Hooray for Toriwood! The Rockleigh Country Club Rolls Out The Red Carpet for Tori’s Bat Mitzvah
When your mom is the co-owner of Flirty Finds, and your dad works for Alfred Dunner in Manhattan, one thing is for sure at your Bat Mitzvah… you’re going to look fabulous when you step on the red carpet and make your grand entrance! If you happen to be a tall, gorgeous and elegant young lady to boot, the paparazzi will love you. And, if you & your best friends like to dance like there’s no tomorrow when the music starts pumping, having one of the best nights of your life is inevitable.
Tori was a trifecta Bat Mitzvah guest of honor….fashionable, beautiful and able to boogie down with the best of them. I remember celebrating with the Hoff family a few years ago for her brother’s Bar Mitzvah at the Preakness Hills Country Club and saying to myself, “this family rocks and really knows how to party!” Tori, Roger, and their mom and dad- Jamie and Mark, danced and sang along to current and classic hits with all their guests from the opening set to the finale. I’ve been doing this long enough to notice when the younger sibling is already looking forward to their special night in the spotlight… It was obvious that Tori was just getting warmed up.
Next thing I know, it’s 33 months later and I’m escorting Tori into the Rockleigh Country Club to make her red carpet premier at “The Tori Awards.” Thanks to designer, Ellen Meckles, from Party Girl in Tenafly, NJ, Tori looked like a glamorous movie star. Ellen was instrumental in finding the perfect dress for her to wear at Temple and then for the gala later that night. Thanks to event planner, Martha Baum, the Rockleigh Country Club looked cooler than the Kodak theater on Oscar night. Martha, who is always a pleasure to work with, did a fabulous job with the florals, centerpieces and over-all décor. *(As you’ll see in the recap video, Tori got perfectly super-imposed onto/into some of her favorite movie posters. They looked incredible!) **I highly recommend “borrowing“ this idea if you have a Hollywood-themed event coming up. Or, save yourself a lot of time and invest in the expertise of a professional event designer, like Martha.
The Hoff’s teamed up again with my friend, Ivan Piedra, for paparazzi coverage of the fiesta highlights and for some unique interactive stations during the kid’s cocktail reception. A crowd favorite was called Hair Flair. A crew of professional hair stylists set up a beautification booth where all the young ladies (and a few fearless boys) were treated to L.E.D hair extensions and other chic tweaks to enhance their A-lister fashion status.
While we were keeping Tori and her friends entertained, busy and out of trouble during cocktails, a hip and delicious cocktail reception for the adults was taking place on the other side of the property outside the grand ballroom. In addition to the delectable cuisine, the mood was set like an ultra-hip Hollywood premier party thanks to Mrs. Hoff. Jamie hired an acoustic duo to jam in the background while her guests mingled, noshed and sipped a few signature drinks. Everyone seemed to dig the vocal recreations of artists like Jewel & Dave Matthews. Whether it’s a jazz trio, electric violinist, piano player or solo saxophonist, we always recommended live musicians if you want to enhance your event. Jamie knew her crowd would dig the duo, and she was absolutely right.
When It was time for the candlelighting, Tori personalized the entire segment by writing her toasts in the form of nominee announcements & thank you speeches. She even had custom-made “Tori Award” statuettes created so each recipient went home with a little bling and memorabilia. Nice touch!
When the guests rested their dancing feet for the entrée, Mark’s toast and the celebrity-filled video tribute montage, Tori and her dad had a heart-warming father-daughter dance to yet another hit by Taylor Swift called Never Grow Up. It was awesome to see Mark and Tori singing along and enjoying every moment of their spotlight dance together.
The rest of night, like the first few hours of the celebration, flew by. I’m pretty sure that’s a good thing, as it usually means everyone, including yours truly, is having a blast. When the guest of honor and the host family only get off the dance floor to eat or visit the powder room, it’s easy to see how the “time flies” expression came to be.
Thank goodness for companies like Videoccasions, who tastefully and unobtrusively capture the entire evening in HD so you can be in the moment all night long and then relive it forever on your living room plasma or iPad. Kaan and the Videoccasion’s team sent over the video highlight reel below. And, if you appreciate the art of capturing specific moments in time, you can call a professional photographer like Jamie K, who was kind enough to share her fantastic work for this article along with Ivan.
Special thanks to Mel and the staff from the Rockleigh for their hospitality and professionalism. I’m looking forward to our next collaboration this fall.
Mazel Tov to Tori and the Hoff family! On behalf of the MMP team, we wish you all of the health, happiness and success that life has to offer.
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Exceeding Expectations at The Indian Trail Club: Alex’s Bar Mitzvah
In some recent articles, I’ve mentioned how “stacking the deck” can help to ensure a successful event. Allison and Jeff Karpf stacked the deck perfectly for their son Alex’s Bar Mitzvah and helped make it day he and the family will always remember fondly.
They chose the Indian Trail Club to host the event, Wendy Robinson for the photography, Seth Elgart for videography, David Mitchell for the decor, and MMP for the entertainment to round out their A-Team.
