Most Quinceanera celebrations are large events with a 150 to 300 person guest list. It can be a major challenge to host a large party without the help of a professional event planner. Priscilla Mills, author of: ‘Quinceanera Connection: Your Dream Celebration On Any Budget’, says she frequently receives calls from panicking mothers who are dealing with a last minute crisis.
You deserve to have the best Quinceanera celebration possible. However, in order for your dreams to become a reality there are some tips you should be aware of. The following ten items should be completed ten to twelve months before the Quinceanera Celebration.
1. Top of the list: it is recommended you start planning your Quinceanera celebration as early as 10 to 12 months before the event. It is also necessary to be organized and have the right planning tools to work with. This will prevent costly mistakes from happening and allow everyone involved to enjoy the planning process, instead of creating a stressful nightmare.
It’s best to use a Quinceanera planner, even if you plan on hiring a professional party planner. It is also very important to keep all your notes, samples, contracts and invoices in one place.
2. The next step is to have a ‘getting started’ or planning get-together with immediate family members. Make sure you schedule a time and place where there won’t be any interruptions. The first decision to be made is to set a date for the Quinceanera celebration. Then, have everyone share their ideas regarding what they think the special celebration should be like.
The next decision to be made is the budget – that’s the dollar amount planned to cover the projected costs for the Quinceanera celebration. The size of the budget directly affects all decisions relating to the celebration.
January 6th, 2011 in
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I have helped plan hundreds of quinceaneras in the greater Houston area and I know plenty about buying quinceanera dresses in and out of downtown. Downtown, most dress shops and bridal boutiques offer some of the more modern styles available in places like New York, Madrid, and Mexico City. But these dresses can also be more expensive. You can normally find more bargains outside of downtown in your city’s suburbs. But in the end, your dress selection depends mostly on personal style and your quinceanera theme.
Five tips to buying quinceanera dresses:
1. Never buy a quinceanera dress online because you never know what kind of fabric you are going to get. Will it be too tight? Too loose? Too rough? Will the style allow you to move freely while dancing? Will you be able to do everything you want to do? There are just too many potential problems if you buy a dress online. Always try a dress on before buying it.
2. Moms, I recommend taking your daughters to at least three different quinceanera dress stores before buying anything. In cities like Houston, there are plenty of dress shops to choose from. Many quinceanera-related stores are grouped together so you don’t have to do much driving. And downtown, you can find some of the more modern boutiques. Plus, there are a number of bridal stores that offer great deals on quince dresses too.
Note* Your budget will tell you whether or not you should venture out to some of the more expensive boutiques or if you should stay away from downtown areas and look for something more traditional. You can also look online for ideas about styles and themes but, remember, you should always go to an actual dress store and try it on before purchasing.
3. Remember that more expensive quinceanera dresses in Houston are not always the best. I have seen some homemade quinceanera dresses outshine even the most expensive boutique quinceanera dress! So don’t be afraid to look at some of the smaller, less expensive quinceanera dress stores. They still have some great selections.
4. Different dresses accentuate different body types. When trying dresses on, be sure to try lots of different styles to determine what fits your daughter the best. Make sure you can move freely in the dresses. There is nothing worse than not being able to move in a stiff dress (especially for a fifteen year old girl). I have seen several Houston quinceaneras turn bad because the quince girl bought a dress that looked beautiful but it did not allow her enough movement. You can only imagine the scene after the dress ripped!
5. Considering how hot Houston and many other Texas cities can be, another thing to take into consideration is the weather. Nothing can be worse for a 15-year old girl than to be wearing an uncomfortable dress in 100-degree heat. Thin, stretchable material is the perfect Houston quinceanera dress. So be sure to take comfort into consideration as much as fashion. Trust me. A happy daughter= A happier mother.
The bottom line is to be smart about buying a quinceanera dress. Be patient and have fun with it. Try on as many as dresses possible before deciding. I have known a few girls to find their perfect gown after trying on twenty Houston quinceanera dresses! If you are having trouble, don’t worry because you will find what you are looking for if you keep trying!
January 6th, 2011 in
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La Quinceañera, (or sometimes mistakenly spelled quincenera) the sweet 15 party that symbolizes the beginning of womanhood in Latin communities around the world, is a dream of many young Latinas and their families.
Although many families are combining new traditions with the old and even having Sweet 16 Quinces, the Latin roots are preserved.
The preparations for this coming out party are elaborate – from the traditions, dancing and food to the tiaras, dresses and favors.
Some of the traditions are sweet good-byes to the little girl… a last doll, a dance with daddy… and some celebrate the young woman that the child has become.
Tiaras and gowns are normally worn by the sweet 15 star, but many modern young women will show up in more relaxed clothes and sneakers! There are no rules that say the Quince girl can’t add her own style to the day. Traditional Latin music can be mixed with hip hip or house – or your favorite musical style – whatever it is.
Every detail is important and every woman in the family will have some ideas and advice to give. If the advice starts to make you crazy, just remember that it’s YOUR special day and you get to make the decisions.
The party is a celebration of the fact that you are not a little girl anymore… and today’s woman makes her own decisions and shows her own personality in everything she does.
If your family worries that your day will be ruined… remind them that even the most simple or untraditional Quinceanera makes memories that last a lifetime.
Not every girl will want a spectacular celebration, just as not every woman wants a big, expensive wedding. There are many young Latinas who have elaborate parties just to make their parents happy. If you decide to go along with your parent’s and relatives’ ideas to have a strictly traditional celebration, that’s wonderful… as long as it makes you happy, too.
The expense of a major party may be a problem for some families, but friends with sewing skills, a bit of creative planning and well crafted home made decorations can mean having a traditional Quinceañera and staying within anyone’s budget!
Instead of an expensive wedding type cake, you can bake and serve specially decorated cupcakes. If you do want a fancy cake, go online and find directions on how to bake and decorate a wedding cake. It’s really not that hard and you’ll find plenty of your friends and relatives have baking skills to make it easier.
Whether you’re dreaming of the most traditional Quinceañera or opting for a backyard picnic to mark the event, these sites will help with planning the party and explaining what the real meaning is… quinceanera dresses
January 6th, 2011 in
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