Making Your Bar and Bat Mitzvah Invitations Your Own

A twelve year old female customer recently asked me “Vanessa, how do I make this invitation my own?”

I looked at her and her parents, and thought “what a great question”. When a child becomes a bat or bar mitzvah, it is really like their debut into society. All their family and friends will be present to celebrate them becoming an adult. It makes perfect sense that the design of an invitation reflects their personality and taste, as well as the rite that they are approaching.

Making an invitation your own involves the visual, the text, the font, the colors and the feel of the paper. Just as they say “clothing makes the man”, the bat and bar mitzvah invitation should reflect a part of you. If you are a sans serif lowercase kid, just do it!

If you are an “I hate pink” girl…go for dark, unexpected colors.

If you are super Yankee fan, it is okay to do some pinstripes.

If all you do is sit on Facebook and text your friends, have some fun with it.  There is no right or wrong, if you are sharing a part of whom you are and what you believe. Just keep it tasteful, and respectful of the Mitzvah part of the communication.

Sometimes compromises must be made when one parent was raised orthodox, or the child is partial to neon and it gives her father a headache.  I have often served as the “tie breaker” in the family decision of what to print.  The best way to handle a difference in artistic sensibilities is to do the service information on a relatively classic card, and to go a little wild on the party card.

The mitzvah card is a truly meaningful part of a bat or bar mitzvah invitation. If the young adult has participated in a mitzvah project, and wishes to receive donations for a charity or cause they support, rather than gifts, put this concept into print.