After making the trip out to Hawaii for her sibling’s wedding, Ashlyn knew she wanted to capture the island aesthetic for her upcoming Bat Mitzvah. In June of this year, we were able to help her do just that!

One of our favorite aspects of planning parties is interacting with our hosts. Sometimes they have a very specific idea of how they’d like the event to look and feel. Other times they leave it to our imagination. We thoroughly enjoy both scenarios, but we have to say that it was truly a pleasure working with Ashlyn in the weeks leading up to her special day. To start the planning process, Ashlyn and Julie did lots of brainstorming and created mood boards to set the direction for the event. Throughout their collaboration, Ashlyn was very mature and had a clear idea of what she wanted. The photos you see throughout this blog post stem from her vision!

For maximum island immersion, we carefully chose décor and cuisine to satisfy all five senses. The maple and strawberry flavored cupcakes and cake pops were island delights to the guests’ tastes buds. The feel of the center pieces’ real island flowers transported guest right to an island beach. The tropical aroma of fresh coconuts filled the air, thanks to Julie, who split all the coconuts herself! The sounds of island music filled the hall all night. Although there were many sights to make one feel as if they were actually in Hawaii, our favorite sight of the night was the large monstera leaves that were set at each plate with the personal greeting, "Aloha’!

The gorgeous venue overlooked the picturesque Catoctin Mountains, and even though heavy rains stayed with us for most of the day, Ashlyn was still able to have her service overlooking the mountains under the covered patio. Following the service, the younger guests entered the hall, where the party continued with indoor games complimented with tunes from the event DJ. At this time, adult guests enjoyed cocktail hour on the outdoor patio. Once games and cocktail hour wrapped up, everyone was brought inside for dinner. To wrap up the tropical event, guests were invited to dance and celebrate Ashlyn's special day. As you can see, the event was simply lovely from beginning to end.

COVID-19 Precautions

Even under normal conditions, it would’ve been a logistical challenge to fly all guests in attendance to Hawaii for this event. Luckily, we were able to safely capture the magic of the Aloha State right at home. Here are just a few of the precautions we took in an effort to keep everyone in attendance safe from start to finish:

Appetizers were placed on tables instead of being passed around during cocktail hour
The patio remained open for the entire event for those who did not feel completely comfortable remaining inside
Conscious efforts were made to wear masks and socially distance
Guests were welcome to come for the service, and were not obligated to stay for the party afterwards

All in all, it was pleasure planning Ashlyn's Island Paradise Bat Mitzvah and we wish her all the best!

Plan Your In-Person or Hybrid Bat Mitzvah with Innovative Party Planners

Innovative Party Planners is your resource for event design and planning in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and Virginia. To learn more about our event planning services and how we can help make your event one of a kind, contact us by clicking here or call (410) 998-9999.