By Vered Ornstein
You’ve been to dozens of bar and bat mitzvah parties over the years, and you feel like you’ve seen it all. Or maybe the bar or bat mitzvah you’re planning is the first one you’ll ever attend. Regardless of your experience with bar and bat mitzvah parties, you’re a go-getting person who likes to have their finger on the pulse of what’s new in fashion and design.
Trends and fashions come and go faster than we can keep track of, and bar/bat mitzvah parties are hardly exempt from the rapidly changing world of design. Whether you’re a party planning newbie or a trend-setting expert, it can be hard to know exactly what’s at the forefront of the mitzvah marketplace. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of some of the top trending elements for 2022-3 parties and bar/bat mitzvahs to inspire and guide your next big event.
- COVID Will Have Lasting Impacts
Though restrictions and limitations on numbers of people put in place at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic are starting to ease up, the last two years of social distancing will continue to impact the way we party for the next several years. While festivals, concerts, and more are back to being full capacity, many people have begun to prefer and default to sticking in smaller groups than in years past. As a result, smaller, more intimate bar and bat mitzvah parties have seen an uptick in popularity since 2020.
Keeping your guest list small not only protects people from illness, but it protects your bank account, too. Budget saved on food and party favors for hundreds can be reallocated into bigger, more intricate design elements or more unique venues. Outdoor events, especially during the spring and summer months, allow everyone to feel safe while also expanding your options for cool locations beyond what a typical banquet hall can provide.
Also a result of COVID restrictions, opting for multiple smaller parties over one big one is gaining popularity. Instead of mixing adults, kids, family, and friends into one huge party, try splitting your parties based on groups of people and activities. For example, setting up a small carnival outdoors for kids while the adults lounge inside ensures that both parents and teens have a good time. Or maybe your teen wants to have a dance party with their camp friends and a swimming party with their school friends. Planning several more lowkey party options keeps crowd sizes down and lets your teen’s big day stretch out even longer!
Lastly, incorporation of technology and hybrid events are more common than ever in a post-COVID world. Livestreaming your party allows guests unable to attend to feel like they’re there for your family’s special moment. Likewise, try incorporating guests who couldn’t make it into the party by including instructions to send in a video on your RSVPs. That way, a guest who cannot attend can record a short video wishing the bar/bat mitzvah teen well, which can be compiled and shown at the party. Because not even social distancing can put a damper on your day!
A zoom mitzvah set up
- Design is Maximalizing, Minimally
The days of soft, demure pastels and parties are things of the past. Coming into the 2020s, bright, bold colors and aesthetics are making their way back into the zeitgeist. But while harsh hues and showstopping elements are popular, they walk the line between simple and gaudy. Another result of the years spent in lockdown, paying to line every inch of your venue in streamers, signs, and décor is not a priority for many families and party planners. Instead, people are learning to make big statements with minimal elements. Color blocking the walls with bright, simple designs is standing out more than having intricate wall art. One big, impressive centerpiece (like a doughnut wall or balloon arch) draws more praise than multiple pieces that can get overwhelmed and overshadowed by one another. By saying more with less, you ensure that your event looks fun, classy, and well put-together.
A donut bar
Another downside of the over-the-top party elements of the past is the waste they produce. Now more than ever, people are thinking about how to incorporate eco-friendly design into their bar and bat mitzvah parties. Using recycled materials or DIYing décor and party favors, having biodegradable dishes and cutlery, and steering clear of excessive plastics are all things to consider when planning a bar/bat mitzvah party.
- Themes are for Fantasies
At its core, a bar or bat mitzvah party should reflect the interests and dreams of the teen who is being honored. Especially after two years being mostly confined to our homes, bar/bat mitzvah teens deserve a special day catered to them and their wistfulness. Therefore, party themes like travel, high fashion, and influencer culture are more popular than ever. By channeling their fantasies into a fantastical night or afternoon, your teen gets to live out their wildest dreams without ever leaving their hometown. Help them escape to the beaches of Hawaii, walk the red carpet at a movie premier, get lost in the rainforest, or whatever their wandering minds can think up!
A day at the beach…indoors
