Hosting Our First Shabbat Dinner...

One of my favorite people in the world was hosting a number of out-of-town guests from South Africa, Ireland, Hong Kong and California etc. for her son's Bar Mitzvah last weekend.

 

I am not Jewish but since many of my girlfriend's are...we have been blessed to be able to share in the wonderful tradition of Friday night Shabbat dinners with their families. This was the first one we lovingly hosted in honor of our wonderful friends!

 

 

She had a wonderful party planned at a fabulous venue for Saturday night which I will blog about later this week...but she was looking for a festive setting for her Friday night "shabbat dinner"....

 

You might recall that I held a wonderful birthday party for one of my other favorite friends a couple of weeks prior.  Click here to see it if you missed it!

 

 

We needed to host this party for 50 instead of 12...so it required some reinvention and some quick zshooshing the day of the event....since this was a rather last minute idea...waiting to see what the weather would do....

 

            Many of her close family members traveled to attend....

 

 

the weather held so we could sit everyone outside....

 

 

we were cozy but we all fit comfortably for dinner....

 

 we kept the flower arrangements and candles low in order to maximize the room on the tables...

A table in the garden awaiting a pizza delivery for the children....

I draped an ordinary garden umbrella inside and out in pink and orange fabric and some indian sari fabric to create a separate dining area in the garden....

We strung lights underneath for added bling and night lighting for the diners....

 

The view from the upstairs deck as night fell.....

 

 

 

Indian Food ( yum) was ordered to keep things simple....

a view from the back of the garden...

What a wonderful evening filled with delightful memories....