We were lucky to catch up with Lydia Krasner recently and have shared our conversation below.
Lydia, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I worked for Nordstrom for many years, and their work ethic taught me that if your customer is in the fitting room and they need their car washed, you go! My Father was a hard worker and owned his own business, as well as my husband’s family business that is over 65 years strong. I carry that ownership into my company and consider the client’s experience as my own. If I were a parent creating our child’s Mitzvah, this huge undertaking is quite overwhelming! Most parents in their mid-40’s haven’t planned something that grand since their own wedding. And they probably had help from THEIR parents. Lifecycle events are once in a lifetime and you can’t get that day back. Therefore, doing it right the first time is key. Our business is to help create long lasting family memories and celebrate important milestones. I take pride in making sure every detail is considered and one must be “Johnny on the spot” in our situation day of the events. I work hard for every client, and listen to their requests. As I continually grow relationships with vendors, my relationships get stronger and my circle of “team players” widens. Working together for the same goal of the client having the perfect day must be mutual for all vendors. My tireless efforts result in beautiful events and lasting memories for clients.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I have been in business over 27 years and 85% of my business is focused on social events for the jewish community. This niche market of clientele are looking for someone who understands the rituals and customs, as well as what it looks like to feed and entertain three generations in the same room. Many event planners are not familiar with this market which makes our company very specialized. Most of our business is Bar/Bat Mitzvah’s, a handful of weddings, birthdays and the rest are corporate clients. I was an art teacher for 18 years, and have a background in theater, so I have a very creative approach to my design. We ultimately plan a ” production ” every week, just like in the theater to include sets, props, lighting, backdrops etc. Add in the rentals, food, floral and some fun factors- Its a party! I am also president of the San Diego Bar/Bat Mitzvah Event Services Association (www.besasandiego.com), and pride myself on continuous growth within our community of vendors that specialize in Mitzvahs. We produce an expo annually that introduces the current membership to the community of parents and kids planning these affairs. As the roster of students changes each year, there is a constant influx in new families and also those planning their next child’s affair. Being given the honor of helping these families plan for such an important day is a privilege.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three most important skills that are most impactful in my business are patience, creativity and the ability to pivot in a heartbeat. Patience is necessary with clients making tough decisions. They want to feed and entertain three different generations and create an enviornment around a very important religious milestone. It will most likely be the biggest event they have done since the child was born. And it is over in 4 or 5 hours, so it needs to be perfect! They are emotionally attached to the event and the guests, so they need a nice variety of food, activities and tasteful decor. Sometimes clients change their mind often with making these daunting decisions and patience is key! Creativity is one of the most important qualities in this industry. If all my parties looked the same, I would be out of business! Every week is different. Some parties are themed around a child’s interests or sport while some are just based on a a color palette. The crazier the theme, the more fun I have! Some of the best parties are those that I have had to research to create an authentic enviornment so it stretches my level of knowledge too. I’ve done unique themes like motocross or James Bond that are not your typical party theme, but they make for unique decor!
Lastly, the ability to pivot is key. We executed a 50th Anniversary event a few weeks ago during a hurricane. The event changed daily from Wednesday to the following Tuesday. It was supposed to be on Sunday which was the day of the hurricane and the client wanted to go through with it. We spent days putting up tents and then removing them due to wind, Putting up lights and chairs and taking them down the next day and moving all the furniture into their home. Then the power went out the day of in the middle of the set up so we postponed until two days later. The caterer was not available at that point so I had to find a new one in the middle of a hurricane and an earthquake on a Sunday! All the vendors were so gracious bringing back rentals that we had sent back due to the storm. The florist remade all the florals and the challah went in the freezer for 2 days. In the end, it turned out amazing and they had a beautiful day after all the craziness. You never know what comes along. Even an unplanned hurricane in California!
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The number one challenge we are currently facing is the high price of doing business. Prior to Covid, families had a rough idea of what they want to spend but now since Covid, they really are having sticker shock. The cost of labor, flowers, gas etc has gone up along with groceries and imported products. Many growers of flowers went out of business after Covid due to lack of sales during that two year time period, so floral is at a premium. People are choosing their guest list wisely and inviting less people but the hotel minimums are higher. With 1/3 to 1/2 the room being kids, there is a low bar bill and they have to meet the required minimums. Education is key to helping clients make good decisions with their money. What is the biggest bang for your buck? What is going to have the highest impact? Helping clients make good decisions can make the difference in the look and feel of the event. Our goal is to help them choose carefully and spend wisely. Finding vendors that specialize in this type of party is also extra important. It’s consequential not to skimp by using an inexperienced vendor. You can’t get that day back once the party is over.
Contact Info:
- Website: mitzvahevent.com
- Instagram: @mitzvaheventproductions
- Facebook: Mitzvah Event Productions
- Linkedin: Lydia Krasner
- Yelp: Mitzvah Event Productions
Image Credits
Ron Levy Photography Del Rio Studios ABM Photography Bob Hoffman Photography Richard Pecjak
