A Passion For Fashion!
By Madeleine Deliee
For a fashion maven like Sydney Grishman, there was no question that her Bat Mitzvah would be totally on point. Working with Jessica Garmise from Out of the Box Creations, she developed a just-her-style theme: Style by Sydney. This special concept allowed Sydney to incorporate many of her favorite fashion items into the party decor, including shoes, purses, jewelry and cosmetics.
Guests got the fashion-forward vibe as soon as they received their invitation, which featured the host’s favorite color — purple. The color was prevalent in many elements of the occasion, tying together all the pieces that so clearly said “Sydney” — not the least of which was the giant magazine cover featuring the event logo, also designed by Jessica to capture the fresh and fabulous tone.
Friends and family signed the cover, bearing the image of a radiant Sydney, as a guest-book-style memento of the day. When they were ready to be seated, guests located their tables on price-tag style cards attached to sunglasses monogrammed with Sydney’s initials. Sydney herself was glamorous in a strapless, floor length, purple gown enhanced with sparkling silver accents. There was no mistaking the star of the occasion — or her passion for fashion.
The celebration of style was, fittingly, front and center throughout the event. The decorations included centerpieces featuring Sydney Style Chanel bottles in one room and purple high heeled shoes, sunglasses, jewelry, perfume and shopping bags in another. Other décor included several different Style by Sydney pillows, votive holders and napkins imprinted with “Style.” The luxe cake also used color to create a splash with three tiers of purple sweetness crafted from fondant and decorated with white piped embellishments and purple and white flowers. The surrounding display of pillar candles with purple and silver accents provided the last touch of fabulousness. Of course, a fashion-focused celebration requires seriously stylish swag. Sydney gifted her guests with two kinds of sweatshirts, two kinds of t-shirts, hats and a long sleeve shirt bearing the Style by Sydney logo. The MC, Carl from ET, kept the party going with games, such as Pop a Shot, during the cocktail hour. Then, once the party really got going, Sydney had Carl continue spoiling her guests with Kylie Jenner lip kits and retail gift cards while they got crazy on the dance floor.
A party like this doesn’t just happen — from designing the concept to executing the last fluff of powder on the Bat Mitzvah girl herself, many hands were involved, and certainly coordinating all of those moving pieces can be a headache. But planning the event should be more fun than stress focusing on the joy of the occasion and creating the real-life realization of this dream day.
As Gillian Grishman, Sydney’s mom, says, “My advice would be to just enjoy this process. There is so much planning that goes into it and you shouldn’t be stressed!” She was happy with the way it all turned out and, most importantly, Sydney certainly seemed to feel that the occasion was picture-perfect.
The following vendors helped to make the celebration special:
Venue: Temple Avodah, Oceanside, NY
Caterer: Kombert Caterers, 516-678-6161
Music Entertainment: ET Events Group, 516-826-6900
Photographer/Videographer: White Light Photography & Video, 516-933-3399
Logo, Sign-In Board, Decor, Flowers: Out of the Box Creations, 917-518-9389
Favors: Gotham T-Shirts, 516-676-0900
Invitations: Dear Friends, 516-456-2514
Mom’s Dress: Runway Couture, 516-308-4639
Suits for family members: Saks Fifth Avenue
Hair/Makeup: Head Rush Salon, 516-280-5797
Get a copy of Mitzvah Market Magazine here.
