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Planning a Bris

Here it is. The ultimate planning a Bris list.

It has been nine months since Ian's bris and I just helped my sister with her new baby boy's Bris five months ago (feels like yesterday). Our theme was teddy bears and hers was airplanes.


While all that is really needed is the baby and a mohel, everyone has their own way of approaching a Bris. I found a balance of DIY'ing a party while also outsourcing, with only a few days to truly plan. Yes, okay, I did admit to baking ahead of time, but I stuck closely to the tradition/superstition of not buying things before baby was born. Everyone needs to do what feels best to them.


For the ceremony there are very few items that are needed. A pillow to carry in baby, a kiddish cup for the blessings, grape juice, a table, and two chairs (one that is Elijah's and the other for the Tzandik). As I said, the mohel and baby are really all that you need since the mohel, at least ours, brought a pillow and grape juice, and we of course had a table and a couple of chairs, and most importantly, the baby. Everything else is extra.


The kiddish cup we used was the one from our wedding, which originally belonged to my Zaidy. My mom had gotten it for him when she was living in Israel. He used it every year for Pesach but I made it a Shabbos kiddush cup and re-kasher it for pesach each year. The tablecloth was my family's too.


I don't know if it was the feeling of wanting something new, like how for a wedding you might have the tradition to have something old, new, borrowed, and blue, but the two items that I had that were new were Ian's outfit, and the pillow. I liked the idea of getting a pillow that could be used as a family heirloom. Another idea would be to get a special kiddish cup that would then be given to the baby on his Bar Mitzvah.


Typically a Bris is held first thing in the morning, but with Yom Kippur the day before, and being given the option to hold it in the afternoon, I was really happy to have the day to set up. It did throw a wrench into my original menu of a brunch so instead we catered a light dinner. There were 5 different seasoned salmons, a greek salad, egg salad with caramelized onions with crackers, an incredible non-typical Asian coleslaw salad, and a pesto pasta salad. We had some challah to wash on and the cupcakes, cookies, and cake that I made. Everything but the challah was gluten free.


For a theme I went with a teddy bear picnic. We borrowed tables and chairs from friends and set everything up in the backyard. We were blessed with the perfect early fall evening. I was apply to set it all up in the morning, and all that I needed to do was clean up the few leaves that had fallen on the tables.


For the decor on the buffet tables, I used various display platters, mostly wood. I had some plastic risers to give depth to the food and make easier to access everything. I had a couple of neutral ivory table cloths and a round colorful one to cover the divide.


The drinks were on a separate sand with a lace cloth. I used glass dispensers with tops to keep the fall leaves out. The cups were plastic with a gold rim to match the gold rimmed plates and cutlery.


The tables were arranged with three tables put together. I got clear plastic floral containers and used baby's breath and sunflowers. There were three floral arrangements and two teddy bears placed together between them. For a placemat I used wooden looking paper, keeping with the bear/woodland theme. Each place setting had either little honey jars or beeswax hive looking candles. I nights those were perfect with it having just been the Jewish new year where we eat honey on just about everything. Since we were in the hospital for Rosh Hashanah, it was nice having a delayed new year meal with our friends and family.


Minus the frantic ordering and errands that had to get done with very little time once we got home from the hospital since half of the four days before were Shabbos and Yom Kippur, it all came together and I was pretty relaxed once it all came together.


I am so grateful for all the help we had that week and day. I would never have managed without our family and friends.


I wish I had some better pictures from the displays from the day of, but here is what we used and/or other options that I hope you find helpful.


And if you want to visual inspiration. This blog post has photos form Ian's bris.


General Items




Teddy Bear Theme




Airplane Theme




xoxo,

Shana Bryn


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