A Fourth of July Bar Mitzvah Blast for Zach at the Martinsville Inn

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.

Marco’s Walk-off Communion in the Palazzo Ballroom at the Venetian

This year, the Yankees debuted their new stadium to the delight of fans everywhere.  This year, the Venetian debuted their new Palazzo Ballroom to the delight of life-celebrators  everywhere.  So imagine how happy you’d be if you were Marco Siracusa, you’re a huge Yankee fan and you’re having your Communion in the Palazzo!

It was only a year ago that Marco’s brother Gerry had his Communion at the Venetian, an event that was called a “Grand Slam” by all that attended.  Their parents, Gerlando and Nellie Siracusa, had a tough act to follow.  How do you create another unforgettable experience at the same venue for your other son?

Simple.  First, you start with a budget that would impress George Steinbrenner... then, the Venetian has the grand opening of their jaw-dropping new ballroom just in time for your reception, you add in special guest performances by DJ of the Year 2007, Sean “Big Daddy” Mckee, and professional percussionist, Howie Bongo, you set up Dance Heads, Rock Band Extreme, the Interactive Game Show, Wii Sports and a Yankee- themed Pitch Speed Cage, you make arrangements for a huge candy cart to roll out after the flaming dessert presentation, and you call us back to produce the event again. Like a 6-4-3 double play with Jeter at short stop, the team effort made it look easy.

The highlights included Marco, Gerry, Uncle Joe and the Godfather, Joey D. doing a percussive jam session on the drums, Marco & Gerry performing a family favorite, the Burger Dance, and the custom photo montage that Gerlando put together. Setting up the projection screen in addition to the plasmas and utilizing the dance platforms as chairs for the kids made for an enjoyable theater-like experience.

Marco’ s family is a lot like mine and many others who we have the honor to celebrate with,  they could have a great time with an old boom-box in the living room. However, when you combine an awesome crowd, with a first-class venue and exceptional entertainment, it’s like getting the call to move up from a t-ball  league to the majors.

Special thanks to Jeff & Jason for their collaborative-interactive efforts and as always to Dave, Jimmy, Adriatik and Carlos from the Veneitian for their hospitality and professionalism.

Encore Gallery:

ISES Dining Spaces 2009- With A Taste

The New Jersey North Chapter of the International Special Events Society held their 6th annual Tabletop Design Competition last night at the Olde Mill Inn, in Basking Ridge.  Members, judges and guests strolled through the Inn which was filled with dazzling table scenes and delicious hors d’oeuvres.

Some of the tabletop highlights included a gorgeous Tuscany setting from Amarayllis, a romantic table for two from Details of I Do, an opulent-chic design from C. Brower & Co., a groovy blast-from-the-past courtesy of  Conroy’s & Something Different, and a spring masterpiece by Touch of Elegance that was a sister-creation to their “M” table from the Meadow Wood Manor’s open house last month.

A few of the cuisine notables that had people talking were the scallops with bacon from Main Street, the organic prosciutto-chicken and spinach pizza from Bolu,  and the mango with custard-creme yellow cake from Roxanna’s.

A personal highlight was pretending to be James Bond in Goldfinger with Michelle D’Anna from Signature Events who I worked with a few weeks back at the Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club.  She brought in the stand-out furniture pieces of the night.  Everyone who passed by stopped and posed for a glam-photo shoot.  Some people thought I was part of the presentation because I happened to wear a gold-colored Zegna and pocket square.

Kudos to everyone that participated and congratulations to all of the winners. The following is a partial list of awards presented.

The Apprentice- Kristin Rockhill and Erin Poles, The Rising Star- Christine Brower & Eileen Daniels, The Connoisseur- Erik Olsson and Mitchell Kolby, Creativity & The People’s Choice- Michael & Lisa Plociniak, & Bang For Your Buck- Conroy’s & Something Different.

Special thanks to my good friend Marien Barker, Social Sales Manager at the Olde Mill Inn, for her hospitality and a guided tour of the festivities.

Encore Gallery: (Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo)

Take Me Out To The Ballgame- Daniel’s Bar Mitzvah

Daniel had his Bar Mitzvah at The Palms in Matawan, NJ.

Like many of my clients, the Reding family was looking for a unique venue for their celebration. The Palms was a perfect choice. It’s a trendy nightclub that has all the necessary accouterments of a customary banquet facility.

The highlight of the event was Daniel’s custom, baseball-themed, grand entrance. His dad played catcher, his mom took the mound and his sister played umpire behind home plate. Daniel came running in to the rock-and -roll version of Take Me Out To the Ballgame and slid home head-first like Pete Rose as moms’ throw came in. Not only was he safe, Daniel earned the title MVB on that play, Most Valuable Bar Mitzvah Boy.

A sentimental event highlight was when the photo to the right was taken at the end of the simcha. I was honored to pose with 13 years of former Guests-of -Honor that were in attendance that day. The oldest is now 26 years old. Time sure flies when you’re having fun.

Special Thanks to Alan and the staff of the Palms for their hospitality and professionalism.

Josh’s Tribute to the Beatles at the Mountain Lakes Club

The stars aligned for Josh’s Bar Mitzvah.  There was a beautiful venue, an all-star team of industry professionals, a gracious host family and an awesome guest of honor.

Josh is a big fan of the Beatles. He had the unique idea of doing a personalized candlelighting by choosing an appropriate Beatles track to honor his friends and family when they came up to light their candle.  All of the guests loved it!

As you can see from the video, Josh loves to dance and is full of positive energy.  If I could bottle up Josh and pour some out at every event that we do, I would. He and his adorable  little sister, Julia, are apples that don’t fall far from the tree.  Their parents, Wendy and Abram, know how to not only be the perfect hosts, but how to enjoy their event as much as their guests.

Josh’s simcha wrapped up with one of the best Beatles songs ever, Hey Jude.  Everyone had their arms around each other in a circle and sang their hearts out, especially during the Na, Na, Na’s at the end.   It was another… “I’ve got the best job in the world” moment. 

The Kirschenbaum’s chose the Mountain Lakes Club for Josh’s event.  In addition to the gorgeous lakefront view, this venue boast’s one of the best Special Event Directors in the business, Pam Bayvel.  Pam and I have produced several Bar and Bat Mitzvahs over the years, she understands the importance of hospitality, timing and an overall collaborative effort.

The Kirchenbaum’s chose our friends at D-Vision to handle the videography services.  Bonnie, Mike and Rich make an excellent multimedia team and never miss a special moment of the celebration. They provided the Vimeo highlight reel for this entry.

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