2018

Movie
Magic

The love of film set the stage
for four local b’nai mitzvah
celebrations.

STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

C6

celebrate! • 2018

jn

estee’s wonderland

Name Estee Moss is a freshman
at Bloomfield Hills High School. Her
September 2016 bat mitzvah service was
held at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in
Southfield.

Family Parents Leigh and Jeff Moss and
brother, Ben

Photographer Justin Munter

Venue Wabeek Country Club

What Went On Estee and her family
wanted their guests to feel like they had
fallen down the rabbit hole and joined
the Mad Hatter at his tea party in “Estee’s
Wonderland.” Leigh scoured thrift and craft
stores as well as sentimental collectible
objects to create the memorable décor for a
truly spectacular party.
As guests arrived, they were invited to
sign Estee’s “guest board” — her disas-
sembled bedroom door. Adults sipped
cocktails from colorful antique bottles with
striped straws marked “Drink Me.”
In the main event room, the tables
were covered with lush floral cloths from
Affairs to Remember and set with antique
tea cups and plates — many of which
had belonged to Leigh’s grandmother and
great-grandmother and others filled in with
pieces found at local thrift stores. Each tea
cup contained a tulle bag filled with colorful
macaroons and labeled “Eat Me.”
Overhead swirled old-fashioned skeleton
keys, oversized playing cards, flowers, rib-
bons — even a chair suspended above the
dance floor to simulate the feeling of falling
down the rabbit hole.

The Team Highland, Mich.-based Steffi
Korens hand-painted and designed the
sign-in door for guests. Estee’s great-aunt
Nancy Epstein of West Bloomfield deco-
rated an eclectic and stunning collection
of hats representing the characters of
Alice in Wonderland that embellished the
centerpieces, including Alice, the White
Queen, the Red Queen, the White Rabbit,
the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and the
Jabborwocky. On the kid’s tables, Nancy
created enlarged paper flowers placed
in tall colorful jars, and hand-painted a
“Wonderland” chair for Estee. Each child
had a colorful glass bottle with soda labeled
“Drink Me” and antiqued jars of bright
candy marked “Eat Me” adorned the tables.

Table/Room Decor Designs by Debbie
LeClaire and Breath of Spring florist worked
together to flawlessly incorporate the hats,
teacups, teapots, keys and clocks with flow-
ers, candelabras, pearls and playing cards,