At a glance Quinceañeras are pricey, averaging almost $30K, but for many parents, it’s not just a party. It’s an important milestone marking a transition from childhood to adulthood. It’s also an opportunity to connect with culture, friends, family and faith.
On a recent Saturday in downtown Chula Vista, a teenage court of honor stood lined up in pairs on the stage of Diamonds Event Hall. As Pierce The Veil's Kissing Cars played through the speakers, the teenagers swayed to the music before parting down the middle — girls to the left, boys to the right. They cleared the path for the person of the hour: Asiya Nero. Dressed in a beautiful red ball gown, she glided to the front of the stage to waltz with her chambelán de honor. Two hundred family members and friends cheered her on.
Nero celebrated her 15th birthday, commonly referred to as a "quinceañera" in Latino families. Carmen Montoya-Reyes said she began saving for her daughter’s quinceañera when Nero turned 12. It was important to celebrate her only daughter with a tradition that holds deep cultural significance for her family. It was also important for Nero.
“I want to celebrate, it's the chance to show that I'm becoming an adult," she said two days before her quinceañera. " I'm transitioning from a teenager to adult, and I want this day to be really special.”
In the South Bay, quinceañera businesses are plentiful. On Third Avenue in Chula Vista there are nine quinceañera businesses in two blocks and even more quinceañera halls and dress shops within a two mile radius. These coming-of-age parties are as popular as ever in the South Bay, but they are also expensive.
The Big Picture
"Quinces" almost always include traditional elements such as a Mass, the iconic dress and a reception venue. Most feature a DJ and sometimes a mariachi band. Today, extras like a Tostilocos bar, a dancing robot or a photo booth are common sights. But when tallying it all up, the final price tag can quickly skyrocket.
Families not only have to find a way to cover those costs, but they are also on the hook for their everyday bills under the skyline of San Diego County's ever-increasing cost of living.
San Diegans pay some of the highest costs in the country for basic necessities such as housing, food and gas. Still for many parents, spending the money is worth it.
“I think today it just lets them know how important they are in our lives and how important they are in society,” Montoya-Reyes said about her daughter's celebration.
For many families, this important milestone marks a transition from childhood to adulthood. It’s also an opportunity to connect with culture, friends, family and faith.
Sticker shock
"Darling, don’t be afraid."
The haunting voice of Christina Perri in the chorus of "A Thousand Years" played as Leticia Sareñana held her daughter, Anahi Sareñana, who sparkled in her traditional white quinceañera gown. Together, they swayed for their first waltz.
Leticia, a single mother, initially hoped the event would cost $10,000. But after tallying her receipts, she believes she spent about $22,000. She also received generous gifts and donations from family and friends, including the purchase of Anahi’s $1,600 gown. In total, she estimates the quinceañera cost between $25,000 and $30,000.
“That's actually cheap to be honest with you. I mean, I know of others that spend, you know, a good $50 to $80,000 or so,” Leticia said.
The celebration took two years to plan and was something she had been looking forward to since the day her daughter was born.
A 2019 study by Mi Padrino, an event-planning platform, surveyed 525,000 quinceañeras nationwide and found the average celebration cost $21,781. Adjusted for inflation, that would equal about $28,372 today.
Cutting back
When she began planning, Montoya-Reyes landed on a $5,000 budget. Asiya Nero's mother saved money by paying off her car and trading it in for an older electric vehicle. She also made cuts to discretionary spending like eating out and hasn’t bought any new clothes for herself in three years.
To get more aggressive with her savings she shifted from working as a hairdresser in a salon to cutting hair at home.
“Cutting out all of those things, really gave us the opportunity to, like, be very easy on the budget, you know, it's like it wasn't that sacrificial,” Montoya-Reyes said.
Despite all intentions of sticking to that $5,000 budget, her community wouldn’t have it. Clients started giving her larger tips to help fund the quinceañera. Family and friends stepped into the role of padrinos, which are traditionally both spiritual guides and sponsors.
Asiya was able to show four choreographed dances at her celebration and worked with a flamenco teacher and ballet folklórico instructor for many months on her routines.
Lydia and Ruben Gonzalez are planning a quinceañera for their second daughter, Alexa Gonzalez. Their first daughter Selena’s party cost $28,000 five years ago. For Alexa, they planned a $30,000 budget, but they are already on track to surpass it.
