How to Plan the Perfect Quinceañera Program: Step-by-Step Guide
The number one question we're asked as choreographers by our quinceañera moms is, "what exactly is the quinceañera program and how does it work?" Many moms are just unfamiliar with how the process works altogether. Not to worry though, we're here to help!
In this post, we’ll be sharing with you our very own quinceanera program order that we’ve been using for the last 12 years and still use to this day. Everything we’re sharing with you has come from years of trial and error to create the best overall flow for a quinceañera program. You can choose to keep or change the order of anything in the quinceanera program. Other than the entrances, which will always happen first, everything in this quinceanera program outline can be switched around to your liking. There are no rules to this, but I will say the quinceañera program layout we’ve provided below has an AMAZING FLOW! We've gone to quinceañeras that don’t hire us to do the quinceanera program coordination, they usually have someone else helping them. And I don’t mean to brag but to this day, I haven’t seen one quinceañera program that is as seamless and has as much flow as ours does. This example is meant to show you what typically happens in a quinceanera program and also for you to have a better idea of how to order the events in your own quinceañera program and why.
Before You Begin the Quinceañera Program…
Check in with everyone involved in the quinceanera program to make sure they have all the items they’re presenting.
Make sure the quinceañera and the court members have all of their surprise dance outfits accounted for, organized, and easy to access.
Refresh the quinceañera’s hair and make-up.
Have your DJ check the music for your quinceañera program to make sure everything is playing properly. If something isn’t playing properly you‘ll have a chance to get it fixed before the quinceanera program is scheduled to start.
Also make sure DJ has some type of paper that includes the names of everyone involved.
#1 The Entrances
The first part of the quinceañera program is kicked off by the entrances. This includes the entrance of the court members, the chambelan de honor, the parents of the quinceañera, and of course, the quinceañera herself.
The Court of Honor
The court members are the first to make an entrance in the quinceañera program. If the court of honor is coupled, have the DJ announce each couple, naming the girls/damas first and the guys/chambelanes second. If they don’t have partners you can announce them in any order.
As the court members are announced, have them walk on the floor in an organized way for the entrance. Keeping the court on the dance floor will allow them to be a part of all the photos and videos during the entire quinceañera program.
I find that having the court form a V-shape formation or two straight lines on the dance floor allows everyone to be seen and the quince and her parents to be in the center.
Pro Tip: Remind the court to smile throughout the entire quinceanera program. Since they will be in the background of all the photos and videos you don’t want them looking sad, mad, or crazy on camera!
The Chambelan de Honor
The quinceañera’s main chambelan or chambelan of honor should have his own entrance separate from the other court members. We can’t ignore the fact that the chambelan de honor has taken on a huge responsibility by being the quinceañera’s partner. Show your appreciation by highlighting him with his own entrance.
The Parents of the Quinceañera
The parents typically escort the quinceañera onto the dance floor. If mom or dad isn’t an option, the quinceañera can choose another important figure in her life.
Make sure that when the parents are announced that you don’t leave the quinceañera behind in the entrance. I’ve seen so many parents get their names announced and head straight out to the dance floor out of excitement instead of waiting for the quinceanera to be announced so they can all walk in as a group. Make sure the 2 people escorting the quince wait for her at the entrance so they can all walk in together.
The Quinceañera
Now for the big moment all your guests have been waiting for! Have your Dj ask everyone to stand on their feet before the quinceañera is announced. This will help your daughter get excited before coming out and feel welcomed by all the family and friends there to support her.
Pro Tip: Many parents will naturally want to lock arms at the elbow with the quinceañera as they escort her in. This can create huge problems because her dress is so big the parents will more than likely end up stepping or tripping over the dress as they walk in. Instead, escort the quince in by holding her hands. This way everyone will be able to stay connected without the dress getting in the way.
#2 The Gifts of the Quinceañera
The quinceañera gifts are a special part of the presentation where the quinceañera receives all the traditional items from her parents, padrinos or people special to her. Each of the items has its own significance that relates to the quinceañera transitioning from a girl to a young woman. Create a list for your DJ of all the people's names and what items they’ll be presenting to the quinceañera.
