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! :)