Your child is now of age and ready to celebrate via their bar or bat mitzvah…congratulations! Now it’s time to celebrate with friends, family and the community.
From party themes and decor to food, activities and favors, we’ve pulled together a collection of ideas that will inspire you and help you create the ultimate bar or bat mitzvah.
Mitzvah Party Themes
The party theme sets the stage for the entire event. Theme options are truly limitless and you can really go big or small, depending on your budget, with any theme.
Here are some of our favorite themes for bat mitzvahs:
- Candy Company or Candy Land
- Academy Awards or A Night at the Movies
- Camp Sarah (use your child’s name of course)
- Social Media
- Color Theme (use your child’s favorite color for this theme)
- Karaoke or Pop Star
- Artist
- Graffiti
- Dance or Ballet
- Baking or Cookie Castle
Here are some of our favorite themes for bar mitzvahs:
- Football, Baseball or Soccer
- Graffiti
- Color Theme (use your child’s favorite color for this theme)
- Science
- Star Wars
- Rock Band
Now that you have your theme, it’s time to create your invitations. Today’s invitations can be almost anything from a traditional paper invite to a backstage pass, a decorated cookie, to even a digital invitation.
Whichever way you opt to go, just remember to have some fun, be sure to include all the basic details for the party, and make sure it supports your theme because your invitation is your guest’s introduction to the event ahead.
Mitzvah Decor
As with any planned event, you’ll want to create a seating chart. When your guests arrive, you can provide them with their seating details. A fun way to handle this task is to create a seating station where guests can find their seat locations for themselves.
A creative way to do this to create seat cards that go with your theme. You can add a card to a paintbrush, a cookie cutter, or even put the information on a baseball. This way it supports your party theme, is fun, and gives your guest a keepsake memento from the event.
Centerpieces are amazing additions to your overall decor and really help to tie everything all together. They can also be used as raffle prizes for your guests to take home at the end of the event.
Centerpieces can including lighting, candy and treats, lightsabers, photo frames, flowers….you name it!
Having your party guests leave a message in celebration is a tradition…but who says that it has to be done in a book?
Today’s bat and bar mitzvah allow for true creativity when it comes to the event ‘guestbook.’ You can do something that supports your theme or that will just make a unique and creative keepsake for your child.
Here are a few of our favorite ideas:
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- A large mirror where guests can sign with a paint pen or permanent marker
- A photo frame where guests can sign the photo mat
- A football or helmet
- A graffiti wall where guests can sign or paint their thoughts
Gifts and favors are a great way to tell your guests how much you appreciate them coming out and celebrating with you. When it comes to deciding what to give your guests there are two things to consider: your theme and your budget.
You want your gift to be something nice, but you don’t want to break the bank. Come up with something that also supports your party theme, that way they have a memento that will remind them of the day and that will be fun…something for them to enjoy later.
Mitzvah Party Food & Exit Treats
While it’s not a requirement, menu boards are a fun way to add to your decorations and overall theme, while also letting your guests know what their food options for the party will be.
Food boards are great to display at the front or entry point of your buffet or food station. You can include what’s on the menu as well as what snack and drink options guests have available to choose from.
If your snack, dessert, or beverage stations are located someplace other than next to the main food course or buffet area, include arrows or directional information on your menu board. You don’t want your guest missing out on anything!
While cakes are the tradition, today’s bat and bar mitzvahs are open to modern interpretations. You can set up a cupcake tower or cake pop display, allowing guests to grab and go with the perfect serving. You can also pre-cut your cake instead of having guests wait in line.
When it comes to the type of cake, every flavor is on the table as an option and the decorations should match your theme.
If you have any guests with food allergies, then you can offer a separate gluten-free or vegan option.
When your guests are leaving the party, it’s tradition to offer them a snack to take with them. There are tons of really cool and unique ways to handle this part.
Donut trays or walls are classic and are snacks that just about all kids enjoy. Why not put a spin on this classic by creating your child’s very own donut shop? You can create a free-standing shop or tables with signs. You can make it as small or over the top as you want!
And while it’s perfectly acceptable to have the wait staff handle the distribution for you, why not let your child run the show and say goodbye to everyone as they leave. This will provide a more personal touch.
Want to handle the exit snacks a little differently? Then think outside of the donut box!
You can set up a newsstand, complete with candy, donuts, granola bars, and magazines for guest to select from on their way out. You could also create a ticket booth or concession stand where guests can pick up prepackaged goody bags as they leave the party.
No matter which way you opt to go, the important thing is to have fun and let your guests know how much they are appreciated.
Mitzvah Stations and Activities
The candle lighting ceremony is part of the bat and bar mitzvah tradition. However, create an area that supports the party theme and that becomes a special place for your child.
Surrounding the candles by the cake or a series of your child’s favorite candies or treats. Incorporate photos or a small video screen that plays memories from your child’s early years.
Place the station in a corner or separate area so it doesn’t get knocked over or overly touched during the party itself. Remember, this is your child’s sacred space and where they will officially transition, so protect it and put in the extra effort to make it something special and uniquely them.
Photo booths and photos stations are amazingly popular at parties and events these days. They are a fun way for guests to get to express themselves, cut loose, and get a one-of-a-kind party souvenir.
If you opt to go with a traditional booth, make sure there are tons of accessories guests can use when taking pictures. Everything from silly mustaches on sticks to hats and boas. If you can tie it into the party’s theme, even better!
If you’re doing more of a station, you’ll want a colorful background and plenty of room for the kids to spread out and jump into silly poses. You can also give them signs or oversized picture frames to pose with.
And finally, create an area for games and karaoke for the kids. This can be anything from Twiter and Simon Says, to a baking or crafting station.
The goal here is to provide a secondary option to dancing — an opportunity for them to have some fun and just cut loose a little.
Games and karaoke stations are great places to get some support from a host, MC or DJ. They can keep the activities moving for you so you can enjoy the party with your child.
Need a little more inspiration? Check out our EBE Bar/Bat Mitzvah board on Pinterest and then contact our EBE Event Planning Team and let them help you create a truly one-of-a-kind event your child.