The reason why I like to start with the quinceanera gifts is because if the quince will be receiving anything during the quinceañera program that she can wear like jewelry, heels, or the crown, she’ll have it on for the rest of the quinceanera program. If you wait to do the quinceanera gifts later in the quinceanera program, the quinceanera will have more photos without her crown or earrings or necklace, etc. Some families like to start their quinceanera program off with the father-daughter dance first which is okay if the quinceañera has all of her gifts on already. If not, you want to make sure she has everything on first for the best photos and video!
Here is a list of the most common quinceañeras gifts families will include in their quinceanera program. Some families will include all or most of the items and some families will only include some or none of the items at all. Feel free to pick and choose the items that resonate best with the quinceañera.
Crown of Quinceañera
Earrings of the Quinceañera
Necklace of the Quinceañera
Bracelet of the Quinceañera
Ring of the Quinceañera
Scepter of the Quinceañera
Heels of the Quinceañera (some girls do cowgirl boots instead)
Quinceañeras Last Doll
Pro Tip: For the best photos and video make sure no one delivers their quinceanera gifts standing directly in front of the quinceañera girl. All quinceanera gifts should be presented beside or behind the quinceañera. You don’t want the photographer, or videographer to have a tough time capturing all the beautiful moments and you don’t want your guests blocked from what’s happening either.
#3 The Thank You Speech and Toast
The thank you speech and toast are placed together because I find doing them at the same time works best in our quinceanera programs. What better time to propose a toast than after someone has given a speech? The two go hand in hand. The speech and toast section is the perfect opportunity to show everyone including your padrinos the recognition and the thanks they deserve. Whoever is planning to say a thank you speech should take the time to prepare what will be said to all your friends and family before the night of the party.
Here are some important questions I typically ask my clients so I understand how to direct this portion of the quinceañera program.
Ask Yourself…
Do I want to give a thank-you speech?
If so, who will give the speech? the parents? the quinceañera? both? or someone else?
Would you want the Padrinos and other important family and friends to come up to the dance floor during your toast/ speech or to stay at their seats?
Who will receive toast glasses?... the quinceañera? the parents? the court members? The padrinos?
Will the DJ have a wireless microphone that can be brought to the center of the floor?
Pro Tip: If you’re planning to have wait staff or even if you don’t, it’s a great idea to pour and pass out the toast glasses right BEFORE the quinceanera program begins. That way when it comes time for the toast, everyone involved will already have their glasses and can just walk out to the dance floor or stand up by their seats.
#4 The Dances
Father-Daughter Dance
Traditionally the quinceañera will have her very first dance of the evening with her father. If dad isn’t present, don’t be afraid to use another important male figure in his place. That said, I don’t think it’s ever a bad idea to do a mother-daughter dance as well. Many moms we come across get afraid of taking the stage but think of all the amazing photos the two will get by sharing this special moment.
Keep in Mind: Up to this point in the quinceanera program, the court members will still be on the dance floor. Just before the father-daughter dance starts, have the court exit the dance floor in an orderly fashion or they can line up in a straight line in the back of the dance floor. See Photo Example Below:
Additional Family Dances
Right after the first dance with dad and/or mom, this would be the best time to invite any other family members to the dance floor that the quince would like to share a special dance with. It doesn't have to just be the quinceañera’s padrinos, it can be whoever she’d like to share a special moment with! The best thing to do is to give the DJ a pre-made list of anyone that the quinceañera wants to dance with. The DJ can then periodically call those people on the list up to the dance floor.
Here’s a list of people you might want to include:
siblings,
grandparents,
uncles,
aunts,
cousins,
family friends,
etc.
Keep in Mind: If you make this list very long it will also make your quinceanera program longer.
Traditional Slow Dance/ Vals with Court
After all the additional family has danced with the quinceañera it’s now time for the first dance of the evening with the court members, 'the vals of the quinceañera'. Ask the DJ to make an announcement for the quinceañera and the court to take their places on the floor.
