September 10th, 2014
Anne Horwitz Shipley (pictured left) from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on August 30, 2014, and decided to call her Mitzvah Project: Marriage Equality, which benefits the ACLU and the Human Rights Campaign.
She decided to host a fundraiser and art project dedicated to raising awareness for marriage equality in May 2014 at Mishkan Shalom Synagogue.
We asked Anne some questions about her unique Mitzvah Project so we could learn more:
MM: Can you please give us details about your Mitzvah Project?
AH: For 8 months, I researched and wrote about marriage equality, raised over $750 for the cause, and ran an outdoor benefit event. I focused on marriage-equality in Pennsylvania by interviewing some of the people who were suing. I also looked at the newspaper and the internet. When I read interviews with people who opposed marriage-equality or I watched an anti-same-sex marriage video, it was hard for me to see the other side of the argument. It reminded me of how people discriminated against African-Americans in the past.
MM: Tell us about your event.
AH: My event was a hands-on benefit art project to support marriage equality. It was a public art event at the parking lot of my synagogue where we made a temporary mural in chalk: drawings and words describing what love meant to us all. We documented the event with photographs and put them online. Participants were invited to make a donation to the ACLU and the HRC.
Participants working on the mural
Anne receiving her first donation check for her cause
MM: Does your project have a start and end date, if so what are they?
AH: My project was from November 2014 – June 2014.
MM: Why did you decide to take on this particular project/charity?
AH: When I began my project, same sex marriage was illegal in Pennsylvania. I wrote the below paragraphs at that time, but in the interim, it’s become legal!
Here’s what Anne wrote:
“The first line of the US Constitution states, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: All men are created equal.’ But only twelve states in the U.S. permit same-sex couples to get married, and Pennsylvania is not one of them.
In Pennsylvania, twelve same-sex couples, two children of same-sex couples, and one person whose partner died, are suing. Some are suing so they can get married. Others are suing because their marriage isn’t recognized; and others are suing because they believe future same-sex couples should have the right to get married and not be discriminated against. The ACLU and the Human Rights Campaign are helping these families reach their goal.
They are asserting that not having the choice to get married legally or be recognized as a married couple violates the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees ‘equal protection of the laws’ to ‘any person.’ Also, even if you’ve been married in another state where same-sex marriage is legal, if you move to a state where it isn’t, the state doesn’t recognize your marriage. You can’t get divorced, your partner and you can’t get financial aid, tax benefits, benefits from one’s job, and other legal benefits you get from marriage.
Also, not only is this legally unfair, but also socially unfair. For example, when you do something big in life like getting married you like to make it official or in this case legal. Being deprived of that choice deprives you of a social and emotional recognition. In addition if the couple has a child, the child may face challenges with their peers. Although some people chose not to be married, all people should be able to say: this is my partner, this who I am, and I’m legally married.”
MM: In your own words, what does it mean to you to do a Mitzvah Project for your Bat Mitzvah?
AH: To teach others, learn and have a bigger understanding of other people. I know now that even the smallest things can create a bigger effect in society.
Anne poses with her family
Anne was also quoted in the Philadelphia Gay News about her views on same-sex marriage, “I think it is important because at least my generation is expecting the worst of the country when they get older and I think this economy will get worse if we don’t do something about it,” she said. “Younger people have to take a stand and if you show that teens and kids can do something, then maybe it can show someone else that they can accomplish things.”
MM: What did you do to spread the word about your project?
AH: I sent my publicity flyers to a large email list as well as posted them in my community, and contacted relevant organizations (e.g., ACLU) and publications (e.g., Philadelphia Gay News). I also put an ad and an article in our synagogue newsletter. As it turned out, some of the organizations and publications spontaneously wanted to put my publicity on their Websites, Twitter, and even wrote an article about it.
Anne suggested donations of $18 or an amount equal to your age
MM: How long can people donate to this charity?
AH: As long as they like, even though the formal project is over — the struggle still continues in this country.
MM: Is there anything else you would like us to know about your Mitzvah Project?
AH: My brother designed and made t-shirts for our family with the marriage equality symbol on them, and he took the photos for me. We also had music and refreshments: very important for a festive atmosphere!
We thank Anne for sharing this terrific Mitzvah Project with our readers!
September 9th, 2014
Carlyle Catering, Long Island’s premier caterer, has four exceptional venues that are sure to make your child’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah memorable: Carlyle at the Palace, Carlyle at the Omni, Carlyle on the Green and the BRAND NEW Carlyle of Lawrence!
