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Bar Mitzvah on a Budget
In the Jewish religion, a bar mitzvah is big moment in a boys life. A bar mitzvah (or bat mitzvah for girls) is the coming of age, 13 for boys and 12 for girls, when, according to the Jewish religion, the boy goes from boy to man and girl to woman. It is usually celebrated with reading the Torah in a synagogue, and of course a party. Most bar mitzvahs are like mini weddings. It's got all the works, the florist, the catering, the entertainment the fancy venue. But if you are frugal, and want to keep cost down, there are many ways to do that. One of them, is saving on a florist and doing centerpieces yourself. Most bar mitzvah boys don't really want flowers are their centerpieces but some greenery can jazz up any table.
When I plan a party, I love to get my hands dirty with the creative stuff. Usually a florist will be hired and take care of centerpieces, but recently for a very good friend who was on a bar mitzvah budget, I stepped in to help. She chose a rooftop venue, and wanted the décor to be simple yet elegant. She didn't care for a floral arrangement, but wanted more than candles and the birthday boys name on the table. I had just the idea for her.
Gold wreath centerpieces are really in style now, and the rings alone can cost a lot. After coming up with the design, I found some large sturdy gift boxes I had in my stock of supplies and décor. This was my base. For the rings I headed to the local Dollar Tree and picked up hula hoops. They were larger than any of the rings I found online and would make a bigger statement on the large tables. First I glued two hula hoops to each long side of the boxes and taped them together at the top. Then I sprayed it all gold.
To save on florals, I picked up lots of Italian Ruscus and some baby Lilys from the flower market downtown. If you thought the flower market was just for vendors you are mistaken. Anyone can shop there and its wholesale pricing! Using floral tape, I filled the top half of the rings with the greenery and added the perfectly drooping baby Lilys to give it added
elegance. To customize it for the bar mitzvah boy, I purchased wooden letters, R for Rami, and attached it to the top of the box. And finally to tie it all together, I added a little more greenery and Lillys to around the letter. The entire centerpiece costed $25 each, and the result was beautiful. To have a florist make something like this would easily be $150 or more.
I'm always so happy to plan a party and work with people but I know that not everyone has a budget for that. And that's ok. I love sharing my ideas, and this one can be used in so many different designs and colors. And the bar mitzvah boy absolutely loved it. Happy customers is all that matters.
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