How to celebrate quinceañera without a huge party | Crystal Lake Family Photographer
McHenry County Family Photographer
First, let’s start with an explanation, for those of you who might not know, what is a quinceañera.
A quinceañera is a celebration of a girl's 15th birthday, marking her passage from girlhood to womanhood. It is common in Mexican and other Latin American cultures and is celebrated and practiced all over the world.
Quinceañera can have many rituals depending on the region, family’s history, traditions and available budget. It can be as simple as a gathering of family members and friends at a house or as elaborate as a wedding party with elegant clothes, flowers, music, decorations and of course lavish food.
This article is for families who choose a simple and mindful way of celebrating quinceañera.
Not everyone wants or can have a huge party with mariachi band, limousine, court of 15 chambelanes and 14 damas (15 boys and 14 girls that are assisting the birthday girl throughout the day), huge cake, dancing and eating until morning hours.
If you are looking for simpler or a bit less stressful ways to plan this important occasion, keep reading.
Here are five ideas for celebrating quinceañera without having a huge party.
If religion is an important part of the family’s life, focusing on a spiritual aspect is a way to go. Parents may request a Mass or a blessing to be performed at the Church. The young woman, accompanied by her parents and godparents comes before the priest or deacon to receive a blessing. The readings may also be chosen by the quinceañera herself and she may serve as the lector for at least one of them.
After the Mass or if not religious, a family may choose to celebrate this rite of passage by a simple get together at a restaurant or a house. It’s about sharing these moments with friends and loved ones, enjoying each other’s company and appreciating the opportunity to spend this time together.
A Father-Daughter dance can also be easily incorporated. In some families the birthday girl dances with her dad and all male family members one by one, and sometimes she dances with her parents first and then with godparents. With an access to the internet you can easily customize the music too. It’s really up to you and what you like.
A big part of quinceañera is of course the dress. If a birthday girl wants to wear one, it is a beautiful way of celebrating her as a young woman she’s becoming. You can buy or even rent one. Traditionally a birthday girl also gets to wear her first pair of high heel shoes and can receive jewelry to be worn with her gown.
Another great idea for celebrating these precious moments in your life is to have a professional photo session. Yes, as a family photographer I’m biased, but I think it makes the birthday girl feel extra special and you’ll have beautiful, meaningful photographs as a keepsake for a lifetime. You can go traditional way and have an outdoor photo session planned on a separate day or you can hire a documentary photographer (like me, ehem) who will capture all of the traditions and customs during the day of your event. That can include getting ready, Mass at the church and also quick portraits in an outdoor, nearby location. And of course everything in between with unexpected surprises along the way, which always happen and make this day unique to your family.
(The blue car in front of the church just happened to be there when we got outside after the blessing. It matched the color of the dress so we had to take advantage of the situation. Totally serendipitous and what a fun story to tell when looking back at the photos.)
Quinceañera Photography Session
If you live in McHenry County, Lake County or Chicago’s northwest suburban areas and are looking for a photographer for your quinceañera celebration, please reach out to me, so we can discuss the photo coverage of your event.
As a mom of 3 kids which include 2 daughters (one quinceañera down and one more to go), documenting these precious moments is very dear to my heart. I would be honored to be a part of yours.
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