Sunday, June 23, 2013

Planning a Quinceañera


Quinceañeras are often very elegant and full of intricate decorations, in other words, beautiful celebrations! Not to mention the beautiful gowns the celebrated Quinceañera wears to the party! However, these well-organized and beautifully designed celebrations require a lot of a work and organization in order to come together such as who to invite, where to get the decorations, what about the food and most importantly the ballroom! These questions can seem overwhelming but with good planning skills and most importantly, time, things can get done and the party can be well on its way! Here are some tips on how to prepare for the big day and have a beautiful and well-organized party.

Brainstorm and research: First and foremost, grab a notebook and pen and jot down all the things that will be needed for the quince. At this level in planning, you will not have the small details down, but think of the big picture. Look up local ballrooms or event centers where you might want your quince to take place. Think of the Church where you would like to have your ceremony. Also, talk with your parents of what the budget is so you can make sure to stay within that price range. Lastly, think of potential themes and color schemes you would like to have at your quinceañera.

Plan the quince with enough time:  One of the most important steps in planning a Quince is to think ahead and plan at least twelve months in advance. Planning almost a year ahead of time allows you to have a better selection of the many elements required in a quince. Also, most ballrooms are booked months ahead, so this will allow you to secure a space. Also, think of the food arrangements and entertainment you would like to have at the party.

Make arrangements: This is where the exciting things begin to happen, after you have discussed a budget with your parents, begin to make reservations for the ballroom/ event hall you selected, the food caterers, the decorations, bakery,  photographer, DJ etc... and most importantly having your dress designed or finding the perfect gown. Most of these things will require you to go to different places and try the food or hear the music. Basically, you will have a lot of choices to make from what invitation design you like best to what cake design you want, and this is why it is important to plan ahead.

Select the Quince court: The usual number of couples in a court are seven, but there can be more or less depending on your preference. One of the important things to do once you have selected your court is to schedule rehearsals with them and decide on what they will wear to the quinceañera. At this point, since you more or less know who's going to be part of the party, begin to make limousine or other transportation arrangements.

Focus on your own personal touches:  A couple of months prior to the quince, make sure to make an appointment with your hairdresser and make up artist. Most times you will meet before with them to have a test run and see what way you want to go. Also, check up on your dress and look for shoes and accessories that you will wear.

Several weeks before the big day: Go over all the details and call to check in with the service providers to make sure all is still set as arranged. You should also call any people who have not responded to the invitations to have a better idea of who is going and who is not. Also if you had your dressed designed make sure to get it in time if it is ready. Also, make sure to get a good amount of rest and eat healthy so you are well for the big day.

The day of the party: Make sure to be on time to your hair and make up appointments. The most important thing to do on that day is to have a lot of fun! 

"I loved it," exclaims college student Jissel Reyes. "I was the last of my friends to have a quince, so I was able to get a lot of ideas and follow some of their examples. I was trying to outperform my other friends.... My parents did a lot of the organization for me. We started about 6 months in advance. My top tip is to voice your opinion and tell your parents what you like and what you don't, so you will be happy with how everything turns out. You can really personalize the party and make it your own. I had a big party with family and friends. My theme was tinker bell and the color red. I was able to add personal touches by picking my own dress, the music, the theme, the decorations and the dances."

Monday, June 17, 2013

My Quinceanera: A Celebration To Remember

What did turning 15 mean to you?
Turning 15 to me was something very special. I felt much older of course, and made me realize I am no longer a little girl anymore, but a young woman. It is when I began to realize to appreciating things more and never take anything for granted, because after this age, time just flies!

Why did you want to have a quinceañera?
Growing up all my family and friends had a quinceañera , so it’s something I had always seen since I was little. I remember “planning” my own quinceañera in my head since I was around 7 years old, by getting ideas from each quinceañera I would attend. I loved the whole idea of the celebration. Thanking God for the wonderful 15 years I was blessed with, dressing up as a princess, having a court with a combination of friends and family all dolled up as well, performing a dance, and most importantly having all my family and friends in one room to celebrate a special time for me. The tradition was a big part of me wanting to have a quinceañera , and let’s face it, every girl wants to have a day to be treated as a princess, and having a quinceañera made me feel like I really was! I knew that the memories I would make that night would be one’s I would never forget, and I honestly haven’t.

