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#1-Primping for a Princess - Editors notes
The Dallas Market Center is seeing a golden opportunity in an ages-old Hispanic Catholic Custom - By Holy Haber - October 2004
Theres nothing that commands the attention of a marketer like a big, underserved community. And thats exactly why the Dallas Market Center is turning its attention toward the quinceañera, an elaborate event to celebrate the 15th birthday of Hispanic Catholic girls.
Peg Canter, vice president of trade shows, began examining how to cater to the quinceañera market in June after reading news stories that Hispanics were underserved by the fashion industry, that most of the top 10 Hispanic markets are in Texas and that the average quinceañera party costs $8,000 to $10,000.
I thought, here we are in the middle of it all and what are we doing about it? Canter recalled. This is a golden opportunity.
Quinceañera is a marketers dream because it has most of the trappings of a wedding- from the poufy ball gown to the formally dressed attendants, silk floral keepsake bouquets, printed napkins and party favors. More important, few cater is this year-round market, which is growing along with the burgeoning 35 million-member Hispanic community in the United States.
So the DMC has launched an outreach to Hispanic retailers as well as the bridal vendors who make quinceañera-style dresses. It posted a promotional mailer to 4,000 Hispanic stores nationwide and has dispatched three staffers to visit Hispanic retailers in major Texas cities to invite them to shop at the World Trade Center. After the October market, the DMC will expand its personal visits to stores in other states.
Ironically, the DMC has made efforts over the past decade to draw Mexicans buyers, but it has not concentrated on the domestic Hispanic market until now.
Canters ultimate goal is to address all the needs ----not just quinceañera needs ---of Hispanic retailers. So shes researching things like how often Hispanic retailers change their inventory, what their biggest seasons are and what they buy for holiday.
I found out that a lot of Hispanic stores dont just buy quinceañera but apparel as well. But they are not comfortable coming to our market, Canter said. They dont feel their language is spoken, and nothing is in Spanish. What we want to do is roll out the welcome mat to Spanish speaking stores
To create an inviting atmosphere, Canter will direct Hispanics to the WTCs international buyers lounge in suite 176 on the first floor, which is staffed with translators and provides free long-distance phone service, Internet access, concierge services and refreshments.
At the same time, the DMC wants to educate bridal retailers about how to capitalize on the quinceañera business. It has scheduled a quinceañera seminar for buyers and vendors at Fashion Center Dallas on the Sunday of market at 8:30 a.m. in the bridal area on the 12th floor. The DMC also plans to send a mailer promoting quinceanera products to all its bridal stores next year.
Its always been there as a tradition---- I had one and my sister had one--- but I dont think it has ever been recognized in the market, said Priscilla Mora, the seminar speaker. Mora was so frustrated while searching for all the accoutrements for her daughters quinceañera that two years ago she started a quinceanera-themed business to years ago she started a quinceañera-themed business to guide other parents through the process. The company, which is called PMM Promotions, stages a twice-yearly show in San Antonio for quinceanera and their families that highlights products and servicesfrom dresses to caterers and hairstylistsfor the affair. She also produces seminars and a handbook about planning the event, all promoted through her Web site, quinceanera-event.com.
Tracing its origin to Aztec Indian traditions, quinceanera (pronounced keen-say-nyair-a) is like coming-of-age debutante party that usually has a religious component. It typically begins with a special mass at which the celebrant reaffirms her commitment to her religion. It culminates with a banquet reception with music and dancing.
The quinceanera wears a full-skirted, embellished white or pastel gown and gloves. Because she must look modest during the mass, the gowns often have removable sleeves or shawl, capelet or jacket that comes off for the party. The key points of difference from a bridal look are that quinceanera never wear veils or trains.
They like poufy dresses Mora said. They want to feel like Cinderella and be a princess, and when you look at them, they do look like princesses.
The quinceanera wears flat shoes to enter the mass, but she leaves in high heels that her father slips onto his kneeling daughter after she is crowned with a tiara. The custom symbolizes his acceptance of her maturity.
The Quinceanera traditionally has a court of seven or 14 attendant girls in bridesmaid dresses and seven or 14 boys in tuxedos. The number 14 represents each year of her life, wit the celebrant as the 15th.
While most Hispanic Catholic girls want a quinceanera, according to the members of the Dallas Hispanic community, some families skip the ceremony because of its expense while others substitute a car or trip. Still, the celebration is such a high priority that parents have even taken out second mortgages on their homes to foot the bill, Mora said. More commonly, friends and relatives sponsor various aspects of the event, such as buying the gloves or the cake.
The parties are especially common in large Hispanic markets, such as in the Southwest, California and Florida, but are held in any region with a Latin Hispanic population. Mexico and South American are also big markets for these festivities
Few manufacturers have specifically addressed quinceanera dresses, with the notable exception of PC Marys in Houston, but thats changing.
