed Out DJ, 832-860-2286
Décor: Jim Koehn, Behind the Scenes, 713-666-8901
Favors
: The Adair Group, 800-537-4232
Favor Printing: Annette Williams, Wearables Etc., 713-339-1373
Photobooth: Kraitman Photography,832-398-1690
Henna: The Original Henna Company, 281-630-8389
Invitation: Michael’s Invitations/Marsha Rubenstein Stationery, Etc., stationeryetc@swbell.net
Cake: Stephanie Soland, 281-732-1710
Sign-In board: PB Teen
Candlelighting, placecards, table numbers, Horah chair: Mom Betsy
Yad: Etsy.com
Kippot: Fabric, Hobby Lobby; Greenfield Judaica, 718-633-8103
Napkins: The Knot Shop
Itty Bitty Ice Cream Sandwiches: RICCA Gourmet, 713-805-4365
Dippin Dots: Dave Seeburger, Champion Concessions, LLC, 619-892-2784
Haley’s temple dress: Macy’s
Haley’s party dress
: Sherri Hill, Nordstom
Mom’s service dress: Dillards
Mom’s party Dress: T. Carolyns
Brother Noah’s suit: Nordstom
Dad suit: Jos. A. Banks
Hair: Aimee Goldman aimeegoldman@sbcgoldman.net, 713-443-8233

Cool Entrance Videos!
April 25th, 2015

Cool Entrance Videos!

Unique entrance videos are very popular. Most families will still have a montage as well and some combine the two. Grab the popcorn, sit back and watch how these creative companies are producing videos that are “Oscar” worthy!

Here are some we thought you might like to see!


From the Adler Mitzvah Family spotlight, Carl Hartman from Green Cheese Media Group edited this video with “shout-outs” from various celebrities. Watch it here.


From the Lapidus Mitzvah Family spotlight, Simon Elliot Events created a spoof of ABC’s reality series The Bachelor, Bachelorette and Bachelor Pad. Watch it here.


Watch Joshua Mendel as Austin Powers from U star Videos! Watch here


Sam’s Stanley Cup Entrance Video from Spot On Pictures. Watch here

This Bar Mitzvah boy escapes studying for “one crazy night” in New York City with all of his friends. Check out this spoof from Simon Elliot Events. Watch here


From Sarah Merians Photography & Video watch a Bar Mitzvah boy who arrives via helicopter here

Timeline Video Productions created an entrance video about Samantha who is trying to save the world one dress at a time! Watch here


Dockside Digital created a unique entrance video based on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Watch here


Fytography Photography & Video Production created this entrance video a la Rocky! Watch here

Steve Portnoy from SLP Video worked with the talented Schiffman family to create a SNL spoof they called, Schiffman Night Live. Watch here


This entrance video is from Simon Elliot Events and is a spoof of the Saturday Night Live opening sequence. Watch it here.

Did you have a creative entrance video? We would love to share it with our readers. Please let us know at info@MitzvahMarket.com.

You can also ask questions and get advice about entrance videos and much more in our regional Facebook groups. Join here.

 

Something New From Club Infinity: “Go Morph Yourself”
April 22nd, 2015

Something New From Club Infinity: “Go Morph Yourself”

Club Infinity is a unique New York City Nightclub Style Private Party Venue located in Westchester, New York specifically designed for Bar Bat Mitzvahs, Sweet 16s and other private and corporate events. It combines the authentic look and feel of a trendy nightclub with all of the amenities one has come to expect at a Bar Bat Mitzvah and/or Sweet 16 celebration. 

Club Infinity is a natural extension of the experience that their team of entertainers and planners have amassed from many years in the Bar Bat Mitzvah industry. It is an amazingly “cool” place with trendy amenities and a logical flow that lends itself to a wonderful experience for you, your family and your guests. It contains all of the things that you’ve come to expect at a Bar Bat Mitzvah celebration – from their Custom Photobooth, GameRoom/Casino and Arcade Hall to a variety of lounge furniture, incredible sound, lighting and video.  

 Club Infinity Introduces A New Self Morph Station!

Available in early September 2014, the “Go Morph Yourself” station will be freestanding with the ability to communicate with a central print/video server used to print the “morph portraits” and “morph videos” onto DVD.  There will be a total of three “morphing stations” with an adviser to help guide guests to create their perfect morph. In addition, as with all of the photography and video in their club, the finished pictures can be instantly sent to all of their 15 big screens throughout the club for everyone to enjoy.

They anticipate it to be a sought-after addition to upcoming Bar Bat Mitzvah celebrations!

Owner Ed Gaynor shared their philosophy with us, “At Club Infinity we always look ahead to find the latest, greatest and most amazing products and services to offer our clients and their guests. We are technologically driven and experts in our field. When we find these products, most times we will bring them ‘in-house’ in order to be able to present them at a reasonable price point. This helps to keep us keep true to our value-driven mantra and our one-stop-shop model.”

