Bar/Bat Celebrations

Martha Moody Jacobs

Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer

What’s the latest in Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebrations? Local caterer Steve Bernstein has an answer: “edible spoons.”

Of course, there’s more to making a celebration than the spoons, edible or otherwise. Event planner Stephanie Via-Hagar of Entertainment Unlimited says, “Today, it’s all about the child.”

If you haven’t been to a Bar or Bat Mitzvah party for a few years, your next one may surprise you. The traditional sit-down meal followed by dancing has morphed into youth-friendly buffets accompanied by a panoply (some might say a pandemonium) of child-centered activities.

“Theming” may revolve around a youngster’s favorite hobby or activity. Via-Hagar cites a recent Bar Mitzvah party with a train theme (a walk-through locomotive, boxcar centerpieces, actors dressed as conductors) that climaxed with a “surprise reveal” of a specially designed and constructed video arcade.

In terms of food, Bernstein says people are opting for multiple buffet stations.

“You get more choice in flavors, textures, and presentations,” he says.

One recent party featured appetizers, South-of-the-Border, Italian, American, and dessert buffets. “It cuts down on the lines,” says Bernstein.

Décor specialist Rick Benning of Ambience defines his job as “corporate theatre, basically.” With lighting, actors, and props, he strives to “create some impact in the room.”

To this end, Benning and his partner have designed and built hundreds of carved and painted foam props, some up to 14 feet tall.

“People walk into one of our events, they’re walking onto a stage,” Benning says. Like Via-Hagar, he aims for a “Wow!” response.

One memorable Bat Mitzvah party Ambience did in Columbus had an Alice in Wonderland theme.

Guests were greeted by a rabbit who pulled them through the rabbit hole and were entertained by a talking caterpillar who dispensed food advice from the center of the buffet.

“I felt sorry for the actor playing the caterpillar,” Benning recalls. “He got so hot.”

Flower sales may suffer with this new type of party.

As designer Michael Bryan of Furst Florist notes, “It’s more about props than flowers.”

Bryan has also noticed a change in party seating— from multiple round tables to a wagon wheel configuration with rectangular tables jutting out from a central round.

“I might do a big arrangement in the center,” he says. By and large, he thinks people in Dayton spend less money than they used to for their celebrations. “Before, people might spend $75 to $125 for a table. Now it’s half that.”

Of course, Bryan is talking about flowers. Actors, props, food stations, surprise reveals — none of this comes cheap.

Via-Hagar’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah party rates start at $1,500 and can reach “the mid six figures.”

Benning’s starting rate is $3,500. Bernstein’s catering runs from $10 to $60 per person.

Now, about those edible spoons: Bernstein first saw them at a catering convention in Las Vegas.

The spoons can be made with cookie dough or seasoned bread, their bowls filled with anything from chocolate mousse to turkey with horseradish.

They cost $2 per person. “I love those things to death,” Bernstein says. “They’re so creative.”

© 2006 The Dayton Jewish Observer