Shara’s Bat Mitzvah
On Saturday, November thirteenth, I had the privilege of presiding as the MC and DJ for Shara’s Bat Mitzvah at Shaare Shamayim Synagogue in Philadelphia. It was an amazing party if I do say so myself. I’ll get back to that in a minute.
For me, I consider it a stroke of luck to have even been a part of this event. Although Dean and Heather had booked with Cutting Edge to provide the DJ entertainment, I was not originally scheduled to be the MC for this event, but a few weeks prior I got to hang out with Shara’s Dad, Dean, he’s a great guy and we hit it off almost instantly. After kibitzing for a bit, and playing some Jewish geography I realized that I was acquainted with so many of Dean and Heathers friends and family… it was almost like they were extended family I’d never met. After leaving that night, I called Craig and said I would be the perfect person for this party. Next thing I knew, Craig made the call to Dean and the deed was done.
A few weeks later, I met with the entire family for a wrap up meeting and we all seemed to really hit it off. We began to formulate our plans for the evening as well as the songs and games that Shara was interested in. We chose our candle lighting songs and that was quite a bit of fun listening to mom, dad and Shara decide who would light candles. Shara and her mom won out on all of those decisions (but Dean sure did try). We talked about what they envisioned for their party and I assured them my staff and I would take care of everything.
I was very excited to be a part of this special day for many reasons. First, the family was amazing, Next, I knew quite a bit of the people that were going to be there and I like entertaining when I know the guests, and finally, I like detailed setups and this one would not disappoint.
My crew and I arrived that day about four hours before the party started so we could transform the room into everything that Shara and her family expected. We draped an area of the room and then added pink up lighting to add to the atmosphere and ambiance. We then had our effects lights, multiple stages and a percussionist to add a live feel to the music.
Finally, show-time had arrived. We danced all of the guests into the room and Shara and her friends and family packed the dance floor. My dancers and I could already tell it was going to be a great time. From the first song that we played until the final song of the evening people danced non-stop. Shara was truly in shock when her father surprised her with her Bat Mitzvah gift – backstage passes to meet Justin Bieber the next day – how awesome is that? The guests played along with Ben on percussion and all of the guests were involved with our dancers Ron, Louis, Q, Emily, Ashley, Brittany. DJ Foltzy did a great job of mixing it up with the music and as always Zack transformed the room into a nightclub. The icing on the cake was when Craig showed up and started spinning a few sets… He’s still got it. 🙂
From every aspect, it was a flawless party. The folks from Barclay Caterers were fantastic to work with as always. Our photographer was on top of the action for the entire party as you can see from some of these amazing photos. Thank you to Shara and her family for letting me be share in your special day. You guys are a great people and am looking forward to hanging out with you – as new friends – in the near future.
-DJ Marc Mednick
To learn more about Marc, click here:
“Marc The Good”
A few weeks later, we received this email from Shara’s parents:
Before we started planning our daughter Shara’s Bat Mitzvah, I naively thought; you hire a DJ, he shows up, throws up a couple of speakers and plays his favorite mix of hit songs, people dance, good times… done deal.
Boy, was I wrong….
Cutting Edge Entertainment not only impressed us with their incredible sound system and amazing light show. The entire staff was as attentive and as helpful as can be in the planning stages of our affair. From the moment that I started planning with Craig, he put our minds at ease, that our guests would be entertained, from start to finish.
Our MC, Marc Mednick, sat down with us about a week before and carefully interviewed Shara in regards to to exactly what music she wanted throughout the evening. His attention to detail was incredible, and we planned the entire play list according to Shara’s preferences. Marc not only made us feel comfortable and relaxed in a time that was a little stressful for my wife Heather and I, but we left the meeting really pleased and surprised to see that Shara actually had fun visiting the Cutting Edge offices picking all of her favorite songs for the candle lighting, introductions and special dances…
When we arrived at the synagogue for the big day, and peeked into the ballroom, we couldn’t believe our eyes. We went with a few upgrades from Cutting Edge – which didn’t cost us all that much extra – but were priceless enhancements. The up lighting, pipe and drape and video screen provided a night club like atmosphere in a room that – quite frankly – is normally pretty drab. It was truly an extreme transformation!
From the start of the reception, Cutting Edge’s three female dancers provided a JOLT to the party with their infectious energy, they danced with the kids, and were equally engaging with our adult guests. They naturally made everyone feel important. Booty’s were shaking from the minute our guests entered the party, until the very last moment, because Ashley, Brittany and Emily were the catalysts! And the male dancers were like fireworks with their break dance moves, flips, and crazy antics. Everyone was mesmerized by their incredible talent. The whole production was like sensory overload, and we were loving every minute of it… especially Shara!
No one had more fun than our daughter, and I’ll never forget the look on her face that evening; it was sheer joy. Cutting Edge was solely responsible, because it was very obvious that they know just how to add each ingredient that is necessary to create an incredibly festive atmosphere, without losing it’s classic sense of elegance. Most importantly, Marc made our entire family (even little sister Laura) feel as if we were the center of the universe that evening.
We would formally like to thank to Craig, Marc and the entire staff at Cutting Edge. We put Shara’s Bat Mitzvah in your hands, and you delivered in every way to provide a HOT party that was truly unforgettable for everyone that was there!
~Dean & Heather Rubenstein
Photos courtesy of Howard Karashoff – www.hkpphoto.com
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