Pro Tip: Make sure your DJ knows not to start playing the song for the vals until the court and the quinceañera are in their positions. Starting the music before everyone is ready will definitely throw the court and quince off on their dance moves.
Intermission
If the quinceañera and/or the court are changing outfits for the surprise dance performance you will need a short intermission to give them time to change. While the quinceañera and her court are out of sight changing for the next dance, the guest can feel a bit lost or in limbo. Playing party music in between the Slow Dance and the Surprise Dance will keep the energy alive and bring your court back into an energy-filled audience ready for the next big thing!
Keep in Mind: Because the guests are still waiting for the next part of the quinceanera program the change should be super quick! I’m talking about runway models quickly. You don’t want the audience to get antsy or bored so changing outfits SHOULD NOT TAKE LONG!
Pro Tip: Tell your court to put all their surprise dance outfits and anything they may need in a neat pile in a secluded spot BEFORE the quinceañera presentation starts. That way when it’s time to change no one is running out to their cars or pulling clothes out of their bags and tags off of clothing. All of this gets taken care of beforehand so now all the court has to do is grab their outfits and change in the restroom or designated changing area.
Surprise Dance with Court
If you’re not doing a 'surprise gift', the surprise dance would be the final portion of the quinceanera program. Once the court is all dressed and ready for the surprise dance, it’s time to reveal them to your guests.
It’s really important that your DJ hypes the crowd up beforehand so that everyone’s pumped up and excited for the performance. Guests and court members included. And just as I mentioned above for the vals of the quinceañera it’s equally important that the DJ not start the music until everyone is in their places for the surprise dance.
#5 The Surprise Gift
This is the final portion of my quinceañera program. You may be wondering why the surprise gift is at the end of the quinceanera program instead of with the rest of the quinceanera gifts, like the crown and doll, etc. I recommend doing the surprise gift at the end of the quinceañera program for a few reasons. Here’s why…
The Gift is Usually Messy
Most surprise gifts are packed in big boxes or multiple boxes with layers of confetti, balloons, wrapping paper, and of course the actual gifts. If the surprise gift gets opened earlier in the quinceanera presentation it could create a lot of downtime trying to clean up all the gift wrapping in order to proceed with the presentation. If you place the surprise gift at the end of the quinceañera presentation you can clean up the mess as the dance floor opens and it won’t be a part of your video.
It Attracts Little Kids to the Floor
Opening the surprise gift in the middle of your quinceanera program may attract the younger children in your family to the dance floor. I’ve seen it too many times to count. And trust me you don’t want all the little kids running around on the dance floor, tossing balloons and confetti during the quinceanera program. It’s also hard to sit them back down and then you’ll also have all of their parents running up to the floor and this will all be in the photos and video! And it’s something I’ve witnessed so often and usually nobody sees it coming so a lot of times it’s not something we can control. So if it’s going to happen, best to put the surprise gift at the end and not earlier in the quinceanera program.
It’s a BIG MOMENT!
If the quinceañera will be receiving something big like a car or her dream pony, you wouldn’t want to place a big surprise like that in the middle of the quinceañera program because at that point all of the guests would begin heading outside to see the new car or pony and it would take a lot of time trying to get everyone back in the building, in their seats and ready to proceed with the quinceanera program. If the surprise gift is at the end, then after a big reveal like that you wouldn’t have to worry about getting guests back in their seats because the quinceanera presentation would be over. So now the dance floor can open up and your guests can start to party!
Conclusion
Trying to figure out a quinceañera program when you have nothing to refer to or guide off can really make you feel lost on how to go about this process for the quinceañera. So we really hope this article has been helpful to you and given you an understanding of how quinceañera programs work. If you have any questions regarding your own quinceanera presentation don’t hesitate to reach out to us in the comments below or via email at [email protected]. We'd love to help you have as much clarity as possible so this part of your planning doesn’t feel like a source of frustration. Good Luck… You Got This!
