Mitzvah Entertainment

Becoming a bar or bat mitzvah is an important milestone for young Jewish people. But planning the big celebration is a considerable undertaking for their parents! Fortunately, you can plan a fun bar or bat mitzvah in Philadelphia and its surrounding areas with these tips and tricks.

Choose a theme for your bar/bat mitzvah. Think about what your child’s bar or bat mitzvah means to you and what your child’s interests are. This process can help influence the theme of your big day. From the decor to the type of entertainment you want to have down to the food you’ll serve; a theme can be extremely helpful when planning a major event like a bar or bat mitzvah.

Book your bar/bat mitzvah venue. Typically bar and bat mitzvahs are held in country clubs, hotels, or wedding venues. Because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, people have started to get creative to host events safely. When booking a location, consider the outdoor venues in your area. You can also connect with the more traditional venues and see if they’re offering covered outdoor options. The number of people and time of year your bar or bat mitzvah takes place will greatly influence your venue choice.

Decide on the vendors who will bring your bar/bat mitzvah to life. The vendors you hire are responsible for the food, drinks, and fun at a bar or bat mitzvah. Food and drink are of paramount importance, of course. But the entertainment you have at a bar or bat mitzvah is just as important! Whether you’re looking for a DJ or a live band, or a cool combination of the two, trust the Philadelphia bar and bat mitzvah MCs at EBE to combine music, video, lighting, and dance entertainment.

Hire a photographer that specializes in bar and bat mitzvahs. Your big day isn’t going to last forever, but that’s where photo and videographers come in. EBE can provide a talented Videographer as well. To choose a great photographer, ask friends and family who have held bar or bat mitzvahs before for recommendations. Before making a final decision, make sure you’ve seen their previous work and express clearly what kind of shots you want to be taken on the big day to make sure everyone is on the same page.

When you are ready to decide about the entertainment that will perform at your bar or bat mitzvah, EBE is here to help. Contact us today to find out more information about our DJs and live bands!

Want to learn more about our EBE Team Members? Vendors We Love? New Products?

Our brand new Bar/Bat Mitzvah Hall of Fame series spotlights families of Bar/Bat Mitzvahs who have thrown some of the most AMAZING events we have ever seen and gives you a behind the scenes look at how they made it all happen. All of the information and photos were submitted directly from each family, so we are sharing their first-hand experience. We hope this helps you find inspiration and ideas to make your own event Hall of Fame worthy!

Dani’s Bat Mitzvah was an easy choice for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Hall of Fame (her Dad is an industry pro after all). What really made her tropical colored, survivor themed, event stand out was the level of detail and thoughtfulness they used to plan each and every aspect of the day. Dani and her family’s genuine excitement and appreciation for all of their guests created a warm, welcoming atmosphere and of course, they had a dance floor that NEVER stopped! Mazel Tov, Dani, on being inducted to the EBE Bar/Bat Mitzvah Hall of Fame!

Dani’s Bat Mitzvah Details

Parent: Ben O.

Bat Mitzvah: Danielle (Dani)

Event Date: 11/16/19

Bat Mitzvah Project: Making custom blankets for dogs in dog shelters

Service Location: Temple Brith Achim – King of Prussia, PA –  https://www.brithachim.org/

Reception Location: Radnor Valley Country Club – Villanova, PA – https://radnorvalleycc.com/special-events/

Afternoon or Evening Affair: Evening 

Guest Count: 100 Adults, 100 Young Adults

Theme and/or décor color palette: Survivor/Tropical Island

Who/What did you hire from EBE? What didn’t we have?! Dreamtime, MC Josh Smilk, DJ, 3 Dancers, 2 photo booths, Lighting, A/V screens, Videography and more. www.ebetalent.com

I cannot say enough great things about everyone! From top to bottom, everyone made an effort to understand our needs, learn our vision, and then did everything they could to turn that vision into a reality. This could be as simple as the bandleader Andriana playing the perfect pop versions of songs on violin for our cocktail hour, Josh and the DJ keeping the kids entertained and the evening on schedule throughout, the band learning a few new songs for us, etc. Who really stood out was EBE’s Lighting and Production Director, Tara Buchanan. She coordinated all of EBE’s lighting and production. She even met me onsite the day before the party as she oversaw all the installation of everything, met many of the venues quirky challenges (such as a low roof), and made sure everything was setup as I expected. The band was on fire throughout the party, and the dancers made every effort to keep kids and adults alike active and involved all night long. Cannot say enough great things about everyone involved. Thanks again for everything!

Who was your Planner? Planned everything myself

Who was your Caterer? Radnor Valley CC provided the food

Who was your Photographer? Jordan Cassway Photography – http://casswayphoto.com/mitzvah/. 

