June 19th, 2016
Who better to find the latest and greatest for all things Bar Bat Mitzvahs than our own Mitzvah Moms!
Mitzvah Mom Jennifer recently celebrated her daughter Alyssa’s Bat Mitzvah and wanted to share two ideas with our readers.
GIFT GARBAGE PAIL
That One Special Touch thought of this great idea! Why not keep your gifts/envelopes organized in this step-on pail? It now looks great in Alyssa's room!
This adorable poem was framed next to the pail - guests loved it!
SIGN-IN HORAH CHAIR
This next idea for a custom sign-in horah chair, Jennifer read about on MitzvahMarket.com!
They found this chair at Ikea
So colorful after everyone signed it!
Do you have a great Mom Find that you would like to share with our readers? Let us know at info@mitzvahmarket.com.
See past Mom Finds here.
June 15th, 2016
The Park Avenue Club provides top-notch service and exquisite cuisine in a unique setting in Morris County, New Jersey. Celebrate your child’s Bar Bat Mitzvah celebration while simultaneously supporting ten non-profit organizations. Yes, that’s right! You will be supporting non-profit organizations while celebrating this milestone event.
The club is the perfect combination of rustic elegance. Imagine cocktails in the elegantly renovated dairy barn’s original hayloft and then dinner and dancing in their tented glass pavilion. They are a private club and offer a very affordable social membership when you book your child’s Bar Bat Mitzvah with them.
Some Things You Might Not Have Known About Park Avenue Club
Dining For A Cause: Park Avenue Club is owned by the Park Avenue Foundation which is comprised of ten non profit organizations. Park Avenue Club provides members and guests with gracious and elegant dining and event experiences while supporting their philanthropic mission. Hosting events allows you and your guests to “Dine For A Cause” as your celebration supports the following causes: Boys & Girls Club of Newark, Community FoodBank of New Jersey, JBWS, P.G. Chambers School, No Kid Hungry – Share Our Strength, The Burgdorff Foundation, Boy Scouts of America – Patriots Path Council, Morris Museum, Morris Habitat for Humanity and Wharton School of Music -New Jersey Youth Symphony.
Room Transformation: As evidenced by these pictures, the room can be transformed into almost anything your child would want. Consider it a blank canvas of luxurious rustic elegance. Make history your own in their 19th century restored dairy barn! Same room, different looks:
Membership Has Its Benefits: Become a member of Park Avenue Club and join Morris County’s elite. An affordable membership is required to book a Bar Bat Mitzvah. Membership allows access to their Social Clubs, Food & Wine Pairings, Special Events, Holiday Brunches, network of reciprocal golf and city clubs.
To learn more about Park Avenue Club, visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
June 5th, 2016
Who better to find the latest and greatest for all things Bar Bat Mitzvahs than our own Mitzvah Moms!
We featured Cindy Tell’s middle son David’s Bar Mitzvah back in 2012, now it was time for her to start coming up with ideas for her youngest son Sam’s celebration.
Inspiration can strike at any moment as Cindy found during a Soul Cycle class!
Soul Cycle
During the class, she found herself looking at a wall with inspirational words. As she tells Mitzvah Market, “I just thought it would be so cool to incorporate all the kids names in a similar way.”
The result: Scarsella Flowers designed a “wall of names”
Cindy adds, “It was a big hit! The kids all freaked out when they walked in and couldn’t wait to find their names!”
Do you have a Mitzvah Mom Find? Let us know at info@mitzvahmarket.com.
See more Mom Finds here.
May 29th, 2016
Let them eat cake! We love delicious Bar or Bat Mitzvah cake, and we especially love cakes that look great too. Readers enjoyed our past story about customizing a cake, so we’ve done it again.
These cakes are creative and match the theme of the child’s party and personality. You want your cake to taste great AND look amazing!
Here are some great cakes for a slice of inspiration:
From Cake & Co.: This Minecraft custom cake can be made to represent the Bar Mitzvah boy or Bat Mitzvah girl’s favorite elements!
