There is no shortage of ideas on the internet when it comes to planning a bar or bat mitzvah celebration. You can find everything from Pinterest-perfect pictures to blogs covering misadventures in the mitzvah party planning world. But somewhere in between there’s plenty of good ideas and good advice.
ADVICE
“The best advice for mitzvah moms and dads is: take that nap! If you are doing a night party, force your kid, corral that kid, onto a bed for at least an hour (parents too!) before the night event. It is so exciting, so overwhelming, years and years of prep [involved] – so it’s easy when the party comes, to be exhausted,” explains Barb Shapiro of GreenScreen Entertainment & Novelties, LLC (greenscreenaz.com). In her years in the business, she has seen kids too exhausted or stressed out to enjoy their own party.
Barb also stresses the importance of planning, “Simultaneously plan everything. It can feel overwhelming, but make a spreadsheet of each category.” She suggests to pick the date (about two years out) and then secure the venue. The venue and the DJ are the most crucial pieces, but everything needs to be considered as a separate component. The photographer, videographer, adjunct entertainment, cake, caterer, linens all need to be figured in.
“One thing that mitzvah parents need to understand when they are going to select their vendors and why they need to do it early, is because just about every vendor I know does much more than the mitzvah market. We do weddings, corporate events, sporting events, house parties, etc. Mitzvah moms often think very regionally; they know of a few temples in the area, and who may else be having a mitzvah on a certain date, but it’s much wider than that, especially in peak season,” Barb advises.
THEMES
Themes are crucial to any celebration and there are ways to tie in activities with the theme selected. Here are some of our favorites:
Winter Wonderland: Rent a life-sized snow globe for a décor centerpiece and photo opportunity for the guests, especially if they can go inside the snow globe.
Science: Have an interactive “mocktail” bar for kids, complete with beakers and test tubes filled with colorful juices and steaming dry ice.
Chocolate: A mirror shaped like a giant Hershey’s kiss makes a unique sign-in board. Use individual chocolate bars for place cards.
Football: Turn the dining area into one big tailgate party with pop-up tents and lawn chairs.
Star Wars: Have different “Star Wars” movies playing on television screens throughout the venue.
Avengers: Hire professional entertainers to race into the ballroom on a ‘chase’ after the super villains, an interactive experience for the guests and great photo opportunities for the guest of honor.
Fashion: Set up a red carpet and ropes for a photo opportunity and design place cards to look like American Express platinum credit cards.
Animals: Face painting to transform guests into their favorite animal and animal prints (zebra, giraffe, tiger) on everything from kippas to cake.
TRENDS
Take a look at what’s trending on mitzvahmarket.com, “the largest online resource” for bar and bat mitzvah party planning:
1. 4-hour vs. 5-hour parties – lose the formal cocktail hour
2. Email RSVPs – a greener option and saves the cost of paper and stamps
3. Candy bars/buffets – double as party favors
4. Clever logos – design a logo to use on everything from invitations to place cards
5. Dancer T-shirts – customized T-shirts for motivational dancers
6. Food trucks – for an exit treat when your guests leave the party
7. Custom sneakers – kids can express their style and be comfortable dancing
8. Dual purpose sign-in boards – like mirrors, pillows or chairs
9. Creative candle lighting displays – cupcakes, floating candles, ice sculptures and puzzles
10. Big grand entrances – golf cart, surf board, Segway or bicycle are new ways to enter
11. Meaningful mitzvah projects – something that will leave a lifelong desire to do good
12. Montage with voice-overs – moms and dads lend their voices to videos
13. Hashtag events – create a custom hashtag for your celebration
14. Food – some kids are requesting more sophisticated food options, like sushi
