Quinceanera Party Planning Ideas

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The Quinceañera or Quince Años (fifteen years) coming of age ceremony and celebration is  steeped  in Latino culture, tradition and faith. It’s likely that you and your daughter have been dreaming about her Quinceanera party for years and now that her fifteenth birthday is approaching, it’s time to start the planning and preparations.

Your daughter’s special day usually begins with a church Quince Años ceremony, followed by a dance or fiesta party. Many families elect to keep the church ceremony small and intimate and then follow up with a big dance party bash. That’s where KidsParties 123 comes in with theme ideas, favorite Quinceanera party decorations and even a few games to play…all to help make your Quinceanera celebration truly memorable!

Choosing a Theme
When planning a Quinceanera dance or party, it’s become popular to incorporate a theme that suits your daughter’s interests and personality. Whether you go the traditional formal route or a more casual celebration, beginning with a theme helps keep you organized and within your budget. But most importantly, a Quinceanera theme allows the birthday girl’s unique personality to shine throughout the celebration.
The Quinceaneros lends itself to a fairy tale theme and the recent trend is to select a Disney Princess theme; The Little Mermaid , Aladdin or Cinderella are favorites. Your daughter however, may have something else in mind. To help get the creative juices flowing think of her favorite book character, color  or hobby.
You may also incorporate one of these popular teen party themes in your décor to make her celebration a hit.

• Hollywood Nights
• City Lights
• Casino
• Mystery Party
• Mardi Gras
• Luau
• Fiesta
• Pool Party

Use the theme  as starting point and go from there. Our party supply partners Shindigz and Buy Costumes have everything you need, from invitations to elaborate props and everything in between …have fun!

Quinceanera Ceremonial Goodbye Traditions
There are a few customary rituals incorporated into the Quinceanera ceremony and reception; though they vary slightly with each country and culture,the sentiments remain the same.

• The Quinceanera is given a scepter by her Godparents either during the church Mass or at the reception.
• In some cases there is a coronation at the Mass, where the Quinceanera is given a tiara by her parents or Godparents. Often the tiara and scepter are presented before entering the reception.
• The first dance of the evening is usually the father-daughter dance.
• It is traditional to begin the dancing (after the father-daughter dance) with the guest of honor, her escort and the court dancing a Waltz.
• It has become popular for the Quinceanera and her court to choreograph and perform a special “surprise dance”  that has been practiced for weeks beforehand. A search on YouTube will provide you with some inspiration!
• The Quinceanera Doll symbolizes the last vestige of childhood. In some cultures this doll is passed down to a younger sibling or cousin and in others this doll is left at the church altar or the birthday girl will keep the doll as a memento.
• A favorite tradition of this special day, is the Quinceanera shoe ceremony  which symbolizing the young woman’s coming of age. The Quinceanera wears flat heeled-shoes for the church service and the first part of the celebration. During the reception, dance or party there is a ceremony where her father removes the flat shoes and replaces them with high-heels to symbolize her new status as an adult.

Do you want to host a smaller celebration to honor this big day?
It is not uncommon to plan a less formal Quinceanera gathering without all of the bells and whistles. After all, not all fifteen year old girls are comfortable with the attention and production of a large dance party and opt to celebrate with a Mother-Daughter Tea party , Garden Party theme or a dinner party shared with friends and family. Decorations for an event of this type would included fresh or silk flowers, fine china,  linens and beautiful feminine touches. You can  include fun parlor games in any of these themes in addition to the traditional Quinceanera “Good-bye” ceremony.