Melisa Imberman, owner of The Event of a Lifetime, Inc., had this cake created for a ski themed Bar Mitzvah
Beth Fink Events had several cakes baked highlighting the Bat Mitzvah girl’s favorite things
Sarah Merians Photography & Videography Company captured this creative “alien” themed Mitzvah cake
Elevate Event Lounge was the venue for an “Around the World” theme which this cake beautifully represented
Simon Elliot Events was the photographer for this dog and candy themed cake
The Sands at Atlantic Beach works with Sweet Karma Desserts for many of their Bar Bat Mitzvah cakes like this one with a Beatles theme!
Enjou Chocolat can create a custom cake topper like the luggage above used for a travel themed celebration
Whipped Bakeshop worked directly with the customer’s graphic designer to create a cake that matched the Bat Mitzvah girl’s invitation
Butterfly Bakeshop creates one-of-a-kind cakes like this Candy Land theme
Did your child have a creative Bar or Bat Mitzvah cake that we can share with our readers? Let us know at info@mitzvahmarket.com.
May 15th, 2016
Since 1986, Evan Karfinkel, owner of EK Productions has been producing Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations. So when it came time for his daughter Amanda’s Bat Mitzvah in February, 2016, there was just one question: Could he be a guest at his own daughter’s celebration without “working” the party?
The answer was yes! Evan and his team customized the entire event which took place at the Nicotras Ballroom at the Hilton Hotel in Staten Island, New York. The theme was “Pandalicious,” which was a play on Amanda’s nickname, Panda. As you will see below, every detail was customized by her Dad including the a new candle lighting table used at her event.
Pictured above: L-R, Dad Evan, Bat Mitzvah girl Amanda, Mom Debra and sister Brooke
Invitation
Their Bat Mitzvah invitation with a purple border was ordered online from SarahSchwartz.com.
Party Details from EK Productions
There were many customized details created just for Amanda!
EK Productions used their DJ illumination booth with Amanda's logo on three large screens
The black and white dance floor customized with a floor decal
The place card table featured one of the EK Production's illuminated lamps to match the decor
The place cards were in frames that would later hold guests' pictures from the photo booth
Custom menu card with an adorable panda
Guests enjoyed a Lids Station where they could have a hat customized with a choice of 12 different designs
EK Productions provided all of the light-up lamp centerpieces. These colors where set to match the decor
EK Production's feather centerpieces were used on alternating tables
EK Productions also handled the custom pillows on the couches and crystal centerpieces on the lounge area hi-top tables
Dad Evan created this custom light-up logo'd candle lighting table
Amanda during her candle lighting ceremony. Notice the candles Dad Evan found to match the party linens!
Guests left special written and video messages for Amanda on this Digi Sign-in from EK Productions
Music Entertainment From EK Productions
Amanda made a grand entrance
Amanda Karfinkle danced with MC Michael and EK's Stevie of KR Productions while making her entrance
MC Michael and Amanda are all smiles
Amanda had a great time!
EK Productions provided a drummer to entertain guests
T-shirts given to guests on the dance floor
Extra Fun
Guests enjoyed EK's Photo booth with Amanda's logo'd step n repeat as a backdrop
Guests loved EK's Star Pix photo booth. An interactive experience with the ability to immediately post on social media
Hamming it up in the Star Pix photo booth
EK also provided games
PacMan
Jet-ball
Amanda's friends enjoyed the Glitter Tattoo station
Favors
EK Apparel Prints created these custom drawstring bags for the sweatshirt favors
Amanda modeled her sweatshirt hoodie
Delicious Treats
Amanda's cake from Jackie Cakes
Signage and candy buffet by EK Productions
As guests left, they grabbed delicious treats from the EK Dunkin' Station
Dad Advice
Dad Evan: “Hiring an event planner who can handle all your details is a crucial part of creating a great event.”