You are invited to the Grand Opening Cocktail Party at Carlyle of Lawrence on Wednesday, September 17th. Please RSVP @ 516-218-2980.
Carlyle of Lawrence is the perfect venue for lavish Bar Bat Mitzvah celebrations by renowned restaurateur Steve Carl.
With its soaring age-old sanctuary, opulent cocktail room and grand ballroom at Temple Israel, there isn’t a more magical experience to be had. With only one event at a time, their experienced event planners will make sure every intricate detail is attended to for an extraordinary celebration.
Carlyle at the Palace is a contemporary chic venue with exceptional food and service – a trademark of the Carlyle name.
Conveniently located off the LIE Service Road in Plainview, the renovated space is outfitted with the latest in lighting and technology for a truly incredible atmosphere. The professional staff will cater to your every need and create an unforgettable custom event just for your son or daughter.
Carlyle at the Omni is decorated in the spirit of an authentic 1950s diner and is the perfect location for a retro-themed simcha!
Featuring a nostalgic rock-and-roll atmosphere that will captivate the spirit of every guest, the spacious interior provides a comfortable layout for cocktail receptions and sit-down dining, plus a dance floor that will keep the party going all night long!
Carlyle on the Green is a renovated English Manor house on the expansive grounds of Bethpage State Park.
The spacious conservatory ballroom with wall to wall hardwood floors provides a sophisticated and magnificent atmosphere for your child’s Bar Bat Mitzvah, and the location overlooking the world famous Bethpage Black® golf course can’t be beat.
Carlyle Off the Green provides off-premise catering at the location you desire!
Their highly-skilled event planners will manage every detail of your event: from custom cuisine, music, tenting, lighting, rentals and décor. If you can imagine it, they can produce it.
To learn more about Carlyle Catering, visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
September 7th, 2014
We just read about Miracle Challah by Your Chef Naturally on the lifestyle blog Lulu & Lattes.
It’s a great option for your Bar Bat Mitzvah challah and a delicious addition to your holiday table.
Bring the taste and aroma of fresh homemade challah to your home.
They make it, you bake it!
Sold as a braided frozen dough, all you need to do is unwrap, let rise, and bake. The dough comes in regular, whole wheat, chocolate chip, onion and tomato basil.
You can then customize it with whatever toppings your family enjoys like sesame seeds, salt, brown sugar and cinnamon, or or sunflower seeds
Miracle Challah’s have been tested and can last up to several months in the freezer so you can always have a stock available.
To order or find out more information about Miracle Challah you can email them at yourchefnaturally@gmail.com.
September 7th, 2014
Samantha Spector, founder of Milk & Honey Special Events located in San Francisco, California, planned this wonderful Bat Mitzvah.
The family is known for their great parties, especially for their kids. Samantha and the Milk & Honey team knew that this celebration needed to be amazing and centered around Bat Mitzvah girl Sophie’s favorite things.
Since Sophie is a swimmer, choosing the theme was easy. By using a purple and lime green color scheme, this party really made a splash!
Sophie during her formal pictures on the bimah
Signage directing guests
Adults enjoyed the beautiful gardens of the Piedmont Community Hall
The purple and green centerpieces included a scattering of swim goggles
Swim Meet terms were used for table names
Swim lane dividers attached to stanchions, (in lieu of the typical velvet ropes), were used to mark off where guests should form a line. It reinforced the theme and managed the traffic flow
Michael Phelps even made an appearance via a giant cardboard cut out at their “selfie station,” where guests could take a photo by his side
A Cup Noodles bar was set up; a most popular item of swim meet fare!
The highlight was the signs sticking from the top of the bar featuring Sophie popping out of a giant Cup Noodles with her swim goggles on
A blue/green signature drink (for the adults) was dubbed “The 50 Fly” for the butterfly stroke and was a Long Island Iced Tea with Curacao for it’s amazing color
The bar/concession stand featured a giant bucket of Gatorade bottles and sodas for the kids to grab if they didn’t want to wait to get their drinks. Also available: delicious teriyaki bowls, burgers, hot dogs, baked potatoes, chips and candy
Fun trivia cards were placed at each table with questions about swimming, Bat Mitzvahs and all-about-Sophie
Inside the main event space is a great party room for the teens, with a high, beamed ceiling, shining herringbone hardwood floors, chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling windows
The DJ gave away sunglasses, glow necklaces, bracelets and inflatable microphones
One of the most popular activities of the evening was when the DJ rolled out a huge sheet of plastic bubble wrap for everyone to jump on. It’s the simple things…
In addition to dessert served at the snack bar, a purple and green candy bar kept the younger guests revved up with enough energy to keep the dance floor packed
Large purple balloons were used as a backdrop for the candy buffet as the windows were too beautiful to cover
Another fun party element included Sophie’s t-shirt favor. At swim meets, participants are each given a shirt with the names of all the competitors on the back. Guests loved grabbing their shirts and finding their names which were hung on the back trees. Each person used a fabric highlighter to highlight their name when they claimed their shirt
Delicious cookies with Sophie in swim mode
More custom “Sophie” cookies
We thank Samantha Spector of Milk & Honey Special Events for sharing this creative Bat Mitzvah with our readers.
