Mitzvahs

A futuristic bat mitzvah designed by Washington, D.C.-based Terri Bergman of Terri Bergman Events featured a custom soda bar fabricated by Chicka Event Production with built-in iPod listening stations.

A bat mitzvah designed by Boston-based Rafanelli Events incorporated a Willy Wonka theme and a cocktail bar cleverly constructed to resemble candy buttons. Chicka Event Production provided the custom bar.

A Pop Art-inspired bat mitzvah, designed by Danielle Couick of Magnolia Bluebird Design & Events, was held at the Decatur House in Washington, D.C.

The Pop Art-inspired design featured neon pops of color and graphic wall panels.

Couick also incorporated comic-book details throughout the event.

“Kids are telling us about their favorite brands—Sephora, Gap, even Louis Vuitton—and want us to use that brand’s style elements as their design theme,” says Maya Kalman of Swank Productions in New York, who sourced custom yarmulkes for a Louis Vuitton-loving client.

For a tailgate-party-theme bar mitzvah, Sara Renee Lowell of Sara Renee Events in South Florida and lighting company Designs by Sean created sleek cube-shaped photo centerpieces that were illuminated from within.

A bar mitzvah designed by New York-based David Stark Design and Production had custom super-size signs, like an “Eat” sign made out of favorite books.

An illuminated “Drink” sign was constructed using thousands of crayons. After the party, the books and coloring supplies were donated to local charities.

Another bar mitzvah designed by David Stark Design and Production featured LED light installations on the dinner tables as well as suspended overhead. “Instead of using LED to illuminate your decor, the lights themselves become the decor,” Stark says.

More and more families are choosing unexpected party venues: A bat mitzvah also designed by Danielle Couick of Magnolia Bluebird Design & Events was held at the AFI Silver, a movie theater in Silver Spring, Maryland. Film-theme details included a custom movie marquee.

Additional film-theme details included personalized film posters and a step-and-repeat photo op.

Instead of a traditional escort card table, guests snipped off their seating assignments, which dangled from umbrellas, at a wedding designed by Camp Hill, Pennsylvania-based catering and event company the JDK Group.

For an art-theme event, Brooklyn, New York-based floral, decor, and production company Birch Events created the bar’s backdrop out of all-white paintbrushes.

At a graduation party designed by Chicago-based Christina Janda Design & Events, serving spoons with French onion bonbons spelled out “congrats” on a tray and incorporated the guest of honor’s favorite food in a fun, unexpected way.

Escort cards attached to paper cranes were displayed on a large triangular frame at a wedding designed by Janda. “It was a work of art that kept guests talking and talking,” she says.

“This year, our couples are sending guests off with fresh baked mini pizzas in custom boxes, In-N-Out burgers, tacos from a taco truck, and more. Just in case they didn’t get enough to nosh on at the party, this fun trend gives guests one more guilty pleasure for the road,” says Laurie Arons of Laurie Arons Special Events in San Francisco.

For a baseball-theme bar mitzvah at the Nationals Park in Washington, Columbia, Maryland-based Magnolia Bluebird Design & Events designed and built a grand entrance for the party since the real locker room was off-limits at the time. Each locker featured the guest’s name along with a custom jersey and duffel bag.

For the bar mitzvah, kids took batting practice on the field, which featured a classic snow cone station.

At a 40th birthday party, the JDK Group strung doughnuts as decor above the serving table.

Instead of giving away too many party favors, the guests at a preppy party by Magnolia Bluebird picked their favorite charms and adorned leather headbands, key chains, bracelets, rings, or ponytail holders for personalized gifts.

The Los Angeles-based Seed Floral Interactive offers a flower cart, which can be branded or painted any color.