The Bar/Bat Mitzvah Chronicles

I still have 3 years until I need to worry about the Bar/Bat Mitzvah, so I thought. You get the date when your child is in 4^th grade. Some amazing person in town dedicates hours of their time to create a spreadsheet of every single person who is having their Bar/Bat Mitzvah in the coming year with the date. In this neck of the woods there are 3 BIG temples. There are some smaller ones but the big players are B’nai Abraham, B’nai Jeshurun and Beth Shalom.  Seems as though most people want a Saturday night. Now what? Do you book the place, the caterer? The photographer? The D.J? It’s still 2 years away. The vendors would say BOOK US NOW! The parents would say you have some time.

But WHOM do you book?? Who is the best caterer? Who is the best photographer? Who can recreate a room to look like MSG? Who can get everyone on the dance floor in 3 seconds flat and make sure they stay there?  Who? Who? Who?

If you know me by now, you know I did my research. There will be several parts to this little blog. This will be the first.  There are many vendors out there who are very good at what they do.  I am only speaking about those whose work I have seen and I am truly impressed by their artistic ability, creative intelligence and their time they took to help me understand what it is that they do. Again, MY opinion.  If you are a vendor out there and want to send me some examples of your work, please do!

The first part of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah series will focus on the invitations. I believe what sets the stage for the affair is the invitation. Whether the invitation is casual or formal, you should have some idea as to what the party will entail.  I was introduced to Julie Maloof Designs at an event called the “Mitzvah Lounge”. It was an incredible event that showcased many of the vendors in the area who focus on Bar/Bat Mitzvah’s and weddings. I literally walked by her table, did a double take and had to walk back. I was blown away! The craftsmanship, the quality, and the design were absolutely remarkable. You must take a look at some of her work to understand what I am saying but even the fonts she uses are so unique and different.

Let’s take this one for example:

I love the colors used in this invite (big fan of turquoise and lime green). The color combination together is just perfect. I think the way the 3 green dots are placed on the actual invitation is an amazing way to bring in the green color without being over powerful. Even the response card has both the lime green and turq but done in such an elegant way. Right away we know Sam loves music and that will most likely be the theme of his party. We even get a glimpse into some of Sam’s favorite things with the additional card. Such a unique and tasteful invite for a boy!

 

The next one is such a clever invite

Unfortunately you cannot feel the paper but this invite is made out of a laminate. A few things to mention here…I love the lowercase font. You can tell from the font it is not a formal affair. I think it was so smart the way the 3 circles are held together by circular clips. Also, again, the use of color! Purple, Hot Pink, Turquoise and Lime Green…LOVE! The paisley envelope liner ties the invitation together. Julie didn’t a miss beat here!

Samuel Asher (below) is another super nice boy’s invite

 

 

I feel like for a long time boy’s invitations have been somewhat boring and non eventful. Like you look at it, put it up and that was the end of it. Now I feel like anything goes. There is much more creative power with boys invites now more than ever. This invitation looks somewhat formal with the black base but Julie added a pop of color to sharpen it up and give it more of a cool feel. The envelope matches the splash of color on the invite and brings the two together.

Emma Blake (below) is just plain exquisite!

This invitation is a made out of lucite! I LOVE the frosted clear lucite printed in white. It is just magnificent.  The royal blue “Emma Blake” on the liner gives the invite a pop of color while keeping it very classy and crisp. Julie designed more than an invitation, it’s a piece of art!

 

The final one is an example that shows Julie designs go far and above just the invitation process

From the invitation, which had Allison in a glitter font, to the logo that Julie designed and created, her design set the tone. The logo was displayed on everything from the custom pillows, to the cake topper to the private label water bottles. Julie can not only create invitations but napkins, menus, place cards, etc. Just ask her and she will get it down! Her artistic ability is endless.

For more information contact Julie Maloof Designs,   Julie Maloof Designs,  [email protected], 973-615-6952.