Robyn and I had the pleasure of collaborating with Jeff Fruman from Balloon Artistry and Barbara & Jack Koumbis of the Assembly.  Together,  we designed an afternoon of hospitality, decor, cuisine and entertainment that Jacob and his family and friends will always remember fondly.

Some of the event highlights included a Jazz Trio and a Coney Island photo booth for the adult cocktail hour.  Jacob and his friends had a private V.I.P section which was located in separate room of the Assembly.  (they needed a special V.I.P bracelet from Emilio, the bouncer, to get in).   This interactive portion of the celebration featured a DJ Hero tournament, the Paparazzi Challenge and MMP’s  famous pop-culture Game Show. As always, this portion of the event is designed to engage the guests and to warm them up for the reception.  It’s a like an exclusively entertaining and crucial opening act; it sets the tone and vibe for the rest of the celebration.  If your guests walk into the reception in a great mood, with a smile and ready to party, the odds are stacked in your favor.

*The Coney Island photo booth was rolled into the ballroom after the cocktail hour so the guests could continue to enjoy this uber-popular interactive and also so no one had to go back outside.  Ideally, you want all of your guests and all of the positive energy to stay inside the ballroom during your reception. Our photobooth technician also knows to temporarily pause operation during specific times like the candlelighting, motzi and special dances.

Upon entry to the reception, the Lefcourt guests were treated to L.E.D Lightscaping, modern balloon-art centerpieces, personalized visuals and an over-all chic-lounge atmosphere.  Jacob and his family and friends did not hesitate to put on their boogie shoes and get down tonight. (even though it was only 2:30 in the afternoon)

The rest of event was filled with dancing, sentimental moments, laughter, great conversation and wonderful memories.  Our candid photo specialist, Mike, captured many of these moments as part of MMP’s multimedia package.  The photos are taken throughout the event and featured on our dual plasma screens for the guests to enjoy during the main course and dessert.  After the event, all of the photos, including digital copies of the Coney Island pictures are given to the host as a keepsake. A select few are featured below.

Best wishes to Robyn, Jonathon, Hannah, Jacob, Grandpa Ron and the entire Lefcourt family.  We wish you all of the health and happiness that life has to offer.  Mazel Tov!

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The Park Avenue Club is an ideal event space because of its posh tent ballroom.  With the right decor and entertainment, 10 year veteran catering director extraordinaire, Jennifer Shin, will help you transform the club into any theme or concept that suits your fancy.  Really.  It’s like a fresh white canvas for a seriously gifted artist.

For Evan and his friends, their extended cocktail hour featured 3 Texas Hold’em tables, a green screen photo booth, the interactive game show, paparazzi and 2 table-top arcade games.  The guest list was heavy on the boy’s side so the idea was to keep them busy, entertained and out of trouble. Mission accomplished.  We added four beautiful female dancers from the MMP team as well to raise the estrogen level a bit.  The boys seemed very appreciative that Tara, Chrissy, Mindy and Kelly were there to keep them company.

After the adults were finished with their cocktails in the club’s ultra-swank loft that boast’s cathedral ceilings, a grand piano and the ability to check on the kids at their leisure; they joined us downstairs for the reception.  (Some of our interactives, like the game show, are so much fun, many of the adults “checked on their kids” for more than a few minutes and played a couple of  rounds.)

Evan’s mom and dad, Amy and Richard, wanted a cool mix of tradition and avaunt-garde for their reception.  This was evident upon entry by the hybrid decor and vogue dress code, and then later by the deliciously-efficient menu.  Guests entered Evan’s VIP Lounge and liked what they saw.

It was filled with L.E.D lightscaping, custom furniture pieces and unique table-top arrangements to tie the total look of the room together.  The artist behind the design and decor was Eglis Matiss, from Eggsotic Events; a consumate professional with a crew to match.  For the Signature Event ambiance, we created personalized visuals and Evan’s monogram which displayed on our dual plasma screens throughout the evening.  Instead of a 3 course sit down, dining consisted of open stations that offered Park Ave’s finest fare.    As always, I worked closely with Jennifer in advance to create a production agenda.  This time-line ensures that the pacing of the event is comfortable, yet practical, and that all of the guests can enjoy the dining and entertainment in a seamless fashion.  Things couldn’t have run any smoother.