Bridal firm Mori Lee in August launched a collection of 20 quinceanera gowns under the label Vizcaya, named for an historic estate and museum in Florida thats a popular site for quinceanera portraits.
My partner Madeline [Gardner] and I made a trip to Mexico and California to do some research, and there are many more stores selling quinceanera dressed than bridal dresses, explained Mitchell Udell, a principal in the 50-year old firm. We dont know how big it will be for us, we know it is a huge market.
Gardner, who designed the collection, went for an elegant look, nothing that quinceanera dresses are less bouncy, bright and fun than prom dresses.
We found what the girls were looking for was something to up the bar a bit, she said. They wanted better quality and more elegant styling. Whats out there is extremely ornate.
Made of polyester satin and organza with touches of beading and embroidery, Vizcayas gowns are offered in white, pink and lilac and wholesale from $156.00 to $250.00. That fits the budget of most quinceaneras, who usually pay $400 to $500 for the dress, Mora said. Mora affluent families go for higher-end styles. Morty Boiess, Southwestern sales rep for Mori Lee and a veteran of the bridal industry, praised the DMCs decision to focus on quinceanera.
Its an untapped market that nobody is catering to, he asserted. The Hispanic population in Texas is larger than the Anglo population, and they are in a perfect position geographically and from a marketing standpoint because nobody else is doing it.
PC Marys stumbled into this market about 20 years ago when it discovered its dresses appealed to quinceaneras, so its been making dresses and catalogues for the niche ever since.
Were making money from it, said Simon Chang, vice president of his familys firm. It is growing because the Hispanic population is also growing.
PC Marys has enjoyed 15 to 20 percent annual sales gains, he said, and lat year won the Dallas Fashion Award for bridal. Chang said he couldnt beat out the performance of quinceanera dresses because the same styles are sold for proms and balls.
We sell quinceanera dressed primarily through bridal stores, and the girls look on the Internet and find us and then they go to the shops, explained Lisa Chang, marketing manager.
En honor a mis quince By Mariam Perez Breban - May 29, 2008 - La Prensa Orlando - Florida
Cuando Priscilla Mora comenzó a organizar la fiesta de quince años para su hija Chantel hace casi una década atrás, se percató de lo complicado que se puede tornar el proceso.
Esto debido a la falta de disponibilidad de alguna guía o tienda especializada que le ayudase a planificar la ceremonia.
"Los únicos recursos que encontraba eran exhibiciones para novias y fue entonces cuando se me ocurrió hacer algo al respecto", comentó Mora, vía telefónica con este semanario.
A partir de ese entonces Mora comenzó a orientarse y a dedicar su tiempo a orientar a más jovencitas deseosas de celebrar su quinceañero.
"Lo primero que hice fue un Expo de Quinceañeras en San Antonio y fue todo un éxito con el fin de proveerles al público un concepto claro de cuáles son los elementos necesarios a la hora de celebrar el evento", explicó.
El deseo de esta creativa mujer no se detuvo ahí, sino que inició un programa radial llamado "Real Quinceañera Advice", donde ofrece consejos a las niñas, pero sobre todo, explica el verdadero significado de la celebración. El programa puede ser escuchado a través del Internet en www.virtueradionetwork.com.
"Un quinceañero no significa sólo fiesta, sino el paso de la niña a mujercita. Es tiempo de reflexión, de su primera promesa a Dios de mantenerse pura y entender el impacto que esto tendrá en su vida", comentó.
Mora, quien lleva años dedicada al tema de las quinceañeras confesó desde su residencia en San Antonio, Texas, que son miles las cartas que recibe de adolescentes con diversas dudas.
"He sabido aconsejar a niñas de familias separadas que no saben cómo lograr que ambas partes vayan a la fiesta", relató.
Dado a las incesantes cartas que recibía, ésta tomó la decisión de publicar una agenda llamada "My Party Planner", un orgaizador sumamente completo donde le explica paso a paso los materiales que necesita para la fiesta, la ceremonia religiosa, y consejos de decoración. También incluye un listado de productos de emergencia que se debe de tener a la mano, el registro de regalos, una lista para la elección de las damas y la corte de honor y mucho más. Sobre todo, lo más que resalta en el libro es la descripción y el significado de la palabra quinceañero.
"Es importante recalcar que el evento no se trata de cuánto vas a gastar, sino de visualizar el verdadero significado, la responsabilidad de la joven al transformarse en mujercita; pues la fiesta se puede realizar a bajo costo. Con un presupuesto en mente o envolviendo a familiares a que contribuyan con la fiesta se puede realizar todo a bajo costo".
