So… Where do I begin when planning a Mitzvah?

Planning A Mitzvah

You may read on with confidence knowing the following advice comes from a tenured Mitzvah planner. And that advice would be from none other than our resident mitzvah expert, CEO and co-founder, Neal Goone. Neal and his late wife Jodi (co-founder of Utopia), personally planned Bar and Bat Mitzvahs for their three kids; Marc, Joey and Melissa. In addition, since Jodi’s passing, Neal has helped hundreds of families from all over the country properly plan and celebrate their Jewish rites of passage. As All State says, you’re in good hands.

Continue on, but only if you’re interested in downloading the wisdom from a true mitzvah maven, with thousands of bar and mitzvahs planned… and counting!

When planning a Mitzvah, we ask “Mitzvah Moms,” a few initial questions to ponder before they jump into decisions, and hopefully, we can help reduce anxiety. Funny, when families visit our offices to work on a timeline and plan for their parties, I’ll generally ask the honored Mitzvah teen… “are you excited, how’s your Haftorah, have you written your speech…?” They’re usually calm and collected and show more concern for the music at their party than prepping for their big day. But their parents pressure of planning such an event induces a different level of stress.

We find guidance on the front end, and having one of our management team members to help create a timeline and be on hand to oversee the flow of the night allows the family to enjoy the evening as if they were a guest at their own party.  Most importantly, we convey to the families how fast the celebration passes after all that planning. All of this to say, make sure when the night arrives, you’re working with a professional team so that you may take it in and enjoy the momentous occasion; time with family and friends, and guests who have traveled from near and far to celebrate.

First, you have to ask yourself and your family, and of course, the Mitzvah child, “What kind of celebration best fits our family and friends?

The First Steps in Mitzvah Planning

1. Venue
   Once you’ve determined what kind of party or celebratory event you want to host – look to book a respective venue than can accommodate the size of your event, within your budget, and the location is workable for you and your guests.
   
   
2. Entertainment
   Talk to friends that have had similar events to what you envision and get recommendations.  Ask your child what they want for entertainment. When one of my own children was Mitzvah’d, I strongly advocated having a band… thinking what can be better than live music. Wrong! My son quickly let me know he had to have a DJ… and not just any DJ… they had to be attuned to his music tastes. Mitzvah celebrations have many moving parts though out the evening… interview your entertainment options to find out their experience, expertise and what innovative ideas they can present for your celebration. I remind clients all the time, “as the evening concludes and guests are walking to their cars; it’s not the chicken they’ll be talking about. Bringing family and friends, together with engaging entertainment makes the night memorable.”
   
   
3. Photography
   Look to reserve your photographer and if you so chose to have a video of the night – as one of your initial steps. Ask to see pictures and video examples from like events. Video and photography are your keepsakes from a memorable evening. You’ll find the evening passes so quickly that there will be moments that night that you missed. Having great pictures and a video capsule allows you to relive the night at a pace where you can take it all in. As importantly, you’ve created a keepsake for generations.
   
   
4. Videography
   Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are milestones for your family. Our video team will capture the candid moments so that you and your children may forever look back on the memories you experienced.  More than a visual narrative, our creative team will help tell your stories and capture sentiments of your child’s accomplishment from your family and friends. Video takes your pictures a step further – bringing those special moments to life.

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Remember…

You’re planning a celebration for a milestone achievement in your child’s life. This day will be one that your family will remember for a long time, and you should be able to spend the day with your loved ones, not running the timeline that night. Our team is here every step of the way.

For a look at all of our mitzvah services, head over to our mitzvah page. If you’d like a Bar / Bat Mitzvah planning checklist, please contact us by clicking the button below, and we’ll send it magically… right to your email!