How to Postpone Your Bar Mitzvah – A Guide

The impact of coronavirus on society is like nothing we’ve seen before and with the new guidelines about social distancing many are being forced to postpone or cancel their Bar Mitzvah celebrations. Restrictions are under constant review but it’s likely than in the UK if your Bar Mitzvah celebration is taking place in the next few months you will need to postpone.  And whilst there are of course bigger things in life than a party to worry about at the moment, it’s OK to be upset that you’ve had to postpone your child’s big day: just because it’s the right thing to do doesn’t make it easy.

When you have been preparing for your Bar or Bat Mitzvah for over a year it’s incredibly disappointing to find that you can’t hold it due to the current Covid-19 pandemic. Among all the sadness we have all heard about there are however uplifting stories of how some families have turned to the online world to make their day happen. It might not be the service you planned but you can still create something to be proud of with your child showing what they’ve learned and how they can make the best of a challenging situation.

Usually a Bar or Bat Mitzvah occurs at 13 for boys and 12 for girls but please remember it is not essential that the celebration is held at that time. If you can’t hold your party in the immediate future we’ve got some tips to help you re-arrange your party and look forward to when you can all be together again to celebrate. It’s too soon to say for sure whether celebrations planned for after June will also need to be postponed but we understand that you too are likely to be concerned and may want to start putting together a plan B that you can have ready in case you need to activate it.

We are currently recommending rebooking for the autumn and later. Be realistic: your decision to find a new date will sadly impact not just on who can attend the revised dates, but also whether the venue and your suppliers are available on the new dates too. The sooner you start making enquiries the better as you’ll have more options but also it will help you start to feel less anxious and more in control.

Bar and Bat Mitzvahs have the advantage of not being seasonal but don’t forget that many other events are and this will impact on the availability of your chosen venue. At the moment there is a frantic rush as summer weddings are being postponed, as couples look for dates in the autumn. Many venues also have a busy winter season which will limit availability later in the year. The key is to re-scheduling your Bar Mitzvah celebration is to be as flexible as possible. We believe that we will be seeing a new trend for midweek celebrations. Please don’t feel that this is a second-best solution; when everyone is able to get together again they will want to party like never before and just won’t care which night it is. A celebration is a celebration, regardless of when or what day it is held on.

If your Bar Mitzvah celebration was planned over the next few weeks (and possibly months) now is the time to be contacting your planner, venue and suppliers. Speak to them about your options. Every supplier will have a different policy. Our experience is that everyone in the events industry is doing what they can to support their clients and the message is clear that postponement over cancellation is the way forward, not just so you can still have the celebration you planned, and save your deposit, but also to support your suppliers, many of whom may be going through their own difficulties facing months of no income. This a time to be kind and understanding and you may find that you form even stronger relationships with your suppliers as a result.

When choosing your new date think about:

  • When are you available?
  • When are your loved ones available?
  • What date can your venue offer?

In terms of suppliers, again, this is the time to be flexible. Of course, by now you will have your dream team assembled but unfortunately, it’s unlikely that you’re going to be able to get all of them signed up for your new date as many will have prior commitments. Start by thinking who is your ‘must have’ supplier; it could be your DJ, caterer or photographer. All other suppliers fall into an optional list and can be replaced if necessary. Your team will want to support you and if they’re not available for your future date they will be able to recommend a fantastic alternative.

If you’re moving your celebration from spring or summer into autumn or winter, have some fun thinking about what changes you might make to your styling; different flowers maybe or a change in menu? Try and focus on the fun bits of planning a Bar Mitzvah celebration so you and your family can have something to look forward to when all this passes. Your Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration will still be fabulous so stay calm, get organised and focus on your family, your health and your community.


At Pop Up Bar Mitzvah we use our experience to help people like you to host the best Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration you can. You can ask us to produce your whole event or pick elements of our service such as helping you find the perfect venue, styling or finding the entertainment or catering that everyone talks about afterwards.

Want to know more and see some of our events – follow us on Instagram @popupbarmitzvah