May 17th, 2015
The Lesser family of Reston, Virginia, celebrated their son Jack’s Bar Mitzvah at Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation. After the service, guests headed to the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia.
Baseball was the theme which is Bar Mitzvah boy Jack’s passion.
Pictured L-R: Dad Jeffrey, Bar Mitzvah boy Jack, Sister Sam and Mom Darlene.
The photographer was Jof Panlaqui Photography and the rest of the vendor information is listed at the bottom of the spotlight.
The tone of the party was set with the Save-the-Date card which featured a baseball glove in the grass with the date printed on three balls: 1.10.15. For the invitation, the family worked with Studio Rose Design
A more formal blue and green pocket invitation followed, which honored the reverence of the service
We love Jack’s logo which was placed on the outside of the invitation belly band
The service was held at Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation. It was “all in the family” as Jack’s 88 1/2 year-old grandfather, Monroe Lesser, had come over daily to tutor Jack on his haftorah portion six months leading up to his Bar Mitzvah. Jack posed in front of the Ark
Dad Jeff, Bar Mitzvah boy Jack and Grandfather Monroe Lesser at the bimah
Jack had a baseball themed celebration complete with grass centerpieces and accents to keep it sporty and masculine. The escort card table was filled with wheat grass and royal blue trim
Baseball jerseys tented over Lindor Truffles served as escort cards and treats
Each pinstriped jersey was personalized with their guests’ name and table number
The adult tables, each named for a team Jack played on in Little League, were decorated in royal blue and white linens
There were baseballs (rubber for safety) with Jack’s logo throughout the reception venue
The kids had long communal tables with fiber optic centerpieces
The DJ set-up looked great flanked by baseball jerseys
Some of the special details included a card from Jack thanking each guest for being a part of his special day. The card, placed at each place setting, included those most important to Jack as they are his friends, family, relatives, coaches, teachers, neighbors, teammates and mentors
A large decorated baseball hat box served as a place to put gift envelopes
The lounge furniture was accented with customized pillows
Each table had memorable quotes from baseball legends: “There’s no crying in baseball!” from Tom Hanks in “A League of Their Own” and repeated by Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals
An enlarged picture of Jack in his travel uniform served as his sign-in board. Mom created it on online at LTLPrints.com
Everything Entertainment created a high energy atmosphere and kept people on the dance floor throughout the reception. During the cocktail hour, DJ Mark Burch and MC Cliff led a baseball game with an inflatable ball while the adults were mingling over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. For Jack’s entrance, MC Cliff announced the “Starting Line Up” and Jack had fun with it, wearing cool glasses
Jack was all smiles for the Horah
MC Cliff was great on the dance floor
Jack had fun activities for the guests including a double Pop-A-Shot basketball arcade game, a caricature artist and a photo booth
Guests enjoyed the Caricaturist
The candle lighting ceremony with Mom, Dad and Jack and a huge baseball themed cake created by Marse Hammond
The candy buffet had lots of great choices complete with bags and take-out boxes
Jack’s candy bar featured blue and green candy
Baseball helmets were used as dishes for the ice cream sundaes
Jack’s gift bag to his guests included an aluminum sports cup, a power bank charger and a jumbo Hershey Bar. The sports cup customized with Jack’s logo
Mitzvah Project:
Jack is collecting “experienced” gently used baseball equipment from his little league community then organizing a swap meet, where the families who are on scholarship in the league can select equipment first at no charge, then the remainder of the families can select equipment for a fraction of the cost of new. The proceeds are being donated back to the league for more scholarships, so kids who couldn’t otherwise afford to play baseball will have the opportunity.
Some advice from Mom Darlene:
“Select a theme with your child early and enjoy the planning. My son wasn’t into planning all of the little details, but he always had veto power so the day would be one he would be proud to share with his friends. Splurge on a DJ because the experience is what people remember most. Select outstanding experienced vendors who will make your day memorable while making the experience effortless. Have activities for the kids who don’t like to dance or have the DJ plan more games or a conga line that everyone can join. Do as much as possible in advance because the last few weeks fly by. Leave plenty of time for errors (the calligrapher took 3 weeks instead of 3 days, signs had to be reprinted). I had prepared checks and tip envelopes for all of the vendors in advance and hired a day-of coordinator, who enabled me to focus on Jack’s service and not worry about executing our plan. I sent an email to all vendors a week in advance and the day before. Also, getting into the venue the day before allowed extra time for set up.”