Event Design & Planning: Milk & Honey Special Events; Photography: Karen Schneider Photography; Catering: Carrie Dove Catering; Venue: Piedmont Community Hall; Balloons: The Balloon Lady, Candy: Candy Warehouse; Candy Bar Labels: Tickled Teal.
September 7th, 2014
Did we stumble upon a new trend?
We are all looking for something new and different for our child’s Bar Bat Mitzvah celebration- something our guests haven’t seen and will keep them talking long after the party ends.
We wanted to share three “live” food service performer ideas we discovered.
Check these out!
We found The Napkin Lady from Redmoon on Biz Bash. Guests pluck napkins off her dress
Photo credit: Christina Noel Photography
The Candy Lady from D Squared Productions was featured in the Brodsky Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight story
There are all types of Strolling Tables from the Screaming Queens. This one is the pink cupcake lady
Did you have a food service performer at your celebration? Let us know at info@mitzvahmarket.com.
September 3rd, 2014
It’s difficult to find customized products and U.S. stamps with Hebrew lettering, but Mitzvah Market found someone who can do that for you.
Art by Linda Lou creates unique designs on invitations, thank you cards, save the date cards and place cards using Hebrew fonts. Linda can create a free designs for you ranging from whimsical sports themes to religious art or florals.
She works as part of the Zazzle site and since Zazzle doesn’t provide Hebrew fonts, Linda can create that for you. Additionally, she will custom design a stamp for you at no extra charge with no obligation to buy – what a deal!
Email her at artbylindalou@gmail.com
September 3rd, 2014
Maya Ungar from Englewood, New Jersey, celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on May 26, 2014.
With the help of Areyvut, she selected two Mitzvah Projects to complete in honor of her Bat Mitzvah: Mural for Leket, and Cupcakes for Project Next Step.
We asked Maya a few questions to learn more about her Mitzvah Projects:
MM: Can you give us details about your Mitzvah Projects?
MU: I worked with Areyvut, a non-profit that, among other things, helps Bar and Bat Mitzvah kids come up with meaningful Mitzvah Projects.
MM: What did you decide to do?
MU: I decided I wanted to complete two projects. We created a mural for Leket to hang up in their warehouse in Israel where the food is gathered. For Project Next Step, we decorated cupcakes to deliver to their drop-in center for the homeless.
MM: These activities took place during your Bat Mitzvah celebration?
MU: Yes, we had hired a muralist, Kelli Bickman, and a cupcake decorator, L’via Weisinger, to facilitate the program. My friends just walked up and joined in with the mural and the cupcakes.
Artist Kelli Bickman helps Maya with the mural
MM: What about the t-shirts?
MU: The t-shirts were from Areyvut’s National Mitzvah Day and kept my friends paint free during the painting process.
Maya’s friends take turns working on the mural
MM: How long did these projects take?
MU: Both projects were primarily completed on the date of my Bat Mitzvah (though there was prep work involved, as well as significant “post-production” work in the case of the Leket mural).
The decorated cupcakes
MM: Why did you decide to take on this particular project/charity?
MU: I decided to do my Bat Mitzvah project with Leket because I love food, and who doesn’t like food? Leket helps gather food and delivers it to families in need, which I think is amazing. The reason I chose to make a mural was because I love art projects, and to have one at your own Bat Mitzvah is pretty cool. The mural will be sent to the Leket office and will definitely brighten someone’s day.
Maya in front of the completed mural for the Leket offices in Israel
MM: In your own words, what does it mean to you to do a Mitzvah Project for your Bat Mitzvah?
MU: To me, doing a Mitzvah Project for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is the beginning mitzvah, leading to a life full of mitzvot. I do not think it should be one project and then you’re done, it should be the starting point to many mitzvot.
We thank Maya for sharing both her Mitzvah Projects with our readers. For more information about Areyvut, visit their Website.
