Ideas for Your Bar/Bat Mitzvah Theme

Having trouble deciding on a theme for your child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah?  Don’t know where to look?  Is everyone you know doing a “club” and you want something different?

The easiest place to begin looking for ideas is with your child.  Getting him or her involved is as easy as asking them what they want or like.  Sometimes it may feel like a fishing expedition, however, with the right questions, you can get a lot of information. An easy way into your child's mind can be as simple as a discussion about their hobbies, the books they like to read, a favorite TV show or movie.  Use these as great jumping off points to spark interest, thought and even a conversation.  Maybe it is something the two of you share or enjoy doing together as a family.  

When my son was becoming a Bar Mitzvah I knew he loved to read Harry Potter and science fiction books.  So I casually asked him what he thought about having a Harry Potter theme event?  His face lit up and I got my answer.  I began to read all the Harry Potter books. I got tons of ideas from them and a giant plus was we then had the books in common which gave us something to talk about and bond over. 9 years later when a new Harry movie hits the theaters my son waits to go see it with me. 

When it came time for my daughter we decided to go with one of my favorite movies, The Wizard of Oz.  We ran to the video store and purchased the movie and spent hours watching it together discussing all the possibilities.  She put her own stamp on the event in many ways but her biggest idea was to make a modern day Oz. So ask your child what would Oz look like in the year 2012?

Get them involved from the beginning. Once you tap into your child’s passions and imagination the doors begin to open and the possibilities for something unique can become endless.

What are you thinking to do for your Child's Bar/Bat Mitzvah? Do you need some help coming up with how to execute your ideas?  Let me know, I would love to help.

If you found this article helpful or interesting please leave a comment.  Let me know your thoughts, If you have any questions or need any information or would like to see me write about a topic you need help on let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net. Subscribe to our list for your free ebook “Make it Your Own! The Ultimate Guide to Personalize Your Day”

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!

Venue Shopping for Your Wedding: 13 Must Ask Questions

Looking for the perfect venue that fits your budget can be stressful.  There are so many venue options available to you and it can just be overwhelming.  The best thing to do is to start with a clear idea of what kind of wedding you want and then proceed to look for a location that will accommodate your needs.  Here are some questions to ask when looking for that perfect place to tie the knot:

·          Is there a minimum amount of money that I need to spend to have my wedding here on a Saturday night?      What is that amount?

·          Does this number include the service charge and tax?

·          Can I offer my guests a choice with regards to entrée?  Do you need to have this information beforehand?

·          How many bartenders and waiters will I have working at my event?

·          Is there an additional charge for bartenders?

·          Is there a cake-cutting fee?

·          Is the cake included in the price per person or do I have to bring one in?

·          Is there a ceremony set up fee or is this included in the food cost?

·          Is there a venue rental fee?

·          How many hours do I have the space for?

·         What time can I load in? What about load out?

·          What are the overtime charges?

·          Are there any sound restrictions?

If you found this article helpful or interesting please leave a comment.  Let me know your thoughts, If you have any questions or need any information or would like to see me write about a topic you need help on let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net. Subscribe to our list for your free ebook “Make it Your Own! The Ultimate Guide to Personalize Your Day”

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!

Real Bar Mitzvah Celebration

For this Bar Mitzvah celebration my client's child wanted us to replicate his sleep away camp experience while maintaining a certain "elegance" to co-join with the "rustic".  For the adult seating, and to reduce some costs, we created 2 different but complimentary centerpieces; consisting of large tree branches, lanterns and orchids. The linens from Classic Party Rentals were orange floor length  with a burlap overlay.  The tables were set with metal chargers and in staying with the theme we rented padded wooden chairs. The feeling in the room was "rustic elegant."  For the kids area we  used picnic tables interspersed with lounges using Adirondack furniture for the rustic feel of a campground.  In addition we added all things that kids at sleep away camp like to receive such as magazines, kosher candies and care packages.  The care packages were created with different foods that would later be donated to the Sova Food Pantry.

If you found this article helpful or interesting please leave a comment.  Let me know your thoughts, If you have any questions or need any information or would like to see me write about a topic you need help on let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net. Subscribe to our list for your free ebook “Make it Your Own! The Ultimate Guide to Personalize Your Day”

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!

De Mystifying the ++ in Wedding Planning

I see a lot of confusion regarding the “++” for Brides and Bar/Bat Mitzvah families when they are faced with planning their own Weddings and Mitzvahs.  When researching venues and caterers the ++ seems to roll right off of the tongue of the skilled banquet manager as he mentions it and then deftly moves onto other subjects and information.

I have discovered that the ++ is the single, largest hidden charge that you are going to have to deal with when planning your wedding or special event; and the only reason it is “hidden” is because no one wants to ask what it stands for so it gets ignored      until you have to pay your bill. 