Vendor Directory
The following vendors helped to make Amanda’s celebration special. If you give any of them a call, let them know you read about their products/services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: Hilton Hotel, 718-477-2400
Party Planner: Evan Karfinkel, EK Productions
Music Entertainment: MC Benny & Michael, EK Productions
Photographer/Videographer/All Party Decor/Games: EK Productions
Favors: EK Apparel Prints
Cake: Jackie Cakes, 718-477-1770
Dresses: Dream Dresses, 732-607-1112
May 8th, 2016
Who better to find the latest and greatest for all things Bar Bat Mitzvahs than our own Mitzvah Moms!
Wait till you see what this Mitzvah Mom and her sister created for Ellie’s Bat Mitzvah.
“My sister Donna and I have been creating centerpieces and decorations for family events for years,” Susan Golden tells Mitzvah Market. My sister has a degree in fashion design and I just love to craft and create things. We wanted to do something a little ‘out of the box’ for my daughter’s Bat Mitzvah. I knew it would be easier (and a lot less pressure on myself) to hand it over to a party decorator but I am a stickler for details and I knew my sister and I were up for the challenge. We decided on the theme “Everything Ellie,” and decorated mannequins in couture representing all of her favorite things.”
It took Susan and her sister four months to create these centerpieces and now that the party is over, they thought someone else might be able to use these works of art. It’s easy to switch out photos and initials for another Bat Mitzvah girl. If you are interested in buying any of the below or would like more to be made, just email Susan at goldensusane@verizon.net.
This wired mannequin, covered in rhinestones and fake flowers, was displayed next to the place card table
Custom Bat Mitzvah Centerpieces
The baking mannequin features a chef’s hat with a rhinestone "E." The apron dress is made of cupcake liners and rhinestones. The belt is made of spatulas and the skirt is made of paper napkins with the Cake Wars Logo rhinestoned and attached to them. The necklace is made of measuring spoons
The selfie mannequin is a dress featuring selfies of Ellie
The french mannequin is decopauged in french magazines. The bustier is leather with purple ribbons that tie up the back. It is edged in Eiffel Towers. She has a pink flower and a pearl necklace with glittered perfume bottle chip boards. Her skirt is a feathered boa
The emoji mannequin has decopauged face emojis in the shape of a top. The glittery tulle skirt has various rhinestoned emojis. Her belt buckle is a sample rhinestoned iphone and her necklace reads "LOL"
This art mannequin has a top made of paintbrushes, paint tubes, and crayons. The skirt is comprised of paint sample chips
The music mannequin is decopauged in sheet music. She has a large glittered g-clef necklace and rhinestone headphones. Her skirt is also made up of rolled sheet music, sheer ribbon, and gold sparkled trumpets
Centerpieces By Bat Mitzvah Girl Ellie
Bat Mitzvah girl Ellie is also very talented and she created the candy mannequins below. They are made of styrofoam and covered in candy couture with tulle skirts. They are 15 inches in height and were used on the kids’ tables on top of white cake plates.
This one was created with individual slices of gum, glitter covered sour worms, a candy necklace and a glittered covered gummy
This centerpiece is made up of Starbursts and Nerds. The flower on the top is also molded from Starbursts
This green skirted creation was made using Nerds, gumballs, Twizzlers, and Sweet Tarts
Crushed Jolly Ranchers and Twizzlers were used to create the top of this hot pink tulle skirt
All of the themed mannequins can be adjusted in height. The can be anywhere from 52 inches to 64 inches. Each mannequin stand is glittered in either black or white.
Again, if you are interested in buying any of these centerpieces or would like more to be made, just email Susan at goldensusane@verizon.net.
See more Mom Finds here.
May 1st, 2016
One of the small details that comes up as your child’s Bar Bat Mitzvah date approaches is the bathroom basket filled with amenities. It’s one of those optional items that isn’t absolutely necessary, but many put together at the last minute.
Some venues and/or decor vendors will take care of this for you. BUT…if you want to DIY, we created a list that will get you started. Usually it’s the ladies room that has a basket, but just in case, we have listed items for the men’s room too!
