Winter 2025

[Sidebar to “Destination Simcha: From Meat Board to Surfboard.”]

For many people, juggling and coordinating all the details involved in planning a simcha – from booking the hall, arranging the décor, designing the invitations, planning the menu, ordering the food, to running random errands – is simply … overwhelming. Enter the party planner. This increasingly popular option has been gaining traction over the last few years, but not without its perils.

Party planners offer concierge services to help alleviate much of the stress involved in planning a simcha. They are typically more affordable than a full-service caterer who is under a hashgacha. Party planners work within your budget to offer any number of services at different tiers: they may handle the décor and design but may leave it to you to bring in your own food, or they can coordinate everything from “soup to nuts.” This is when the problems start.

Unlike with a caterer who is certified by a hashgacha and who will provide assurance that the entire event is under the hashgacha’s auspices, party planners operate in a kashrus grey zone in which each side thinks the other one “knows” or is “taking care of it.” This grey area can quickly turn into a kashrus minefield.

STAR-K has heard countless stories of kashrus debacles that were the direct outcome of this type of miscommunication. We know of events at which treif food was served, non-mevushal wines were poured, and items were cooked by an aino Yehudi on Shabbos! These were not, unfortunately, rare occurrences. If you choose to hire a party planner, you must understand that full responsibility for the kashrus of the event rests entirely on your shoulders. You must clearly communicate your expectations regarding kashrus to the party planner and put in place a process to ensure that the kashrus of the event is upheld and not compromised in any way. Ideally, you should consider hiring a mashgiach to work alongside the party planner – a small investment in menuchas hanefesh to guarantee that your simcha is 100% kosher. Mazel tov!