How to Throw a Quinceanera

A Quinceanera event must involve an elaborate cake, a tiara, and family.

Start thinking about the details of a Quinceanera event at least a year in advance. It may take this long to get everything just right for this once-in-a-lifetime party. Quinceanera's celebrate a Latina girl's transition from girl to womanhood at the age of 15. The elaborate events, which are comparable to a wedding ceremony, include a religious ceremony and a dance.

Things You'll Need

• church reservations
• dress
• photographer
• music
• chambelanes
• candles
• food and drinks
• venue

Instructions

1. Work with the honoree to arrange the date and reserve the halls for every part of the celebration. This must include a time for the church ceremony and a reception hall. The events need to be held on the same date. You also need to decide early on a theme and color scheme.

2. Arrange a guest list several months in advance. Send out invitations no less than 2 months ahead of time with RSVPs. You may need the extra time to find a new hall if there are more, or fewer, guests than you originally anticipated.

3. Arrange time to look for a dress and set up the entertainment. This also needs to be done several weeks, if not months in advance of the actual date, especially if the honoree wants a live band. The honoree should also decide on the song she wants played for the father-daughter dance, what to carry in her bouquet, and what the guest favors will be. In modern times, the honoree can also utilize a gift registry. Most of these gifts are usually things like silverware that the girl can actually use. The honoree and the parents also need to acquire items like a tiara, candles and a cake.

4. Select seven "damas," or ladies, and seven "chambelanes," or young men, to be the escorts. The respective groups must have matching attire that must also be arranged well in advance of the actual ceremony.

5. The girl must practice and perform a waltz with one of her chambelanes. This dance traditionally begins the party portion of the event. Others may join in later.

Tips & Warnings

• Some families choose to hire limousines to take the honoree from the church to the party.

• This is a party that needs to be planned a long time in advance. The amount of preparation that can go into it can rival that of a wedding. Try to keep this in mind when planning a Quinceanera and remain flexible.

References

• Quinceanera Party
• Quinceanera Party Traditions