Dreams
Continued from Page 19
Riding a wave of Philly pride, Philadelphia’s mummers are
also expected to be ubiquitous, said Fitzpatrick. She credits Ea-
gles center Jason Kelce’s memorable Super Bowl parade speech,
in full mummers regalia, for jump-starting the vogue.

“Mummers groups are boning up on the Rocky and Eagles fight
songs,” noted Fitzpatrick, who coordinates entertainers as EBE’s
talent director. “They’re being asked for that so much right now.”
Philadelphia itself — a city that inspires outsized pride and
passion — is a more popular theme than ever, especially follow-
ing a spate of high-profile events (the Pope’s visit, the Democrat-
ic National Convention, the Eagles win). “Anytime anyone gets
married in Philly, it’s nice to do something that’s inherent to the
city,” Zaslow said.

Party favors and out-of-town guest bags have long included
Wooden “LOVE” sign
with floral
arch Photo
provided Rose gold, sequins, tall flowers and wooden lanterns highlight a
wedding. Photo provided
20 MARCH 22, 2018
local flavors like Tastykakes and Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews.

Recently, Zaslow had a copy of the city’s iconic “LOVE” sign
made for a wedding at the Radnor Valley Country Club, where
it was tacked to a tree for the outdoor ceremony.

That wedding, recalled Zaslow, fit into another big trend
planners are seeing: organic-tinged nuptials, inspired by farm-
ers markets and all things natural and artisanal. “We’re even do-
ing green and woodsy for a Bar Mitzvah cocktail hour,” Zaslow
said. “It’s carrying through to a lot of events.”
The dress code may still be formal, but today’s reception
decor is likely to feature burlap, branches, succulents and river
rocks, said Stacey Kesselman, the president and owner of Con-
shohocken-based Exceptional Events. Especially at weddings,
guests in silk and pearls are routinely following hand-carved
wooden signs to rough-hewn tables and chairs.

Green, it seems, is everywhere — in the floral arrangements,
as a color scheme, and even as a concept. One popular twist
is for couples to recycle their wedding bouquets and floral ar-
rangements by donating them to local hospitals. Fitzpatrick ar-
ranges to have the blooms picked up overnight so patients wake
up to them.

In keeping with the social consciousness, couples are
also making charitable donations in lieu of traditional par-
SIMCHAS JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



ty favors to cut down on waste. “I’m also
seeing a lot more potted plants as opposed
to cut flowers, even just for the aisle,” Fitz-
patrick observed.

For the younger set, Bar and Bat Mitz-
vah parties tend to celebrate the individu-
al. Kesselman sees a lot of receptions in the
colors of a favorite summer camp, with ta-
bles named for “dance, drama, the dome —
whatever’s specific to the camp,” she said.

Technology is behind some of the newest
themes. In the era of Instagram poses and
YouTube contouring videos, fashion is hav-
ing a moment — with Gucci logos in
the photo booth, “paparazzi” chasing
the Bat Mitzvah girl, and red carpets
leading into the reception.

Video game schemes are more of
a hit with boys, planners said. Zaslow
has designed tables with app screen
centerpieces and table cards shaped
like iPhones (with personalized “text
messages” indicating where to sit).

“Something I’m seeing more and
more for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs is a
theme that’s a play on the kid’s name
or initial — a pun that ties the night
together and is unique to their child,” Fitzpatrick said.

That’s how Ava Schrier of Blue Bell ended up celebrating her
February Bat Mitzvah with “One ExtrAVAgant Night,” incorporat-
ing her first name as a theme designed by Fitzpatrick.

the What does One extrAVAgant Night look
like? At the Bluestone Country Club, it meant
a room bathed in Caribbean blue, with what
Ava’s mother Kim Schrier called “jaw-drop-
ping centerpieces,” glittering jewels and
sparkly blue stones everywhere. “Afterward,
everyone said it truly was an extravagant
night,” she recalled.

Names are popular because they make
natural logos, and B’nai Mitzvah logos are
suddenly de rigeur. It may sound weird to
anyone over 35, but teens today cap off their
rite of passage with a custom-designed stamp,
imprinted on everything from water bottles
and cocktail napkins to kippot and tote bags.

“You have to think about how your logo will
fit on a sweatshirt, how many colors it should
be,” recalled Kim Schrier of the hours she and
Ava spent combing Pinterest for inspiration.

“Every color is a cost, and if you do a girlier
Examples of theme
logo, what do you put on the boys’ shirts?”
decor Against a backdrop of social media “likes,”
Photos provided
such pressure to be unique can be overwhelm-
ing, Zaslow said. And not everyone plays an
instrument, is crazy about shopping or cheers for a sports team. For
those clients, Zaslow gently steers the conversation toward favorite
colors or initials.

“Trying to define what you’re going to be for the rest of your
life — that’s a lot of pressure for a 13-year-old, and even for a
bride,” the planner noted. “It’s fine just to make it simple, under-
stated and beautiful.” ❤
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