Beach Boogie

Cindy and Steve Ranck of Potomac knew exactly how they wanted to celebrate their daughter Alyssa's bat mitzvah: with a homage to the beach town of Ventnor City, N.J., three miles down the boardwalk from Atlantic City. They decided to re-create their favorite place inside the ballroom of Temple Beth Ami in Rockville.

With the help of party planner Linda Garner, president of Gala Events in Rockville, the Rancks were able to "bring Ventnor to life," Cindy says. "It was so much fun--people went crazy for it," adds Garner.