Dalia's candy-themed Bat Mitzvah

When a long-time corporate client asked me to design his daughter's Bat Mitzvah celebration, I couldn't be more thrilled. Dalia wanted to have a candy theme for both her daytime luncheon for the adults and the evening party for her friends, so my challenge was to create decor that was true to the theme and that could translate appropriately to two different venues and two different crowds. This whimsical look totally worked at the New York Historical Society for a formal sit-down lunch for 120 and then was deconstructed and re-constructed for an adorable cocktail-style party for the kids at Helen Mills Event Space that same night. It was a tiring day (topped off with 18 inches of snow!) but both parties were amazing successes!

When guests arrived for lunch, they found their tables on giant Whirly Pops arranged in a bed of gumballs. Behind the table, photos of the Bat Mitzvah girl and her friends and family were suspended on coordinating ribbons.

top, Sofia Negron; bottom, David Wentworth

Guests were seated at long tables adorned with domes of brightly colored flowers to mimic the feel of a "field" of lollipops.

photos by Sofia Negron

The black polka dot runner was the key element in pulling this design together. The colors that the guest of honor selected (lime green, orange and hot pink) were feeling very summery for this December celebration, so when I spotted this fabric, I knew it was the perfect thing to ground the colors and make the look more seasonal.

photo by Sofia Negron

For the evening celebration for Dalia's friends, the flowers were re-arranged on illuminated cocktail tables and the ceiling above the dancefloor was adorned with paper lanterns wrapped in cellophane to mimic the look of hard candies.

photos by David Wentworth