“I know at the end it's going to be what it is, and we're gonna have to be flexible if it goes over.” Lydia shared over the phone from her Paradise Hills home.
The couple began saving two years ago, picking up extra shifts at work and cutting out discretionary spending like eating out and other activities.
Ruben stressed the cultural significance of quinceañeras for their family.
“It has a lot to do with tradition and the changing of a child to becoming a young woman and also confirming their faith and her religion,” he said.
Ways to save
David Calzada is a venue manager with Factory of Dreams, an event space that has been in Chula Vista for 14 years. Calzada said that 90% of their events are quinceañeras.
He often advises parents to stick to the basics and not overspend. But he said some parents don’t take his advice and end up going into debt. That financial strain reflects a broader trend. According to a recent study by the Public Policy Institute of California, Latino households are more likely than white and Asian households to carry unsecured debt (59% compared with roughly 45%).
For families determined to celebrate without breaking the bank, there are several ways to cut costs.
Layaway
For big ticket items like venue rentals and gowns, layaway programs are common in the industry and could be a good option to stagger costs.
"We offer layaway plans ... We can start the layaway plans with $200 and make a monthly plan,” said Osmar Naranjo, a dress designer and owner of Cynderella, a quinceañera gown shop.
Consignment and secondhand
The secondhand market for quinceañera dresses ranges from local Facebook groups to local dress shops. Naranjo said Cynderella will add consignment this year as demand has grown.
Swap meets
Swap meets can offer deep discounts on secondhand decor and clothing. Montoya-Reyes called the swap meet her first stop before shopping anywhere else.
“A lot of our decoration stuff, we found at the swap meet ... I was amazed how inexpensive it is,” she said.
Local county swap meets include:
- Spring Valley Swap Meet: Open Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- South Bay Drive-In Theatre & Swap Meet: Open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- National City Swap Meet: Open Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Kobey’s Swap Meet: Open Friday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
DIY
You can often save money by doing projects yourself, but that takes time and skill.
Montoya-Reyes credits DIY as a leading reason she was able to stick to her modest budget. She and her sister handcrafted 150 delicate trees for centerpieces, each tree took about three hours to construct, and it took them a year to complete them all.
Some families opt to host backyard quinceañeras on their property for smaller, more intimate gatherings. These events can save money substantially, but require a lot of planning.
“I had mine in my backyard. Cost was definitely a factor. My dad did his best to get the area set up and my mom did all the cooking.” National City resident Luz Molina wrote in to share.
'Alternative' quince
Not all families who want to celebrate their daughter's 15th birthday choose to do a traditional quinceañera. Some families are choosing instead to do alternative celebrations like family vacations or big gifts instead, which can oftentimes be cheaper.
💡'Quinceañeros'
Celebrations for teenage boys are also becoming more mainstream, Naranjo said.
“As part of the LGBT community, I am very proud to see, young boys embracing that side," he said. "I’ve had a couple of boys come here to try on dresses. I’m all for it. And that’s something that I’ve noticed in this generation, they're a lot more welcoming, and embracing the differences."
Making it Work
For many families, though the price is high, this important tradition is worth the stress, the time and the cost.
"Honestly, the excuse of saying, ‘oh we're not going to do one because it's so expensive,’ I don't think it's a valid reason, I really don't,” Montoya-Reyes said. She feels if a daughter wants a quinceañera, a family should find ways to budget and make it happen.
Lydia is eagerly awaiting her daughter’s quince in September.
“We're very excited. Our families are very excited," she said. "We're having family come from far away, like from Mexico …”
Speaking to Leticia two days after Anahi’s quince, she recalled the waltz with her daughter.
“I was whispering to her in her ear. I said, 'this is a moment that I've been dreaming about since I had you. This is a huge milestone for you. This is like the blossoming, you're becoming a young lady, a woman,'” Leticia said.
After two years of preparation, Anahi held her mother tightly as they slowly swayed. Circled by the event photographer and videographer, both mother and daughter smiled through tears. Two hundred beaming loved ones looked on, with almost as many smartphone screens raised to capture the moment.
It had taken a great deal to reach this point, but as Leticia held her daughter — now a young woman — it was clear to everyone in the room that the money spent had been worth it for them. More importantly, the time they spent planning the celebration had brought them closer together.
“This was a magical moment for me," Leticia said. "This was everything that I've ever dreamed of.”
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