Turn your child’s Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah into the must-see concert event of the year. Kick things off by announcing the tour date and customize these Rock Star Mitzvah Save the Date or Rock Star Bat Mitzvah Save the Date postcards and get the word out. And now that you’ve made these the hottest tickets around…let’s get started on your rock star’s big moment.
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Noshing
>When you think of concerts, you think of the concession stands and all the usual accoutrements. Popcorn. Candy. Nachos. Hot Dogs. And pretzels. And with all of these fun treats on hand, you might be able to forgo the kids’ meals. A google search with “party rental, concessions and (your city)” should turn up plenty of results. And then you can have a real popcorn machine popping popcorn, hot dogs warming, gooey goodness drizzling down onto tortilla chips from your nacho cheese dispenser, hot pretzels gently rotating behind glass…even a slushy machine. This company is in Illinois, but their offerings should give you an idea of what’s available nationwide. Prices start at $55 per machine and include the food. And you can stock up on concession staples like candy by taking a trip to your local superstore for boxes of candy.
Sign-in book alternatives
>Autographing t-shirts is actually a great way to get everyone’s signature and wishes. Purchase one of the Bar Mitzvah Rock Star Concert T-shirts or Bat Mitzvah Rock Star Concert T-shirts and encourage guests to sign the shirt with a permanent marker (just remember to put cardboard or something in the middle, so nothing bleeds through). If you want to have it framed later, just have people sign on the front only. Or your Rock Star Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah can wear the shirt and work the room, getting signatures as they go.
>You can buy one of the larger versions of the Rock Star Bar Mitzvah Poster or Rock Star Bat Mitzvah Poster. Encourage guests to sign their names and wishes (Be sure to get a permanent marker or pen that will stand out from the brown background. Metalics like silver or gold work well.) It’s a great piece to hang in your son’s or daughter’s room for years to come and can even be framed.
Prizes/gifts
>Complement the Rock Star theme with CD giveaways – either for prizes, parting gifts or as part of the gift bags. Sound expensive? It doesn’t have to be with digital driving down the prices of CDs. You can bid or use “buy it now” for “CD lots” on Ebay and usually get a CD for $1 or less each in bulk. Check out a sample of the music first, as CD lots can vary. Start your search by clicking in “Categories”: Music > Wholesale Lots > (amount of CDs you’re interested in) and be sure to click “new” under the condition. Or…just click here for a shortcut.
Decorations
>Glow sticks, bracelets, and necklaces are always a concert mainstay and are an inexpensive handout. There are plenty of fun options out there and your guests will have a good time wearing them or just waving them around. Start your search with “glow stick sales” and you can usually buy them for .50-$1.00 each in bulk.
>Handmade signs are another concert must. Make them in advance to hand out to guests. Or set up a station with large pieces of rigid card stock and plenty of markers and encourage guests to write messages to hold up high when your Rock Star makes his or her entrance. We love Jonathan! Samantha Rocks! You get the idea.
>Can I have your autograph? Adorn the tables with headshots of your Rock Star. Grab your favorite photo and get a bunch of 8x10s made. (Online photo printing business like Snapfish or Shutterfly are just under $3 per print). Then have your star put his/her signature on the piece. These can also be the table card…along with his/her signature, have your son/daughter write in the table number, too.
>Rock Stars are always showing up in the weekly gossip magazines…and you can give your daughter the cover of B Mitzvah Weekly Magazine – customize the headlines and hang the poster at the event.
Entertainment
>Some parents choose to do a montage of photos of their son or daughter, which is always a lot of fun for the guests and hopefully, a source of mild embarrassment for your child – depending if you went with the baby in the bath photo or the toddler on the toilet photo. Bring it into the Rock Star theme with your home computer editing software….making it a “Before They Were Rock Stars” video, featuring your son or daughter.
>Rent a karaoke machine and turn your Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah into a real concert event. You can even rent a smoke machine or spotlights to up the ante. Start your search with “karaoke machine rentals and (your city).” If you’re thinking about a DJ, most will offer karaoke as an a la carte item. Be sure to have your Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah Rock Star kick it off with their favorite song. And this would be a great time for family members to put on their Bar Mitzvah Rock Star Concert T-shirts or Bat Mitzvah Concert T-shirts.
>If you have a gaming system, bring it along and set up a Guitar Hero or Rock Star station(s) with a few comfortable seats or beanbag chairs. You can even stage competitions and have brackets with top winners receiving prizes. Even if you don’t own a system or those games, there are rental businesses that will bring in large TVs, multiple gaming systems and everything you need. Search “video game event rental and (your city)” to find a location near you (prices vary).
>Make it an evening of everyone’s favorite Rock Star / Rap Star / or Any Kind of Star musical mixes. You can gather your own or encourage your guests to bring their favorite CDs, iPod mixes, etc. or even ask everyone to send you their favorite genre song in advance and make one big mix.
