{ MAZEL TOV }
This page, from top: The Fox family, Jason and Amy, with Rylee, center, and siblings Tessa, Hudson and Ryder, all decked out for the big day; floral centerpieces in cheerful colors by Yena Designs sit pretty in a base crafted from the original invitations; a pink seating chart on an easel is a no-contact alternative to seating cards; hand sanitizer with Rylee’s logo and face masks are among the souvenirs. Opposite page: Rylee reads special poems and dedications for family and friends during a candle-lighting ceremony. Alongside the colorful candles is the custom artwork created for the Fox family by street artist Jason Naylor.
Not only did Naylor create custom art for Rylee’s big day, but his designs inspired the event’s creative works, says Jacobs. She happens to be friends with the street artist; still it was a surprise when he could make the event. To transform the yard, Jacobs used branding and bright colors, including supersized versions of Naylor’s graphics, such as his signature open heart and a special Smiley Rylee logo. “I wanted to bring to the yard some of the street elements we would have brought to the Art Factory,” she explains. “I had the graffiti art blown up to make it life-size, so we almost created freestanding walls around the perimeter of the yard.” As a bonus, the Fox family now has hanging in their kitchen the custom art Naylor created for them, with six of his open hearts for Jason, Amy and each of their four children, ages 4–13. Another welcome COVID twist was the socially distanced brunch with individual brunch boxes from Brownstone Pancake Factory in Edgewater and Englewood Cliffs. Naturally, these boxes would get cold if left unattended. The remedy? Personal Touch Catering Experience of Hackensack was on hand to build the boxes and keep them fresh and warm. “It’s almost like we created a kitchen in their garage,” says Jacobs. “There were lots of fun BERGENMAG.COM
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