Planning your son's Bar Mitzvah can become pretty overwhelming. After all, the transition to becoming an adult is an important stage in your child's development and you want everything to be just right. No doubt, this Bar Mitzvah will be the biggest birthday party you've ever planned. Where to get started? Here at Bar Mitzvah Planning 101 of course!

Consider Using a Pro

There's no point in freaking out about a Bar Mitzvah! Consider bringing in a professional event planner to help you see things through, on time and with some class. A party planner can do all of the worrying for you! Just give them your to-do list and it gets done. An event planner can assist you with the enjoyable aspect of Bar Mitzvah planning, like finding the resources to bring to life your creative ideas. Whether it's having your sons name in lights or the finding perfect dance floor giveaway favors. The best part about hiring an event planner for Bar Mitzvah planning is that they will take care of all the boring stuff too (like hiring your vendors).

Get the Theme Right

You want you son to have the greatest party ever and, he wants to have the greatest party ever. Unfortunately, your idea of what is "great" isn't exactly the same as his. Yes, the Bar Mitzvah may be all about him, but unless his paying for it, he will have to learn the true meaning of the word compromise. This is another area where having an event planner can come in handy. It is good to have a neutral person who will listen to everybody's ideas and then provide guidance to help sort them out.

Conquer the Guest List

You'll want to invite all of your friends, he'll want to invite all of his friends, and then there's the family to still invite too! First, figure out a wish list of everyone you could possibly want if you had all of the resources to do it. Then you'll want to start trimming the Bar Mitzvah guest list down to a size that fits your budget and the amount of space in your venue. Running out of food, chairs, and space wouldn't be a good time for anybody! If you feel the need to add a few more guests to the list, don't stress out about it too much. Take a good look at the entire situation. If inviting nine or ten more people won't break the bank, then why not do what makes you happy.

Decide On Your Vendors

Booking your vendors can be another daunting task. After all, you want everything to be perfect. It's a good idea to start looking at least a year in advance for your decorator, DJ or band and photographer. Many vendors will have a gig every weekend during the busy Bar Mitzvah season, so if you can secure the date ahead of time it will save you the disappointment from finding out your preferred vendor isn't available on the date of your event. It's important to meet as many vendors as possible so you can compare styles and personalities. You can also ask the venue you've chosen for recommendations. Once you've got a list of candidates, check out their websites to preview their work. See something you like? Make a time when you and your son can meet with them in person. Remember the more comfortable you are with who you choose, the more relaxed you will be the day of the event.

Start Celebrating

You've chosen all of the right vendors, the guests are arriving and the big event is here. If you've followed these bits of advice for Bar Mitzvah Planning 101 then you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Remember to relax and enjoy the night. Your son will have enough to be nervous about on his own when it becomes time for him to read from the Torah.

Mazel Tov!