A Cup of Life Ceremony for Michael at The Grand Summit Hotel

Even though I make a conscious effort to stay on top of industry news and trends, some of the best ideas over the years have also come from my incredible clients.  Case in point, The Cup Of Life Ceremony.  It’s a refreshingly-unique alternative to a traditional candlelighting. Instead of writing and reading poems  for each candle, which can drive both you and your guests a little nutty if they are not entertaining…  Karen & David Rosenberg, my clients,  found a new way to honor all of their guests.

After the opening dance set, grand entrance and motzi, their son Michael, the guest of honor, started things off by taking the mic and giving the official welcome-toast to all of his guests.    Then he took a moment to describe the significance of the Cup of Life Ceremony.   Each small cup of wine represents a special ingredient in the recipe for a happy and healthy life.    One by one, the glasses are poured into one large decorative goblet which the Bar Mitzvah Boy or Bat Mitzvah girl drinks from.

The ingredients include; a cup of Good Health, Wisdom, Faith, Compassion, Good Humor, Dedication, Success, Prosperity, Generosity, Friendship, Happiness, and a cup of Love.

The cup’s ingredients and musical selections can all be personalized to fit your preferences and candles can still be incorporated.   Either way, if you are looking for more options on how to honor your friends and family without doing the same ‘ol same ‘ol, the Cup of Life ceremony is worth looking into.

As you can see from the photos and the video testimonial from Mr. and Mrs. Rosenberg below, Michael had a “fantastic” celebration.  His younger  brothers, Jason and Aaron, looked like they were already getting excited for their big day 5 years from now. 

The Rosenbergs booked our Classic Simcha production which included;  2 cocktail hour interactives for the kids, background music for the adult cocktail hour,  the dual plasma screen multi-media package for the reception and one of our many photo booth selections.  It also features a light show to add energy to the dance floor, 4 party motivators, dance stages and plenty of cool giveaways.   The Classic Simcha was designed for the client who wants an exceptional event and wants their guests to have a great time… but doesn’t want to go “over the top” and lose focus on the significance of the occasion or their child’s accomplishments.

Special thanks to my friend, Peter Wallburg, from Peter Wallburg Studios for referring us to the Rosenbergs.  We’ve been teaming up for a few years now and have a great working relationship.  As I’ve mentioned in many articles, having your photographer and entertainment on the same page at your event will result in all of the special moments being captured forever. Check out Peter’s  facebook page to see his work and for weekly articles on how-to tips, tricks and best practices in the photography world.

Best wishes to the Rosenberg family.  Mazel Tov!  -mp

Jacob’s V.I.P Lounge at the Assembly East Hill

Jacob’s celebration was the fourth Lefcourt family Bar Mitzvah that we had the honor of providing the entertainment and event production for.  I teamed up with Jacob’s mom, Robyn, from concept to completion to help bring her vision to life. She wanted the Lefcourt family to celebrate with style and tastefully give the established Assembly location a dash of youthful fervor and a sprinkle of night club ambiance.   As you can see from the smile on Jacob’s face during the grand entrance and from Robyn’s personal feedback on her video testimonial at the bottom of this entry, the Celebrate Life team delivered in fine fashion once again.

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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Young Forever: Marcello Returns to The Park Avenue Club with Eggsotic Events for Evan’s High Roller Bar Mitzvah Celebration

When I asked Evan which song he’d like to choose for the dance with his mom he said, “Forever Young by Bob Dylan.” From that point on at the consultation, I knew his Bar Mitzvah was going to have a retro-cool vibe and a relaxed, yet modern-elegant flair.  And it did.

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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5 Years, 3 Events, 1 Love: Arissa’s Triple Play Bat Mitzvah

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.

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.

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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Girls Just Wanna Have Fun: Jenny’s Bat Mitzvah at Somerset Hills

When I started writing the recap for Jenny’s celebration, Cyndi Lauper’s hit song from the 80’s, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, was on my Pandora radio station.  Remembering how much Jenny and her friends enjoyed her celebration, choosing a title for this blog entry was easy.

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.

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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