That’s a pretty solid line up of Bar Mitzvah specialists to have as a resource leading up to the celebration and to handle everything the day of. We’ve all worked together numerous times in the past… this really helps everyone stay on the same page as a team while still allowing plenty of room for each individual to shine throughout the seamless affair.
You’ll see from the video recap that Alex’s Bar Mitzvah had another huge component in it’s favor throughout the event… the Karpf family invited a stellar guest list of fun loving family and friends to help them celebrate. If the guests weren’t eating delicious food, they were dancing , if they weren’t dancing, they were playing a game, and if they weren’t playing a game or dancing or eating delicious food, they were smiling and laughing from their seats taking it all in.
Alex was definitely beyond his years with regards to his maturity and ability to command a crowd. When it was time for his thank you speech, which he presented in lieu of a formal candlelighting, he looked like a seasoned pro and captivated the crowd. And when it was time to honor his parents, he touched the hearts of many by sharing a few of his favorite memories… I particularly liked these specific sentiments from the notes he used to speak off the cuff;
“Dad, you always save the day for me when I’m in need.”
“Mom, the daily, after school ‘Hi Alex, how was your day’ that I only recently learned to appreciate.”
With three younger brothers, I’m looking forward to seeing more of Alex and his family in the coming years. Brett, Owen and Will have a great role model to look up to. .. Alex has 2.
In the video testimonial, Alex’s mom, Allison, said that her expectations were high- yet we exceeded them. It was our honor and pleasure to be a part of such a momentous day.
Special thanks to Debbie Pagerie, from the Indian Trail Club, for her hospitality and professionalism. Our sincere gratitude to Wendy Robinson for sharing her photos for this article, to Seth Elgart, for producing and posting the highlight recap video and to David Mitchell, from Still Life Event Design, for helping to bring the club to life via exceptional decor and ambiance.
Mazel Tov to Alex and the Karpf family, we wish you all of the health and happiness that life has to offer!
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MMP Entertainment Rocks the Boat: Danielle’s Sea Cruise Bat Mitzvah at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club
It was great to be back at one of our favorite New Jersey venues, The Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club, for Danielle’s Bat Mitzvah! Not only does the club offer a gorgeous golf course view, an elegantly-appointed ballroom and fine dining- it features one of the most important components necessary for a successful celebration… An expert team of catering professionals.
Led by banquet manager, Barbara Bogado, who we’ve been fortunate to be working with for years, the Fiddler’s team is totally on point when it comes to facilitating a seamless time line and overall event flow. Barbara’s desire to give her clients the best experience possible via exceptional hospitality and entertainment is right in line with MMP’s professional approach. We’re looking forward to our next collaboration.
Danielle and her friends enjoyed our interactive game show and Minute To Win It tournament during the cocktail hour. They also had a blast with the “Make Your Own Cd” Super Star Karaoke booth and a photo station during the reception in between the dance sets.
Speaking of dancing, there was no shortage of happy guests shakin’ their groove thing out on the dance floor throughout the celebration. The Koslow’s were fans of everything from classic rock to the 80′s and 70′s funk to all the way to the current hits of today.
It was definitely a textbook evening of multi-generational music programming which allows all of your guests preferences to be catered to. This, along controlling the volume, (an MMP Staple) so none of your guests have leave the room to avoid a head ache, makes for a very pleasantly-entertaining evening.
Since Danielle’s had a cruise ship theme and they upgraded to our Signature event package, we created personalized video graphics with actual footage of tropical fish swimming under the sea that played on our plasma screens as we gave out authentic Captain’s hats to all the guest wanted to take their Sea Cruise experience up a notch.
As you can see from the candid photos that we took and later showed on the screens during the final dance set, Danielle and her family and friends had a fantastic voyage. It was an honor to be a part of their crew and help navigate the evening’s festivities. -mp
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A Wise, Old Soul at 13: Robbie Celebrates His Bar Mitzvah at The Woodcliff Lake Hilton
Even if you’re not a fan of The Pittsburgh Steelers or if you don’t bleed “Black and Yellow“ like many in the famous football club known as the ‘Steeler Nation,’ it’s still pretty easy to be a fan of Robbie Kresch… and the number 9.
After losing his father 2 years ago, Robbie, along with his adorable sister, Hayley, and his amazing mom, Cindy, moved onward and upward the best they could under the circumstances. I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose a parent, so I won’t even try. But, what I do know, is that Robbie did one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen at a Bar Mitzvah reception.
Since one of his favorite teams is the Steelers, they utilized a Black and Yellow/Steeler Nation sports bar theme for the reception which the kids and adults really seemed to enjoy. More significant, though, was the sign-in board. The Kresch family brought in a beautiful glass-framed Steeler’s Jersey with the number ’9′ on the back. And for the same reason Robbie dedicated candle number ’9‘ to his dad, he made sure ’9′ was on the jersey too because it was his father’s favorite number.