Kudos to Evan’s older brother Matthew and his younger brother Josh, they added a lot of positive energy to the celebration.  Judging by the amount of time Josh spent on the dance floor and how much he enjoyed being up in the chair during the hora, his Bar Mitzvah will be an exceptional event as well.

Special thanks to Wendy Robinson for sharing some of her photography for this article.  Wendy and I are both recommended at some of NJ’s finest venue’s like the Orange Lawn Tennis Club.  She and her partner David were a pleasure to work with and they were always in the right place at the right time.

Per usual, my sincere gratitude goes out to Jennifer Shin and the entire Park Ave team for their professionalism and hospitality.  It’s an honor to be referred by such an impressive location.  I’m looking forward to our next collaboration.

Below are some of the candid shots that we took during the event that displayed on the plasmas when the stations were opened and later when dessert was served.  This is still one of the most sought-after services we offer; people love to see great photos of themselves on the big screens! It also makes everyone feel included in the celebration and always sparks some up-beat table conversation.  In addition, we give the host family a copy of all the pictures so they can add them to their event memorabilia.  Between Wendy’s professional shots and our paparazzi-style candids, you’ll never miss a moment of your once-in-a-lifetime celebration.

After the event, Amy and Richard also took a quick moment to let us know if we succeeded in keeping Evan and his friends entertained.  

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April 16, 2005- Arissa giving a toast to her big sister Ilana. "Thank you for hiring Marcello to be the DJ.... I want him at my Bat Mitzvah too."

It felt a little like working at the Make A Wish Foundation.  Not only did Arissa thank her parents for “hiring Marcello” during her toast to her sister back in 2005,  she also said, “I want Marcello to be the DJ at my Bat Mitzvah!”; which you can see from the photo, filled the room with laughter.

As we all  know, life moves pretty fast.   Three years later it was her brother Ethan’s turn.  And then finally, last Saturday night- 5 years later- it was Arissa’s night to shine.

From the interactive cocktail hour to the grand entrance to the last dance; the Gazda’s and their family and friends partied like rock stars. I truly believe that some people were put on this earth to celebrate life and to teach the world to sing.  Nancy, Ken, Ilana, Ethan and Arissa definitely make the list…  The Landmark was over-flowing with positive energy.

March 27, 2010. Arissa, Marcello, Ilana and Ethan

At one point in the opening dance set, we played the remix of One Love, by my friend, Nick Ditri.  He’s part of the platinum selling duo of uber-producers known as The Disco Fries. We had Arissa and a dance-floor full of guests doing the Jersey Shore fist pump and jumping up and down like it was a New Years Eve celebration in Times Square.  What a moment!

I was little concerned about having such a festive-frenzy so early in the event.  Really, it’s like.. where do you go from here?   Thankfully, it was a typical Gazda fiesta with limitless enthusiasm and joyful fervor. We experienced several similar peaks throughout the night; whether it was dancing to a Blend Brother’s remix of Don’t Stop Believing, playing Face the Cookie from the hit show Minute to Win It or singing along to the new friendship circle anthem, ‘Lean On Me’ from the Glee soundtrack… we were in perfect harmony from start to finish.

Nancy, Arissa and Ken

If you’ve got a minute, check out the video testimonial (below) that MMP Entertainment’s production manager, Frank Di Giacomo,  captured at the end of the event on the “Frankie D Cam.” (Our future clients really enjoy seeing and hearing candid thoughts and opinions directly from other families who were once in their position; having to consider a significant investment in the entertainment for their event and wanting the peace of mind of knowing that they’re making the right choice.) Look out for more 21st century word-of-mouth video clips in our future articles.  I think you’ll agree that we made Arissa’s Bat Mitzvah dreams come true. She wasn’t shy with her feedback. 

Special thanks to Dee from the Landmark for her hospitality and professionalism.  Hugs and kisses to Nancy and Ken for their friendship, patronage and generosity.

