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Bris/Simchat Bat

We have catered many Brises and Simchat Bats. These notes are culled from our professional experience and we hope you will find this information helpful.

Planning Ahead
Giving birth is a joyous and stressful time. When the special day comes you will be left with little time or energy to plan a simcha. We encourage your family to make plans several weeks before the event. Gathering information and discussing details with your caterer will provide you with a plan and peace of mind. Immediately after the birth you may choose to hand over your plans to a parent or trusted family member so that you may enjoy your new child and the day of the special event. You need only call your caterer to inform them of the date and final location.

Guests and Menu
The day and hour of your event will affect the number of guests you have and your menu choices. While it is traditional to hold a bris in the morning, any time of the day is acceptable. A brunch menu works well for any morning or lunch simcha. If your simcha wil be in the late afternoon you may wish to select a different menu. It has also been our professional experience that the actual day of the event will effect guests count and even menu. Simchas that fall during the weekdays tend to be smaller than weekend events. Sunday is usually the time when the largest groups of people are able to attend. If your simcha falls on Shabbat and you are holding it in the synagogue, you will probably have many more guests.

I Have No Idea How Many People Will Attend.
While it can be difficult to predict precisely how many guests will be able to attend, there are ways for you to arrive at an approximate number. Start with a list of family and friends who are certain to attend. Add in those guests who you think are likely able to attend. Finally, list those guests whose attendance is questionable. Perhaps only 50 percent of these guests will attend. You may want to create categorized lists calculating guest counts for weekday, Shabbat, and Sunday.

What tone to set?
As with any party, you want to ask yourself about the tone you are looking to set. The tone will guide you in menu and service selection. The focus of the day is of course the joy you celebrate with friends and family over the birth of your new child. No matter what you choose to do, your friends and family will rejoice in your Mazal.