I just photographed the most fabulous Temple Emanuel bat mitzvah celebration for a family here in Denver, Colorado. Their daughter, Sadie, has been prepping for this big day at Temple Emanuel which is where my husband also celebrated his bar mitzvah (a long time ago! Haha) I just found out Temple Emanuel is the largest congregation in the United States between St. Louis and the West Coast which is pretty neat.
We started off the day photographing some family portraits before the service began in the pretty courtyard covered in green ivy. Temple Emanuel Bat Mitzvah services do not allow photos to be taken during the actual ceremony, so we took some photos of Sadie in her prayer shawl and with the Torah inside the temple and with her rabbi and cantor before the guests arrived for the service. This was followed by a luncheon at the Temple.
Later that evening there was a big party held at History Colorado Center on Broadway in the Terrace Room which has a huge outdoor patio with beautiful views looking out across Denver. It was a really cool place to have a party because guests were able to wander around the huge building looking at the exhibitions celebrating the local history during cocktail hour (I particularly think it’s cute that they have a little section in the Denver area celebrating Barrel Man, a superfan for the Broncos).
After eating dinner the fun really got started with the games that bar and bat mitzvah parties are known for and are led by the DJ. The kids went all out with the scavenger hunt begging the tables where the grown ups were sitting to donate things like photo IDs, socks, and even button down shirts. After the games, we were all entertained by the professional break dancers who did a special performance and got everyone amped up for the dance floor. One part of the party I haven’t seen before was when Sadie thanked all of her guests (through poetry no less!) for traveling near and far to celebrate this special day with her and invited them up to light the candles on her birthday cake. I thought that was a really sweet touch. Overall, it was such a great day and one that I’m sure Sadie will remember for the rest of her life!
Mazel Tov, Sadie!
FAMILY PHOTOS:
TEMPLE EMANUEL:
LUNCHEON:
START OF RECEPTION:
GAMES:
CANDLE LIGHTING:
DANCING:
And one last one of Sadie looking very pretty and grown up in her gorgeous blue dress!
Be sure to head over to the DENVER MITZVAHS page to see some of my favorite photos from other bar and bat mitzvahs I’ve photographed throughout the years!
Temple: Temple Emanuel Hilltop Neighborhood, Denver, Colorado
Reception Venue: History Colorado Denver, Colorado
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