In this blog post I am going to tell you what you need for a Quinceanera party!
Hello!
My name is Paloma, I am a Quinceanera photographer based in San Diego. Welcome to my blog where you are going to learn everything about a quinceanera and how to plan one.
Get your notebook, grab your coffee and let’s get started!
MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU WILL NEED FOR A QUINCEANERA PARTY
We are going to cover the most important things that you are going to need for a Quinceanera party.
Remember that this can change and you can adjust all of this to your own Quinceanera. All of it can change, mostly according to the following:
- The kind of Quinceanera you want to have
- Your budget
- Number of guests
There are so many variables that change from event to event so keep that in mind.
I am just going to tell you the most important things that you will need for a Quinceaner party and I am also going to tell you different options for each one of those things.
LOCATION FOR THE QUINCEANERA PARTY
First thing that you are going to need is the location. You are going to need a place where you are going to have your Quinceanera Party.
This can change according to the kind of Quinceanera you want and your budget.
A very, very big factor that is going to help you to select what kind of venue you need to start looking for it’s the number of guests you are going to have for your Quinceanera party.
I have a blog post specially dedicated to this, it’s actually the first three things that you need to know
Before booking any vendors, before doing anything at all. This is the super first thing that you need to do when you start planning your Quinceanera party.
Make sure to check it out before you start looking for venues.
WHAT KIND OF LOCATION DO YOU NEED FOR YOUR QUINCEANERA
QUINCEANERA PARTY IN A BACKYARD
You can decide if you want to have a smaller celebration, like your very close family and super close friends.
I have photographed Quinceaneras in a backyard and they just have a couple of tables set up, they decorate it beautifully and they have a smaller Quinceanera in their backyard.
QUINCEANERA PARTY IN A RESTAURANT
I have also photographed Quinceaneras that just have dinner at a nice restaurant.
It’s also a small group but they still celebrate the Quinceanera because this is still an important day, it’s still a special celebration.
You don’t necessarily have to do like the big huge traditional Quinceaneraparty you can just have a smaller celebration depending on what you want.
QUINCEANERA PARTY IN A HOTEL OR EVENT VENUE
If you love parties and you want to have the big, big, big kind of party; you are going to have to look into venues that are especially dedicated to that.
Places that host Quinceaneras, Weddings and all kinds of events.
FOOD AND DRINKS FOR THE QUINCEANERA PARTY
The second thing that you are going to need for your Quinceanera party is going to be food and drinks.
DRINKS
You have so many options but you have to make sure you have drinks to serve to your guests.
It doesn’t even have to be cocktails or wine, that Is up to your parents to decide. Also think soft drinks, sodas, alcohol-free cocktails, etcetera.
FOOD
You have to have some food for your guests and you can also decide what kind of meal you want to have.
There are so many options, for example:
- Formal dinner
- Buffet style dinner
- Food trucks
APPETIZERS
In this category I want to include appetizers too and this is usually how you start the Quinceanera party.
However, it is not a mandatory thing to do; you don’t have to provide or serve appetizers for your guests.
If you decide to do it, this usually happens at the very beginning of the reception.
Actually depending on the kind of hall or the kind of venue where you decide to have your Quinceanera you could have it at different spots.
For example, if you choose a hotel that has a garden next to the indoor Hall where you are going to have your Quinceanera party.
You can do the cocktail hour and serve the appetizers outside and move into the indoor venue to have the actual dinner and the whole party.
I also want to remind you that there is no rule saying that you have to serve the typical appetizers like a charcuterie board with meats and cheeses.
If that’s not your thing you don’t have to serve that.
I have seen Quinceaneras that have a Mexican snack bar with ice cream with chamoy and tajin. Chopped fruit, tostilocos, corn, you know. Just imagine your usual Mexican snack deliciousness that we like to have.
They were serving that as appetizers and desserts.
I think it is very important to include things in your Quinceanera that you really like and that you are going to enjoy.
DESSERTS AND QUINCEANERA CAKE
Within the same category I also want to include desserts, candy table and the cake.
Here you also have a lot of different options, I have seen so many things like an ice cream bar, a donut bar, candy tables, Mexican candy tables
Once again it’s not mandatory to have a dessert table.
Are you having one in your Quinceanera? Let me know in the comments!
TIP FOR PLANNING YOUR QUINCEANERA PARTY
You can ask the person who does your catering if they also do desserts tables or the person who is doing the dessert table if they also do cakes.
So you can have the same vendor doing different things within the same category.
IMPORTANT!
It’s very important keep in mind:
The more vendors that you have, the more coordination that you are going to have to do during the planning and at the Quinceanera party.
If it sounds like a long list of different vendors and different things that you are going to need. Don’t worry because I have another blog post where I tell you exactly all the vendors that you are going to need and at what point before your Quinceanera you need to start looking for them and booking them.
ENTERTAINMENT FOR YOUR QUINCEANERA PARTY
The third thing you are going to need to have a great Quinceanera party it’s going to be entertainment.
In this category I’m going to include everything from Mariachi, DJ to live music.
This category is very important because, and I don’t know if you have experienced this.
Picture going to a party where everything is perfect, everything is beautiful, food is delicious, everything is fine but the music it’s just not good. It’s not really music that you can dance to or that you even like and the party it’s just not as good as it could be.
And I want you to take into account all the kinds of entertainment that you are going to have.
For example, if you want to have a Mariachi playing during the cocktail hour or during dinner.
If you want to have a DJ for the whole reception or if you would like to have a DJ and live music or a DJ and a Banda.
There are many different combinations that you could be doing.
THINGS YOU NEED TO MAKE YOUR QUINCEANERA PARTY MORE FUN
Also within this category I also want to mention all the different things that the DJs can include within their packages to make your party more fun.
For example: a stuntman or the LED light robot because those are things that are really going to help you your family and friends really enjoy the party and have fun
I also want to include here the kind of souvenirs DJs give away at the dance floor.
This includes: the balloons, the light up headbands, light up glasses, etcetera.
You can also bring those yourself, but those are things that also help to set up the vibe for your party.
PERFORMANCES OR PRESENTATIONS
Within this category I also want to include if you want to have any kind of performances during your Quinceanera party.
To recap here are the things that you are going to need to have a great Quinceanera party:
1 Location for your Quinceanera Party
2 Food and drinks
3 Entertainment
if you are planning your Quinceanera and you want to go more in depth on all the different things that you need to get and at what point you need to book them
I created a video series where I guide you throughout the whole Quinceanera planning process. I tell you what vendors you need to get, I tell you what you need to look for.
What you need to buy, what you need to get, what you need to schedule, absolutely everything and it’s completely free!!!
Here is the link to the playlist
Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful Quinceanera!