September 3rd, 2014
The Weinhaus family celebrated son Jason’s Bar Mitzvah service at Temple Beth David in Commack, New York. A sports party was held the following day at The Sports Arena in St. James, New York. Some of you Long Island moms might recognize mom Shari Einhorn, a news reporter for News 12 Long Island. She and her husband Neal created many of the sports themed décor elements and centerpieces for their son Jason’s celebration. Jason is the ultimate sports enthusiast!
Pictured L-R: Brother Alex, Dad Neal, Bar Mitzvah boy Jason and Mom Shari.
The photography was by Howie Schnapp and the rest of the vendor information is listed below.
Jason smiled on the Bimah during his formal Temple pictures
Mom’s purple beaded dress from Nordstrom was shipped from (of all places) a store in Anchorage, Alaska, because all of the other stores were sold out!
A nod to Jason’s favorite sport, baseball kippot
A custom stadium ticket from Custom Sports Cards contained all the party information
The men/boys of the Weinhaus family consider collared golf shirts “fancy clothes.” So the decision was made to go with a fun and casual celebration and guests were asked to wear “Jerseys and Jeans.” Their special “family” jerseys were designed by Dad Neal. Each family member chose their own color scheme and all wore #57, Jason’s baseball number
The back of each jersey read, “The Dad, The Brother, Jason, and The Mom”
“Jason’s Bubbie” got one too!
The Sports Arena, an indoor soccer, football, lacrosse and hockey facility was the perfect venue for a kid who loves sports. Jason was ready to party!
The seating lineup was on clip boards hung from the drapes
Mom Shari created four huge collage posters featuring sports photos throughout Jason’s life
Jason and his Dad Neal posed in front of pipe and drape decorated with Jason’s photos and jerseys
Dad Neal printed 15 inspirational sports quotes that were placed in picture frames on all of the tables
Shari’s sisters, sister-in-law and mother helped make all of the sports centerpieces
For this New York Giants centerpiece, a glass vase was filled with mini footballs and helmets
Linens and balloons created a party feel on the hockey floor
There were many special moments during Jason’s celebration. In place of a candle lighting, Jason gave out glow necklaces and offered a small sentiment about each family group and friend that came up to receive them. Jason gave a little speech after his Zadie cut the Challah
Mother and son shared a nice hug
After seeing a locker sign-in idea on Mitzvah Market, they chose to do the same thing. They bought a lime green, (Jason’s favorite color), metal sports locker and Jason’s brother Alex put it together. The locker fit in with the rest of the decor and guests had lots of room to write special messages
The locker is now in Jason’s bedroom
The family wanted upscale “stadium” food to fit the theme. The caterer, Carlyle off the Green, hit a grand slam! There was a burger bar, fajita bar, Chinese food in takeout containers and a New York City Times Square station with Reuben sandwiches, hot dogs, pretzels and knishes.Guests couldn’t wait to eat the upscale game day food
No sports party is complete without delicious hot dogs
The burger bar was very crowded
SuperSound Entertainment provided the music for this party and got everyone dancing in between sports activities. Jason made a grand entrance into the party
Jason was up in the chair surrounded by friends and family
Horah time!
Jason and his friends had a great time on the dance floor
All of the kids participated!
A friendly tug of war There were lots of great activities planned like tug of war and tag football.
Glow necklaces provided lots of fun, here younger brother Alex put a few together to make a hula hoop
The glow necklaces really gave a cool look with the lights off
Wire Sculptures by Steve Seifer were given to guests as favors. Tennis and basketball were some of the choices
What a unique customized party favor!
Everyone took home a bag with this custom label
Jason’s Bar Mitzvah Project
For his Mitzvah Project, Jason worked with an organization called Stack the Caps to collect new baseball hats for children with cancer. He included a paragraph in the invitation asking friends and family for donations. He also wrote letters to local sports teams and stores asking if they wanted to help out. Teams like the New York Giants and the New York Yankees sent hats. The Long Island Cosmos sent hats and a voucher for 4 free tickets to a game. The New York Jets sent a football signed by the 2013 team. The most amazingly donation came from a local sporting goods store, Port Jeff Sports. He said he was so moved by Jason’s letter, that he donated 401 hats!
The hats went to Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York and and Miami Children’s Hospital, Miami Florida. Jason also participated in his Temple’s Mitzvot Program, doing 13 Mitzvot. Jason collected coats which were donated to the Lighthouse Mission. He collected 6 boxes of children’s books that were donated to the Interfaith Nutrition Network’s soup kitchens. He worked at a school blood drive, researched a family tree, learned how to bake challah, and fasted during the whole Yom Kippur holiday.