The ++ stands for tax and service charge.  Here’s where it gets confusing: there is no standard when it comes to the service charge, and tax is regulated by the state or city in which your event takes place. The typical range for a service charge is 18-22%  of the cost of goods sold.

Therefore, when you fall in love with the perfect wedding venue and their Saturday night minimum charge is $40,000.00 you need to ask if this includes the ++ and if it isn't included, you can count adding approximately $12,000.00 in fees.

If you found this article helpful or interesting please leave a comment.  Let me know your thoughts, If you have any questions or need any information or would like to see me write about a topic you need help on let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net. Subscribe to our list for your free ebook “Make it Your Own! The Ultimate Guide to Personalize Your Day”

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!

9 Bar/Bat Mitzvah Decisions to Make Now

As you get ready to plan your child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration there are some very important questions you need to ask yourself before you find or choose a venue and put down a deposit.  These 7 important questions will help you get started and give you a direction so that you can pick a space that fits your needs and vision for this once in a lifetime day.

            1.  What kind of a party do you want to have: a “kid only” or “Mixed Generation”?

            2.  At your reception are you planning to have the kids and adults together in the            same room?

            3. Do you know how many people you are inviting? What is the break down between adults and kids?

           4. Where are you in the circuit?

           5.  What would be best suited for your child based on his/her personality and time of the year?

           6. Do you want to separate the kids and adults and have two simultaneous parties happening at the same venue?

           7. Were you planning on a morning service or Havdallah?

           8. Were you planning on having bus transportation for the children if you are having a Havdallah service?  Will you provide a bus in both directions?

           9. Are you inviting the entire class/grade at your child’s school?

If you found this article helpful or interesting please leave a comment.  Let me know your thoughts, If you have any questions or need any information or would like to see me write about a topic you need help on let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net. Subscribe to our list for your free ebook “Make it Your Own! The Ultimate Guide to Personalize Your Day”

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!

Wedding Budget Blues- 5 Money Saving Tips to Try Now

You just got engaged!  You are so excited till you start to look at wedding venues – then suddenly you find yourself in a panic.  Everything costs so much! You want a fabulous, beautiful wedding like the ones you see on TV; but you don’t know how you are going to pay for it all. 

Try these money saving strategies:

Give yourself a long engagement. 

Set up a separate bank account – call it the wedding fund and each week put in a minimum of $100. 

Everyday before you go to bed empty your change purse into a jar or piggy bank. Include all the 1 dollar bills that you have in your wallet.  Do not touch this money till you are ready to count it out.

Every Friday evening take whatever money from your purse that you did not spend and put it in an envelope marked wedding fund.  Then put the envelope in a place you will forget about.  Do this every single week, without fail.

Apply for credit card that gives you mileage and use it to help pay for your wedding.  The mileage you accrue can be put towards airfare or hotel for your honeymoon.

Set up a pay schedule with your wedding vendors.  They will be happy to get their money in advance and you will not be hit with a large bill in the week prior to your big day.

If you found this article helpful or interesting please leave a comment.  Let me know your thoughts, If you have any questions or need any information or would like to see me write about a topic you need help on let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net. Subscribe to our list for your free ebook “Make it Your Own! The Ultimate Guide to Personalize Your Day”

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Lighting: DJ vs Lighting Designer?

You are planning your child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah and you feel like you are spending endless amounts of money on giant centerpieces to match your theme, linens for your tables, furniture for lounges and just when you think you are done someone says what about the lighting.  You think to yourself, well the event space will take care of that. What and why do I need to spend money on the lighting for? Or my favorite: the DJ will provide it, it is part of their package.

In my opinion, properly lighting your room is the most important décor element. It will set the mood for your entire event.  Good lighting will highlight what you want the eye to see. Pin spots on your centerpieces will allow them to pop.  So when your guests walk into the room they will actually see them.  Lighting adds texture and layers to your event space.  You can use lighting to create a feeling of warm and fuzzy, or you can light for energy, or cold for a winter wonderland.  The possibilities are endless.

Traditionally a DJ’s lighting package will provide lighting for the dance floor and only the dance-floor.  While he may have some cool intelligent lights that will create some shapes that can move around the room, chances are there will not be enough instruments in the package to be impactful.  Furthermore, your DJ’s lighting will not set a tone, mood or highlight anything else in the room.

 

 A lighting company is going to work closely with your event planner, decorator, florist and/or venue to create an ambiance for your room.  He will also speak to the property engineer to make sure you have enough power at the venue to provide electricity for lighting, music, and anything else that needs an electric current.  He will ensure you have the proper power drops, in the room to handle your vendor stations, blenders and coffee makers.  Furthermore, he will create custom shapes (gobos) that you can use to further brand your event.

