Mitzvah MailWinter 2014 It's Mitzvah Season! I'm always amazed at how many B'nai Mitzvahs happen at this time of year. Needless to say, January, Fe

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Mitzvah Mail

Winter 2014

LeoBerkman-1015

It's Mitzvah Season!

I'm always amazed at how many B'nai Mitzvahs happen at this time of year. Needless to say, January, Febuary, and March have kept me very busy, and I've loved every minute of it! I've also had a lot of clients asking me for advice on what vendors to use for their big day. With so many great options out there, it's no easy task.

In this issue of Mitzvah Mail, I've included a great one-stop shop for all your mitzvah needs - The Simcha Faire, this Sunday, March 9th at Temple Isaiah in Lafayette. It's a GREAT way to check out lots of vendors for everything you could possibly need to make your Bar/Bat Mitzvah Day one to remember! Please spread the word, bring your friends and family (there's always tasty samples to try), and be sure to stop by my table and say "Hi"!

In every issue, I like to highlight one vendor who I've had personal experience with, and this issue's Vendor Spotlight features carde blanche, a local boutique company specializing in personalized stationery and custom invitations.

For a great addition to your party theme, check out this issue's Mitzvah Find, Designer Lollipops.

And finally, a little humor from last weekend's Bar Mitzvah… a Hora with "air".

Enjoy and please feel free to forward to a friend!

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2014 Isaiah Simcha Faire Postcard
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Vendor Spotlight - Invitations

I'm always on the lookout for local businesses who set themselves apart by offering something unique for B'nai Mitzvahs. Based in Pleasanton, carde blanche is a boutique company offering personalized stationary and one-of-a-kind custom invitations. Owner Lori Christensen's designs are clean, yet elegant, using the finest quality paper and incorporating special elements such as Swarovski crystals.

I recently met with Lori and asked her what makes her business unique among the many other mass invitation vendors out there. She said that one of the biggest differentiators in her work is that it is truly custom. Lori takes the time to ask her clients lots of questions right from the beginning to come up with a design that truly represents the look and feel of your Bar/Bat Mitzvah. She then hand-holds you through the entire process, making sure deadlines are met.

All of Lori's invitations are put together by hand. To describe her business, Lori used the analogy of a cake - you can either buy a store-bought cake out of the box, or create a cake a beautiful custom cake from scratch. Lori's invitations are created from scratch with attention to every detail and it shows!

To see more of Lori's designs, visit the carde blanche website at:
http://cardeblanche.com

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Mitzvah Find - Designer Lollipops

If you're trying to find a unique item for your candy bar, dessert table, or give-away goodie bag, here's a great find! Designer Lollipops can turn the classic lolli into a true work of art. They have several designs to choose from, and specialize in custom lollipops for special events. They can even create lollipops from an image or graphic you provide! A perfect way to tie into your party theme.

Priscilla, the owner, is a digital artist who's loved candy making since she was a teenager. Based in Utah, she can ship anywhere in the US, Canada, and internationally.

For more info, check out Designer Lollipops online here:
www.designerlolli.com
www.etsy.com/shop/designerlollipop
www.facebook.com/designerlollipop

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Kaleidoscope

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Cheetah

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World Flags

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Bright Florals

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Humor Me

Last weekend, I photographed another amazing Bar Mitzvah at Temple Isaiah. The social hall was completely transformed into a "March Madness" basketball-themed party and there was nonstop action the entire night! However, there was one moment during the Hora that had my heart skipping a beat. Max actually became airborne as his "chair-lifters" must have either been really strong, or just super excited. When I started going through the pictures for the first time, I saw this one and could not stop laughing! Look closely at the zoomed in image and you'll see Max is a good foot off his chair. Such a fun moment!!!

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A Note About Booking...

First, I'd like to say a big Thank You to all of you who have booked me to photograph your B'nai Mitzvahs. Last year was the first year I began photographing younger siblings of kids I've already worked with. It's been so much fun to see how much their big brothers and sisters have grown up! It's always an honor to be asked to photograph the 2nd child of a family.

Unfortunately, there have been a couple of occasions where I've already been booked on a day requested by one of these families. I can't tell you how much it breaks my heart to have to tell a family I'm not available, especially if I've already photographed their older child's mitzvah.

PLEASE let me know as soon as you have your Bar/Bat Mitzvah date so we can lock it in. If you have friends you're thinking of referring, it's NEVER too early. I still have a few 2014 dates available, 2015 is booking fast, and believe it or not, I've started booking into 2016!

Contact me at cheryl@cherylbigmanphoto.com or give me a call at 925.963.8744.
You can also refer people to my Website, Blog, or Facebook where they can "Like" the page to see my latest work.

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About Mitzvah Mail

I created this newsletter to provide all of us "Mitzvah-planning Mommas" (and Dads too) with a little inspiration and hopefully useful information to help us along the way. Between planning my own daughter's Bat Mitzvah, and being a B'nai Mitzvah photographer, I've accumulated all kinds of cool, helpful information and wanted to share with you.

Please feel free to email me with your comments and suggestions for future issues. Would love it if you'd share Mitzvah Mail with anyone you know who could use a little support in their planning process. Just forward this email and tell them to "subscribe" at the bottom of the page. Thanks for spreading the word!

Happy Planning!
Cheryl

To see previous issues of Mitzvah Mail, click on these links:

Issue 8 - Summer 2013
Issue 7 - March 2013
Issue 6 - February 2013
New Year's Issue - January 2013
Issue 5 - December 2012
Issue 4 - September 2012
Issue 3 - June 2012
Issue 2 - May 2012
Issue 1 - March 2012

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