You don't have to send a specific invitation for your Bar or Bat Mitzvah party, but you can certainly insert one with the formal Bar or Bat Mitzvah invitation.  You can also send it after your formal invitation is sent.  Choose a magic theme invitations or a caricature invitation is a great option for such a special party.  They are completely personalized for your child and are great for centerpieces, sign in boards, seating cards and other decorations at your party.  Have your child dresses in Hogwarts School robes standing in front of Hogwarts or even playing Quidditch!

Another idea is to purchase miniature broomsticks at a craft store, and in your smallest handwriting write "Firebolt" on the side. Tie your invitation on to the miniature broomstick and mail it in a padded envelope.  

If you would like your guests to come dressed as characters from the book, be sure to tell them that. We've got a great selection of Harry Potter costumes (for all your favorite characters) and Hogwarts school robes!  (You could ask someone to come dresses as a dementor and run through the party...but I don't think I'd recommend that.)

Welcome and Cocktail Area

For the kids, plan on using 4 long tables, each to represent a different Hogwarts House and the house colors.  The houses are Gryffindor (red and gold), Hufflepuff (black and gold), Slytherin (green and black) and Ravenclaw (blue and gold).  Of course Harry is in the Gryffindor house, so make sure the Bar Mitzvah boy or Bat Mitzvah girl gets sorted into that House. 

Set out a sorting hat at the seating card table, with a small sign that says, "Kids, Which house will the sorting hat select for you?  Adults, sit with a friend or foe of Harry Potter!"

Use sorting hats instead of seating cards for the kids! Everyone will love that. Make little hats or use mini sorting hat favors.  Or use solid color seating cards in the different house colors for all of the kids.  Another fun option is a laminated pass in the house colors with the house crest.  The kids can wear this throughout the evening and everyone will know what houses they are in at Hogwarts.  (Send us an e-mail and we can help with those.) 

The Party Room

Leading into the ballroom, have a sign that says, "Platform 9 3/4" with vintage luggage and trunks stacked around the base of the sign.  Bird cages with plush owls are also great in this area.  This is a great place for Harry Potter cardboard celebrities - lifesize cutouts of Harry, Ron and Hermione who are all ready to get to school!

Just inside the ballroom doors, have a Albus Dumbledore cutout to greet your guests.  Place more movie posters around the room, or create signs that look like window signs from different stores fount in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade to place around the room.

Battery operated taper candles suspended from invisible wire “floating” over each of the tables is super cool!  You'll probably need to hire someone to create this display for you, but it's worth it!  Here's a picture of tables we set up for a Harry Potter Bar Mitzvah.