The Perfect Suit-Free Bar Mitzvah

When the Kaye family of Long Island began to plan son Brendan’s Bar Mitzvah, one guiding principle steered them: NO SUITS! After attending so many Bar and Bat Mitzvahs throughout the year, Brendan wanted to wear a sports jersey and shorts to his party. With that, a theme was born. For the warm night in June, guests at Dave & Buster’s in Westbury, NY, sported their favorite team or player. Others, including mom Janice went one step further, with customized, rhinestone-adorned jerseys. The result was a fun, relaxed night filled with games, prizes, dancing and plenty of hockey and tennis decor. 

Photo above (L-R): Bar Mitzvah boy Brendan, dad Larry, brother Max and mom Janice show off their custom jerseys.

The pictures were taken by Maven Jade Photography. Additional vendor information is listed at the end of the spotlight. 

Event Space Dave & Buster’s Westbury

“From the moment we booked the date we knew Dave & Buster’s would be the perfect venue for our son,” mom Janice tells Mitzvah Market. “Karen and everyone at Dave & Buster’s were so attentive and easy to work with. We had the cocktail hour in the billiards room where our guests ate, played games and won prizes. Next we moved into the private event space which was set up with tables and a lounge for the kids. At the end of the night, they even had security guards on hand to make sure kids left the party with the correct adult. They thought of everything!”

Kids enjoy a game of pool during the cocktail hour

Janice and Larry with their friends in the billiards room

Music Entertainment

MC Jamie kept the guests dancing all night long

All eyes were on Brendan for the hora

Brendan's guests watch the video montage in the kids' lounge

Decor & DIY

Mom Janice is a self-proclaimed DIYer and she added many personal touches to the event including lanyards for the kids’ Dave & Buster’s cards, custom water bottles, place cards made from tubes of chocolate tennis balls and more. “It was a lot of fun and all a labor of love,” she says.

Brendan's pals wearing their official Bar Mitzvah lanyards

Mom Janice created these masks of Brendan when he was younger

The place cards were attached to tiny tubes filled with chocolate tennis balls

Fun basketball photo of Brendan behind the place card table

Mom Janice also wrapped pashminas, with a personal note, around the chairs of her adult, female guests; A nice touch to stay warm, and a keepsake to remember the night

Brendan and his big brother Max hold an oversized tennis ball pillow in keeping with the theme

Special Party Details

Brendan's invite ensemble, by Invitations With Love, set the tone for the sports themed celebration

A custom, sequin handbag added some glamour to mom's outfit

Mom Janice created custom tea lights so all of their guests could light Brendan's 13th candle

The Bar Mitzvah boy and his mom enjoy a special moment

Brendan's logo, which combined his two favorite sports, was created by family friend and high school student Jared Haime

Custom t-shirts and lanyards

Party Food

“The food was great and plentiful and the staff was beyond attentive to us and our guests,” mom Janice tells us. “We had a buffet dinner and Karen made sure that my husband and I ate by bringing us a sample of everything. It was really a special touch.”

A candy bar was a sweet touch to end the night

Mom-to-Mom Advice

“Planning a Bar Mitzvah can be stressful, especially given the combination of kids and adults,” says mom Janice. “Listen to your kids and plan the party around what they want. My son didn’t want a black tie affair, as much as I did. He wanted a fun night with games, friends and a bit of craziness. Don’t get caught up in all the ‘stuff’.”

Vendors

The following vendors helped to make Brendan’s celebration special. If you reach out to any of them, please let them know you learned about their business on MitzvahMarket.com.

Venue/Catering: Dave & Buster’s Westbury, Karen Kelly, 516-247-6337
Music Entertainment: Crowd Control Entertainment, MC Jamie, 516-390-9535
Photography: Maven Jade Photography, 516-467-6760
Favors: Print Me A Tee, Lisa Willett, 516-965-3084
Invitations: Invitations With Love, Beth Shapiro, 516-314-7298
Custom Jerseys: Designs on You, Robin, 631-473-6363
Custom Handbag: Precious Scripts, Randi Nadel/Heather Seff, 917-841-3359
Hair/Makeup: Hair stylist Elissa Bozzi; private makeup artist, Suzanne, 631-742-4589