He was amazing! Danielle’s was actually our second Mitzvah. For our first (for our twins) we actually hired a different photographer. That’s photographer’s photos were OK at best. Nothing bad, but not one photo that made me say, “Wow!” Was the total opposite experience with Jordan. He took the time to learn what specific photos we wanted and made sure that he captured them all. I had even mentioned to him offhand one time how that first photographer didn’t get a single picture of my older daughter with her friends at her Mitzvah. Jordan went out of his way to make sure to get these shots as well, and it wasn’t even her party! We literally just last week printed and framed some of Jordan’s pictures, so I get to appreciate his work every time I’m in my living room.

Who was your Videographer? EBE Talent – www.ebetalent.com

For videography we actually used EBE (as we did for both of our parties). Was a perfect capture of the day. Was wonderful getting to not only relive all of the great moments of the night, but also to experience all of the things that we missed. Plus, his drone shots were amazing!

Who was your Decorator?  Vito Russo. www.xtraordinaryevents.net

At the time he was with another company, but he has since opened Xtraordinary Events. Cannot recommend him highly enough. Everything looked beautiful, and he went above and beyond to come up with ideas to match the theme that we had in mind. He gave us that wow moment that we were hoping for when all of our guests entered the ballroom. Cannot recommend Vito highly enough!

Did you include any fun extras?

We gave hoodies to the kids (OK, I have one too and actually wore it just yesterday!), gift cards for prizes, dance floor hand outs, and had two photo booths (one for green screen and one traditional enclosed booth).

Where did you find your family’s formal wear?

Ben (Dad) wore a custom suit from haberdasher Tom McKendry – https://www.tomjames.com/shop/

Allison (Mom) wore a black, beaded knee-length dress from Berta Sawyer –  https://bertasawyer.com/

Dani’s pink knee-length dress was from Party Girls – http://www.partygirlsnewtown.com/

Who were your hair and makeup artists? Angelic Hair + Makeup Designs (Angel Simpkins) – https://www.facebook.com/Angelic-Hair-Makeup-Designs-318721998578934/.

 Have never seen my wife and daughters look so beautiful!

Who made your cake? Sweet Jazmine’s Bakery – www.sweetjazmines.com

Who created your invitations? Invitations of Distinction: Invitations of Distinction | Facebook 

What was the most meaningful/memorable part of the whole thing to you and your family?

You only get a handful of moments like this throughout your lifetime. Particularly coming just a few months before COVID hit, you really just appreciate celebrating life’s moments with family and friends. So thankful to everyone involved for doing so much for my family.

What was your favorite part of the event?

It’s a family tradition where we jump on stage and sing Springsteen with the band. My curse in life is that I LOVE singing, but am so bad at it! Despite how bad we were though, LOL, you could really see how much the band enjoyed celebrating with us in this way. Watching the video you could see that they were having just as much fun as we were!

What was your least favorite part of planning?

I love planning, so my least favorite part was when the party ended. You put so much time and effort into planning the night, and then at the snap of a finger it’s all over. Need another occasion so that I can plan something else!

What is the best advice you received during the planning process?

Don’t wait until the last minute. The best vendors always get booked quickly, so make sure to procure your entertainment, etc. right away. If there’s anything you cannot envision your event without, grab it before someone else does.

What tip or advice you would give to anyone else planning a Bar/Bat Mitzvah?

More than anything else, see how hard a vendor is willing to work to earn your business. If it takes days and days and multiple attempts to get a hold of somebody, no matter how good their product is, they aren’t worth your time. If that’s how hard they’re willing to work to earn your business, expect that they will work even less hard for you once they have it. One of the best things about EBE was that I never went more than one business day for someone to reply to me.

Having been a mitzvah emcee for seven years, I have worked with a lot of great people, (and some crazies, but that’s a different list). I’ve helped families throw small quaint afternoon mitzvahs, over the top night club style mitzvahs and everything in between. Though the events come in all shapes and sizes, there is one major commonality. Every family wants to know, “How do we make our party different from everyone else’s?” So here’s a list of the top 5 mitzvah add-ons that pack the most punch. Maybe you’ll agree with me, maybe you’ll be more surprised to see what didn’t make the list, but here goes…

1. Drummer or Percussionist

Call me old-fashioned, but this is definitely my all time favorite. Nothing will add a live kick or extra energy to a room like someone playing a drum set or a percussion kit along with the DJ.

What is the difference between a drummer and a percussionist you ask?

A drummer plays a traditional drum set, like you’ve seen in every rock band in the world. When a drummer kicks that bass drum, it does something to the sound that speakers simply cannot. A GREAT mitzvah drummer will also be somewhat of a showman while he/she is playing, bringing lots of energy and “swag” (as the kids call it) to their performance. And yes, they should PERFORM during the party and not just stare off into space while lackadaisically hitting the drums every now and then.

A percussionist will play congas, which stand up, and usually a bunch of auxiliary or “hand instruments” such as shakers, tambourines, etc. A GREAT mitzvah percussionist will also be interactive and invite guests (especially little kids) to come play with them. How’s that for a photo op?! My extensive research on the subject has shown that, from Bubby to little brother, EVERYONE likes to get up and bang on the congas.