As you can see from the photo, every guest signed the glass. How awesome is that for a keepsake?! I’m sure it has a premium piece of real estate in Robbie’s room.
In addition to all the dancing and celebratory moments, one of day’s highlights was courtesy of Robbie’s mom, Cindy. Her toast before the mother-son dance was heartfelt and filled with unforgettable sentiments. This part really stood out:
“You are a very smart, determined, & thoughtful person. You are a wise, old soul.
It is such an honor and a pleasure to be your Mom and watch you grow into an amazing young man. I admire the strength and perseverance you have and the love you give to those you care for.
At times you may doubt yourself Robbie, but I hope you are learning you can do anything you set your mind to. Stay strong to who you are and to what you value in life, and you will go far.
I hope you continue to live life on your terms, just like your father did. You embody so much of him Robbie, a man who was so kind, loving, caring, smart, funny, and so very proud of you and Haley. And he still is.
And right now, along with me, he is beaming and with a big, silly grin, he’s saying, “ That’s Robbie. That’s my boy. Isn’t he the greatest?”
You are. I love you. “
Special thanks to Scott Mitchell, from Bill Mitchell Photography and Video, for sharing the pictures featured in this article and to Tom Saffioti, Assistant Director of Catering from The Woodcliff Lake Hilton, for his hospitality and professionalism. -mp
“Astounding” – MMP Entertainment Brings the Fiesta to Costa Rica for Melanie’s Masquerade Bat Mitzvah
When I was 16 and providing the entertainment for my first special event, a wedding at The Brownstone-… the thought of someday being flown out of the country with my team to perform and help a family celebrate life never crossed my mind. This whole experience reminds me of that saying from the lottery ads… “Hey, you never know.”
After one of the most logistically challenging events in the company’s history, second only to the Allen & Company Media Summit in Sun Valley, Idaho, I’m delighted to report that MMP’s first international event in Central America was a great success.
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Neil and Yasmin Kahn for over 10 years. After meeting them on my first surfing excursion to Costa Rica, their family has become my family. Neil’s mom and dad, Norma and Ken, always invited me over on Friday nights for Shabbat and made me feel like I was home- even though I was 2500 miles away from Jersey. The funny thing is, from doing so many Bar and Bat Mitzvahs here in the states throughout the past decade, I learned the prayers and was finally able participate in the blessings instead of just standing there quietly.
The joke is that I am an honorary Jew. Or, a Jew by occupation. Whatever you call it, one thing is for sure. I’ve noticed that Jewish and Italian families are very similar. Hospitality and friendship are made readily available to everyone they consider a fellow mensch or pisan. When you combine the best of both these nationalities and put them together in a paradise locale like Costa Rica… Fuggettaboutit. Mazel Tov & Pura Vida! -Life is good.
After watching the kids grow up over the years, it was an honor to return to my second home and help produce Melanie’s Bat Mitzvah. If you’ve seen some of the other events in our Bar/Bat Mitzvah portfolio, you know that we are extremely fortunate to work with some very talented and super-cool guests of honor. Melanie kept the streak alive and then some. Not only is she a gifted athlete, dancer and singer… she read her Torah portion in perfect English, Spanish and Hebrew!!! And as you can see from the photos, Melanie is also a beautiful young lady.
The celebration was billed as Melanie’s Masquerade. It’s an excellent choice for a theme if you are looking to do something fun and different. We incorporated personalized visuals on the big screen and colorful masks for all of the guests to wear. This really seemed to put everyone in a festive mood when they walked through the doors. *A mask can do wonders for a guest who has dance floor inhibitions.
One of the highlights came during the candlelighting ceremony. We knew ahead of time that one of Melanie’s favorite cousins, Bailey, would not be able to make the trip out for the celebration. No problem. With the help of some pre-production and modern technology, Bailey made a surprise guest appearance via video after candle #12 when Melanie just finished saying how much she wished Bailey could be there. It was definitely a tweet-worthy moment that WOW’d Melanie and her guests.
When Melanie had time to reflect on her Bat Mitzvah the next day, she shared a comment that was a good indication that we did our job… “My friends were blown away... they all want to be Jewish now.“ I’ll take that. 
-mp
On behalf of the entire crew, I want to thank Neil and Yasmin for setting up an awesome Kayak Snorkeling trip, a Canopy tour, and sunset drinks at the world famous Villa Caletas the day after the celebration.
Special thanks to Melanie’s aunt, Julie Kahn, for capturing and editing some of her personal video highlights and post-event testimonials for us. What a nice gesture! … Typical of the Kahn family. Julie has been nominated twice for a National Emmy Award for her work on the children’s TV show, Zoom. She’s also worked on PBS documentaries, independent projects and music videos for the Indigo Girls. (who happen to sing one of my favorite songs of all time, Closer to Fine). Julie can reached at Julie.Kahn@me.com
I also want to recognize Steven Sandi and the staff from the Hotel Amapola. They were instrumental in organizing all of the on-site logistics in the weeks leading up to the event and provided us with necessary assistance the day of to help facilitate a seamless production.
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