Club Infinity Go Morph Yourself Station
Check out this YouTube video to see the Go Morph Yourself station in action!

 To learn more about Club Infinity, visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.  

“Cohny” Island Themed Bat Mitzvah Celebration
April 22nd, 2015

“Cohny” Island Themed Bat Mitzvah Celebration

Beth Fink, owner of Beth Fink Events, recently planned a Bat Mitzvah theme which was a creative twist on the family’s last name, Cohn.

The Cohn family wanted to use their last name for a “Cohny Island” themed party.

This Cohny Island was in Livingston, New Jersey, at The Westminster Hotel.  The party had many creative decor elements including an amazing place card display, banners and a custom dance floor decal that really captured the theme.

Ivan Piedra Photography was the photographer and the rest of the vendor information is listed at the bottom of the story.

We thank Beth Fink of Beth Fink Events for sharing this creative Bat Mitzvah with our readers.

Event Planner/designer: Beth Fink Events; Photographer: Ivan Piedra Photography; Venue/Catering: Westminster Hotel; Centerpieces/Place Cards: Party Art LLC; Music Entertainment: Pure Energy; Favors: Melissa Trachtman Designs, Cake: Suzi Cakes

Mitzvah Inspire: Elegant and Nature-Inspired
April 22nd, 2015

Mitzvah Inspire: Elegant and Nature-Inspired

Eggsotic Events, an event and design firm in New Jersey, created an eclectic mix of design inspirations for a Bat Mitzvah girl who loves nature and art.

The Bat Mitzvah, held in October 2014, at The Stone House at Stirling Ridge in Warren, New Jersey, was beautiful.

Some of the elements used for this elegant and earth friendly party included: the color Amethyst, the Bat Mitzvah girl’s gemstone; nature and eco-friendly materials including reusable and recyclable decor elements; and art, the Bat Mitzvah girl’s favorite hobby.

The photographer was Ira Casel Photography and the rest of the vendor information is listed at the end of the spotlight.

 

 

 Jillian Invitation

 Jillian, the Bat Mitzvah girl created the design with the tree then worked with Monumental Designs who created the invitation. It was then adapted for use on the invitation, pillows, programs, and pashmina tags.

 

Ira Casel Shabby Chic kippot
Guests received Circle of Life seed paper kippot made from recycled, recyclable and biodegradable seed paper that can be planted to become beautiful flowers

Ira Casel Shabby Chic service
For the ceremony, the Bat Mitzvah girl wanted a sophisticated outdoor setting that reflected her love of nature. A handmade birch wall backdrop and torah table were created which made a beautiful focal point

Art and Nature themed outdoor service
Mason jar candle lanterns hung from the trees and battery-powered LED up-lighting illuminated the trees

Art adn Nature pashmina detail
Ladies received purple pashminas to use in case they got cold during the service

Art and Nature decor

The cocktail hour was held in the tent adjacent to the ceremony area. Amethyst colored up-lighting and pin spots for the food stations made the cocktail tent look cohesive with the rest of the event

 Art and Nature lighting
  Tabletop lanterns added to the glow

Art and Nature pillow decor
Purple font monogram shabby chic pillows

 Art and Nature reception decor

The reception lighting was elegant, with purple and green up-lighting and pin spotting for the centerpieces

 art and nature theme centerpiece
Live trees and ferns were used to create an organic feel

art adn nature theme
This arrangement was simple and beautiful under a glass pillar

 Art and Nature poster decor

Pictures of the Bat Mitzvah girl were framed in moss and placed in the kids’ lounge area on ivory drapes

Art and Nature Bat MItzvah interactive fun

The family commissioned an interactive portrait artist to do live interactive painting. The Bat Mitzvah girl selected an inspiration image and guests joined in throughout the party to add to the canvas. It’s a beautiful keepsake for years to come

 Art and Nature signage
The signage asking guests to participate in the interactive painting

 art and nature photo fun
For entertainment, the family selected a photo booth, silhouette artist, and lots of games

 

art and nature theme cupcakes
Delicious cupcakes accented with purple gem-like sprinkles, a perfect way to end the evening

 

We thank Eggsotic Events and Ira Casel Photography for sharing this party with our readers.

Room decor, Lighting, Trees, Interactive painting: Eggsotic Events; Event Photographer: Ira Casel Photography;Location: The Stone House at Stirling Ridge • Warren, NJ; Floral Decor: Laura Clare Designs; Calligraphy and Handwritten Signage: Belles Lettres Calligraphy; Invitation, Pillows, Programs, and Pashmina tags: Monumental Designs; Pre-shoot Photography: CupCake Photography; Kippot: Circle of Life.

 

These Guests All Wore Halloween Costumes to a Bat Mitzvah in Pleasantville, New York
April 19th, 2015

These Guests All Wore Halloween Costumes to a Bat Mitzvah in Pleasantville, New York

The Steinberg family celebrated daughter Molly’s Bat Mitzvah with a Havdallah service and reception at Club Infinity in Pleasantville, New York.