Tell us about your celebration? (Dress, theme, location, decor, color, dances, party, court, family)
My dress was very simple, plain white with a bit of shimmer to add a little something to it. After I walked in, and danced with my parents, I changed dresses. I changed into a shorter and much colorful dress. It had all these colors and the bottom part was like a tutu. I wanted to be comfortable with a smaller dress, yet still feel like a princess throughout the quince. My theme was a combination of several colors, nothing in particular. I had a court of 13 girls and 13 boys. There were 6 different types of dresses to make a mixture of different colors. Each boy had to match with his partners color, and wore Nike Jordan’s instead of dressy shoes. My decorations consisted of colorful carnations as centerpieces on the tables, with a few cookies for guests to munch on. I had a sign-in book, for family and friends to write comments so that I can later read and thank them for attending. I made my own money box on the gift table, and had a big colorful tilted cake, with a lot of cupcakes surrounding it. I thought it would be much easier to just pass out cupcakes, instead of having to cut the cake to many pieces and having to get plates and all of that. Everyone in the court had fancy champagne cups to give a toast at midnight, in which had a little bow with different colors to not leave it all plain. I had my quinceañera close to where I live, in Saint Peter & Paul Ballroom. I wanted it somewhere nice and close so all my friends and family could be able to attend, with it not being so far. The whole party itself was a success. Starting with the mass, to our limo ride to scenic drive, to the reception, to performing the dances, and of course to the big dance afterwards where the dance floor was always packed. I had a blast that day!

What made your celebration unique?
Having different colors at the time was very new. As well as having the court dressed in poofy small dresses, and the guys wearing Jordan’s instead of dress shoes was very new as well. My fun dance was unique as well, not your typical everyone walking in with the same footsteps. Every couple walked in with their own fun song and had dance moves to it. It made the entrance, and the beginning of the quince much more exciting.

What role did your religion play in your quinceañera ?
Before all the festivities, we all attended my communities Catholic church. It was a nice mass to celebrate my 15 years of age, and to thank God for surrounding me with such great family and friends, for giving me these great 15 years, happiness, and health.

What is the significance of a quinceañera in our culture today?
Some people today have forgotten the whole significance of the celebration. It’s not only about the whole party and dance. It’s about becoming a young lady now, wearing a white dress to signify purity, having all your family and friends together to celebrate, and thanking God for all your blessings you have encountered at the moment.

What are some traditions that you incorporated into your event?
I wore a traditional white dress. I did all the dances, the waltz, danced with my family, and the fun dance. The court and I prepared ourselves for a good 3 months or so. We did the toast at midnight, had a limo pick us up after church. And of course, attended a beautiful mass with all my family and close friends.

What was your favorite memory about your quince?
My favorite memory about my quince is too hard to recall. I loved every minute of it! All the planning and practices were definitely worth it. Having family and friends tell me how much fun they had, made me happy. What happened to also be my favorite part of my quince, but not from that day, was the preparation. All those Sunday afternoons practicing with my court, made them my little family at times. Since dance was something I use to do, practicing for the dance was my favorite. And when it actually happened, and came out good, the feeling after was great!

What advice would you share with a girl planning her quince?
Make sure to do it how YOU want to. Don’t be afraid to be different, at the end of the day it’s YOUR day, and no one else’s. Have fun with the planning, don’t get all crazy, but enjoy it. Try to look at many options before committing to something. You never know all the great deals you can find, or if you see something new. Be happy with everything you have and make the best of it. Your quince night will fly by before you know it, no way to redo it, so make the best of it!  It will definitely be a night to remember! :)
                                                            

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Madrinas Wanted

The Madrinas team is a group of local female leaders dedicated to helping make girls' quince dreams come true. This team helps with leadership workshops, mentoring youth, contributing to fundraising efforts and aiding with quince event planning. Our team meets every other Monday at 5:30pm at 10935 Ben Crenshaw #207.

Volunteers can assist with...
-Organizing fundraisers
-Help with quince celebration prep & event planning
-Mentoring a participant
-Soliciting quince sponsorships & contributions
-Organizing leadership workshops
-Coordinating cultural field trips
-Promoting our program

Pro-bono services are needed of the following...
-Professional services of a graphic designer to create invitations
-Professional services of caterer or cake baker to provide event catering or a cake
-Professional services of an event planner or interior designer to provide event decorations
-Professional services of photography for portraits & event photographs
-Professional services of a dance choreographer
-Professional services of a band or DJ
-Professional services of a make-up artist & hair stylist

To volunteer, contact us at quinceproject@yahoo.com.