Las Decoraciones: Quinceañera Decorations
No matter what the venue is, a few well-chosen decorations will help set the tone for the party. Picking a theme or color scheme is a great place to start. The theme can celebrate someplace the birthday girl would like to travel, a favorite book or movie, magical creatures (unicorns, fairies, mermaids), a personal hero and more. Another idea is to keep things a bit simpler by unifying the party with a beautiful color scheme. Consider balancing one or two strong colors—pink and burgundy, red and black, lime and turquoise—with a neutral and a metallic. This creates a festive look with a bit of sophistication. Let the theme or color scheme guide your choice of cake, centerpieces, table linens, copas de brindis, streamers and other decorations.
La Última Muñeca: The Last Doll
To mark the transition out of childhood, a parent gives the quinceañera her last doll, or última muñeca. This doll can be kept for sentimental reasons, but it is typically given to a younger sister or cousin as part of the ceremony—or even tossed to the not-yet-15 girls in attendance as a bride might toss her bouquet. For a personal touch, choose a doll that represents the new 15-year-old’s aspirations: a ballerina plush doll, astronaut action figure or doctor doll. Dolls can also be used as quinceañera centerpieces and cake toppers, a great way to keep a bit of childlike fun in the festivities and to share the guest of honor’s dreams and goals with her guests.
El Brindis de Quinceañera: The Champagne Toast
A moving moment in any quinceañera celebration is the brindis, or toast. Traditionally, the parents and the padrino and madrina (godparents, or a couple chosen just for this honor) give toasts in honor of the birthday girl, who then gives a toast to thank her family and guests. Las copas de brindis para la quinceañera are a special set of decorated champagne flutes used by the quinceañera and her parents, padrino, madrina and honor court. While these can be bought ready-made in a variety of styles and colors, DIY versions are an affordable way to truly personalize the glasses—and a fun project to do with friends or family. Fortunately, there are online tutorials for decorating champagne flutes with everything from rhinestones and glitter to faux flowers and minimalist monograms. Simply stock up on cases of plain glasses. Then, hit the craft store for festive supplies that fit the theme or color scheme, turn up the music and let the pre-party begin. This is also the perfect chance for the birthday girl to practice her brindis in front of a supportive audience she can trust to give helpful feedback.
El Vestido de Quinceañera: The Dress
The quinceañera traditionally wears a ball gown, often in white or bright colors. These days, girls wear a range of styles: darker colors, cocktail attire, dresses with detachable skirts for dancing or even chic suits. Whatever style is chosen, remember that there are organizations that accept and distribute used quinces dresses—after all, they’ve only been worn once. Find an organization nearby to acquire a free gown for the birthday girl, or to pass hers along to someone in need once the party is over. It’s a fantastic way for the beauty of this special day to live on.
Pastel de Quinceañera: The Cake
This is a birthday party, after all, so a cake is a must-have. Whether it’s elaborately layered and overflowing with fresh flowers or simply frosted in fresh pink, the cake can reflect the birthday girl’s style and favorite flavors. A cake topper—personalized with the honoree’s name, a sequined number 15 or a doll—sets this cake apart from previous birthday cakes, while gold or glittered candles add extra sparkle. Decorated cake server sets add an extra level of festivity as well as another opportunity for personalization. Find a tutorial you love, pick up a plain knife and server, then check out the craft store for decorations that suit the color scheme or theme. This project can be a special chance for the quinceañera to bond with the padrino and/or madrina, especially if they happen to be creative and crafty.
Los Regalos de Quinceañera: Gift Giving
Again, this is a birthday party, so any birthday gift you might ordinarily give would be appropriate. For a meaningful gift, consider the girl's interests, hobbies, favorite books and causes. A leather-bound or first-edition version of her favorite book is a beautiful keepsake to acknowledge this transformational occasion between childhood and adulthood. A donation in her name to her favorite charity is a great way to make the quinceañera feel like she’s a part of something larger and to show respect for her passion and activism. Cash toward a trip she’s hoping to take or a laptop she’ll need for school would certainly be welcome. More on-theme quinceañera gift ideas include a monogrammed jewelry box that can hold the honoree’s special quinceañera jewelry set and tiara for years to come. Or take photos throughout the party, print them—printed photos are a rare treat these days—and give them to her in a beautiful photo album.
As with any event, the key to planning a successful quinceañera is to focus on the traditions that mean the most and that work within the budget and other constraints. Have a mother-daughter or grandfather-granddaughter dance, throw a reception in the park, have an honor court of 4 instead of the typical 28—whatever the quinces is like, it will be lovely.
We’d love to see how your quinces decorations, dress, cake, copas and especially any DIY projects turned out. Share all your favorite quinceañera tips with the hashtag #CrateStyle.