Some Advice from Mom Shari
“Definitely involve your Mitzvah teen and the rest of the family in the planning process. It’s more fun that way! If you can, decide together on a “vision” early on and stick to it. That way you can do a little at a time and make changes along the way without feeling too much stress and pressure. I spent 18 months planning and I can honestly say the party turned out EXACTLY the way we were hoping it would. I wanted it to be a celebration of our son and his life … and it was.”
Vendor Directory
The following vendors helped to make Jason’s Bar Mitzvah special. If you call any of them, please let them know you read about them on MitzvahMarket.com
Temple: Temple Beth David, 631-499-0915
Venue: The Sports Arena, 631-361-9288
Caterer: Carlyle off the Green, 516-222-1900
Decor: Mom Shari and Dad Neal
Photographer: Howie Schnapp, 516-286-6972
Videographer: Peter Cinnante, 631-767-4892
Party Planner: Jessica Ciardullo, Event Kings, 631-392-1234
Music Entertainment/MC: Alex Dollin, SuperSound Entertainment, 516-606-4402
Favors: Wire Sculptures by Steve Seifer, 718-846-4024
Invitation: Sherry Schweitzer, A Touch of Class Parties, 516-364-1110
Kippot: A1 Scullcap, 800-454-7727
Sign-In Locker: School Lockers.com, 877-936-2483
Family Jerseys: Dad Neal designs, produced by Logo Sportswear, 877-535-5646
Mom Shari’s service dress: Nordstrom
Suits for Bar Mitzvah boy Jason, brother Alex and Dad Neal: Karakos Suits, 516-577-0055
Purple shirts and ties: Kohls
Hair/Makeup: Bocu Salon, 631-499-1300
September 1st, 2014
Lighter Than Air is a party decorating company that has been servicing clients throughout Long Island and the Metropolitan area, as well as nationwide, for over 25 years.
Step & Repeat backdrops, which have been popular in Hollywood at movie and party premieres, are now the hottest new item to use at Bar Bat Mitzvahs and Sweet 16s.
This backdrop can be printed with your name or logo and are being used in a number of ways at celebrations.
Here are some examples below:
Backdrop during your candle lighting ceremony
Photo favor backdrop
Entrance photos
Part of the decor
Entrance decor with life size cut-outs and red carpet
To learn more about Lighter Than Air visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
September 1st, 2014
The Pollack family celebrated their daughter Lindsey’s Bat Mitzvah at Two Below at K-Pacho in New Hyde Park, New York.
Becoming a Bat Mitzvah is a unique time for a girl. She is finding the balance between leaving her childhood behind and maturing into a young woman.
The vision behind Lindsey’s Bat Mitzvah encapsulated this concept; the fun and innocence of youth met with elegance and sophistication. According to Mom Melissa, this can usually be summed up with one word – CANDY!
Lindsey didn’t necessarily want a theme, but knew she wanted a color scheme, a cool logo and lots of candy. She carefully selected every detail of this celebration and we thank her for sharing it with our Mitzvah Market readers.
Pictured left: Mom Melissa, Bat Mitzvah girl Lindsey, Dad Gregg
The photographer was Alex M. Wolff’s The Portrait Shoppe and the rest of the vendors are listed at the bottom of this spotlight.
Although Melissa thought she would handle all the details of her daughter’s celebration, after meeting Jodi Tinkler of The Event Shoppe, she knew she would be an integral part of the planning. Jodi designed the invitations and many of the other party elements you will be reading about. Melissa and Jodi worked on several designs until the Bat Mitzvah invite evolved into this multi-layered invitation on white linen, hand assembled with a few rhinestone adornments
Lindsey’s turquoise short dress was from Designing Dreams. Check out those cool sneakers from Nature Breeze. They are the Venus style purchased through iDeals Boutique on ebay
The back of the dress featured crystals
Jodi from The Event Shoppe purchased pre-wrapped rock candy in cellophane and hand-tied name tags indicating table numbers. The font on the name tags matched the font used for the invitation
EMaury Productions with Eric as the MC provided the music entertainment.
The dance floor was packed all night!
