Elegant Autumn Bat Mitzvah Lighting and Decor • The Stone House at Stirling Ridge • Warren, New Jersey

Photo by Ira Casel. Birch wall, ceremony lighting, and mason jar installation by Eggsotic Events

In our last post, we mentioned that many of our bar and bat mitzvahs have a "Favorite Things" theme. We love designing parties that convey the celebrant's favorite hobbies, colors, and more.

This bat mitzvah, held in October at The Stone House at Stirling Ridge, had an eclectic mix of design inspirations: 
• Amethyst: the gemstone and the color as well
• Nature, especially trees and moss
• Preservation: eco-friendly materials and reusable, recyclable elements
• Art, especially painting

We've worked extensively with Lori, Jillian's mom, who has planned fundraising galas for several years. She's done a wonderful job creating memorable, elegant events in the past, so of course Jilly's bat mitzvah was no exception.

We partnered with Laura of Laura Clare Designs and Carissa and her team at Stone House to create a one-of-a-kind celebration of all of Jilly's favorite things.

The Ceremony

For the ceremony, Jilly wanted a sophisticated outdoor setting that reflected her love of nature. We used our handmade birch wall backdrop and created a custom birch torah table, which at 5' x 5' makes a beautiful focal point in front of the birch wall.

We lined the aisle with our pewter lanterns, which held our handmade birch wood candle holders. Simple touches, like reusable natural candle holders and eco-friendly soy tealights, added to the environmental preservation theme. We also hung mason jar candle lanterns from the tree and used our battery-powered LED uplights to illuminate the trees in the ceremony area.

Here's a mini-gallery of ceremony photos:

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The Cocktail Hour

The cocktail hour was held in the tent adjacent to the ceremony area. Since the guests would only be in the tent for a little while, we kept the lighting design simple. Amethyst purple uplighting and pin spots for the food stations made the cocktail tent look cohesive with the rest of the event. Laura Clare's tabletop lanterns completed the look.

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The Reception

The reception lighting was bold and elegant, with purple and green uplighting and pin spotting for the centerpieces.

We used live trees and ferns to create an organic feel. We framed the kids' lounge area using ivory drape and portraits of Jilly. It was accented by Jilly's name in moss, provided by the client. 

For entertainment, the family selected a photo booth, silhouette artist, and lots of games. We commissioned an interactive portrait artist to do live interactive painting. Jilly selected an inspiration image, our artist Marcelo created a foundation for the painting, and guests joined in throughout the party to add to the canvas. It turned out absolutely beautiful and makes a great keepsake for many years to come.

Laura Clare created gorgeous centerpieces and selected linens that tied the tabletops into the room decor perfectly.

Here's a gallery of images from the reception:

The planning for this mitzvah came together in a very short time, and the results were spectacular. Thank you to Lori, Jillian and family for including us in your special day! Read Lori's note from the next day below:

“I cannot express my gratitude enough for assuring that our vision for Jillian’s special day was carried out throughout the event. In fact you managed to exceed our vision! It truly was so beautiful and magical. Jillian was so so pleased with how everything looked.

With much appreciation and respect for your artistry :)

Warmly,
Lori”

Huge thanks to Ira Casel for sharing such beautiful photos of the day!

Photographer: Ira Casel Photography
Location: The Stone House at Stirling Ridge • Warren, NJ
Floral Decor: Laura Clare Designs
Calligraphy and Handwritten Signage: Belles Lettres Calligraphy • Mendham, NJ
Lighting, Trees, Interactive Painting, and Room Decor: Eggsotic Events

FAQ Series: Pin Spotting Explained: Why Your Centerpieces Should Have Pin Spots

This is our second entry in a series of Lighting FAQs. To learn about Gobo Light Projections, click here.

What is pin spotting?

Pin spots are focused beams of warm white light, projected onto tabletop focal points, such as centerpieces, wedding cakes, artwork, and auction items. Pin spots highlight these elements, making them stand out in photographs and in person.

Pin spots are light fixtures with specialized bulbs inside, that are narrow spotlights (rather than a normal lightbulb, which is a wide angle wash light). The pin spot fixtures are secured to freestanding support hardware, then focused by professional installers to maximize the impact they make. Perfect pin spotting is like an art form, making the tabletop decor elements glow just right.

How are the pin spot lights set up?

Most often, pin spots are rigged to racks, then supported by freestanding pipe and base structures. Additional weight is added to the bases to make sure that these tall, heavy racks are safe near guests. Our team of professional lighting installers deliver, install and focus the pin spots before the event, and uninstall them after the event.

Here at Eggsotic, we also have a pin spot technology that allows us to incorporate pin spots in the existing lighting system of the venue without freestanding hardware. For more information about this, please call or email us.

Soft pin spotting makes floral centerpieces pop at this Bernards Inn wedding. Photo by Therese Wagner Photography.

Do my centerpieces need pin spots?

Here are questions to answer to determine whether or not you need pin spots for your centerpieces:

• Are you having an evening event?

Pin spotting is intended for evening/nighttime events. Or, if you're having a daytime event in a space without windows, pin spotting can still be effective.

