The Lokoff family celebrated the B’nai Mitzvah of daughter Taylor and son Jackson on November 26, 2016. The Havdalah service and party in their honor was held at the Sofitel Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Taylor and Jackson easily agreed on the theme, “Keep Calm and Glow On” and included many glow-in-the-dark details in the party.
One of the many highlights of this amazing party was the sensational entrance video, which featured the Lokoff family’s version of James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke, creating a celebration to remember!
Pictured L-R: Sister Lily, Mom Jodi, Bat Mitzvah girl Taylor, Dad Jamie and Bar Mitzvah boy Jackson.
The photographer was Lafayette Hill Studios and the rest of the vendor information is at the end of the spotlight.
Creative Mitzvah Entrance
The Lokoff family stayed outside of the party room for the first 15 minutes to prepare for their big entrance. The entrance video, similar to James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke, was shot 3 weeks prior to the celebration with iPhones mounted to the car dashboard. They did a trial hair and makeup and wore the same party clothes to create the illusion that the video was “live.”
B’nai Mitzvah Service
Taylor and Jackson are only 18 months apart and decided they wanted to celebrate with a B’nai Mitzvah. Since they are not twins, their synagogue would not allow them to share their service. Instead, the family found a wonderful tutor, Michelle Shefsky, who customized a Havdalah service that was led by both Taylor and Jackson.
Mitzvah Style
B’nai Mitzvah Decor
Glowing Party Details
Mitzvah Entrance and Music Entertainment
Cake and Candle Lighting
Mitzvah Favor
B’nai Mitzvah Project
Taylor and Jackson did their Mitzvah Project with Saved Me, a homeless animal adoption center. They volunteered their time walking and playing with the rescued dogs. They also posted pictures on social media to spread awareness and to encourage their friends and family to consider adoption. They completed 25 hours in total. And in return, they received lots of wags and licks of appreciation.
Advice from Mom Jodi:
“Try to enjoy every moment of it because the party goes by fast. We enjoyed having our event at the Sofitel Hotel because we were able to do the service and party all in one place. They provided a complimentary suite for us to get ready and stay overnight. We were able to send presents, cards, etc. up to our room during the event. Most of the real planning happened in the last few weeks so don’t get too stressed if you don’t have everything worked out months in advance. We didn’t finalize most of the details like the menu, head count, and the time table of how the event would flow with the DJ until 10 days prior. I hear that’s pretty standard since most companies have Bar/Bat Mitzvah’s every weekend and the caterers, DJs, photographers can’t plan too far out.”
Vendor Directory
The following vendors helped to make Taylor and Jackson’s B’nai Mitzvah special. If you give any of them a call, let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue/Caterer/Cake: Lisa DeLuca, The Sofitel, 215-569-8300
Music Entertainment: MC RJ and Jared Tangir, All Around Entertainment, 215-354-0124
Photographer/Videographer: Paul Csihas, Lafayette Hill Studios, 610-828-1142
Logo: Designed by family
Neon Water Bottle Favors: American Advertising Company, 215-447-7544
Glow Cotton Candy/Glow Face/Body Paint & Photo Booth: Bounce4U Inflatables, 877-757-0897
Invitation: Cindy McDonnell, Paper on Pine, 215-625-0100
Florist: Flowers by Mindy Rhodes, WhisperWind Studios, 610-563-8788
Sign-In boards: Jackson’s LED Wipe Board, Amazon.com/Taylor’s Mirror Board, HomeGoods
Dresses for Bat Mitzvah girl Taylor, Mom Jodi and Sister Lily: Gabrielle’s/Lizzy G, 610-668-2801
Dad Jamie’s suit: Boyd’s Philadelphia, 215-564-9000
Jackson’s suit: Macy’s/LED trim suit: Glow City, 877-562-4569
Jackson’s LED Shoes: Amazon.com
Hair/makeup: Blo/Out Blow Dry Bar, 215-305-8245