The following vendors helped to make Jack’s Bar Mitzvah special. If you give any of them a call, let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: Lansdowne Resort, 877-419-8400
Party Planner: Mom, Darlene
Day of Coordinator/Decor: Jamie Anderson, dmsjamie@aol.com
Photographer: Jof Panlaqui, 571-337-0095
Music Entertainment: DJ Mark Burch, Everything Entertainment, 240-351-5434
Place Cards: Lindor Truffles on Amazon.com
Favors: Marco Promotional Products, 877-545-9322
Party entertainment: Your Moment Photo Booth, 240-505-8017
Caricaturist: Ted Sanderson Caricatures
Invitation: Rose D’Arcangelis, Studio Rose Design
Baseball gift box: Mom Darlene
Cake: Marse Hammond, Marhamm@netzero.net
Sign-In board: Larger than Life Prints
Wheatgrass on escort table and centerpieces: by Mom Darlene
Signage: Signs by Tomorrow
Dresses for family members: Nordstrom and Ideel
Suits for family members: Nordstrom
Transportation: Chariots for Hire
May 17th, 2015
Every Bar Bat Mitzvah celebration is unique regardless of budget. We would all agree that we want our guests to leave saying, “Wow!”
Families celebrate in a variety of ways; most have delicious food, some form of entertainment/music and their own special touches.
We recently found three unique ways to enhance your child’s Bar Bat Mitzvah celebration and involve your guests. In some cases “live” at the celebration or a keepsake to last for years and years.
Enjoy these ideas below:
Fine Art for Events
Fine Arts for Events provides unique paint by number artwork designed to entertain your guests and provide you with a work of art. Artist Michael Molly creates a painting from your original idea or existing photograph. He then prepares a numbered outline of the picture along with the paint and materials necessary to execute it. Mr. Molly will come to your event to assist your guests with completing your painting.
Numbered outlined canvas before painting
The finished product
Brick by Brick Lego Creations
Interactive fun for everyone! Every participant will lend a hand at completing a giant LEGO mosaic of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah child. Each section comes with directions to complete, which will then be fitted into a numbered board creating the finished product by the end of the party. It will be a gift that lasts forever. They can also create great LEGO centerpieces.
In addition to LEGO portraits, they can customize centerpieces for any theme and portraits
Jelly Bean Arts
Jelly Bean Arts offers personalized, commissioned one-of-a-kind portraits, mosaics and landscapes to jazz up your Mitzvah! Artist Kristen Cumings is the official artist of the Jelly Belly company and she assembles these amazing paintings with an assortment of Jelly Beans that is sure to WOW your guests.
Made completely with actual Jelly Beans
Did you have a creative enhancement at your child’s mitzvah? Let us know at info@MitzvahMarket.com.
May 13th, 2015
Signage is a great way to add another level of creativity to your child’s Bar Bat Mitzvah theme, color scheme and room decor.
From colorful poster to LED fabric walls, here’s a look at innovative approaches that will grab the attention of guests.
Check out the ideas below:
Sarah Merians Photography & Videography took this photo at Ethan’s Bar Mitzvah celebration. As guests arrived, the theme was evident due to an over-sized envelope which included all of Ethan’s hobbies and activities
The Event Of A Lifetime was responsible for the decor and signage for this Bar Mitzvah celebration that partly took place in the family’s garage!
Lighter Than Air Events created this “break through” wall for Mason to enter his Mason Nation Bar Mitzvah celebration
Using this life size poster, Simon Elliot Events helped this Bat Mitzvah girl say ‘thank you’ to her guests
Beth Fink Events was the party planner for this Bat Mitzvah. As soon as guests arrived they were welcomed with a Bat Mitzvah gobo logo created by Total Entertainment
Flower Power Designs created this “mocktails” sign for Matthew’s Bar Mitzvah
From Garelick & Herbs, guests loved sitting at Abby’s Snack Shack
Jimmy Dee Entertainment gives the Bat Mitzvah girl her name in lights on this marquee presenting, “Melissa the Musical”
Balloon Artistry gives Amanda great signage and blow-ups in the lounge area at her Bat Mitzvah celebration
Splatter paint neon signage included all of Rachel’s favorite things from Party Excellence
Crowd Control Entertainment provided the music for a baseball themed Bar Mitzvah with signage directing Matthew’s friends to the VIP section
Hi Tech Photography Events create signage for Justin’s Legends Suite
The Johnson Mitzvah Family Spotlight story featured great signage which directed guests where to go
From the Malavsky Mitzvah Family Spotlight story, guests knew the theme as soon as they saw this signage
Guests were “thanked” at Camp Alyssa’s Bat Mitzvah by 84 West Studios
A Bar Mitzvah designed by New York-based David Stark Design and Production had custom super-size signs, like an “Eat” sign made out of favorite books
Did your child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration have eye catching signage? Let us know at info@mitzvahmarket.com.
May 6th, 2015
Ann Marie Casey Photography was the photographer for a Syracuse University basketball themed Bar Mitzvah for the Garber family from Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.
Beautiful Blooms created the decor using the famous Syracuse orange and blue color palette.
Bar Mitzvah boy Blake is a die-hard ‘Cuse fan and wanted his party to celebrate all-things-Orange.