We do not recommend pin spots for daytime events in window-filled spaces, as the effect won't be as dramatic as you'd like.

• Are your centerpieces large/elaborate?

If so, you've most likely spent a significant amount of money on each one. A major design mistake we've seen is spending several hundred dollars per table on floral arrangements, then opting out of pin spotting. The centerpieces get lost in the look of the room, and none of your guests can see all of the exquisite details in the flowers.

• Are your centerpieces floral arrangements?

Floral arrangements often need pin spotting in order to be seen clearly in low light. This is especially true if you're including colored uplighting or other light effects.

• Are you using other types of lighting in the room?

You may think that if you're using uplighting and other lighting effects, you don't need pin spots. In fact, the opposite is typically true. The high-end look you're trying to achieve comes from layering different types of light. The uplighting creates a colorful wash, then the pin spots create dramatic focal points and keep the room from looking like one solid color. This combination draws guests' eyes to each beautiful element in the room.

• Do you have lots of candles on each table?

If your centerpiece primarily consists of candles, pin spots aren't necessary. If you plan to use candles as accents, a gorgeous balance of light comes from a pin spot on the floral centerpiece, and 3-6 candles as accents around it. Here's a great example of that look at our Birch Wedding at the Bernards Inn in Bernardsville, New Jersey:

Photo by Andres Valenzuela

The above photo shows the difference in light level between the centerpiece and the rest of the table. The centerpiece is the clear focal point, and the light level around the rest of the table remains intimate and not over-lit.

How much do pin spots cost?

Pin spot pricing is dependent upon a few factors:

• What is the timeframe for setup and takedown?

   Labor rates are calculated based on how much time is allowed for setup. Less time for installation means sending more installers, which can increase the cost. The timeframe should always be discussed with your venue prior to booking.

• Where is the event being held?

   Labor and trucking rates are also dependent upon the distance from the vendor to the location.

• How many pin spots do you need?

   If you need over twenty pin spots, you can often pay a lower price per table than if you only need a few.

To receive pin spot pricing, please contact us with your event location, date, timeline, and table quantity. This information allows us to create a prompt quote that includes setup and takedown.

Bold, Elegant Wedding Lighting and Draping at The Bernards Inn • Bernardsville, New Jersey

Here at Eggsotic, we love creating new designs for each event we do at The Bernards Inn. In the past, we've transformed the ballroom into a Central Park inspired setting with custom birch decor. 

For our most recent event, Chris and Robert's wedding, we provided elegant lighting and draping for the ceremony and reception. The ceremony and reception both took place in the ballroom, so we provided lighting that adapted to transform the ballroom from one look to another in very little time.

Floral decor provided by Somerset Hills Florist, Photography by Therese Marie Wagner Photography, and Lighting by Eggsotic Events

For the ceremony, we used warm amber uplighting and classic warm white chuppah lighting to give the ballroom a high-impact tasteful look. Our lush ivory drape helped define the ceremony area and gave a simple backdrop for the florist's lanterns.

For the reception, we changed the amber lighting to deep blue, and used our pin spots and monogram projection fixtures to transform the tabletops and dance floor. Pin spotting is essential for large centerpieces, as it highlights the gorgeous flowers and gives a subtle glow to each table. The monogram projected on the dance floor was also used in the wedding stationery and table numbers, reinforcing the cohesive custom look of the wedding.

Here are more photos of the ceremony and reception. Another huge thank you to Therese of Therese Marie Wagner Photography for sharing her beautiful photos of the day! For more of Therese's photography, see our blog post about our recent work at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. We wish a lifetime of happiness to the bride and groom, Chris and Robert!

Venue and Catering: The Bernards Inn • Bernardsville, New Jersey

Photography: Therese Marie Wagner Photography • NJ, NYC, and Philadelphia

Florist: Somerset Hills Florist • Basking Ridge, New Jersey

Lighting and Draping: Eggsotic Events • New Jersey and New York City Area

Great Gatsby Office Transformation • Union County, New Jersey

We love the recent Great Gatsby theme decor trend, and we have a large collection of props and decor elements that are perfect for a Great Gatsby, art deco, 1920s, or speakeasy theme party.

Here is a recent transformation of an under-construction raw office space:

Before:

Before: Unappealing lighting, a large window wall with an undesirable view, a concrete floor, and an unfinished ceiling.

After:

After: Blackout draping to hide the window wall, metallic gold draping as an accent wall, a champagne tower with pin spotting, LED colored downlighting, gold lame linens, and majesty palm trees.

We combined art deco decor elements with modern lighting technologies to transform this drab office into a Great Gatsby era experience.

Creative use of downlighting draws attention away from the unfinished ceiling, while draping and art deco decor elements create new focal points.

Acrylic crystal chandeliers act as room decor and floating centerpieces. LED uplighting in fuchsia and green added bold color to plain white walls. 

Metallic fringe draping, shown here in gold, is also available in many other colors and heights. It's perfect for a photo backdrop. It is displayed using our freestanding support hardware, so nothing is attached to the venue's walls or ceilings.

Putting the food station in the center of the room creates a gorgeous focal point. It also encourages guest flow throughout the space, making it perfect for a cocktail format party.

