Estimating Bar/Bat Mitzvah Attendance

What factors determine your Bar or Bat Mitzvah attendance or actual guest count? | Pop Color Events | Adding a Pop of Color to Bar & Bat Mitzvahs in DC, MD, & VA

I often get asked by clients while they are making their guest list, “What will the Bar or Bat Mitzvah attendance actually be?” There are so many factors that affect Bar or Bat Mitzvah attendance that it is tough to have a rule of thumb. I always tell my clients, you know your guests better than I do, so you can better guess whether they will or will not attend. Here are some factors to consider when estimating your guest count:

Time of year

Will kids be busy with sports so out of town guests will be less likely to travel? Is it a holiday weekend and guest may already have different travel plans? Are there other Mitzvahs on the same date and tweens will need to pick which one to attend? Is there a possibility of snow which may keep elderly guests at home?

Out of town guests

Are more of your guests local or out of town? And how far out of town are they? Will they have to fly or drive? Out of towners, especially those who have to purchase plane tickets, are less likely to travel, so that could decrease your overall guest count. If more guests are local, your attendance will likely be higher.

Tit for Tat

Did you attend their most recent simcha? Or did they attend another family member’s recent Bar or Bat Mitzah? When camp friends live far away, they are more likely to attend yours if you attended theirs. The same thing is true for family that is a bit more distant.

Families vs. Adults Only

There’s always a line that needs to be drawn with how many kids can attend. Do all adults who have kids get to bring the kids, even if their kids are significantly older or younger than the Mitzvah tween? If a parent is invited without their child and they have to get a babysitter, they are less likely to attend.

Last minute cancellations/No shows

Finally, you’ll always get a few people who have to cancel at the last minute. It’s super annoying, especially if you’ve already given your caterer the final guest count, but life happens.

In Conclusion

There are a lot of factors to consider when estimating the guest count for your child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah. The best thing to do is go through your list to decide how likely certain guests are to attend and make your own estimate from that.