EMaury Productions also designed the logo and provided the floor gobo
The Event Shoppe coordinated the decor at K-Pacho. Some of the furniture was provided by EMaury Productions
The pillows were made by Melissa on her sewing machine! The turquoise pillows were a double layer of synthetic silk, and sheer glitter fabric purchased at JoAnn’s Crafts. The black fabric was also purchased at JoAnn’s, and after they were sewn, Susan Koenigstein screen printed them with the logo to match the sweatshirts and DJ t-shirts
Turquoise blue candy served as the centerpieces created by The Event Shoppe
This unique custom LED sign found by Melissa on Etsy
Simon Elliot Events provided the Selfie Booth. A custom photo of Lindsey was on the side of the booth
The Event Shoppe created the sign-in board featuring Lindsey’s logo.
Instead of a cake, Jodi from The Event Shoppe designed and assembled a candy cake. This candy cake was inspired by pins on Pinterest
Surrounding the candy cake were tall candles in containers of colorful M&M’s. Another perfect execution by Jodi!
Lindsey surrounded by her friends
When Mom Melissa couldn’t find any affordable cubbies to rent, she took matters into her own hands and bought four Closetmaid cubby organizers from Lowe’s, which provided a neat place for the girls to store their shoes
Although delicious desserts were served by K-Pacho, guests received additional sweets! Turquoise cupcakes from Nancy The Cupcake Lady
A candy buffet designed by Jodi from The Event Shoppe
Sweatshirts favors created by Susan Koenigstein were given to Lindsey’s friends
The black sweatshirts featured Lindsey’s logo
Adults were given acrylic tumblers found on DiscountMugs.com
Lindsey’s Mitzvah project, which was completed in the Fall of 2013, was to raise money for the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. She raised over $2,000 for the cause and participated in the Walk-A-Thon at Jones Beach. Her Mom Melissa had breast cancer in the summer of 2012, and she wanted to do something in her Mom’s honor. Although this was not incorporated into the party or the theme, Lindsey artfully crafted a frame that was displayed at the synagogue.
Mom to Mom Advice From Melissa:
My advice to other moms is take the time to get lots of ideas and listen to your child, and gets lots of pricing from various vendors to help you narrow down your budget.
Meeting with various vendors is necessary to make sure you find the perfect fit for you and your family. I met with several DJ/Entertainment companies and photographers until I found the one that I was most comfortable with and who gave me the most confidence that the event would be a success. The photographer I chose offered us the opportunity to hire him for a few hours to do a photo shoot, and decide if we like working with him. The shoot was so much fun and we found that we had a great rapport. He was creative and patient and fun to work with. I highly recommend doing this with the photographer that you are choosing to help make a decision before hiring for your event.
– See more at: https://mitzvahmarket.com/?p=115669&preview=true#sthash.84JGjmu8.dpufMom To Mom Advice From Melissa:
“My advice to other moms is take the time to get lots of ideas and listen to your child, and gets lots of pricing from various vendors to help you narrow down your budget.
“Meeting with various vendors is necessary to make sure you find the perfect fit for you and your family. I met with several DJ/Entertainment companies and photographers until I found the one that I was most comfortable with and who gave me the most confidence that the event would be a success. The photographer I chose offered us the opportunity to hire him for a few hours to do a photo shoot, and decide if we like working with him. The shoot was so much fun and we found that we had a great rapport. He was creative and patient and fun to work with. I highly recommend doing this with the photographer that you are choosing to help make a decision before hiring for your event.”
The following vendors helped to make Lindsey’s celebration special. If you give any a call, please let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: Billy, Two Below Catering in New Hyde Park, 516-358-2222
Event Designer (Invitations, Sign-in, Decor, Centerpieces, Candy Table): Jodi Tinkler, The Event Shoppe, 917-570-6071
Music Entertainment (Gobo, Furniture, Stages, Lighting, Step N Repeat, Logo): MC Eric Maury, EMaury Productions Inc., 631-796-7792
Photographer: Alex M. Wolff’s The Portrait Shoppe, 516-938-3936
Videographer: Roy Campolongo, 516-783-5790
Favors (dancer t-shirts, pillows): Susan Koenigstein, 516-384-9262
Party entertainment (Selfie photo booth): Michelle, Simon Elliot Events, 516-586-6822
Cupcakes: Nancy the Cupcake Lady, 516-305-0402
Custom LED sign: Unique LED Products
Adult Favors: Acrylic Tumblers, DiscountMugs.com
Lindsey’s Dress: Designing Dreams 516-248-1988
Lindsey’s Sneakers: iDeals Boutique on eBay
Mom Melissa Dress: BCBG Maxazria
Hair/makeup: The Hair Bar and Makeup Lounge, 516-308-3153
