The Gordon family celebrated son Jack’s Bar Mitzvah on January 10, 2015, at Washington Hebrew Congregation, in Washington, DC.
Jack loves to ski and play tennis so when thinking about his Bar Mitzvah celebration, the family knew this themed event would be the perfect way to share his favorite hobbies with his favorite people.
There were some really unique pieces that were part of the day that added some love and fun including an 8 foot tall sign-in board covered in tennis balls in the shape of a “J” that was made by Jack and his grandfather.
Pictured L-R: Bar Mitzvah boy Jack, Dad Scott, Mom Amy and Brother Henry.
Bradley Images was the photographer and the rest of the vendor information is listed at the end of the spotlight.
The family worked with Lee Altobello of Invitinglee on the navy and apple green invitation which set the tone for the entire event. The logo creatively incorporated Jack’s favorite sports
The envelope featured custom calligraphy by Halo Calligraphy
Jack participated in a Havdalah service and recited his Haftorah and prayers beautifully
Guests found suede tennis ball kippot in a white acrylic tray
The perfect combination for Jack’s theme was tennis and skiing. The family worked with iSparkleEvents on the logo and party details, which were carried out throughout the party.
The logo as an ice sculpture
Select Event Decor created the ballroom look and filled decor with tennis and skiing elements and accents. This included large snowflakes, icicles, skis, tennis balls and racquets in a royal blue and lime green color palette. The kids’ lounge area was filled with white comfy furniture
Laser cut snowflakes hung from the ceiling
Foam snowballs filled the acrylic base of the centerpiece
The kids’ bar had Jack’s logo front and center which coordinated with the color scheme
The light-up bar featured silhouettes of Jack playing tennis and skiing
There was an astro-turf couch in the lounge
iSparkleEvents helped the family brand the party with some great details. Napkins, coffee cup and straws with Jack’s logo
The amazing “J” sign-in was made of tennis balls created by Jack and his Grandpa Steve. The family collected used tennis balls from several area tennis clubs and they spent several hours together sawing wood and attaching each tennis ball
Kids had a great time dancing with DJ Chad from Washington Talent. Jack made his way into the ballroom
Jack up in the chair for the Horah
If you’re a fan of American Idol, the dancer on the left may look familiar – she’s Shi Scott
Jack posed with his family on the dance floor
There were great LED giveaways
To go with the ski theme, there was an airbrush ski hat station. Guests also loved participating in the green screen with talk box signs that they could use to send a special message. Airbrush artist worked on a ski hat
You don’t know Jack!
All of Jack’s guests loved the ice cream cart for dessert. And if that wasn’t enough, there was a candy bar and Krispy Kreme station at the end of the party
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Jack’s friends dug into the candy buffet wearing their airbrushed ski hats
Each one of Jack’s friends received a logo’d grey hooded sweatshirt from iSparkleEvents
Some advice from Mom Amy:
“Getting help along the way makes the event even more special. Friends and family helped us with many pieces of the event. From advice on vendors to creative ideas that helped to make Jack’s day special. We had some really unique pieces that were part of the day that added some love and fun including a 8 foot tall sign-in covered in tennis balls in the shape of a “J” that was made by Jack’s grandfather. His grandmother pitched in with a bathroom basket, a friend brought in donuts late night for all the guests and another brought original hot pretzels all the way from Philadelphia. The outpouring of support to help celebrate Jack was amazing.”
Here is the list of vendors who made Jack’s party special. If you call any, please make sure you tell them that you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: Washington Hebrew Congregation, 202-362-7100
Party Coordination and Planning/Favors: Ali Weitzman, iSparkleEvents, 240-393-3394
Photographer: Bradley Images, 410-902-6664
Music Entertainment: Marcie Robinson, DJ Chad, Washington Talent, 301-762-1800
Decor: Select Event Group, 301-604-2334
Catering: Cava Catering, 240-305-6364
Ice Cream Cart: Berliner Specialty Distributors, 301-927-4444
Invitations: InvitingLee, 301-646-1357
Ice Sculpture: Ice Lab Sculptures,410-746-1595
Calligraphy: Halo Calligraphy, 214-676-8717
Airbrush: Carbone Entertainment, 301-572-7717
Sign-in Tennis Ball Board: Jack’s Grandpa Steve and Bar Mitzvah boy Jack
Cocktail Music: Kevin Mittleman
Mom’s Dress: Neiman Marcus
Boys Suits: Nordstrom
Hair/makeup: Rick Perez
Transportation: Atlantic Transportation