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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A First Class Flight to a First Class Destination: Justin’s Bar Mitzvah at the Trump National Golf Club
Venue: Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster, NJ
Theme: JMK International Airport (Justin’s Initials)
Photographer: Linda Stark, Linda Stark Photography
Decor: Sandy Hines, Jersey Street Furniture
DJ Entertainment & Production: MMP Entertainment
Emcee & Entertainment Producer: Marcello
He’s intelligent, handsome and has a great personality. I know there’s a lot more to being a steller pilot, but since Justin already has these prerequisites covered and he’s a big fan of airplanes and engineering to boot… Justin can literally write his own ticket to any 5 Star destination in the world.
As you can tell from the paparazzi candid photos in the Encore Gallery that we took throughout the night, Justin’s mom and dad, Dorit and Neil, and his younger sister, Jessie, along with all of the Kransdorf’s family and friends, weren’t shy about taking this celebration high above the clouds.
Justin’s Bar Mitzvah featured everything from a heart-warming mother-son dance courtesy of My Wish, by Rascal Flatts, to a hilarious David Letterman skit that Neil prepared for Justin after the blessing.
When the seat belt sign finally turned off and Justin’s adult guests were free to move about the cabin, they were either enjoying each others company while eating the delectable cuisine at their gorgeously-appointed tables or they were showing off their best moves on the dance floor to the Kransdorf’s favorite songs. The music programming included everything from the 80′s all the way up today’s current hits and Bar Mitzvah favorites.
Justin and his friends were kept busy and entertained from the moment the cocktail hour began until the finale with unique interactives and games in between the dance sets. We even incorporated a brand new Minute To Win It challenge called “Raise Your Glass” that was a huge hit with all the kids. It was an exceptional evening!
Don’t take my word for it, watch the video testimonial below and listen to what Dorit and Neil had to say…
*Great news! Dorit just booked Jessie’s Bat Mitzvah for December 2012! We are honored to be chosen again and very excited for the chance to celebrate with Kransdorf family one more time!
Special thanks to Colette from Trump for her hospitality and professionalism. As I’ve mentioned in the past, only when the venue is on board with the entertainment time-line and production agenda can extraordinary results be achieved. Teamwork is paramount among all the professionals. Colette was extremely accommodating from the initial site survey through the last dance and load out.
Jessie wants to fly her passengers on another one of New Jersey’s premier airlines. Her Bat Mitzvah will be hosted by our friends at The Palace at Somerset Park. Can’t wait! -mp
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Lean on Me: A Glee Finale at the Knoll Country Club For Julia
While doing her brother Josh’s Bar Mitzvah 2 years ago and seeing how much fun his little sister was having, I just knew Julia’s Bat Mitzvah was going to be filled with plenty of memorable moments. This time around, the Kirschenbaum’s moved their location from the Mountain Lakes Club to the Knoll Country Club in Parsippany. Instead of a gorgeous view of the lake, they had a gorgeous view of the golf course. (I love win-win situations)
Like her brother, Julia has a very bubbly personality, is very bright, and isn’t shy when it’s time to dance. When I did the V.I.P meet & Greet Dance Party at the Kirschenbaum home one week before the Bat Mitzvah (part of the Signature Simcha Service that MMP offers exclusively), Julia and her best friends Sidney, Brooke, Alexa, and Erica all showed the same enthusiasm as well. We practiced everything from the Cotton Eyed Joe Remix to the Down Dance to The Apache.
At the reception, one of my favorite moments was the Face The Cookie competition from Minute To Win It. This interactive has by far been the most fun to play and the most entertaining to watch when we recently polled our clients. The most sentimental moment was the parent’s toasts. Just when I thought they couldn’t top the toasts they gave to Josh, Wendy and Abram delivered in fine-fashion once again. Eloquent and heartfelt.
For Josh, who is a big Beatles fan, we played Hey Jude for his event finale song in which all of his friends and family gathered in a circle to sing a long to give him the proper send-off. For Julia, we went with Lean On Me, which was remade by the cast of the hugely popular T.V show Glee. It was perfect because all of the kids who watch the show knew the words and all of the adults who grew up listening to the original by Bill Withers sang their hearts outs also!
Best wishes to Julia, Josh, Wendy and Abram. -mp
Special thanks to Milan from Milan Photography for sharing his photos for this article. It’s always a pleasure working together. Check out Milan’s work in the delicious Sweet Utopia book and blog. -mp
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