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Air Brush Tatoos

Mock Rock

Game Show

Jenny’s parents, Amy and Bill, wanted to have a separate party for the kids and the adults without having two separate parties for the kids and the adults… not an easy task.   With the help of Gina Martin, the Social Sales Manager for the Somerset Hills Hotel, and Banquet Manager Steve Benyo, we designed and facilitated an entertainment package and a hospitality timeline that enabled the kids to have an interactive dance party in the hotel’s ballroom and the adults to have a classy luncheon in the hotel’s restaurant simultaneously. The best part of the customized logistics that we implemented was the fact that after the adults ate lunch, they joined the kids party for a 45 minute set which included the toast, photo montage, father-daughter dance, hora and dance set.  Afterwards, everyone enjoyed a dessert buffet together in the adjoining cocktail hour area where our  photo booth was still set up for all the guests.  In addition to the photo booth, the Haskel family upgraded to our multi-media video plasma package and deluxe light show as well as an interactive cocktail hour for the kids.

Jenny & her friends pose at the VIP meet and greet dance lesson before her Bat Mitzvah

The Bat Mitzvah was still a week away, but Jenny and her friends were ready to party!

Kudos to Amy, she had the vision of this “Best of Both Worlds” scenario where her guests would feel relaxed in a casually elegant atmosphere yet still enjoy the festivities you’d expect from a traditional celebration.

Because Jenny and her friends loved to dance and ‘just wanted to have fun’, and her parents were wise in choosing a location whose layout was perfect for their desired scenario; Jenny’s Bat Mitzvah was a huge success.

If you have an idea for an event that might be a little more fun, unique and memorable than what everybody else is doing, let us know.  We’re happy to help you facilitate the logistics and coordinate your preferences with the right venue and industry professionals.

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From the initial design session at their home back in February, I knew this had the potential to be an awesome night.  Jake was a popular, well-mannered guest of honor who liked to dance.  His parents, Brenda and Craig, knew exactly what they liked, what they didn’t like, and liked to dance as well.  His brothers, Matty and Sammy, were very cool and supportive.  We all played the home version of our cocktail hour favorites- the Interactive Game Show and Picture This Game right there in their living room!

The week before Jake’s Bar Mitzvah was the second indication that his Bar Mitzvah was going to be fabulous.  I came back to the house for the VIP meet-and-greet dance party. Jake had some of best friends over so they could share their special requests, tell me about the other Bar Mitzvahs they’ve gone to and could review all the most popular dances that we’d be doing on Saturday.   I even taught them a brand new dance that just came out on the Bar Mitzvah circuit, we named it the Jake G. Slide. Special thanks to my good friend DJ Jeffrey B. from the Blend Brothers who produced the audio mashup remix of Jay Sean’s number 1 hit Down which I used as the soundtrack for the choreography.  The kids had a great time and were totally pumped up for the main event.

The final ingredient in the perfect recipe was the location that the Gruber’s chose.  It was the Orange Lawn Tennis Club in South Orange, New Jersey.  The OLTC boasts an elegant ambiance and attentive hospitality thanks to the Catering Director, Lisa Haberman; delectable cuisine courtesy of their new executive “top chef,” Ariane Duarte; and a gorgeous new ballroom thanks to some major renovations by the club recently.

After all the phone calls, e-mails, site surveys, design sessions and dance lessons, the only thing left to do was PARTY!   I was told Jake did an excellent job at Temple in the morning…  by the time he got to the club, he was ready to party all night long, and that’s just what he did.

One of the event highlights was Craig’s toast.   He prepared  a heart-warming collection of personalized anecdotes and reflections which he delivered with sincere grace. Jake was beaming from ear-to-ear with his trademark grin that lit up the room.

I asked Craig for permission to share this paragraph from his toast.  He graciously obliged.

“Jake – I’m sure you already know this but you are a very special person. …

You have a certain charisma that is electrifying.  Your smile is contagious and you can change the tone of an entire room – I see you do it all the time. You’ve seen hard work pay off (for you) and you have that thirst to achieve.  Above all you are a dedicated brother and loyal friend to your buddies. Those relationships are the kind that makes the world go ’round.  Just continue to smile, be nice, and fair and most importantly – be yourself – because the self we’re seeing is looking real good.”

As a new father, I can only hope to feel the same way about my child someday.

So if a picture is worth a thousand words: fun, exceptional, unique and memorable is where I’d start my list.  Take a look at some of the other shots we took and what our Coney Island photo booth captured and make your own list.

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There are a lot of  families over the years who you never forget.  The Persily’s are one of them.  Robyn and Mark definitely have a special place in my heart.  They are gracious hosts, awesome parents and just solid people.

Jesse and the Persily crew brought all their family, friends and positive energy back for another fun and memorable evening.  Everybody from 92-year-old uncle George to Jesse’s little sister, Chloe, who looked like a princess, danced the  night away.

