Jacob // Bar Mitzvah

Mitzvah Monday is back and today, I'm giving Jacob a hearty MAZEL TOV! 

I love shooting at synagogues from St. Paul to Minneapolis and everywhere in between because the architecture, the lighting and the vibes are all so different, yet feel the same ... and this time, I got to venture to Mount Zion in St. Paul to celebrate with Jacob and his family!

The oldest of four kids, Jacob handled the morning with a mature grace, taking his younger siblings under his wing at various times. It was so great to see and I loved working with his family to create some traditional yet fun portraits. 

For the party on Saturday night, the celebration continued at the Great Hall in downtown St. Paul - a venue that turned a great space into a "light up the night" theme - all the glow in the dark touches that Jacob's mom Melissa put together were so fun! Level11 kept the party moving and the best part? Kids danced and received raffle tickets for the best moves ... at the end of the night, all raffle tickets were put into a giant box and the winner went home with a hoverboard! INSANITY INSUED! So crazy and fun! 

Mazel Tov to Jacob and his family for such a beautiful event - I can't wait to work with you all again soon! XO!

Levi // Bar Mitzvah

Today's #MItzvahMonday post features Levi! It's my hope that through these images, you can get a sense of this guy's HILARIOUS personality, his love and gratitude for his family and his spontaneous sense of humor that spills over into every facet of his life! Every time I see this kid, he cracks me up!

At the end of 2014, I ran into a problem: I was booked for two bar mitzvahs on the same date! Both families were spectacular and I wanted to work with both of them, so I turned to my friend Kristine Erickson to step in to photograph Levi's bar mitzvah. With some guidance on key shots from both myself and mom Alison, she did a perfect job! I loved culling through and editing these images the week after the event - I was laughing and crying, living these moments through Kristine's images. Thanks a million, K, for knocking this one out of the park!

Levi's bar mitzvah was held at Mount Zion in St. Paul - a stunning synagogue with loads of beautiful natural light. The Shabbat dinner and the events on Saturday happened here and were filled with family from out of town who traveled to celebrate with Levi and his immediate family. Mom Alison created the fun sports-themed centerpieces for the luncheon and Spirit of Asia catered the event - always a great, delicious job! 

The party at Base Camp at Fort Snelling was jam-packed with fun activities for the kids, dancing and music by Total Entertainment and Levi's favorite: Uncle Franky's! This event was so simple, easy and so much fun! Check out Levi's great crowd-surfing moment and dance moves in the photo slideshow below :)

Mazel Tov, Levi! I loved working with you and your family again - can't wait to celebrate Ruth's bat mitzvah next year! XOXO!