Lilly’s Mitzvah Bat Mitzvah Party at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, VA

I’ve known Lilly and her family for a long time, so it was an absolute pleasure to to work with them for Lilly’s Bat Mitzvah and see what a kind, sweet young woman she’s grown into. Lilly’s family really wanted to focus on the Mitzvah and the Jewish tradition part of the Bat Mitzvah, so we thought through different ways to make that happen. I wanted to share some of the behind the scenes info, as well as some of my favorite images from the day.

The Decor

Lilly loves the colors light blue and lavender and she told me from the start that those were the colors she wanted to incorporate into the decor. We were able to use that color scheme throughout.

In keeping the focus on the Mitzvah itself, Lilly and her parents decided to create centerpieces with a dual purpose. After the event, all of the cans were donated to AFAC, the Arlington Food Assistance Center. Lilly wrote a note which was placed on each table to explain why this was an important cause to her.

Bat Mitzvah Can Centerpieces at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, VA | Pop Color Events | Adding a Pop of Color to Bar & Bat Mitzvahs in DC, MD & VA | Photo by Alison Tremblay

Cans also served as the base for balloons in the event’s colors on the kids tables.

Can and Balloon Bat Mitzvah Centerpieces at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, VA | Pop Color Events | Adding a Pop of Color to Bar & Bat Mitzvahs in DC, MD & VA | Photo by Alison Tremblay

In addition to donating cans, the catering company the family chose, New Course, also trains homeless and unemployed people to become chefs and chefs assistants. This was just another way that Mitzvah-related details were included in Lilly’s party.

The Entertainment

Bringing in the Klezmer Band, Lox and Vodka, was one of the primary ways we kept the celebration Jewish. The hora was probably the best one I’ve ever been part of. Every single person was up and dancing.

Hora at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, VA | Pop Color Events | Adding a Pop of Color to Bar & Bat Mitzvahs in DC, MD & VA | Photo by Alison Tremblay

After the hora was Israeli dancing, and, again, every single guest was up and dancing. The circle of guests dancing went all the way around the Social Hall!

Israeli Dancing at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, VA | Pop Color Events | Adding a Pop of Color to Bar & Bat Mitzvahs in DC, MD & VA | Photo by Alison Tremblay

In addition to the klezmer music, we also had MC Zack from Washington Talent who kept the dancing and games going throughout the afternoon. The band and DJ worked together seamlessly and guests loved the mix of live and recorded music.

MC/DJ at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, VA

Green Screen

A fancy green screen called the Sketch Book allowed guests to digitally put accessories (from moustaches to sunglasses to hats and more) on their photos. Guests loved the takeaway!Bat Mitzvah Green Screen at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, VA | Pop Color Events | Adding a Pop of Color to Bar & Bat Mitzvahs in DC, MD & VA | Photo by Alison Tremblay

The Pop!

With the help of Cutie Patootie Creations and Corporate Sports, we put together this fun sign in board (which matched her invitations and escort cards)…

Lavendar and Blue Bat Mitzvah Sign In Board at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, VA | Pop Color Events | Adding a Pop of Color to Bar & Bat Mitzvahs in DC, MD & VA | Photo by Alison Tremblay

and these fun water bottles. The water bottles helped to tie into the focus on the Mitzvah because it encouraged guests to use a reusable water bottle rather than disposable ones. Lilly had a vision for how she wanted the water bottles to look and I think they came out great!

Lavender and Blue Bat Mitzvah Waterbottles at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, VA | Pop Color Events | Adding a Pop of Color to Bar & Bat Mitzvahs in DC, MD & VA | Photo by Alison Tremblay

Lilly’s parents were thrilled with how it all turned out:

Using Pop Color for our daughter’s Bat Mitzvah was one of the best decisions we have made. Our event was even better than we expected and we had luxury of actually enjoying it. Brynne was fantastic at keeping us on track at every stage of the planning process. She laid out the choices on all the decisions in a way that made the whole thing manageable. Her expertise and previous relationships with the many vendors saved us time, money and gave us the peace of mind of knowing that we were booking caterers and entertainers with a strong track record. This prevented a lot of stress. Brynne looked over all the contracts to make sure they were in order and for the correct date, timeframe and services. We definitely felt like vendors treated us better since we were dealing with a party planner where there was a previous and future relationship to protect. Brynne had all the answers; from where to buy yarmulkes to how high a centerpiece should be without blocking the view of the person across the table

The week of the Bat Mitzvah was even better. Brynne came to our house to pick up and organize the items and decorations we had accumulated over the previous 12 months. The next time we saw them was at the reception when everything looked amazing. The day of the Bat Mitzvah, the staff at Pop Color Events took care of everything and we were really able to enjoy ourselves at our own party. Brynne had a detailed timeline for the party and made all the vendors aware of it. The photographer knew where to be when something was about to happen and the party timeline went smooth.

I cannot imagine planning and experiencing a Bat Mitzvah without Pop Color Events.

-Lilly’s Parents

Thanks to Lilly’s family for letting me (and the vendors listed below) be part of your special day! It was a pleasure to work with you!

Photographer: Alison Tremblay
Venue: Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, VA
Entertainment: Lox and Vodka Klezmer Band, DJ Zack, Washington Talent
Green Screen: Snap Entertainment
Water bottles: Corporate Sports
Sign In Board, Print Materials: Cutie Patootie Creations
Catering: New Course Catering