Though it may be impossible to be in two places at once, planning breathtaking events in two places at once is no sweat for Penny Rabinowitz of Penny & Co. Events (formerly Save the Day Events). For the past 20 years, Rabinowitz has been creating weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, and other parties for clients up and down the East Coast from her office in Bergen County, and for the past seven years she has also been producing events part-time in Israel. Now, as she prepares to make aliyah to Israel, she will continue to serve clients in both countries, offering the customized, out-of-the-box experience that she has become known for. She will be keeping her apartment, office and phone number here in the U.S., and plans to return to oversee events as often as needed.
Unlike many party and event planners who solely coordinate logistics, Penny & Co. Events offers in-house custom design and production, simplifying the process for clients. Rabinowitz specializes in creating unique branding and design concepts and carrying them through every aspect of each event, from logos and invitations to the décor, which is often handmade specifically for each client.
Rabinowitz is looking forward to using her extensive experience and familiarity with Israeli and American clients and vendors in her new venture. In addition, she is uniquely positioned to help plan events for those coming to Israel from the United States or other countries. In addition to taking care of all of the details that go into planning a party, Penny & Co. Events will also be involved in arranging accommodations, tour guides and sightseeing destinations tailored to each group.
Despite being a veteran in the industry, Rabinowitz’s parties are anything but the “same old,” and she prides herself on staying on top of—or often ahead of—the rapidly changing trends. These days, Rabinowitz says that even the most upscale weddings and parties are focusing more on the “fun” and less on the “fancy,” especially when it comes to the food. “Create-your-own waffles, burgers or French fries stations are in,” she says. “Even traditional wedding cakes are being replaced with customized cupcakes, pies and doughnut bars. When budget permits, we often rent specialty food trucks where the guests can get something fun and delicious for their ride home.” Though Rabinowitz notes that other trends—signature drinks, sharing photos on social media using a customized hashtag, and baskets of socks or flip flops for dancing—have become staples on the party scene, one trend is particularly noteworthy. “I am noticing more and more mitzvah projects as central elements at parties no matter the level of religiosity,” says Rabinowitz, adding that some couples are choosing to donate a portion of their wedding gifts to those less fortunate and may even put cards at every table describing their donation to a charity that has special meaning to them. “That is my all-time favorite trend because, after all is said and done, why the party without the mitzvah?”
By Rachel Jager
Find Penny & Co. Events online at www.pennyandcoevents.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennyandcoevents.
