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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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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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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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

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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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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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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Jason’s first hour included three of our most requested premium upgrades; The Interactive Game Show, Paparazzi and DJ Hero. Throughout the reception, we facilitated a few current and classic Bar Mitzvah features like; Survivor Island, Structure, Stuff It and Face The Cookie.

Debbie and Keith wanted Jason’s celebration to be a fun, classy and memorable event with plenty of peace of mind from start to finish. As you can tell from the candid video testimonial below that the Krakowers gave after their event, I’m delighted to report that MMP delivered in fine fashion once again.

Ryan, Jason’s younger brother, will be having his Bar Mitzvah next in the summer of 2012 on the weekend of Cinco De Mayo… We are looking forward to another exceptional family fiesta!!

Special thanks Ken Alswang, from At Home Studios, for once again providing his photos for our blog.  Like the best photographers in the business, Ken is always in the right place at the right time with an easy-going personality and an unobtrusive shooting style. –mp

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Zach and all of his friends pose for the traditional group photo after cocktail hour at Portobello

If you had to choose the ideal venue for your Le Chaim finale, you’d want a location that was close to the Temple, had great food and offered excellent service. If you’ve ever been to lunch or dinner at new Portobello Feasts in Oakland, NJ, you already know that those  bases are covered.  But what about their sister property… the original Portobello right next door?  Under new management and featuring some notable renovations, Portobello Banquets deserves your attention once again if you’re planning a Bergen County social or corporate event in the near future.

Time Flies... Zack with his older brother Jared- We did Jared's Bar Mitzvah 9 years earlier at the Westmount Country Club

Over the past nine years, we’ve had the honor of providing the entertainment and event production for the Fischer family.  We did Jared’s Bar Mitzvah first back in ‘02, Samantha’s Bat Mitzvah in’04, then Julie’s Bat Mitzvah after that in ‘06, and this past October, it was time for Zachary to be the guest of honor.

If you’re getting a little stressed out just thinking about what it’s like to have to plan 4 Bar Mitzvahs… relax.  It actually gets easier.  Once you find just the right combination of professional vendors and resources, you just keep hiring them back and let them do most the work. On the other hand… having to pay for 4 Bar Mitzvahs, now that’s a different story.

Zack’s mom and dad, Jeanette and Glen, once again trusted our recommendations for the kids cocktail hour and reception enhancements.  We provided the MMP trifecta for the kids cocktail hour. It included The Interactive Game Show, Paparazzi and DJ Hero.

As you can see from the photos, these activities were very well received by all of the young adult guests as usual.

Jeanette and Glen take it all in and enjoy a romantic dance after dessert

For the reception, the Fisher’s upgraded to our dual plasma multi-media package. We created custom visuals for Zack’s Casino theme, we designed personalized video clips for the dance sets and featured candid photos of all the guests on the screens during dinner and dessert.  As you can see from the photos, Zack and his friends were entertained and kept busy from the moment they walked into Portobello until the moment they walked out, so Jeanette and Glen were very pleased with the return on their additional investment.

Special thanks to Vincent Amen, Portobello’s Director of Catering, for his hospitality and professionalism.   He was instrumental at the site survey when we needed to ensure the necessary spacing for the activities, to review the planning logistics, to confirm the timing of the food courses and verify our power requirements. (just a few of  ways that an Entertainment Director can enhance your over-all experience) Vincent can be reached at 201-337-1383 ext. 4 or Vincent.Amen@PortobelloNj.com.

We’re looking forward to our next collaboration with the Fischer family and Portobello   … which by the way time seems to be flying by lately, will be Jared’s Wedding Reception.  Unreal.   –mp

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I’m delighted to announce that The Kahn family, owners of Kayak Jaco, has chosen MMP to provide the entertainment and event production for their upcoming Bat Mitzvah celebration.

Needless to say, we are honored and very excited!

The beautiful guest of honor, Melanie, is a very talented young lady who loves to dance,  sing and of course,  text her friends all day long.

Melanie’s theme will be “Masquerade In Paradise.” I love it!  -mp