13 Going on 30
The Music
$3,000-$15,000 for a band; $3,150 and up for a DJ
One Merion mom’s attempt to secure Aerosmith for her daughter’s March bat mitzvah failed when she was told they’d be touring. Good thing Eddie Bruce Entertainment does covers and “Hava Nagila.” Eddie Bruce Entertainment, 1020 North Delaware Avenue, 215-634-7700; eddiebruce.com
The Mom’s Dress
$1,500-$2,000
“The trend is to dress in something younger and more daring, with a ball-gown look,” says Kathy Blodgett, manager of Christa’s in Wayne. Think of it as soccer-mom-goes-to-the-Oscars. Christa’s, 503 West Lancaster Avenue, Wayne; 610-687-8825.
The Camp Friends
$36,830
Five summers at Camp Harlam set you back $36,830. And at $65 a head, having 10 bunkmates in for the big bash means shelling out another $650.
Camp Harlam, harlam.urjcamps.org
The Destination
Bat Mitzvah
$125,000
Take 43 family members to Curaçao to watch Precious read from the Torah at the oldest functioning synagogue in the Americas!
curacao.com; snoa.com
The Room
$35,000-$40,000 at the Ritz-Carlton The temple rec room simply won’t cut it anymore.
The Ritz-Carlton, 10 South Broad Street; 215-523-8000.
The Tickets to Fly Nana & Pop-Pop In From Delray
$300-$400 Just think of the naches they’ll feel—and the bragging they can do on the shuffleboard courts!
US Airways, 800-428-4322; usair.com
The Bat Mitzvah Girl’s Dress
$1,000-$2,000
Thought your wedding gown was pricey? In the average season, Bala Girls owner Lynne Raymond sells 40 custom-made ball gowns for bat mitzvah girls.
Bala Girls, 312 Old Lancaster Road, Merion Station, 610-668-1088; bala-girls.com
The Bar Mitzvah Boy’s Tux
$200-$400
Too bad he’ll likely grow into the Jolly Green (Jewish) Giant overnight. Boys Connection, 286 Montgomery Avenue, Bala Cynwyd; 610-660-9330.
The Rocky Impersonator
$350-$1,500
The real one’s been around town shooting the 2,000th sequel, so of course your kid wants a fake for a 15-minute appearance or a mix-’n’-mingle session.
The Entertainment Source, 261 Old York Road, Jenkintown, 215-885-8888; theentertainmentsource.com
The Tchotchkes
$400-$800
Gone are the days of doing the Electric Slide in white sweat socks and plastic top hats. Now it’s neon gel rings and fiber-optic wands for everyone!
Five Below, various locations; fivebelow.com
The Favors
$940
Scrubs personalized with the honoree’s name and bar mitzvah date rule the day. It’s like putting the kid one step closer to his residency in plastic surgery, right?
Lucky Girl, 10 Anderson Avenue, Ardmore; 610-649-4901.
The Invitations
$2,500
Paper is passé; it’s all about the DVD-vitation. (We know, we know: Bubbe’s still trying to figure out the VCR.)
The Entertainment Source
The Gift
$100-$500
Adults are still giving bonds,
cash, or American Express gift cards. But give a kid a video iPod, and you’ll be right on the money.
apple.com/ipod
The Decorations
$5,000-$100,000
One Main Line mini-fashionista opted for a shopping theme: Each table had shopping bags from stores like Neiman Marcus and Tiffany. A mother of one invitee claims the seating chart was based on how much the girl liked the guests: “The loser invitees got seated at the Macy’s table.” For expert help with themes, there’s always Evantine Design. Evantine Design, 215-492-8545; evantine.com
The Perfect Teeth
$0 (plus $5,000 and up for the cost of the actual braces)
Metal can, like, kill the perfect photo album. It’s a pain to temporarily remove braces, but at least four or five times a year, orthodontist Paul Stutman in Narberth does it as a favor for a parent, at no additional charge. “It’s just too bad kids don’t get bar mitzvahed at 16,” he jokes. Paul Stutman, 715 Montgomery Avenue, Narberth; 610-667-6770.
The Videographer
$3,500
Video editing and Kodak-perfect stills are used even before the big day to create a documentary-style video of the guest of honor from the diapered years onward.
Unique Video Concepts, 2111 Magnolia Lane, Lafayette Hill, 610-828-2788; uniquevid.com
