Winter Wonderland Theme Bat Mitzvah in Sunny California

Southern California girl Madi Pelc had visions of snowflakes for her January Bat Mitzvah celebration in Calabasas, CA. “Madi was set on Winter Wonderland from day one,” explains her mom, Claudine. “She loves the Disneyland Castle during the holidays, and we used that as our inspiration for her Bat Mitzvah. We wanted our guests to feel like they had walked into the courtyard of a castle in the wintertime, and Madi was the Snow Princess.”

Madi’s morning service at Valley Outreach Synagogue was followed by a kiddush luncheon. The evening celebration, also held at the synagogue, was “a true labor of love,” says Claudine, who planned the event and made a lot of the decor. With a background in interior and graphic design, and her current position as the event sales coordinator for the synagogue, this was familiar territory for Claudine, who brought in a team of local professionals to bring Madi’s vision to life. “Madi is very creative and had a lot of input on the decor. She loves pastel colors and wanted a cool vibe in the room, so that’s what we created!”

Read on to see more from this Whimsical Winter Wonderland theme. Photo above (L-R): brother Zach, dad Abe, mom Claudine, Bat Mitzvah girl Madi. The photographer for this event was Maria McCarthy. A complete list of Vendors follows at the end of this Spotlight.

Service

Madi's invitation, by Cutie Patootie Creations, with a silver shimmer border

Pretty in pink: the Pelc family before Madi's service

The Bat Mitzvah girl on the bima

The Pelc's are joined by Nana Karolyn and Aunt Jennifer for a special photo moment

Soft pink kippahs matched Madi's service dress

All smiles for a job well done!

Party For A Snow Princess

Guests were greeted by this beautiful presentation table with place cards created by Madi's mom

Snowflakes adorned with tiny crystals made elegant place cards

Madi's gift box featured her custom logo (also created by mom!)

Custom logo, by mom, fit for a Snow Princess

Inside the ballroom, silver, blue and purple were the colors of choice; centerpieces added to the winter wonderland feel

Table numbers with the crown logo

Rectangular kids' tables featured winter lanterns and flowers

The kids' lounge also featured comfy seating and custom pillows

Close up of custom pillows, with crown logo

The step-and-repeat featured Madi's logo alongside blue and purple snowflakes

The Bat Mitzvah girl made her big entrance, surrounded by family and friends

The Pelc family

The candle lighting centerpiece was created with a sparkly 3-D sign and plenty of oversized votives

This unique photo booth was reminiscent of an ice castle

Fun in the photo booth!

The dessert display ended the night on a sweet note

Mom Claudine created this chic clutch in less than 10 minutes! "I purchased an inexpensive plain clutch on Amazon, then I made a vinyl sticker on my Silhouette machine and applied it to one side!"

An airbrush artist created bucket hats for Madi's friends

Madi and friends showing off their new hats

Madi and her entertainment team kept the crowd on the dance floor all night!

Mitzvah Advice

“Pick what is important to you and let go of the small items,” says mom Claudine. “Put your money into lighting up the room.  Up lighting can take a blank space and make it shine!  Do not be afraid to order items online and plan early to get the best buys. Research on Facebook for ideas and talk with other parents to get feedback on vendors.” She also believes that hiring a day-of team is beneficial and adds: “Remember, no one will know what went wrong except you!”

Mitzvah Project

Over the course of two years, Madi volunteered more than 75 hours at her synagogue. (She followed in her brother Zachary’s footsteps, who completed the same Mitzvah Project several years earlier.) Madi worked alongside her mother helping the caterers and other vendors during events. She also volunteered during school breaks stuffing envelopes. The Pelc family volunteered so much of their time to the synagogue that they were named Family of the Year in 2019!

Vendor Directory

The following vendors helped to make Madi’s Bat Mitzvah a night to remember. If you contact them, please tell them you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.

Venue: Valley Outreach Synagogue, 818-882-4867
Event Planner/Logos/Place Cards/Sign-In Board/Personalized Clutch: mom Claudine Pelc
Catering: BSC Events, Scott Floman, 818-652-9531  
Decor: Shindigs by Stacy, Stacy Fisher, 818-599-9473
Invitations: Cutie Patootie Creations, Stephanie Feldman, 704-776-0738
Kippahs: That One Special Touch, Inc., Randi Lehman, 516-567-8893
Music/DJ/MC & Lighting: Real Genius DJs, MC Quinton and DJ Coby, 818-346-3482
Photographer: Maria McCarthy Photography, 818-597-1792
Videographer: Video Services Unlimited, 818-727-7746
Airbrush Artist: Mr. Hoodbrush, 818-625-6457
Photo Booth/Step & Repeat: 4EvrFoto, 805-384-5347
Candle Lighting Name/Snowflakes in Chandelier: My Case Builder, Steven Holand, 973-925-7215
Florist: Florals of Oak Florist, Doris, 818-991-5444
Dresses: Downtown LA Fashion District (Madi, party), Ted Baker (Madi, service); Neiman Marcus, Teri Jon (mom, party); Bloomingdales, Tadashi (mom, service)
Suits: Saks Fifth Avenue, John Varvatos
Hair/Makeup: Monique Salon, Marla Dietch, 818-881-1775 (hair); The Brow Bar, Blue Water Salon, Ronnie Retin, 818-970-4139 (makeup)
Security: Sunset Protective, John Perry, 805-403-3628