If you found this article helpful or interesting please leave a comment.  Let me know your thoughts, If you have any questions or need any information or would like to see me write about a topic you need help on let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net. Subscribe to our list for your free ebook “Make it Your Own! The Ultimate Guide to Personalize Your Day”

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!

Whose Wedding Is It? 3 Stay Calm Tips

Do you feel overwhelmed and stressed because your parents don’t seem to care about what you want?  Are you not sleeping at night because you wanted a small wedding and now his Mom just gave you a list for 200 people and she isn’t even paying?  Are you surrounded by people who seem to be whining about your wedding instead of supporting and helping you?

It just isn’t fair!  It’s your wedding and everyone thinks they have a say in it. 

It is time to take back your wedding, your dreams and your sanity.

Begin writing in a journal.  Make it part of your morning routine. Keep it next to your bed and every morning before you get out of bed start your day by writing 3 pages.  Write whatever comes to your mind and do not filter your thoughts or feelings.  This is for you and you alone, so do not let anyone else read it.  Use this journal to explore your wedding dreams and fantasies, use it to write about who you are mad at, disappointed in.  Express yourself, journal about your fears. Use these pages to get out all your anger, confusion and frustration. You will want to finish these pages with a gratitude list; even if you are not feeling grateful write the list anyway. Keep this journal going till your wedding day. And remember always, have 1 page or 1 paragraph to focus on what you love and what you are grateful for.

Get clear on the wedding you want and the number of people you want to have.  Your morning journaling will help you find the clarity.  Write down your wedding dreams- your likes, dislikes, your vision.  Again Do Not Edit yourself.  This is your place to become clear. Write about your money fears and concerns, your fiancee, your parents, his parents,  your grand ma.  Create a vision board of pictures that express who you are and what you want your wedding to be like.  If you are clear in your vision, dreams and wish list it will become easier for you to filter and deflect all the chatter.

Schedule a sit down with your particular “crazy maker” and have a calm discussion about your wedding.  Do it someplace local, like your favorite café or restaurant.  Do not have this conversation at home, it will be too easy to have tempers fly and doors slam.  Thank this person for all their help, input and amazing ideas.  Let them know that you have heard their request and would love to honor it but here is where you are stuck.  If it is monetary ask them, calmly if they can contribute.  If it is about inviting 100 people you never met find out why this list is so important and who is a “must have invitee and why”.  Then be prepared to compromise.  Your wedding is one day in your life and chances are your “crazy maker” is someone you have an ongoing relationship with.  Make it clear to this person that you would be more than happy to include them in your wedding, however, they need to schedule time with you to have these conversations.

Choose the path that will make you the happiest and bring you the most amount of joy.  It is so easy to be right, but that does not always bring us happiness and joy.  Choose happy, it is infectious and will give you a healthier life.

If you found this article helpful or interesting please leave a comment.  Let me know your thoughts, If you have any questions or need any information or would like to see me write about a topic you need help on let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net. Subscribe to our list for your free ebook “Make it Your Own! The Ultimate Guide to Personalize Your Day”

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!

  

Bar Mitzvah Planning- 5 Must Know Secrets to Choosing Your DJ

So you just received the Bar/Bat Mitzvah date of your first child.  How exciting!  After you call your husband and announce the date to the family you sit back and suddenly you are hit with: “Now what?!”

When you begin to plan your child’s Mitzvah I think one of the first things to do is look into 

a DJ.  Some of the more “popular” MC’s can book up to two years in advance. While this 

might seem a bit crazy it does happen.  Here are some things to think about when choosing your 

DJ/MC:

Before committing to any one DJ you should consider the school your children attend. 

You do not want to hire the same MC that all the other kids in the class are using. 

Have your child sit in on the meeting with the MC.  If your child connects to this person go for it.

If he/she thinks this person is cool and fun then you have won half the battle.

Also, consider the personality of the person you are meeting.  If he/she is boring and quiet, 

just remember this will be the person who will be running your party.

Do not get caught up in the DJ’s pitch to up sell you on his lighting package or “vendor 

cocktail options”  you have time to think about these things, they will still be available at

 a later date.

Don’t get caught up with hiring 5-10 dancers/party motivators.  The rule of thumb is roughly 

1 for every 50 guests.  If you have too many on your dance floor in can be just as intimidating 

as an empty dance floor.

If you found this article helpful or interesting please leave a comment.  Let me know your 

thoughts, If you have any questions or need any information or would like to see me write 

about a topic you need help on let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below 

you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net. Subscribe to our list for your free ebook “Make it Your Own! The Ultimate Guide to Personalize 

Your Day”

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!