Go ‘Cuse!
The kippot worked beautifully with the color palette
The family knew whose special day it was
Bar Mitzvah boy Blake and his parents dressed in their favorite college team colors
The escort table had a lampshade centerpiece with a custom logo
The place cards looked great with a blue border and orange font
The view of the ballroom from above
Blue striped lampshades with Blake’s logo and orange carnations served as the centerpiece
Leaping orange groupings in glass stemmed vases were placed on half of the tables and navy and white lampshades with a ring of orange flowers were placed on the others
There were custom logo’d light-up candles for the cocktail hour
The menu card was a great way to dress up the tables and keep the theme going
The dance floor decal
The March Madness basketball game was a lot of fun
Blake in action
Blake’s sisters wrote him a special message on his sign-in poster
A Syracuse-themed cake with the famous Syracuse mascot, Otto, on top
The logo’d favor bags
We thank Ann Marie Casey for sharing this great Bar Mitzvah theme with our readers.
Photography: Ann Marie Casey; Florals and Decor: Beautiful Blooms; Venue: Cescaphe Ballroom
May 3rd, 2015
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.
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
Temple Congregation Ansche Chesed has a beautiful ark. Here, the family posed with Sarah holding the Torah
Sarah surrounded by family during her prayers
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
LED high top tables, plasma screens and purple up-lighting created a nightclub feel
Trendy white leather lounge furniture offered a lot of seating options
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!
Sarah’s cheery logo was on display
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
The dancers helped distribute socks to guests
Sarah, pictured here in the middle of her sister and cousins, enjoyed the dance risers
A dance crew entertained guests
Elevate Event Lounge provided a photo booth, photo station, airbrush and face painting stations.
Sarah and friends showed off their tattoos.
The photo booth had great props!
Sarah’s friends enjoyed the body painting
Cubbies were available for the favors which included airbrush shirts and hats.
All guests received this logo’d bag to hold the goodies
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
April 29th, 2015
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.
The coral and turquoise invitation set the tone
The service program and kippot were displayed in a shabby chic container
The escort cards were placed on mini Adirondack chairs in a container filled with sand and shells
The beach version of the classic Mash sign stood in a large clear vessel
Beach decor included surf boards, bicycles, towels and life guard chairs
Water and sunscreen displayed on weathered furniture
The bar over looking the beautiful ocean was the perfect backdrop
A cozy outdoor lounge area
There were outdoor styled cabanas inside, with lots of pillows, poofs and couches for the kids to sit on
Farm tables were set up for dining, decorated with turquoise and white accents
The menus were placed on mini surf boards with a starfish accent
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
April 25th, 2015
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.
The entire invitation suite was in various colors and font sizes
Haley was all smiles on the bimah. Haley’s service was held at Congregation Brith Shalom
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.
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
Decor included bright and happy colors to accentuate the fun and whimsical feel
The place card table held vibrant colored trays with cupcake place cards
Each cupcake place card featured the guests’ name and was placed on sprinkles; so cute!
Custom made directional “Mash” sign let guests know which direction to go
The kids’ lounge area had couches accented with peace sign and cupcake pillows
The theme was carried through to the centerpieces, incorporating vivid images of cupcakes, peace signs and hearts
One of the many details Mom Betsy created was this cupcake gift holder
The cocktail tables had cupcake centerpieces along with custom napkins with Haley’s initial
This black light-up peace sign, from PB Teen, was the perfect sign-in. The peace sign now hangs in Haley’s bedroom
Haley and her friends enjoyed an awesome evening of entertainment and dancing courtesy of MC Corey and Maxed Out Entertainment
For the Horah, Haley was lifted in a special chair decorated by her Mom
Haley had a blast with her friends dancing…
And with all of her friends on the dance floor
One of the many creative touches from the party, this Horah chair, was lovingly designed by Mom Betsy
The back of the chair included Haley’s Bat Mitzvah date and theme
There was a henna artist on hand to create beautiful designs. Wait til you see where one creative guest had his henna tattoo placed!
One guest chose to have a kippot design on the top of his head!
There were fun props that guests enjoyed and the photos were customized with Haley’s logo and graphics
This tie-dye four tiered cake in Haley’s favorite colors included peace signs, hearts and a giant cupcake on top
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
Some of Haley’s friends lighting their candle
Haley’s friends left with a tie-dyed t-shirt that said, “Got Wild and Ate Cupcakes at Haley’s Bat Mitzvah”
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
April 22nd, 2015
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.
A clever play on the family last name!