Our art deco beehive urns with gold lion's paw pedestals, paired with fresh majesty palm fronds

Event Credits:

Venue: Private Office Space in Union County, New Jersey

Catering: Country Picnic in Bedminster, NJ

Design, Lighting and Decor: Eggsotic Events

Michener Art Museum's Grace Kelly Beyond the Icon Gala

In October 2013, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco and the Princess Grace Foundation-USA partnered with the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, PA to host an exhibit titled From Philadelphia to Monaco: Grace Kelly Beyond the Icon.

Photography by John Armich • Floral Design by Rusty Thomas Event Designs • Lighting by Eggsotic Events

A gala was held to honor the opening of the Grace Kelly Beyond the Icon exhibit, and was attended by Prince Albert II of Monaco, Grace Kelly's son.

The wonderful Rusty Thomas of Rusty Thomas Event Designs partnered with the museum's team to plan and design an elegant, sophisticated reception space at the museum.

Rusty and his team created beautiful centerpieces with yellow roses and ivy. He invited the Eggsotic Events team to provide lighting, custom red carpet, chandelier installation, and audio engineering services.

The gala also featured a performance by Leslie Odom, Jr., an actor from the show Smash. Eggsotic Events provided audio engineering for this performance and others throughout the event.

Here is a gallery of event photos from the gala. A very big thanks to John Armich for sharing his beautiful photos of the evening.

Birch Wedding at The Bernards Inn • Bernardsville, New Jersey

For many events, we collaborate with several other companies to create the completed design. Sometimes, we provide centerpieces while an AV company sets up lights. Other times, we provide lighting and room decor while a florist does centerpieces. We love working with others, but sometimes an event comes along where we are chosen as the full service event design company from start to finish. We act as the lighting, floral, installation and fabrication company for all of the event's decor needs.

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When we book these projects, we spend months planning, designing, building and preparing a complete decor and lighting package. There are few things more satisfying than seeing countless hours of hard work come together in one beautiful room.

For this wedding, we were chosen by Diane Carr and Jeffrey Haines of the Bernards Inn. We have worked with them in past years with excellent results, and they knew that we were the right team to bring their concept to life on time and on budget.

After the design phase was complete, we set to work on finding resources for each element. We went to floral markets to find out what would be in season in October. We found the best local resource for live trees that are over 10' tall. We found a man in Michigan who collects birch bark from naturally downed trees in the woods near his home.

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We built, painted and applied birch bark to an 8' x 8' freestanding wall. We found just the right lengths of birch trunks to create a chuppah entirely out of wood. We sewed fabric, made birch candle holders, and chose new lighting fixtures to get just the right amount of light throughout the room.  We also built four birch arches, customized planters, and selected floral accents.

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Our floral centerpieces featured hydrangea, orchids, roses, lilies, cabbage, and several other accent flowers. Our staff florist even waxed leaves individually by hand to make perfect decorative accents for each place setting. 

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When the big day came, the room was absolutely spectacular. It had a feeling of warmth and romance to it that can't be fully captured in photographs. It delighted us, the venue staff, and of course the bride and groom. 

Here is a full list of the items and services we provided:

Design sketches and CAD drawings
Custom wrinkle-free drape
Custom birch wall backdrop
Custom birch arches with grapevine and floral accents
Live birch and ficus trees
Floral centerpieces
Birch candle holders with eco-friendly soy tea lights
Bridal and bridesmaids' bouquets
Boutonnieres
Perimeter uplighting
Pin spotting
 

This wedding was recently featured in New Jersey Bride magazine, and on their website. Click here to read the story. Our favorite quote comes from the bride, who said, "At the last arch, I had that moment of realizing, ‘Wow, I’m getting married. The next chapter is beginning.'"

Our deepest thanks to Andres Valenzuela Photography for sharing his beautiful photos of the day.

Venue: The Bernards Inn, Bernardsville, New Jersey

Event Design Manager: Jeffrey Haines, Butler's of Far Hills

Lighting, Floral Design, Chuppah, Custom Decor: Eggsotic Events

Event Photography: Andres Valenzuela Photography

Additional Photography: Eggsotic Events and Frank Peluso

Summer Wedding at Greenacres Country Club

Eggsotic Events collaborated with a talented team of artists to create a beautiful, chic wedding reception at the Greenacres Country Club in Lawrence Township, NJ.

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We surrounded the ballroom from floor to ceiling with lush white sheer drape. Bold, elegant LED uplighting added gorgeous purple tones throughout the room. 

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Vanessa Joy Photography, one of New Jersey's top wedding photographers, captured beautiful decor photos of the lighting, drape and floral design. She also does amazing portraits that really capture the bride and groom's personalities.

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The floral centerpieces were created by Jardiniere of Princeton, NJ, another great team with whom we always love to work side by side. The floral decor included white cymbidium orchids, white hydrangea, and a variety of roses.

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All photographs courtesy of Vanessa Joy Photography.

Photography: Vanessa Joy Photography
Florist: Jardiniere Florals
Venue: Greenacres Country Club
Lighting and Drape: Eggsotic Events