Our list has some suggested items — you can add or delete as you see fit:
Ladies Lounge Toiletry Baskets:
Anti Frizz Lotion * Tampons & Panty Shields * Sewing Kit * Clear Nail Polish * Eye Drops * Static Guard * Spray Deodorant * Hand/Body Lotion * Dental Floss * Mints/Gum * Emery Boards * Hair Comb & Small Brush * Bobby Pins * Safety Pins * Band-Aids
Men’s Lounge Toiletry Boxes:
Hand Lotion * After Shave Lotion * Emery Boards * Combs & Brushes * Mints * Spray Deodorant * Band-Aids * Eye Drops * Hair Gel/Spray * Lint Brush * Dental Floss * Gum/Mints
Bathroom Baskets From A Few Of Our Mitzvah Family Spotlight Stories
The cheerful bathroom basket filled with all the necessities and a cute note that read:
Fix your hem or tie up your hair, freshen your breath or mend a tear.
This basket holds the kitchen sink
and much more…
Feel free to use what you need & head back to the dance floor! From a
Candy Themed Celebration
If you have Bar Bat Mitzvah tips for our readers, we’d love to hear them. Contact us at info@mitzvahmarket.com. Thank you!
April 17th, 2016
SPACE is a revolutionary and renowned Bar Bat Mitzvah venue that offers a unique experience catering to guests of all ages.
For almost a decade, SPACE has provided a solution to alleviate all of the stress and anxiety associated with planning a Bar Bat Mitzvah celebration. Everything from the venue, the menu, the decor, and the staff is in-house offering a private event space that is conducive for both children and adults.
They offer high-tech entertainment, the largest video game selection, a laser tag arena, and exclusive paint-less paintball and bowling alley combining entertainment for all ages with the elegance of a country club, and the ambiance of a nightclub.
No matter how many Bar Bat Mitzvah celebrations you attend at SPACE, it will look completely different each time.
What makes the event execution different at SPACE?
“Every weekend we have 3-4 Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and they’re all different! We custom make centerpieces for each party…we don’t rent anything, instead we build it. I personally buy all the fabric and make custom linens and overlays as well as go to the flower market and make floral arrangements!” She adds, “What sets us apart is that we truly have a turnkey party for you and it’s customized along with the timeline, floor plan, decor and menu!” ~ Elvira, Owner
Take a look at the variety of Bar Bat Mitzvah themes:
BAT MITZVAH WITH A ROSE THEME:
BAR MITZVAH WITH A SKI THEME:
BAT MITZVAH WITH A BEACH THEME:
BAR MITZVAH WITH A ROYAL THEME:
A BAT MITZVAH THAT IS PRETTY IN PINK:
BAR MITZVAH WITH A SOCCER THEME:
BAT MITZVAH WITH A CUPCAKE THEME:
INCREDIBLE FOOD:
To learn more about SPACE, visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
April 17th, 2016
The Garmise family of Port Washington, New York, celebrated daughter Hannah’s Bat Mitzvah on November 21, 2015, with a service at Temple Sinai in Roslyn, New York, and a party that evening at the Village Club of Lake Success in Great Neck, New York.
Mom Jessica is the founder of Out Of The Box Creations, a Long-Island based event decor company that specializes in unique and creative events. Jessica explains how Hannah’s celebration presented her with a unique creative challenge. “Hannah is very sporty but also has a girlie side, so we went into the event trying to find a way to tie those two parts of her together.” She adds, “Hannah loved chevron from the start so we played up that design in the invitation and all over the party (her girlie side). But we also weaved in her love of sports through her logo, the favors and giveaways.”
Pictured above: (L-R) Dad Jason, Sister Eliza, Bat Mitzvah girl Hannah and Mom Jessica.
Chad David Kraus Photography was the photographer and the rest of the vendor information is listed at the end of the spotlight.
Invitation & Service
The chevron design in navy, hot pink and silver were designed by Mom Jessica and printed by Love Laura Gifts
Hannah's service was held at Temple Sinai in Roslyn, New York. The kippah box, in the chevron pattern, with Hannah's monogram was created by Sweet Grace Art
Style
Hannah’s navy gown from It’s Simply For You.