Molly’s birthday is in August, but with her Bat Mitzvah date so close to Halloween, the family decided to go all out with a “Molloween” themed party.

Guests were invited to come in costume and every guest did, including the Rabbi!

This is the second celebration for this family, read about older sister Andie’s Bat Mitzvah here.

Pictured L-R: Mom Lainee, Brother Cooper, Bat Mitzvah girl Molly, Sister Andie and Dad Michael.

The photographer was Max Aureli Photography and the rest of the vendor information is listed at the end of the spotlight.

Mitzvah Invitation & Service

The family worked with Jessica Riesel of Precious Papers who designed a modern invitation that arrived in a box.

Mitzvah Style & Venue

The invitation stated, “Costume Attire Preferred” and everyone participated. The Steinberg family dressed in their own version of the royal family. In the invitation, they included information about Sophia’s Costume Boutique in Greenwich, Connecticut which not only helped guests with costumes but with Molly’s Mitzvah Project as well. Not only were costumes fun (and secretive till the night of), but a great ice breaker that encouraged all guests to mingle.

 Mitzvah Details

After the service, guests made their way into another part of the venue set for “Molloween.” Max Event Design decorated the club dance floor with logos, giants floor decals and Gobo lighting projections on the walls.  

 

Music & Entertainment

Max Event Design created a high energy environment with a fun dance party.  The family raved about the energy level of owner MC Mike Carson and his wife and dancer, Eliana Carson. For extra fun and entertainment there was a live percussionist and violinist on the dance floor all night with dancers dressed in Halloween costumes.

Mitzvah Favor

 The family worked with Stephanie Engler of Pretty in Paper.  She designed a distressed grey hoodie thermal shirt with a “Molloween” logo on the back. For the boys she designed a black pullover hoodie sweatshirt, with the “Molloween” logo on the back of the shirt. 

 

 

Mitzvah Project

Molly wanted her project to bring the magic of Halloween to all children and tie it in with her theme. Molly found a great organization The Jewish Child Care Association/The Cottage School that would graciously accept donated Halloween costumes. So Molly went to work asking for donations, collections then sorting, organizing, packing and delivering those costumes. She struck gold when she found a local dance group that had tons of costumes after their annual recitals ended. Sophia’s Costume Boutique in Greenwich, Connecticut also gave her  boxes of costumes for both kids and adults! The director of the foster care division shared with us their vision that “every child deserves to grow up hopeful” and together we helped to make that vision a reality!

Mom to Mom

Some advice from Mom Lainee:
“This is our second Bat Mitzvah in less than two years. So, in some ways it was easier, we had a very good template from our other daughter’s special day. We used just about every single vendor that we used for daughter Andie’s Bat Mitzvah since we had such a great and easy experience. We worked with the owners of each of our vendor groups to translate everything for us. From Melissa Gross of Club Infinity to Mike Carson of Max Entertainment and Karen Chioccariello from Encore Catering everyone communicated and coordinated seamlessly for us! As a matter of fact, we chose the caterer, sight unseen, never did a tasting and they surpassed our expectations. Also, this time around, we chose our DJ to decorate as it was easier for us to have one less moving part to the equation. Hmm, this time around, I found that I could postpone things closer to the date, but I also still stressed over the montage, making it different and having different photos when our daughters are so close in age, was a challenge for me.”

Vendor Directory

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

Venue: Melissa Gross, Club Infinity, 914-214-4800
Music Entertainment/Party Planner: Max Event Design, 914-533-2365
Photographer: Max Aureli Photography,  203-517-4252
Invitation
: Jessica Riesel, Precious Papers, preciouspapers@hotmail.com
Décor/florist: Max Event Design, 914-533-2365
Caterer:
Karen, Encore Catering, 973-515-8000
Favors
: Stephanie Engler, Pretty in Paper, 561-998-3777
Arcade games/Carnival Photo booth: Club Infinity, 914-214-4800
Live music performers: Max Event Design, 914-533-2365
Montage: Tanta Marla Studios, 914-215-2102
Sign-In board: A.I. Friedman,  914-937-7351
Service: Rabbi Deborah Salomon, Hebrew Wizards
Monster slippers: Alibaba
Bat Mitzvah girl Molly’s costume: www.quinceanera100.com 
Dad’s king costume: Sophia’s Costumes 203-542-9499
Mom Lainee’s gown: Neiman Marcus
Mom Lainee’s red cape: A friend of the family made it
King and Queen crowns: Etsy.com
Sister Andie dress: Free People, Greenwich, Ct.
Dad’s King Costume: Sophia’s Costumes, 203-542-9499/ Bloomingdales
Brother Cooper Prince Charming outfit
: Sophia’s Costumes 203-542-9499
Molly’s Converse sneakers: Zappos
Hair: Denise Goldstein, 914-584-0622
Makeup: Kim Root, 914-588-7854
Transportation: J and R bus
Party security: Club Infinity, 914-214-4800