Abby Ladov celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on November 3, 2012, amidst the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The service was held at Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, New Jersey and the party was at The LOFT in Montclair, New Jersey.
When the Ladovs initially began planning Abby’s celebration, the Bat Mitzvah girl requested a fun evening filled with lots of dancing and candy. They never anticipated a hurricane hitting the tri-state area and had to shift gears a bit.
Unfortunately, they lost power in their home and didn’t get it back until November 9. All the hotels in the area were completely booked, so they stayed in their house — with no power! — before, during and immediately after the celebration. They were finally able to get a hotel room when their out-of-town guests checked out of their rooms.
Luckily they had been planning a smaller, more intimate celebration, so they had only invited immediate family, closest local friends, and Abby’s friends. The only out-of-town guests were Abby’s grandparents, who were fortunately able to fly in from Florida. In perhaps the funniest coincidence of the weekend, Abby’s grandmother is named Sandy and her great grandmother is named Irene!
Mom Meredith said that everyone who helped plan and orchestrate the celebration was wonderful, and helped the family not only salvage but enjoy the Bat Mitzvah. The temple did not have power but the service went on anyway – in the dark and in the cold! The Kiddush luncheon also took place as planned and guests stayed, in their coats and hats. The LOFT, their party venue, didn’t lose power, and everyone was extra ready to party that evening.
“It was a very long and difficult two weeks but mostly what we’ll remember is the fantastic celebration of Abby’s Bat Mitzvah with everyone near and dear to us,” said Mom Meredith. “We are so thankful to everyone who helped make it happen.”
All photography was provided by Andy Foster Photography and the rest of the vendors are listed at the bottom.
Pictured above L-R: Brother Robbie, Dad Jonathan, Bat Mitzvah girl Abby, Mom Meredith
Dara Grunberg of Dear Friends designed Abby’s invitation, which set the tone for a fun sweet celebration.
The bright color, bold fonts, and clean geometric shapes gave guests a clue to what kind of party Abby would be having
The matching envelope had a seal on the back with the family’s address
Abby wore two outfits: one her Temple service and the other to her party.
Abby stuck with a beautiful purple conservative dress for Temple, with detailing on the top, from Outrageous Boutique
For the evening event Abby went with a playful short dress from Ask Alice Boutique which had a removable skirt (see photo of Abby with lollipop below)
Events by Joni made sure the decor at the party was perfect, despite the crazy effects of the weather! The candy decor combined with the chic elegant venue was the perfect vibe for partying.
Abby poses with lollipops much bigger than her
Some centerpieces were pure candy
Other centerpieces combined fresh flowers with candy
The pale yellow napkins were adorned with colorful candy necklackes as napkin rings
The theme was Abby’s Sweet Night, and the decor reflected the motto clearly.
This sign combines every delicious candy bar you can think of
There was a candy bar set up filled with many different kinds of sweet treats
Abby made a dramatic entrance with dancers from New York Motion.
New York Motion provided the music for the celebration with Doc Martin as the MC.
Rather than putting a damper on the party, Sandy just made everyone want to celebrate even more
The guests were more than ready to let loose and you can tell from the packed dance floor
The Little Daisy Bakeshop made Abby’s three layer cake, and they kept it whimsical and sweet to match her sugary theme.
Tall candy adds height to the cake
Frosting on the base, rather than on the cake itself, allows the cake’s design to shine through (while still congratulating the Bat Mitzvah girl!)
RKN Designs helped put together delicious favors to thank the guests who worked hard to make it to Abby’s celebration, despite the weather obstacles.
Even the favor bags stuck with the theme colors
With this bag of sugary goodness, you can be sure the guests did have a very sweet night
Luckily everyone stayed safe during Hurricane Sandy, and the celebration was able to go on as planned. These photos are proof that Abby will definitely have an extremely memorable Mitzvah to look back on — it’s not every Bat Mitzvah family that poses in front of a tree like this one!
The Ladovs made the most of their situation
You could say Abby was elevated with excitement
Mom Meredith stayed calm through the extremely unexpected, and she shares some advice to help others do the same:
“If you are not a planner (like I am not), hire one if you can! It relieves a lot of stress when you know you can count on a professional to attend to the details…especially in the event of the unexpected. Stay calm, it all gets done, and try to remember that although we all want it to be perfect, this is about celebrating your child’s milestone with family and friends, not about impressing them.”
For her Mitzvah Project, Abby chose to raise money for a school for Autism called Reed Academy. Their very close friends have a 15-year old son with Autism, who Abby has grown up with, and he attends Reed.
The school has a mock apartment and they teach the older kids how to live independently. The apartment is still in need of a kitchen, so that is what the money Abby raised is earmarked for.
The following vendors helped to make Abby’s celebration special. If you give any of them a call, please let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: The Loft
Party Planner: Events by Joni
Music Entertainment/MC: Natasha Baron, New York Motion, 201-768-3963
Favor person: Cindy Gerber, RKN Designs
Photo booth: The Main Event
Invitation: Dara Grunberg, Dear Friends, 516-367-7877
Cake: The Little Daisy Bakeshop
Décor: Events by Joni
Flowers: Bartlett’s
Sign-In board: The Printers Place
Abby’s party dress: Ask Alice Boutique, 516-921-2464
Abby’s synagogue dress: Outrageous Boutique
Meredith’s dress: Emily Sky Fashions
Hair: Salon Mosaic
Make up: Marilou, 973-332-8503
Photographer/Videographer: Andy Foster Photography
