I got photos from J. Hollander Photography from the bar mitzvah I worked on in December.  I want to share some of the fun with you!

This was a family who described themselves as not being very fancy.  For their son’s bar mitzvah, they decided against an upscale Saturday night party in favor of a casual, laid-back, sports-themed party, with lots of fun stuff for the kids and a good time for the adults.  This one was not at all about how it looked; it was all about the experience for everyone.

In keeping with the low-key theme, they rented out the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center in Evanston, a family-centric location with a community room and adjoining gym.

A large, plain, high-ceilinged room with tables and chairs, people dressed casually, some games, and a slide show on a screen.

The community room was where people gathered and had dinner.  But the real attraction was in the next room where Playground Games had set up their inflatable games, along with attractive lighting and fun music.

Large, inflatable games in bright colors in a gym, with colored uplighting.

We mustn’t forget dinner, though!  Marcello’s did their usual fine job with the pizza buffet (and plenty of other food, too).

A deep-dish pizza buffet.

Their dessert buffet was a big hit, too.

Trays of cookies, brownies, and cannoli on a table with a white cloth. Some platters are on stands.

In the community room, there were plenty of fun things to do.  There was a selfie-station with lots and lots of sports-themed props, a large Connect Four game, and a cornhole game.

Two people with sports gear pose in front of a backdrop showing Wrigley Field.

Three people with orange pom-poms and other sports gear pose in front of a backdrop showing Wrigley Field.

A square table covered in sports-themed selfie photo booth props. Chicago sports teams are featured prominently.

A young person seen from the back playing with a red Connect Four game that is taller than the person.

An adult and a small child are seen from the rear playing with a large Connect Four game.

An adult tosses a beanbag in a game of cornhole.

An adult tosses a beanbag in a game of cornhole.

But the center of the party really was in the gym.  The kids played the games, the adults watched, and, sometimes, the adults joined in the fun.

And 8-sided inflatable game seen from above.

People wearing large, inflated plastic balls and playing soccer in a gym.

An adult in a large, inflatable ball, looking mischievous.

An adult in a gym full of games, jumping in the air with her arm over her head and smiling.

I’m not quite sure what this person is doing, but I think they were having fun:

A person curled up inside a large, inflatable ball, with their face invisible.

And finally, a few photos of the details.  First, centerpieces that the father of the bar mitzvah boy designed and created.  He even designed a logo!

A centerpiece on a table with a blue cloth. The base is a circle of astroturf. In the middle of that is a large Mason jar filled with miniature baseballs. Two Chicago Cubs pennants are standing in the jar, along with a spray of silver feathery stuff, and a sports-looking logo saying "SR. 12-15-18." On either side are smaller jars of candy.

A centerpiece on a table with a blue cloth. The base is a circle of astroturf. In the middle of that is a large Mason jar filled with miniature basketballs. Two Chicago Bulls pennants and a large foam Bulls hand on a stick are standing in the jar, along with a spray of red feathery stuff. In front is a smaller jar of candy.

And the “guest book.”

A basketball and a football on stands on a square of astroturf, along with a jar of silver Sharpie pens. People have written their names on the balls.

And the party favors–perfect for a winter event!

Two gray and white striped winter hats on a table. The hats have a red and white sports-themed logo saying "SR. 12-15-18."

Call Now!