Planning a quinceañera (also known as fiesta de quince años) can be a special time for a family. They decide which traditions to incorporate: a misa or mass, a court of honor, a waltz, among others. Other considerations include where the festivities will take place — at home, or a salón de fiestas or venue — and whether to hire a DJ, live band, or mariachi.
Each of these decisions reflects the family and daughter’s personal taste; sometimes it's modest, sometimes lavish, sometimes shaped by family and community expectations — but contained within a budget.
All of these elements come at a price and here in the San Diego region, those costs don’t come cheap.
In Chula Vista, one venue told KPBS a rental can start at almost $5,000 and be double that, depending on number of guests and date.
For parents, the celebration can represent an opportunity to honor their daughter and celebrate a meaningful rite of passage from childhood to adulthood, and for many, it's worth the expense. Others are choosing to skip them altogether.
KPBS wants to know: did you have a quinceañera? What did it cost? If you didn’t have one, was cost a deciding factor? Did you do an alternative celebration like a trip to Disneyland instead?
