PicFlips – the mobile flipbook studio

The biggest difference in themes between Bar and Bat Mitzvahs that I have seen is that guys’ parties are a little more action-driven.  Check out some of my favorite examples:

Sports theme – We’ve seen sports themes range from basketball and soccer to ping pong and tennis.  I like this range of themes because you can do a lot with the decor and it doesn’t have to be overly extravagant to make an impact.  There is certainly room to make an impact if the desire and budget are there.  We’ve worked at events where the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders or the Mavericks Cheerleaders have shown up for a period of time to help the bar mitzvah boy celebrate.  Yeah, that’s always a hit.

Surfer theme – “Catch the Wave at Jonathan’s Bar Mitzvah”….”Surf’s Up, Dude!”….Even in land-locked Dallas, the surfing theme has been a hit because it’s such a fun, active theme.  Surfboards, sharks and sand add interesting elements to the decor.  Tiki hut bars can serve Mai Tais and Pina Coladas to the parents and serve fruity smoothies to the kids.  Djs can add in hula-hoop contests on the dance floor to wear off some of the younger guests’ energy.

Skateboard theme – Edgy, progressive, cool.  This can be a very colorful theme – think bright colors, brick walls and skateboards.  Maybe a lifesize cutout of the bar mitzvah boy with his skateboard.

Music themes – This category also covers a wide range of choices.  A Rock ‘n’ Roll theme is particularly awesome at a House of Blues venue, but can still fit in nicely at any location.  At one of the parties, the bar mitzvah boy was in a band, so his band played a few songs with him doing the lead vocals and guitar (the party was aptly themed, Alex’s Rockin’ World).  The iPod theme has been a big hit lately (iPaul instead of iPod – very clever!).  I just love the iPod ads with the black silhouette of the person listening and a bright color for the background – you could do a lot with that idea.  Or just use the iconic outlines of the iPod in different colors.  (From a marketing standpoint, it’s really impressive that monumental parties in a kid’s life are being themed after a consumer product – Apple should be proud.  I’m sure that back in the day, parties were themed after Atari and Nintendo.  How cool would it have been to have a party themed after Frogger?!…sorry, I digress…and show my age.)  If the bar mitzvah boy is a drummer, you can do a lot of cool things with drum sticks for the decor.  Get a graphic artist to design an image with the teen’s name in front of two crossed drum sticks and carry that design through the whole party – from the invites to the napkins to the flipbook covers.

Movie themes – I just love play-on-words, so I was pretty excited to hear that we would be doing a “Bond Mitzvah” party.  The bar mitzvah boy was introduced to the theme music, of course, and it really revved up the crowd.   You can either recreate the iconic James Bond photos with the gun or the car and use it throughout the night.  (Bonus: Mom and Grandma love to see the bar mitzvah boy look so handsome in a suit!)  There are so many movies to choose from – we’ve even seen a party modeled after Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure – complete with a telephone booth!

So, hopefully, we’ve got your mind flowing with themes to fit the bar mitzvah boy’s tastes.  After you decide on the theme and location, call PicFlips or one of our licensees around the country to entertain your guests and give them a custom keepsake to take home.  A big accomplishment deserves a rockin’ party!

We’ve had the privilege of attending many Bat Mitzvah parties with PicFlips flipbooks and have experienced some wonderful themes to the celebrations.  In my opinion, the best themes are a direct reflection of the bat mitzvah girl herself, but here is a good starting point to get your creative juices flowing:

Breakfast at Tiffany’s theme – Very classy!  Substitute the bat mitzvah girl’s name in place of Tiffany’s (example – Breakfast at Carly’s); use tiffany blue and white color scheme; decorate with diamonds and luxurious textures (Bonus: Work with the photographer to recreate the iconic black-and-white Audrey Hepburn photos with the bat mitzvah girl in Audrey’s place)

Color Schemes – #1 Monochromatic – Shades of the same color family added throughout the party – Simple yet lovely!  One of my favorite examples of this is pink – light pink linens, pops of bright pink flower centerpieces, cotton candy and pink lighting around the room adds drama.  The great thing about this theme is that no matter what shade of pink is chosen for additions to the party, they all blend in.

Color Schemes – #2 Harmonious – No particular method for choosing this color scheme – you don’t have to pull out the color wheel – just go with gorgeous colors that make you happy.  My best area for inspiration?  Wedding websites that talk about fun color combinations.   One of my favorites lately is Michelle Mospen’s My Personal Artist.  I love her inspiration boards and the section at the bottom of the page where she helps you get ideas for your own color combinations.

Beach theme – Definitely a fun, carefree theme!  Use hula girls, seahorses, starfish and sand for decorations; transform the bar into a tiki hut with grass skirting; get guests involved with a casual, beachy dress code – guys can wear hawaiian shirts, ladies can wear sundresses – you provide the leis.  Don’t forget the little umbrellas on all the drinks!

“Sweet” themes – This covers a wide range of ideas – I’ve seen candy themes, sundae themes, M&M themes, Willy Wonka themes, chocolate themes – you name it.  I always enjoy working these events because I have a sweet tooth!  The one issue I have with this theme is that the kids are usually climbing the walls from the sugar rush (don’t say I didn’t warn you!).


Stay tuned for more ideas, and remember that flipbook covers are customized to match any decor!

When I think back to the variety of brides we’ve worked with, I’ve come to the conclusion that no matter the size of the guest list, the budget, or the age of the betrothed, our brides have 4 main characteristics in common:

#4 -  “Looking for something unique” Many of our brides see the photo booths at the bridal shows, but tell me that they chose the flipbooks because most of their guests have never experienced the flipbook studio before.  It’s a fun way to stand out from every other wedding they have been to (which can start to blend together)!

#3 -  “It’s all in the details” Brides nowadays are adding finishing touches to their wedding by continuing a design element throughout the whole wedding.  This could be a monogram, a pattern or a certain blend of colors.  It can range anywhere from monogrammed hand towels in the restroom to dramatic lighting and a gobo of the couple’s names across the dance floor.  The key is personalization and tying the elements together during the evening.  Custom designed and professionally printed flipbook covers are a simple way to personalize the wedding and give guests a keepsake to take home.

#2 -  “Keeps the guests entertained” Not everyone is gonna shake their groove thang on the dance floor all night.  The idea is to get the guests moving around the room – set up a candy bar with little bags for guests to take home treats, a flipbook studio so guests have a custom keepsake to remember the night and, if there are going to be quite a few little ones in attendance, set up an area where they can decorate their own miniature wedding cake.

#1 -  “Brides and grooms just wanna have FUN!” This is the #1 factor that all of our brides and grooms have in common – they want to have a blast at their wedding reception!   They know that the crowd of people they are inviting are going to want to party and celebrate with them.  It won’t take long for Aunt Marge and Uncle Frank to throw on a feather boa, hold up the ‘I Love You’ sign and give each other a big smooch for the camera.  And in under 90 seconds, they know Aunt Marge will be making the rounds showing off her flipbook and recruiting fellow participants.  They also know that the fun and buzz created at the party will continue long after the night ends as Aunt Marge slips the flipbook in her purse to take to work on Monday.  “You should have been to my niece’s wedding this weekend…What a BLAST!…”