The traditional Hispanic Quinceanera event, celebrating your daughter’s fifteenth birthday, is often said to involve as much preparation and organizational skills as a wedding. Assuming you want it to be an outstanding success. Your daughter will be primarily concerned with choosing the most gorgeous Quinceanera dress for herself and beautiful Damas dresses for the girls in her Court. You, on the other hand, will have far more to arrange in order for the party to run smoothly. Planning for such a major event should begin early as there are many details to arrange. You can reduce the stress by engaging the services of an experienced party planner or draw up a checklist of all the things you will need to organize.
Once the date of the event is determined you will need to draw up a guest list and consider your budget. Costs can be steep when all the various professional service such as the venue, limousines, photographers, videographers, DJs, florists and catering are taken into consideration. It is not unusual for Padrinos to help with the expenses, but this must not be taken for granted. Clothing costs for the Court of Honor should also be considered as there will be dresses for the Damas and suits for the Chamberlains. These days it is common for these participants to shoulder the costs of purchasing their own Damas dresses and perhaps hiring suits, so be sensitive and offer affordable options.
The first things to check off the to-do list are to ensure the church and reception venue are booked well in advance. Once this is arranged you can determine the theme of the party and any color scheme, and start to consider themed decorations and invitations. Skilled professionals have their services booked early so it is never too soon to engage with photographers, florists, caterers, limousine companies, DJs or live bands. There is the cake to be ordered and you may also wish to use a professional choreographer to teach a special dance to the Court of Honor. You will need to organize dates for these lessons to fit around everyone’s schedules.
The most important aspect of the event to your daughter is undoubtedly picking from the multitude of 15 Dresses that are for sale. The ball gown should be chosen well in advance of the day, in case any alternations are needed. She will also need shoes that are a perfect match, jewelry and a Quinceanera doll. For the party day itself, she will need early morning appointments arranged to ensure her hair, makeup and nails look perfect. And she will appreciate it if these appointments include her special Damas girls.
A Quinceanera party represents the transition of your daughter from childhood to womanhood, but essentially she is still young and may prefer the reception to have some informal aspects. As she is busy searching online through hundreds of gorgeous Quinceanera dresses you will be involved in searching for a catering service to make the event truly memorable.
How To Cater The Event
One great way to acknowledge her youth and desire for fun is to avoid a traditional formal sit down dinner and engage the services of a food truck company for the catering. Your daughter and her court will appreciate the more casual and relaxed approach of using a food truck rather than a formal waiter served dinner. Food truck catering is hip and particularly suited to outdoor events.
In recent years, food trucks have gone upmarket with gourmet delights. You can find companies offering traditional Hispanic cuisine with menus you can prearrange to suit your requirements. Their costs will include freshly prepared food, but check in advance if they also offer napkins and cutlery. You may choose to arrange for the venue to set up a dining area close to where the food truck will be positioned or let your guests casually wander with their food. Overall the costs involved of engaging the services of a food truck to cater the Quinceanera party will be lower than those typically involved in a formal sit down dinner. You may even choose to use two separate food trucks with one dedicated to savouries and the other to desserts.
Your daughter will remember her 15 party as an once-in-a-lifetime event and as her parents you will want to ensure it is truly enjoyable and memorable. Make the important decisions early by lining up all the professional services you will work with. This leaves you worry free to enjoy the party and take pride in your daughter as she takes center stage in the celebrations.
