If you have looked through the standard Bar and Bat Mitzvah invitation albums and found them too ordinary or lacking in spirit, you might want to join my long list of invitation clients who seek a classy and artistic way of showing their guests that the special family day on which their son or daughter becomes a Bar or Bat Mitzvah will be meaningful and personal.

SHARING INFORMATION: My preference is to involve the Bar or Bat Mitzvah in the process from beginning to end. Young people have wonderful ideas and a vision of how they would like their invitation to look. My long experience as a speech/language pathologist allows me to interact well with young people, respecting their input and ideas. Using phone, email, snail mail, and fax, it is quite easy to share designs and ensure that the process works. It is a privilege for me to become part of meaningful celebrations with those involved.

CALLIGRAPHY AND DESIGN: I calligraph all text and draw all the original artwork by hand. Previously created designs, such as a tallit or tree, can be reused or tweaked, or you can commission a new design. I create a unified feel for all the different cards and envelopes associated with the invitation set by using some small element, perhaps a little vine, Torah, or other Judaica object, on each part.

PRINTING: Once you approve the completed design and select paper and ink colors, I oversee printing by professionals who have learned to handle my work with care.

BAR/BAT MITZVAH ARTWORK AS A GIFT: You might consider commissioning artwork to give as a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah gift, with words from the Torah or Haftorah portion in Hebrew and English calligraphy. I sometimes create a simple design, allowing the beautiful Hebrew letters to form the design. For other works, the words might inspire visual imagery that is more complex. My regular clients who trust my ability to take a passage and create something special out of it, usually just give me the information and tell me to have fun with it—and I do.

IF YOU'RE CELEBRATION INCLUDES A HAVDALAH SERVICE, you might want to consider having a personalized booklet with the Havdalah prayers for each of your guests. Click here to see sample pages and personalized covers.

Read frequently asked questions (FAQs) about commissioning an invitation.
Viewing birth announcements and wedding invitations may also spark ideas.
View sample enclosures, response cards and thank you notes.
For a Havdalah service, check out my Havdalah Prayers Booklet.
Read mailing tips and tricks to learn about addressing and stuffing envelopes.