ty favors to cut down on waste. “I’m also
seeing a lot more potted plants as opposed
to cut flowers, even just for the aisle,” Fitz-
patrick observed.

For the younger set, Bar and Bat Mitz-
vah parties tend to celebrate the individu-
al. Kesselman sees a lot of receptions in the
colors of a favorite summer camp, with ta-
bles named for “dance, drama, the dome —
whatever’s specific to the camp,” she said.

Technology is behind some of the newest
themes. In the era of Instagram poses and
YouTube contouring videos, fashion is hav-
ing a moment — with Gucci logos in
the photo booth, “paparazzi” chasing
the Bat Mitzvah girl, and red carpets
leading into the reception.

Video game schemes are more of
a hit with boys, planners said. Zaslow
has designed tables with app screen
centerpieces and table cards shaped
like iPhones (with personalized “text
messages” indicating where to sit).

“Something I’m seeing more and
more for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs is a
theme that’s a play on the kid’s name
or initial — a pun that ties the night
together and is unique to their child,” Fitzpatrick said.

That’s how Ava Schrier of Blue Bell ended up celebrating her
February Bat Mitzvah with “One ExtrAVAgant Night,” incorporat-
ing her first name as a theme designed by Fitzpatrick.

the What does One extrAVAgant Night look
like? At the Bluestone Country Club, it meant
a room bathed in Caribbean blue, with what
Ava’s mother Kim Schrier called “jaw-drop-
ping centerpieces,” glittering jewels and
sparkly blue stones everywhere. “Afterward,
everyone said it truly was an extravagant
night,” she recalled.

Names are popular because they make
natural logos, and B’nai Mitzvah logos are
suddenly de rigeur. It may sound weird to
anyone over 35, but teens today cap off their
rite of passage with a custom-designed stamp,
imprinted on everything from water bottles
and cocktail napkins to kippot and tote bags.

“You have to think about how your logo will
fit on a sweatshirt, how many colors it should
be,” recalled Kim Schrier of the hours she and
Ava spent combing Pinterest for inspiration.

“Every color is a cost, and if you do a girlier
Examples of theme
logo, what do you put on the boys’ shirts?”
decor Against a backdrop of social media “likes,”
Photos provided
such pressure to be unique can be overwhelm-
ing, Zaslow said. And not everyone plays an
instrument, is crazy about shopping or cheers for a sports team. For
those clients, Zaslow gently steers the conversation toward favorite
colors or initials.

“Trying to define what you’re going to be for the rest of your
life — that’s a lot of pressure for a 13-year-old, and even for a
bride,” the planner noted. “It’s fine just to make it simple, under-
stated and beautiful.” ❤
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