We all remember what bar & bat mitzvah celebrations were like pre-COVID, right? While these celebrations certainly continued during the pandemic on a smaller scale, we’re finally starting to return to their full grandeur and magic! From huge venues to professional photography to elaborate party-planning themes, bar and & bat mitzvahs are as lively as ever. If you’re looking to plan a bar or bat mitzvah for your kids, we’ve got the scoop on what you can expect when it comes to party planning in 2022. Read on to find out why Bar & Bat Mitzvah Celebrations Are Bigger Than Ever and how these amazing vendors are more than ready to make your celebration spectacular.
Venues
Location, location, location! The place you decide to have your bar or bat mitzvah is, in some ways, the most important part. Recently, venues have seen a huge increase in the number of attendees. “We are slammed right now,” said Heather Conover, event planner at Bacall’s Family Steakhouse. The NYC restaurant also functions as an event venue. Over the past few months, they’ve held a few mitzvahs at Club Blue, the downstairs area that has a dance floor for the kids in the front and a bar for the adults in the back. “We are getting more and more inquiries every day,” explained Conover, “Previously it was for 100 or less. I’m getting inquiries now for up to 200. I think people are ready to party.”
For bigger venue spaces like Bacall’s, COVID actually didn’t impact their business drastically because they were able to space people out. Mitzvahs persevered during the pandemic! But as COVID restrictions loosen up, families and friends are ready to fill those venues up again so that everyone can be included in the celebrations.
Invitations, Party Favors, Place Cards & More
We all know that there’s a lot more that goes into planning a mitzvah than just choosing a venue. That’s where vendors who do customized text and embroidery come in. Many of these vendors have been extremely busy as celebrations get back into full swing. “Business has absolutely started picking up,” said Jody Kramer, VP of Trans Trade Promotions. “We have been doing both invitations and favors and the quantity of each is steadily increasing. People are excited to get back to life and they are ready to party.” Trans Trade Promotions has everything you may need when it comes to imprinting and embroidery, from personalization invites to special party favors.
Some of these vendors have not only noticed an increase in business, but a greater intentionality and interest in clients. Gotham T-Shirts, an over 15-year-old business that makes custom apparel, does all of their designs in-house– meaning they don’t depend on anyone else to make the product for them. And given the long shipping delays and significant inventory issues during COVID, customers now really want to make sure that their apparel will arrive on time. “The market is becoming smarter,” explained Howie Zwang, owner of Gotham T-Shirts. “I think people are recognizing who the better vendors are.”
The best part about mitzvah celebrations today is that they haven’t just returned to pre-COVID days– they’re bigger than ever! “We’re getting a lot more calls than we’ve ever seen,” said Zwang. “People want to celebrate and everyone’s glad to get back into some sort of normalcy.” Of course vendors such as Zwang are happy that sales are booming, but perhaps more importantly, they are inspired by their customer-based communities and passionate about their missions to make celebrations the very best they can be. Looking ahead to the next few months, Zwang said: “We’re excited to help people make their parties phenomenal. We’re excited to create and make fashion forward items for the kids to wear.” You can reach Zwang at 516 669-1400 to chat with him about your upcoming party apparel needs.
But we also want to note that COVID isn’t over, and some custom text vendors have actually developed new products to adjust. “We have a few customers still buying the logoed masks we make,” added Kramer. Parties are back, but we’re still staying safe.
Psst..check out Third Time’s a Charm for One Bubble Tea Lovin’ Bat Mitzvah Girl
Video & Photography
As celebrations become more extravagant, a stellar photographer or videographer is essential for any bar or bat mitzvah! Especially as COVID restrictions loosen and venues can hold more people, you’re going to want a photographer who can capture all of the many friends and family that are invited to the big day. Jon Fischer Photography is known for their beautiful storytelling through photos that will forever remind you of the special day. We also recommend checking out Montages by Erica to highlight your child’s special moments in life leading up to their bar or bat mitzvah. Erica works with you to put memories in motion with effects, transitions, and music.
Social media was already super popular before COVID, but it’s become even more prevalent, especially TikTok. Not only are celebrations getting larger, but people are sharing more about their mitzvahs. Make sure that you have meaningful photos and videos to look back on and share with friends and family via social media!
Entertainment
Nothing says celebration like entertainment. We’re finally back to the large-scale entertainment that we saw pre-COVID: dance floors, DJs, lights, and more! As you’re ramping up for your child’s bar or bat mitzvah, you’re definitely going to want to look into entertainment vendors to get your guests moving and grooving. These vendors have certainly seen business rise over the past few months, because people miss singing and dancing with each other to commemorate special days like mitzvahs. If you’re looking for an entertainment vendor that truly does it all, check out the EK Event Group. They have everything from DJs to games to lighting and special effects to make sure that your mitzvah is fun and exciting for all guests.
Need more inspiration for your upcoming bar or bat mitzvah? Check out these Mitzvah Party Ideas!
