Family Focus
DA,Pry vENuLs

Right

Choosing a venue for that special occasion.

Ronelle Grier
Special to the Jewish News

p

Tanning a wedding or a bar or
bat mitzvah party can be both
exhilarating and overwhelming.
You want everything to be just righ, yet
there are so many options:
Formal or casual? Afternoon or eve-
ning? Live band or DJ? Synagogue or
hotel? Flowers or balloons? Photos or
video? And what are we going to serve?
It's enough to make even the most orga-
nized mind spin.
The first step, according to party plan-
ner Janice Cherkasky, of Gourmet Parties
in Franklin, is choosing the date. While
bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies are often
set four or five years in advance, the party
arrangements are usually made a year to
18 months prior. Large, more elaborate
weddings are usually booked at least a
year before the event or as soon as the
couple announces their engagement.
The next step is to establish a budget,
even if it's only an estimate, and to decide
what type of party you want. There are
many choices, especially for a bar or bat
mitzvah, ranging from a kids-only, sports-
oriented party featuring pizza and salad
to a more formal affair with dancing and
an elegant sitdown dinner. Once that deci-
sion is made, it's time to choose the venue.
"You want the venue to reflect you and
your family," said Roz Keith of Farmington
Hills, who drew upon her years of plan-
ning special events in the marketing
field when her oldest daughter, Danielle,
became a bat mitzvah,
"Does it fit your lifestyle; is it you?"
Keith decided to start a Web site to
share her expertise with other people who
are going through the same experience.
ww-w.partyplanningplus_com provides
resources for planning all kinds of parties,
including helpful tools like timelines and
checklists. Keith also writes a blog with
lots of information at the Web site
www..mitzrahplanner_wordpress.com
"Proximity to your home is important,"
said Keith. "especially if you work and
don't have a lot of free time. You can be

The Right Place on page C18

Venue Checklist

• Can you bring in your own cater-
er, liquor, cake or sv,feet table or
do you have to use only what the
venue provides?

• Can kosher foodbe provided if
you need it?

• If your party is at a hotel, will
you get special room rates for
out-of-town guests? If you have
several guests that will be stay-
ing there, will you qualify for
other discounts or add-ons?

• If you have a theme, does the
venue lend itself to the appropri-
ate decor?

• Is there a dance floor? Is there
room for a band or DJ?

• Is the sound system adequate
for your needs?

• What about lighting?

• If you're having a slide or video
presentation, will equipment be
provided or do you have to bring
your own?

• Does the decor of the site work
with your color scheme?

• Are linens included? If so, are
colored tablecloths and napkins
standard or is there an extra
charge? Do the tablecloths reach
the floor or will you need skirt-
ing and, if so, who provides it?
What about chair covers?

• Is there an alternative to an
open bar, such as paying per
drink or serving wine by the
glass?

• Does the venue require secu-
rity? If so, is it provided and is
there an extra charge?

• How much time is allowed
between parties? When can you
get in to start setting up and
when will you have to vacate the
room?

• Do they have a standard time
span for parties; is there an
extra charge if you exceed it?

• Are gratuities automatically
added onto your bill?

• Is valet parking available and
is there an extra charge? What
about tipping?

Maddi Ishpia and
Zachary Levine
celebrate tike
champions.

• Does the venue provide tast-
ings so you can sample the food
before making your final selec-
tions?

• What is their policy regarding
deposits?

Jiy 16 • 200.

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