As always , the Monday before the Bar Mitzvah, I went to the guest of honor’s house for the VIP party.  It’s a great opportunity to get to know everyone, find out what the kids have seen at other bar and bat mitzvahs recently, and to review some of the interactive dances that we’ll be doing at the event. Jesse invited 11 of his friends over: Daniel, Seth, Noah, Sydney, Sammy, Taylor, Aneesa, Julianna, Jen, Andrew and Corey.  We created a list of their favorite songs, went over dances like the Apache and practiced singing Don’t Stop Believing. We had a blast!

Speaking of singing, one of the evening’s highlights was the mother-son dance.  During the VIP party, I found out that Jesse’s good friend, Taylor, was a very talented singer.  I already knew from previewing the Persily’s photo montage that Robyn liked the song, The Climb by Miley Cyrus. After some discussion on how to make Jesse’s Bar Mitzvah even more fun, unique and memorable, everyone agreed and we found a great instrumental version for Taylor to practice to for the rest of the week.  When it came time for Robyn and Jesse to dance, Taylor took the mic, sang her heart out and nailed it. Simon and the Amercian Idol judges would have agreed.

It was like deja vu all over again. The guests enjoyed both the current and retro music programming, the custom visuals and instant candid photos on the plasmas and our live percussionist.  Evan and Rob from Classical helped us provide another seamless evening of premier  hospitality and entertainment with elegance.

Special thanks to Jacob, who was a huge help to everyone.  You could tell he was an experienced Bar Mitzvah guest of honor by the way he assisted me before, during and after the event.  I wish he was 18 already so he could join our production team. 

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In addition to being a world-class chess player and an  accomplished pianist, Sam can also hold his own on the dance floor when the DJ is  playing songs like the Cupid Shuffle, Apache and the Cotton Eyed Joe.

His brother, Michael, (third to the right) who is also a great dancer, is shown here chilling out with his friends at the sundae bar.  He said that he’s “already looking forward to his Bar Mitzvah” in a few years.

I always say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  Sam’s parents, Leslie and Marvin, were wonderful hosts and a pleasure to work with.  They knew how to plan an exceptional event beforehand and enjoy it to the fullest the day of.

Two of the highlights were Marvin’s toast to Sam before the montage and Leslie’s acknowledgments of her friends during the candlelighting ceremony.  Marvin recalled some of his favorite anecdotes of Sam growing up and spoke from the heart, and Leslie recognized the friends from her table individually who helped her with the formidable preparations  for the big day. Very classy.

Special thanks to Ken Alswang from At Home Studios who shared his photos for this entry.  I’ve worked with Ken many times over the years and we always make a great team.  As I’ve mentioned in the past, accessibility and personality are two key components to selecting the right photographer. Ken was always ready to capture the moment and was excellent at making people feel comfortable.

I’d also like to recognize Mike & Mike from the Maplewood Country Club who were total professionals and a pleasure to work with.  The timing of the hospitality and the entertainment were seamless.

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One family, in particular, is the Weinerman’s.  After doing Ryan’s Bar Mitzvah in 2007, they called us back for his cousin Rebecca’s celebration in 2009.  What makes the Weinerman family unique is that their grandfather, Marshall,  is the owner of the hotel. Mr. Weinerman, a successful businessman, devoted family fan and gentleman, liked what he saw the first time around and invited us back.  My team and I were honored.

Rebecca’s Bat Mitzvah theme was a Red Carpet Premier.  It was perfect! Rebecca looks like a glamorous movie star to begin with so when she walked down the red carpet past the paparazzi in her gorgeous dress, you couldn’t help but think you were at an L.A hot spot with famous rock stars and actors sipping Perrier.  Frank Duca, and the crew from Hollywood East Video, made arrangements for all the guests to be interviewed as they entered and walked down the Red Carpet.   Later in the evening they showed a customized highlight film featuring Rebecca’s rise to stardom.  The multi-media experience was way above and beyond the typical photo montages that guests were used to.

As you’ll see from the event re-capture at the bottom, Rebecca and her family and friends had a blast.   Rebecca’s mom, Betsy, did an awesome job planning the entertainment for the celebration. After our initial consultation and follow-up design session, Betsy reserved our classy Jazz Trio for the adult cocktail hour, and our video dance party, Guitar Hero World Tour, Game Show, Photo Booth and 2 DDR Max stations for the kids’ cocktail hour.  We also provided a sax player, percussionist, vocalist and night club light show upgrade for the reception.

