Jeremy's 40th Birthday

Bringing the Borscht Belt to Bridgehampton

We had the time of our lives marking this milestone birthday for longtime clients (who first came to Cheree Berry Paper & Design for their wedding 10 years prior!). To create a refined-retro vibe, we tapped into the memory of the Catskills circa mid-century and the cherished American Jewish tradition of retreating there for the summer. Our resulting visual narrative was not just an ode to Jeremy's 40th, but also his community, culture and the golden era of guests lounging poolside by day and dancing the mambo by night.

A Festive Retrospective

In the grand history of upstate New York getaways, we created branding for the familial “resort” that would play host to this shindig on top of the event itself. Taking our cue from iconic mountain getaways, we brought Leventhal’s to life with a wordmark reminiscent of Grossinger’s, the Concord, Kutscher’s and the like. 

While aiming to evoke the heyday of the Catskills, we did not want to veer into kitschy territory. An unfussy “J40” logo lent a crisper touch of modernity to the more stylized scripts, hand drawn-style icons, mid-century palette and playful inflections of Yiddish, tempering the underlying retro aesthetic. 

Head to Leventhal's

We gave the printed party invitation a vintage collage look to add dimension to a simpler front-and-back format. Layering nostalgic photography and clipping a petit insert featuring the birthday headliner to the card achieved a promotional quality without feeling gimmicky. Though small and subtle, this embellishment ensured guest interaction with the invitation.  

Of course, an ode to the Borscht Belt wouldn’t be complete with a heavy helping of Yiddish. Worked into the tagline, event overview, reply responses, dress code direction and day-of items later on, the language became part of the celebration’s schtick.  

Party 'til You Plotz

Stepping through the door at Leventhal’s (aka Topping Rose House) was like stepping back in time – our souvenir postcards, custom keychain escorts and vintage acrylic whistle stirrers enhancing the transportive effect. Guests noshed and schmoozed while sipping on extra dirty Tuchistinis and extra sweet Menschattans before retiring to the Leventhal’s Lounge, where they reveled and kvelled the night away.