You don’t have to win the Sloto Cash jackpot to host a quinceanera that your family will cherish! Check out some ideas for how to plan and carry out a meaningful and fun celebration that won’t break the bank!
Quinceanera Costs
Typically, a family can pay anywhere from 50,000 to 150,000 pesos to host a quinceanera celebration though costs can go as high as 300,000 pesos for an elaborate affair. In the end, the cost depends on the size of your guest list, your venue and how elaborate you get with food, decorations, clothes, and even the day on which you are holding the event.
A quinceanera is the traditional celebration of a girl’s entry into young womanhood. In this day and age, the event has become extravagant but families can cut costs and still create a meaningful and memorable celebration for their quince princess. Some suggestions include:
Cost Comparison
Do some research to find the best deals. Start planning the quinceanera months – even a year – before it actually happens and look around to find the best prices on the things that you’ll need. Online is sometimes cheaper but not always so don’t neglect the brick-and-mortar stores in your neighborhood. The local Dollar store may be a good source for decorations. Some websites to check out include:
- RetailMeNot
- LightInTheBox
- NewEgg
- Zappos
- AliExpress
Don’t neglect sites like eBay, PoshMark, and GumTree where you may find second-hand items that will be like new to you!
Crowdsource
Ask friends and family for suggestions. Better yet, ask for their help. They are probably aware that, if they help you, you’ll be there to help them when their turn comes. You can ask them to help with decorations, hair, make-up, flower centerpieces, etc.
Maybe someone has a big backyard that you can use to hold the celebration? Or maybe you can get together a crew to help with the cooking! People understand the pressures of putting together a quinceanera celebration and will very likely be happy to help.
Dress
Quinceanera dresses are traditionally a major expense but you can reduce that expense significantly. Once again, the more you research your shopping expeditions, the better your chances are of finding a dress that fits within your budget. Even better, search on places like Craigslist or in shops that specialize in high-end second-hand women’s wear to find a nice selection at reduced prices.
Many families have found the perfect quinceanera dress at the PrincessProject website – https://princessproject.org/ – a site that specializes in donated gowns and special dresses. If the dress needs altering, a seamstress can make needed changes and you’ll still be paying a fraction of what you’d pay if you purchased the dress new in a shop.
Venues
Most quinceanera celebrations are held on Saturdays so if you choose a day mid-week, you have a better chance of getting a better price. The more inclusive the venue (providing flowers, candles, etc), the less you need to lay out. Again, if you know someone with a nice big backyard who is willing to host, all the better!
Food
Consider swapping a sit-down meal for a buffet. You need less staff for serving and buffets generally involve less food. If you do a sit-down meal, people often expect several courses but if you just let everyone fill up their plates, you don’t need to serve as many different types of food.
Music
It’s expensive to hire a DJ and totally unnecessary. Create a playlist to keep the music humming. Or maybe one of the young people wants to take a turn! This is a perfect chance to make everyone happy!
Pictures
There’s no need to hire a photographer. It’s true, a professional photographer will provide you with professional shots and if you think that you want or need that, go ahead.
But you can also assign friends and family members to take pictures and then share those photos with everyone. If you do that, don’t forget to set aside 15 minutes at some point for some posed pics of the family and quinceanera senorita!
Cake
The quinceanera cake is generally a big deal at a quinceanera celebration. The cake is generally an elaborate concoction of luscious goo and cream but what makes it a “must-have” is the decoration. Truth to tell though, most of the cake generally goes into the garbage because there’s just so much of it.
So…….. cheat a bit! Order a fake cardboard cake with a genuine top layer that you can cut. The rest is for decoration anyway so after the first cut, take the cake back into the kitchen to be sliced. There, the caters can cut up a basic sheet cake which will then be served. Just as delicious (if not more) and much cheaper!
