More and more people are opting to plan Bar and Bat Mitzvah Parties themselves. The term DIY Bar Mitzvah Planning is becoming increasingly popular.
There are reasons why DIY Bar Mitzvah Planning is growing in popularity:
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many people have a limited budget for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs
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Pinterest and other sites encourage people how to be creative
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some families do not want a huge “over-the-top” party
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some prefer to “keep it simple” and eliminate the need to hire potentially expensive party planners or decorators
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and it’s rewarding and fun!
DIY Bar Mitzvah Planning could entail making the sign-in book and centerpieces, it could mean making the video montage, it could mean decorating the entire party room. Or it could be everything. (Perhaps not being the DJ and Photographer for the party though!)
Going the DIY route is not for everyone but it is growing in popularity.
With the availability of amazing ideas on Pinterest and so many options to purchase items inexpensively online, DIY is definitely doable!
Since going through my own son’s Bar Mitzvah, and doing a lot of the planning and execution on my own (with my husband and kids helping me, of course!),
I decided to share my ideas as well as collecting other people’s ideas.
If you are a parent planning your child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah, we invite you to join our Facebook group so that you can meet other like-minded individuals!
Click here to check out our Facebook group: DIY Bar/Bat Mitzvahs
Here’s how can you save money or show your creative side:
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We created a Save the Date in the form of a video trailer. We filmed it ourselves starring our son using our small video camera and our iPhone then we edited the footage using Apple’s iMovie Trailer feature.
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We made our own Bar Mitzvah website using Wix and used it to house all the service and party details and to allow people to RSVP easily through the tabs. So easy! You can even set all your invited guests’ emails to receive the invitation at the same time and help you manage replies. If you create a site, you will need web hosting. There are many choices out there. Below is a link to MyHosting.com which is a company that can get you started with your website hosting.
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Our Invitation was a Whiteboard Animation video! We wrote the script and drew preliminary drawings ourselves then executed by using someone that we hired on Fiverr (they charged $60 which is far less than sending invitations and RSVP cards in the mail!). Click here for our step-by-step instructions on how to create your own Whiteboard Animation Invitation!
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Both the Save the Date and Invitation were sent through email so there was no cost involved (other than the cost of making the invitation on Fiverr (see above). If you want to do things electronically but maybe not to the extent that we did it, you can always use online invitations. There are some beautiful invitations and save the date cards available online. Evite.com is one of the companies that continues to have a great reputation for their products and service. I also really like Tiny Prints (part of the Shutterfly company). Click my affiliate links to see the wide range of products that these companies offer.
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Spread your news with “Save The Date” announcements at Evite
Create Invitations, Thank You Cards and much more at Tiny Prints
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We created our own Video Montage using Apple’s Photos and iMovie. This saved a lot of money and was a true labor of love. There are many tutorials available online to help you make your own montage. Also refer to our tips in our Timeline for getting your photos ready prior to making the montage.
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We made our own photo area (selfie station) instead of spending money on a costly professional photo booth. We bought our own props and encouraged people to take selfies or have their photos taken by our photographers. It worked out great!
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We hired Teenography (local teen photographers) to take photos
at our photo area (in addition to our main photographer SLR Photographer) then we uploaded the pics to our website for people to view and download at home!
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We used one person as both the DJ and MC to save money and we did not hire dancers or have an expensive video screen, etc. For us it was about having fun music and someone to MC the candle lighting etc. It worked out great for us.
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We had a small buffet luncheon (an upgraded Kiddush) at our synagogue for everyone to enjoy after the service – it was much less expensive than a sit down luncheo. Plus we felt like we did not have to invite everyone to the party (we had a Kids Only Party the next day).
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Our Kids Only Party allowed us to keep it more casual which cut down on costs. We held the party on a Sunday evening of a Holiday weekend which was a cost savings too.
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We made our own Candle Lighting Display purchasing supplies online. There are many companies to choose from. Here are some of my favorites along with my affiliate links: My Wedding Favors (similar decorations as those used for B’nai Mitzvahs!), Shindigz (look at their Wedding Reception page for so many beautiful options!), Stumps Party (there is even a section for DIY parties!), and Create for Less). For the Candle Lighting Ceremony, our son wrote his own poems which added a nice personal touch from a kid’s perspective. We also did the entire Candle Lighting Ceremony in the form of an NFL Draft to keep with the theme of the party. So much fun!
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We created our Sign In Book using Shutterfly with one of their amazing coupons! It is simple to create and there are a lot of great options available to make a beautiful book. I loved my sign in book so much and all the Bar Mitzvah options available on Shutterfly to add to the book, that I became an affiliate for the company after the Bar Mitzvah. I highly recommend them! (The links provided here are my affiliate links and I am happy to be able to pass along savings to you through the links!)
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A Backdrop Stand with a banner is perfect for a DIY Photo Area. We purchased ours from Amazon for less than $40. Ours was adjustable up to 8×10 feet. We used it at 7×7 feet to go with our Step and Repeat Banner. Recently I discovered that I could have rented a backdrop stand for half the price through BorrowLenses.com. You can rent backdrops and photography and videography equipment as well! Click the link to learn more (this will open up my affiliate link):
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We had a custom 7×7 foot Step and Repeat Backdrop made for our Photo Area. We purchased ours from Timeless Backdrops through ebay. It was folded in the package so came with a lot of wrinkles so we hung it up for a few days before the party and it was then perfect.
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We utilized Holiday Sales to purchase suits and dresses on sale which saved us a lot of money. Our son’s suits were from Mens Wearhouse bought when they had a Buy-one-get-one-free sale! He got one suit for Friday night’s service and one for Saturday’s service! (Another option that people choose is to buy one in the child’s current size and one in a size larger to save for the future. Our son fell in love with 2 suits the day he tried them on so we got both the same size.)
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We created a VIP Kids Lounge using several Inflatable Chairs and Ottomans bought online from Walmart and Kmart. They were approximately $20 each and were so much fun. Since we had a sports/football theme, we also bought “grass” rugs for the lounge area. 🙂
There are so many ways you can save money on your simcha!
Stay tuned for lots more DIY ideas including photos and “how-tos”!
Check out our 12 Month Bar Mitzvah Timeline for more help!
– Lucy (@SoyLatteLucy)
Soy Latte Lucy
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