Window size versions of Hannah’s chevron pattern and monogram were on display in the windows of the venue
Special Touches
Out Of The Box created a puzzle place card display. Guests found their name and pulled their puzzle piece
Underneath there was a photo of Hannah
Custom pillows in hot pink, navy and silver
Custom menu cards with grey napkins
Even the special drink signage featured the chevron pattern with Hannah's monogram
Large blow-ups of Hannah were placed around the room from a pre-party shoot
The life size Instagram booth
Hannah with her friends
The cake was created by The Village Club and the candles were blinged out by Out Of The Box
Music Entertainment
The music entertainment was provided by Geo Events with Kenny as the MC.
The dance floor was crowded all night
Hannah up in the chair for the horah
Hannah and her friends enjoying
Montage
Mom Jessica created the montage herself. The theme was “Who is Hannah?” She used a Website called Fiverr.com to purchase a bunch of animated videos (for $5 each) including an opening video where “Who is Hannah?” is typed into the google search screen.
Party Favors/Mitzvah Exit Treats
Favors included T-shirts and socks created by Party Favors By Robin
The Garmise family gave young guests sweatshirt favors in these cute boxes. Read more about this celebration
here
Guests received milk & cookies as they left Hannah's celebration
They were given out in "Midnight snack" bags
Bat Mitzvah Highlight Reel
Watch this 90 second highlight reel of Hannah’s Bat Mitzvah which was put together by Chad David Kraus Photography.
Watch here
Mitzvah Project
A week after Hannah’s Bat Mitzvah, on Thanksgiving morning 2015, Hannah and her best friend Rachel Gatz participated in the Garden City Turkey Trot. As their joint Mitzvah Project, the girls decided to raise money to support breast cancer research by running the 5-mile race. The response from their friends and family was amazing. The girls raised over $4,000 to donate to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Everyone making a donation was allowed to indicate a person that they would like Hannah and Rachel to run in honor or memory of and all of those people were printed on the back of their shirts. It was a wonderful project for an even more wonderful cause.
Rachel and Hannah
The back of their shirts
Mom To Mom Advice
Some advice from Mom Jessica:
“My best advice: Stay organized! There are so many moving parts to planning a Bar or Bat Mitzvah and the last few weeks can be downright nutty! Pick vendors that you trust to help keep you on the right track and that will work well with each other to make your day go as smooth as possible.”
Vendor Directory
The following vendors helped to make Hannah’s Bat Mitzvah special. If you give any of them a call, let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: Village Club of Lake Success
Music Entertainment: MC Jason, GEO Events
Invitations: Printed by LoveLauraGifts.com
Party Photographer: Chad David Kraus Photography, 917-532-3478
Décor/Sign-In: Out of the Box Creations
Hannah’s Pre-Party Photo Shoot: Julie Shapiro Photography, 917-696-8916
Video: Stephen Andrews Studios, 516-780-9100
Photo Booth and Games: Great Neck Games
Favors: Party Favors by Robin, 646-298-5601
Kippah Box: Sweet Grace Art
Montage : Mom (with a little help from Fiverr.com)
Hannah dress: Rachel, Its Simply for You (no longer in business)
April 16th, 2016
Who better to find the latest and greatest for all things Bar Bat Mitzvahs than our own Mitzvah Moms!
We have spotlighted over 200 families and we thought it would be fun to call out some of the “Mom Finds” that you might have missed.
When Lori Cohn was planning her daughter Sydney’s Bat Mitzvah celebration she turned to Mitzvah Market! She was inspired by the chair featured in another one of our stories.
For her daughter’s fashion themed celebration the chair below was a big hit! It was used for her grand entrance and now that the party is over, she would like to sell it.
This “like new” oversized high heel shoe chair can be used for your child’s entrance or just as added decor!
If you are interested, please get in touch with Lori at lori_cohn@hotmail.com. The chair is $120 and is located in New Jersey, but you will need to arrange for pick-up or shipping.
See more Mom Finds here.