Here’s a drummer that can move:
https://www.ebetalent.com/p/dj-drums/

2. Confetti Cannons

This one even sounds cool.

“What are you having at your party?”

“Cannons…”

This one could be tough to get the venue’s cooperation on, but if we can bribe Betsy Banquet Manager to allow it- Confetti Cannons are AWESOME!

Imagine a Grand Entrance, “Please welcome Sydnnnneyyyyyyyyyyy!” (BOOM!) Confetti explodes over the crowd. That would be quite a statement and would definitely let guests know what kind of night they’re in for.

3. Party Print

So you were with me on the first two and now you’re probably wondering what on earth Party Print is. It’s really cool, let me explain.

Party Print is the newest product under the Photo Favor umbrella to be offered at events. Instead of walking over to a photo station, waiting, having your picture taken in front of a backdrop and going back later to pick it up, your guests download an app (available for iPhone and Android). Once downloaded, guests take their OWN pictures from anywhere and at any time during the party. The images are then magically transmitted to a photo station, where they are printed and framed for each guest to take home! Also, a border can be added to the photos with some sort of “Lexi’s Bat Mitzvah 11-22-14” message around it. Lastly, the host will receive a flash drive of all the photos taken at the end of the event. Yes, that very night you could take all the pictures home and start uploading them to social media.

As a bolt-on to this idea, a TV monitor can be added to display all of the pictures (montage style) throughout the night for everyone to see. With or without the monitor, the pictures are absolutely unlimited. This activity is bound to get everyone, especially the tech- addicted young adults involved and having fun.

Want more details? There’s a link for that:
https://www.ebetalent.com/p/party-print/

4. Plexi Screens

If video screens are going to be incorporated into an event, plexi screens are definitely the way to go. These 80″ monsters are crystal clear and will be hung to look like they are floating in mid -air. The projectors are placed behind the screens (known as rear-projection in technology land) for a neat, clean and polished look.

Having a hard time picturing this?
https://www.ebetalent.com/p/plexiscreens/

5. LED Video Wall

I still remember the first time we took the LED Video Wall out on location. It was at the Four Seasons in Philly, for Dylan’s, “D Lounge” themed Bar Mitzvah. Dylan’s friends came piling into the room as the music kicked into high gear. Everyone was dancing, but they weren’t as pumped up as we wanted them to be. Once the wall flipped on, they saw his D Lounge logo on the biggest, brightest, coolest screen in the history of Bar Mitzvah technology. Their mouths literally dropped as they stared at the front of the room. As the LED Video Wall played the first music video of the night, the crowd went bananas. As the party unfolded everyone was mesmerized by ambient images, the Bar Mitzvah Montage, countless music videos, and each element shown on the LED Video Wall looked more impressive than the last.

Put your sunglasses on:
https://www.ebetalent.com/p/video-wall/

If the links are not enough, we’re having a mitzvah showcase on March 2nd, 2014 at the Ace Conference Center. Come check it out and make your own list. www.ebetalent.com/DJexpo

– Stephanie Fitzpatrick
EBE Mitzvah Emcee

Jonathan,

Thanks to you and the rest of the staff for creating such a wonderful party. It was a fabulous night!! The sequence, flow, energy- all perfect. I wouldn’t have changed a thing (other than wishing I had the foresight to make a food plate to stash so I could have sampled more!). I was so impressed by how the cocktail room was altered to create such a nice space- the lighting and the music were perfect, as well; so much nicer than I imagined. I’ve gotten rave reviews from both friends and family. Paul and the dancers were great- to get all generations dancing is no small feat!

So again, many, many thanks. We had a wonderful time; Liana was so beautifully celebrated!

Kate

Steve–

I wanted to e-mail you to let you know that Stephanie did an unbelievable, fantastic, terrific, fabulous job on Saturday night. I don’t have Sean’s e-mail to copy him as well, but he was, as well, wonderful, fun, energetic and beyond terrific as well! The musical accompaniments were excellent–the music was really absolutely perfect!! I really hope that I have another chance to work with Stephanie and Sean again in the future, because they were an amazing team and both were absolute pleasures to work with! Lucy had an unbelievable time, which is really the most important thing–but it would not have happened had it not been for Sean and Stephanie–so thank you and thank you to both of them, I truly appreciated all of their efforts (and the dancers were amazing as well, I just don’t know their names!!–sorry about that!).

Samantha

Dear Stephanie,

Hope you had a wonderful Holiday.

Stephanie, I just want to thank you one more time. Absolutely everything went smoothly. You have a very professional crew. Everyone was very friendly and willing to accommodate all of our requests.

It was an unforgettable evening. Thank you for all your help and input!

Sincerely,

Yvette

Hi Stephanie,

Thanks so much to you and your crew for a great party last Saturday! A great time was had by everyone and all the girls friends thought you were the bomb!

Alyssa