Raleigh Bnai Mitzvah Simcha Party DJ Photo Booth & Lighting

Raleigh Bar Bat Bnai Mitzvah Simcha Celebration at Whittaker & Atlantic – DJ, PHOTO BOOTH, LIGHTING, AND CUSTOM GOBO WITH DJ LESSONS FOR OUR YOUNG VIPS!  

WE WANT IT TO BE LIKE COACHELLA!

Raleigh has a lot of truly outstanding event venues for all types of events. There are some key elements to keep in mind about how to select your venue but let’s just say that the family planning their Bnai Mitzvah for their triplets couldn’t have picked a better spot for their vision, vibe, and crowd size than Whittaker and Atlantic in near north Raleigh. It’s a truly unique location that allowed them to get creative and enhance all their excitement.
For starters, Kathleen at Whittaker & Atlantic is just a treasure, and we felt so lucky that we were working with her as our partner for this event.
This family originally found us when they were looking for DJ Lessons for their son Zev, who wanted to throw some tracks at his party. Since we teach DJ lessons to kids across the Triangle, we knew we’d be able to get him ready in no time at all.
Once we started talking with Jay & Eva, they knew we were going to be a great fit. They wanted to GO BIG. Jay said, “We want it to be like Coachella!” They wanted big effects, massive impact, and immactulate party vibes!
That just so happens to our party speciality!
The event developed over several months and included mulitple planning meetings, lots of phone calls, and lots of input from their triplets who each had their own style and wanted to make sure we accommodated not just their tastes, but their friends and the family as well.

Some of the key elements they finalized were:
Large Sound System to make sure they got the BOOM they wanted
Indoor Cold Sparks
DJ Lessons for Their 12 Year Old
Photo Booth with a Custom Balloon Backdrop on the Wall
Custom GOBO in two different locations throughout the night
Sound and Microphones for their Bnai Mitzvah Ceremony & Lessons
Dynamic Color Changing Uplighting to Enhance their Party Vibe
Custom Facade for the ceremony & the All-White DJ Set-up with Totems and Dancefloor Lighting

It took a fair amount of time to get everything set up but we were ready long before the first family and friends started showing up.
For those unfamiliar with what a Bar (son) Bat (daughter) or Bnai (children) Mitzvah is it literally means Son or Daughter or Children of the Commandments. It’s the public ceremony confirming the child(ren) have studied their religious lessons and are committing follow the biblical commandments. It’s a very public vow and a huge moment of pride for everyone they love. In previous eras, it was also part of the journey to adulthood, and after the age of 13 those who passed their Bar/Bat Mitzvah were considered ready to actively participate in their community as adults.
Getting here takes a lot of time and months if not years of dedicated study with the guests of honor and their spiritual leader (in this case, Rabbi Jason).
This particular ceremony involved a whole host of people speaking (there were 3 VIPs!) so we needed to make sure we had hands-free over-ear microphones for each of our main presenters, the triplets and their Rabbi. We also had handheld microphones as back-ups and additional readers.

For the uplighting elements, we made sure to dial in colors that would match the color scheme chosen for elements like florals, table linens, and the overall vibe of the venue they’d selected. The GOBO initially went along the middle of the back wall but shifted to the other wall once the party got started (that’s where I took that AMAZING photo of the three VIPs under the GOBO).
The ceremony ended and guests made their way outside to enjoy the PHOTO BOOTH with their CUSTOM BALLOON BACKDROP as well as appetizers and drinks while the staff at Whittaker & Atlantic flipped the room to preapre for the Simcha (celebration) reception.

Because of the nature of the event, the crowd size doubled during social hour as some of their friends weren’t able to attend the ceremony. We were ready for them though and the PHOTO BOOTH was a huge hit. They were going through repeatedly with different groups of friends, trying out different props, and having a great time showing off outside of school!
After getting all our guests inside and seated I went to chat with our guests of honor about their Grand Entrance and make sure everyone knew where to stand and what to do before we really got going. Once they came in the ENERGY was THROUGH THE ROOF!
One of my favorite parts was their younger brother, who was only 7, got up and gave one of the best toasts I’ve ever seen. It was so good I asked for a copy!  Here are a few of the standouts:
He opened with ‘Sisterhood – the world’s oldest cult. No one worries about equality more than the 4 siblings when there is only one ice cream sandwich left in the freezer. Having a big sister is knowing your darkest secrets will always be kept – for a price. Older siblings are likey our parents’ personal science fair – they’re a bunch of experiements. I wouldn’t trade my siblings for the world – I don’t have anywere to put it!”
Other great lines included: “I’m really lucky that I get three siblings to love me, accept me, and sticup up for me. I woulnd not change my life for anything but to wish we were a set of quadruplets instead of triplets plus one.”
“I know this event is not about me, but like with everything in our lives, it sort of is. I mean, you’re all just coming to this to make sure you get an invite to mine in a few years. I like to the think of the tirplets as an appetizer to my main course.”
They also includes some life lesson they’d learned: “Never let an angry sister comb your hair.”
After the speeches it was time for dinner which included a buffet and three VIP specific stations featuring their favorite foods: a mac & cheese bar, a slider station, and a potato bar.
Then it was time for a very special video put together by their father, Jay, that had everyone in tears and after that, to open the dancefloor.
While much of the music during dinner featured selections from Beach Bunny, The Living Tombstone, and a lot of indie & video game themed tunes, the party itself was a raucous affair that was almost impossible to conceive of – it was almost like three separate parties were happening at the same place at the same time! Each of our VIPs had their friends and their guest list and they were all thrilled to be hanging out with each other.
By the time we got to the Chair Raising Hora we were in full force and we kept the party going until we wrapped up several hours later by playing their requests and using our DJ skills to dial in what we knew was going to bring everyone together.
Although he was a little anxious at first, Zev mustered up the confidence to start throwing tracks and absolutely crushed it! Those DJ lessons really got him ready!

At the end of the event the family was thrilled. Jay & Eva came and had hugs and praise for how we ran their event and kept everyone dancing all night. They said the kids loved the photo booth too and even wanted the photos we’d taken because they turned out so great.
As we were packing up Kathleen came over. This was only the second time we’d ever worked together but she said, “You are amazing. You’re the best DJ we’ve ever seen out here. I’m going to have to stop doing my recommended vendor list alphabetically!” That’s high praise indeed!
We’re so lucky to be able to help families in Raleigh, North Carolina, and beyond celebrate their Bar Mitvah, Bat Mitzvah, and Bnai Mitzvah experiences – we love getting families and friends together to have a great time!
Please let us know if we can help at all so you can be as thrilled as Jay, Eva, and the Triplets (plus one) were!