The place card display by Party Art LLC had all the iconic Coney Island greats like Nathan's Hot Dogs and Cyclone Roller Coaster
The place cards were salt water taffy on sticks with the guests' name and table number on top
Bat Mitzvah girl Darien posed in front of her banner
The centerpieces, also by Party Art LLC, were photo strips on vases filled with popcorn. The family wanted to keep the tables playful, so they used photos from her pre-shoot with Ivan Piedra
Picnic tables for the kids' area fit the theme
The sign-in board was a mirror with the postcard in the center
Colorful custom napkins and candy bags added color to the room
An additional logo, using the real Coney Island famous Cyclone Roller Coaster, was used for the dance floor decal, dancer t-shirts and favors
Non-stop dancing and fun
Customized flip-flops, instead of socks, worked great with the boardwalk/beach theme
This amazing and delicious Bat Mitzvah roller coaster cake by Suzi Cakes included a Nathan's hot dog, french fries and cotton candy
For the Mitzvah Favor, kids' sweatpants were rolled up and placed in large popcorn buckets
A collection of the great giveaways and favors given to Darien's guests
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
April 22nd, 2015
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, 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.
Guests received Circle of Life seed paper kippot made from recycled, recyclable and biodegradable seed paper that can be planted to become beautiful flowers
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
Mason jar candle lanterns hung from the trees and battery-powered LED up-lighting illuminated the trees
Ladies received purple pashminas to use in case they got cold during the service
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
Tabletop lanterns added to the glow
Purple font monogram shabby chic pillows
The reception lighting was elegant, with purple and green up-lighting and pin spotting for the centerpieces
Live trees and ferns were used to create an organic feel
This arrangement was simple and beautiful under a glass pillar
Pictures of the Bat Mitzvah girl were framed in moss and placed in the kids’ lounge area on ivory drapes
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
The signage asking guests to participate in the interactive painting
For entertainment, the family selected a photo booth, silhouette artist, and lots of games
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.
April 19th, 2015
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.
The
Steinberg family worked with Precious Papers who designed a modern invitation that arrived in a box. Inside the box, along with the invitation, was a beautiful mask, hinting at the theme
For the Havdallah service, at Club Infinity, they created a service area which was sectioned off and decorated with flowers and masks
The family in the front row at the service
Molly with brother Cooper and sister Andie during the service
The Bat Mitzvah girl bringing the Torah into the congregation
The beautifully colored kippot from Mayaworks; handmade by Guatemalan artisans to provide
income and improve lives
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.
Molly looked beautiful as an Ice Princess
The royal Steinberg family chose costumes with personal touches. From L-R: Brother Cooper as Prince Charming; Mom Lainee, the Queen of Hearts; Bat Mitzvah girl Molly, the Ice Princess; Sister Andie, a bohemian princess and Dad Michael as the King, of course!
Molly with her big sister Andie
Rabbi Deborah Salomon of Hebrew Wizards, a Hebrew School in Greenwich, Connecticut,
performed the ceremony as a motor cycle riding rockin' Rabbi
Molly and her Superhero camp friends
Molly's Grandie came as Cleopatra and Grandpa George as Pirate Jack Sparrow
Club Infinity was the perfect venue for this Bat Mitzvah. The in-house planner, Melissa Gross, worked with the family throughout the event. For the service, Infinity’s dance stage served as the Bimah and while guests were in another area for cocktails, it was quickly transformed back into the dance area for the party
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.
An elegant candelabra added to the theme
Special Gobo lighting on the walls included revolving bats
This skeleton also came in costume
Mom Lainee added to the decor with items found at a HomeGoods store
Mom Lainee added to the decor with items found at a HomeGoods store
With everyone’s palette choices being different, the family chose to go with a fun "Bite & Go" theme for both the kids and adults. Encore Caterers provided roaming carts and wait staff carrying large white trays
Instead of handing out socks, the family provided monster slippers which were a huge it
Mom Lainee had a 4x4 square mirror made then framed in white high gloss. Then purchased decal letters and numbers for the wording "Molloween ten.25.14." It now hangs in Molly's bedroom. A suggestion from Mom Lainee: "Think about getting a sign-in that matches and coordinates with the room you intend to hang it up in."
For the candle lighting ceremony, the Steinbergs intended to have a large glass vase and each honored guest would pour candy corn into it, filling Molly’s life with more sweetness from her loved ones. Well, the guests ate all the candy corn prior to the ceremony so they just continued dancing
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.
Molly made quite an entrance being carried in by the Max Events dance team who were in costume
Molly making her princess-like entrance
Molly all smiles up in the chair for the Horah
Dancing as a family
The energy on the dance floor was non-stop
Guests enjoyed watching the break dancers
Molly with some guests and MC Mike Carson (to the right with mic) and his entertainment team
The family was very happy with the montage by Tanta Marla Studios. It included pop culture icons and movie clips customized for Molly
Projection screens are part of the venue and showed the montage from different viewing angles
King (dad) Michael gave a heartfelt toast to his princess, Molly
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.
The girls' thermal hoodie
The boys' grey hoodie sweatshirt
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
