By Brynne Magaziner
When it comes to Bar and Bat Mitzvah trends, it’s all about custom, custom, custom. There are so many ways to show off your child’s personality and ensure that your guests are well taken care of. Adding some of the latest trends are sure to have your guests raving about your party for months to come. Here are some special touches that are HOT!
Custom Gaming
Rather than just having a random game or two, customize the games to fit with the overall event look. Customized gaming allows you to brand the entertainment with your child’s colors or logo. “One of our favorite games to brand is our Urban Hoops because you have options for branding ball return and signs as well as the digital scoreboard,” says Gregg Dukofsky of Interactive Entertainment Group. “We can display the names of the participants while they are playing and display a leader board throughout the night.” Guests love to see their names, so check with your game provider to see if that is a possibility.
Unique Montages
Montages have become standard at Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, so find a different way to keep them fresh and exciting. Shari Sollender of Images4ever reports that she is seeing more clients including video clips within their montages. “Kids love to see themselves in action when they were younger,” she says. “And guests love how it adds another dimension to the montage.” Who knew all those videos you shot of your kids growing up would come in so handy? Another way to incorporate video is with a personal message at the end of the montage from parents, the guest of honor or even a celebrity or two. Surprise video clips from celebrities will give your guest of honor a real thrill — whether it’s their favorite sports star, a niche YouTube vlogger, a reality TV host or someone even more famous. Try reaching out to one of your child’s heroes to see if they would send a 5-second video clip wishing them a Mazel Tov on their Bar or Bat Mitzvah and see what happens.
Glam Bar
Having mostly female guests? Try a glam bar and pamper your guests during the party. “A glam bar gives guests of all ages a chance to sparkle with glitter lips, crystals and fun hair products,” says Courtney Gotz of Glam on the Go. If you’re looking for something more unique, try false eyelashes, colorful hair extensions, feathers or flowers in hair, a hair braiding station or mini makeovers. As a plus, your event photos will turn out even better because of how beautiful and unique your guests will look. Having mostly male guests? Try Eye Black face stickers for a sporty look. These stickers are not only worn by the pros on the fi eld to reduce the glare of the sun, but they are also fun party favors that can be completely customized. They’re also a unique dance fl oor giveaway. “If you can dream it, we can do it,” says Peter Beveridge of EyeBlack.com. “Event logos, colors, words, sports team logos, even glitter face stickers. They are safe and peel on and off for easy repositioning.”
Dance Floor Footwear
Supply fun socks or slippers so your guests can kick off their shoes and dance the night away, too. “Personalized socks are great to give out during the party as they have grips on the bottom for dancing or can be used for party favor giveaways,” says Stephanie Feldman of Cutie Patootie Creations. “It’s an item that is practical as they can be used for kids or adults. Ever since guests at the royal wedding reportedly swapped their heels for slippers, we’re hearing more and more clients exploring this fun option.”
Edible Escort Cards
The sweetest way for your guests to find their tables is with personalized escort or place cards that are edible. It’s the perfect way to seat your guests AND have a snack at the same time. “We’ve done soccer ball chocolate lollipops, chocolate bar football game ‘tickets’, Rice Krispie treats with coordinating sprinkles, dipped Oreos that match the client’s invitations and more,” says Alison Weinstock, owner of Sweet Ali Confections.” By tying in your logo or color scheme we can make branded place cards in a variety of treats that are 100% edible, unique and nut free.”
Custom Kicks
To ensure your family stays on the dance floor all night long, wear comfortable shoes. But take it one step further by making your child’s feet stand out with one-of-a-kind art on his or her footwear. “Sneaker art is highly customizable, because we can paint and style anything our clients are looking for,” say Hilary Berger and Debby Rifkin, co-owners and the creative team at Re bootz. “Logo inspired sneaks and bold typography are huge right now. Crystal bling is classic yet we make it fashion forward by incorporating it into the design work.”
Branded Dance Floor Giveaways
In addition to the typical items that the DJ hands out, the hottest trend to make your party unique is to add a variety of branded items with your child’s logo or tagline. “I’ve definitely seen a rise in the importance of branded dance floor giveaways,” says Melisa Imberman of The Event Of A Lifetime. “These items seem to motivate the kids to be on the dance floor and demonstrate their best moves in hopes of being given one of the coveted items. We typically do just 2-4 dozen of each, so there is
a demand to have a ‘rare’ item.” The basic t-shirt and baseball cap have become staples, so why not try higher quality tees, tank tops, PJ pants, sweat pants, bucket hats, hoodies, beanies or socks? If you’re looking for non-apparel items, consider customizing Swell or Gatorade-style bottles, personal message fans, blankets, gift cards, headbands and bracelets. Any cell phone accessories are off the charts popular. Kids love earbuds, carry pouches, stickers, PopSockets and selfie sticks.
Exit Treats
After a long night of dancing and partying, end your night with a little treat as a takeaway item for guests. “I advise my clients to color coordinate their exit treats to their theme/color story,” says Amy Rubel, owner of Rubel Event Management. “This can be done easily whether you are doing a candy bar, logo cookies or the always popular water bottles. Over the past year or so, we have been doing a lot of popcorn, which is a great value item and super delicious. This has been a big hit especially with sports-themed events and it’s nut free, so super safe for all guests to enjoy.” So, think outside the box and try some of these latest custom trends to make your party the one that’s talked about.
Venue Bathroom Decor
Add your event signage anywhere and everywhere! Amy Wohl from FabuDesigns.com tells us that families are asking for oversized logos and decals to decorate the bathroom mirrors at their venues; the one space where you don’t want your party guests to spend too much time. “Why not surprise your guests and have ladies enter the bathrooms with a smile,” she says.
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