Your
Celebration
DESTINATION
continued from page 38
“I also make sure the music mix
is catered to the preferences set by
the family,” he adds. “Our goal is to
ensure each event is as perfect as you
envisioned from beginning to end.
We only have one opportunity to get
everything right and we do it right the
first time.”
To keep the kids engaged, Cone
mixes up the evening with dancing
and winnable games with giveaways
and prizes provided by the hosts.
Specialty group dances also create a
more welcoming and inclusive feeling
on the dance floor.
If a family is on a tight budget, Cone
advises not to skimp on floor lighting,
because it helps enhance the party
atmosphere. If your guests are on the
shy side, a motivational dancer may
be the right place to spend, but only
one per night is necessary.
“Motivational dancers do an amaz-
ing job at interacting with the shy
guests to increase their confidence
and self-esteem to become more com-
fortable on the dance floor and with
others,” he says.
Cone’s rates are $230/hour and an
“essential mitzvah party” includes: one
DJ and MC; a sound system, including
speakers and microphones; a custom-
izable music library and LED dance
floor lights; plus a haze machine.
FRANKLIN ATHLETIC CLUB
Star Trax (startrax.com). Owner Geoff
Kretchmer admits that his company
has gained the reputation for being
the highest-priced DJ outfit in town.
Even so, Kretchmer and his dedi-
cated staff of 20 full-time employees
can customize a party, help a client
prioritize a budget and expenses, and
still come out with a Star Trax event
for under $3K.
“I don’t ever want a potential client
not to call us because they think we
may not be in their ballpark, budget-
wise,” Kretchmer says.
He understands that, like renovat-
ing a home, the budget for a mitzvah
party can get “out of control.” That is
why he prides himself on Star Trax’s
reputation for working a client’s entire
budget.
“Families need to sit down and pri-
oritize what is No. 1 on a list of about
30 essential budget items,” Kretchmer
says, including everything from venue
to decorations to photography to food
and alcohol. “Everything cannot be
No. 1 on that list.
“No matter who you are, there will
always be parties and people who are
way out of our leagues, and it is really
tough to face this at age 13,” he says.
“What matters most at a mitzvah cel-
Our Bar Mitzvah was executed
professionally and with the
utmost attention to detail.
Everybody had a blast!
- The Weinsteins, Farmington Hills
Create your perfect celebration
contact Crystal at (248) 352-8000, ext. 298
FRANKLINCLUB.COM
2161660
C40
celebrate! • 2017
jn
ebration is the love in the room with
all your family and friends.”
Star Trax works up to eight parties
a weekend and top MCs are booked
40 weekends per year — and each has
his own price tag. However, Star Trax
clients can save money by not choos-
ing a specific MC, and instead choose
the “any MC” package. This allows cli-
ents to reserve their date, then choose
from whomever is available a month
prior to the party.
Either way, all Star Trax DJs and
MCs are highly trained, according to
Kretchmer.
“I would not send out an unquali-
fied MC,” he says. “I’d be hurting my
own business.”
Cloud 9 Special Events (cloud9spe-
cialevents.com). Owner “Jamez” (JAH-
mez) Fredrick began entertaining kids
for the bar/bat mitzvah circuit in 2001
and works 40-50 parties per year. If
you want him at your child’s party, he
recommends booking out up to two
years, as he already has parties booked
for 2019.
Jamez’s base package includes a DJ,
an MC and one dancer with lighting
and sound, and is customized with
hand-picked music along with games
and contests.
His staff consists of highly qualified
professional entertainers who under-
stand the importance of seizing the
moment and making lasting memo-
ries for events that happen once in a
lifetime. “You are inviting us to your
special event and putting your trust in
our staff,” Jamez says, “and we are hon-
ored and very grateful.”
Jamez says his strongest trait is
sincerity in keeping clients happy.
He meets clients at their homes and
takes the time to understand their
expectations and the type of crowd
they expect (are guests going to be
high-energy dancers or more on the
mellow side?).
“I only have one chance and one
night to get it right,” he says. His for-
mula includes engaging games and
his own acrobatic dancing that invites
dancers of all abilities to get on the
dance floor.
But he says the best ingredient
is the guests. He advises that when
thinking about a budget, invite the
people who will truly be honored to
attend.
“If your party is filled with people
who care about you, love you and
want to help you create lasting
memories, and the entertainment
is good, you don’t need much more
than that.” *