One of the event highlights was seeing Rebecca and her Dad, Mark, dancing to the father-daughter dance. Mark, who has to be the biggest James Taylor fan I know, made a great choice by selecting “Sadie”, a song about a cherished relationship, for the special dance.   Both Rebecca and her dad sang the words together and shared a wonderful moment.  It’s really nice to see a genuine connection between a dad and his little girl.

Rebecca’s younger sister, Marissa,  will have her Bat Mitzvah in a few years… we can’t wait!  She also has the big screen good looks and an outgoing personality to match. Their older brother, Max, is going to have a tough time sharing the house with two future divas!

Special thanks to Mauricio Lemonk from the Wendy Robinson Photography company for sharing his photos for this entry.  Mauricio specializes in the high fashion shooting style that you would see in Vogue magazine.

If you want your photo album to be personalized and to stand out from the rest with an artistic flair, Mauricio is your man.

Special thanks to Frank for putting together this video clip for us.  Enjoy!

Marcello,

“Once again we want to thank you for making our affair fantastic and run so smoothly.

Everyone was telling us that it was the best Bar Mitzvah they have ever attended and that the DJ was Superb!

Thanks again for making Zach’s special day PERFECT! “

Warmest regards,

Lisa & Ken

Zach’s event was an encore performance for the Schapiro family.   This e-mail that I received pretty much sums up the celebration.  It was another exceptional collaboration with Steve, Gayle and Laura Lee from the Martinsville Inn. What a way to start off the summer!

I created this post-event personalized montage from all the photos we took as part of our “Video Dance Party with Zap Photos” package that Schapiro’s upgraded to.  If you want to add value and the “Wow” factor to your celebration, this multi-media enhancement is highly recommended.

American Pie by Don Mclean is a family favorite and the song they chose as the finale sing-along at both of their events, so that’s the song I chose for the soundtrack.

Zach’s Bar Mitzvah at the Martinsville Inn from Marcello on Vimeo.

With floor to ceiling windows over-looking the greens, delectable cuisine and premier hospitality, Hamilton Farm Golf Club also serves as the perfect choice to the discerning client who is looking for a first-class venue for their milestone event.

The Supron family chose Hamilton Farm to celebrate Andrew’s Bar Mitzvah.  When we sat down at their home for the production design session, they were looking for an elegant, yet festive reception where both the adult guests and Andrew’s friends would enjoy a fun and memorable afternoon.

With the help of my good friends, Beth Shubert, and Warren Schneider, from Evention and Hamilton’s Event & Banquets Director, Fran Attanasio, we delivered.

Beth and Warren transformed the dining space by utilizing  a world-scape decor motif.  All of the centerpieces & backdrops represented famous destinations like Paris,  Rome and Agra, India.  Every time I work with Evention, I’m amazed at how they can accentuate the beauty of a room while simultaneously personalizing the requested custom theme for their clients.

From the first phone call to the follow-up site survey on location to the day of the event,  Fran was a pleasure to work with. We agreed upon the locations for the separate cocktail hours, the interactives, the back-up plans in case of inclement weather and the timing of the food courses with executive chef, John Rehla, in advance so everything ran smoothly for Andrew and his family.  Andrew’s mom, Wendy, deserves a lot of credit for her level of participation in the planning as well as the trust she instilled in her event team of professionals.

As you can see from the photos, the Suprons and their guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves, especially Andrew’s friends.

Whether they were competing in the game show, trying to play croquet, swing dancing, singing their hearts out during the lip sync contest or just hanging out and looking cool in their Brook’s Brothers swag, they were a fantastic group to celebrate with.

Special thanks to Stefanie, from Stefanie’s Style photography for sharing her photos for this entry.

It was the first time we worked together;  hopefully, not the last.  As you know from previous entries, finding a photographer who is unobtrusive, who doesn’t miss a moment and has a great personality… is hard to find.  Stefanie was on point the whole day.

I’m pleased to announce that Fran was so pleased with our performance and our contribution to the success of Andrew’s Bar Mitzvah that she will be referring her Hamilton Farm Golf Club clients to my company.  I am honored to be affiliated with such a prestigious establishment.

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