Según explicó esta tejana, si se logra la colaboración de la familia, el evento puede fluir mucho mejor, ya que si varios parientes se comprometen a realizar el pastel, el traje o la comida, el costo de la fiesta bajaría considerablemente. Asimismo, la "Madrina de las Quinceañeras"apodo otorgado por la escritora Julia Alvares reveló que el festejo ha cobrado gran popularidad en distintas denominaciones religiosas, aunque todas ellas moldean a su manera el protocolo del mismo."Tengo niñas judías que desean hacer su bar mitzvah como un quinceañero, ahora todas las denominaciones cristianas están aceptando más esta celebración aunque con sus propios criterios", comentó.
Mora además posee una página web dedicada a las quinceañeras, para más información accese www.priscillasadvice.com.
#2-The Dallas Market Center is seeing a golden opportunity in an ages-old Hispanic Catholic Custom By Holy Haber - October 2004 (I was asked by the Dallas Market to do the first seminar on the Quinceanera Market/Industry)
Theres nothing that commands the attention of a marketer like a big, underserved community. And thats exactly why the Dallas Market Center is turning its attention toward the quinceanera, an elaborate event to celebrate the 15 th birthday of Hispanic Catholic girls.
Peg Canter, vice president of trade shows, began examining how to cater to the quinceanera market in June after reading news stories that Hispanics were underserved by the fashion industry, that most of the top 10 Hispanic markets are in Texas and that the average quinceanera party costs $8,000 to $10,000.
Quinceanera is a marketers dream because it has most of the trappings of a wedding- from the poufy ball gown to the formally dressed attendants, silk floral keepsake bouquets, printed napkins and party favors. More important, few cater is this year-round market, which is growing along with the burgeoning 35 million-member Hispanic community in the United States.
So the DMC has launched an outreach to Hispanic retailers as well as the bridal vendors who make quinceanera-style dresses. It posted a promotional mailer to 4,000 Hispanic stores nationwide and has dispatched three staffers to visit Hispanic retailers in major Texas cities to invite them to shop at the World Trade Center. After the October market, the DMC will expand its personal visits to stores in other states.
Canters ultimate goal is to address all the needs ----not just quinceanera needs ---of Hispanic retailers. So shes researching things like how often Hispanic retailers change their inventory, what their biggest seasons are and what they buy for holiday.
I found out that a lot of Hispanic stores dont just buy quinceanera but apparel as well. But they are not comfortable coming to our market, Canter said. They dont feel their language is spoken, and nothing is in Spanish. What we want to do is roll out the welcome mat to Spanish speaking stores
At the same time, the DMC wants to educate bridal retailers about how to capitalize on the quinceanera business. It has scheduled a quinceanera seminar for buyers and vendors at Fashion Center Dallas on the Sunday of market at 8:30 a.m. in the bridal area on the 12th floor. The DMC also plans to send a mailer promoting quinceanera products to all its bridal stores next year.
(Priscilla was used as a reference for this article) Fifteen Candles - Jul. 19, 2004
Quinceaneras--coming-of-age parties for Latina girls--are going mainstream - By CAROLINA A. MIRANDA
It's the type of birthday party a little girl dreams about: she is decked out in a flowing gown and attended by a court that presents her with gifts. For thousands of Latina teens in the U.S., that is no fantasy. It's a coming-of-age rite known as a quinceanera, a celebration held to mark a girl's 15th birthday (quince means 15).
The affairs can be as lavish as any wedding. Quinceaneras usually begin with a Roman Catholic Mass, followed by a reception in which the girl dances a waltz with her father and performs a dance with her court. All told, a typical party costs about $10,000 for gowns, DJ, banquet hall, limos and food.
Quinceanera festivities, which have roots in Aztec and Catholic traditions, have been around Latin America for centuries, but as the number of Latinos in the U.S. has grown (there are currently more than 35 million), such celebrations have become more commercial and more mainstream. Wal-Mart now stocks budget quinceanera gowns in 200 stores in 30 states, and the David's Bridal chain has dresses made exclusively for the market. Royal Caribbean offers seven-day quinceanera cruises out of Miami (at $850 to $1,200 a head), which are booked solid into next year. This fall the company will offer cruises from Orlando, Fla., and Bayonne, N.J.
And the gatherings are spreading outside the Catholic Latino community. Stephen Everett, a pastor at the nondenominational Present Truth Ministries in Cape Coral, Fla., now officiates at the ceremonies at the behest of Latino congregants. Quinceanera planners report that courts increasingly consist of multi-ethnic lineups. So even if you're not Latino, an invitation for your teenager may be in the mail.
With Latina girls dropping out of school at high rates, some critics wonder whether parents should put emphasis on such opulent revelry and are trying to modify the tradition. "We deemphasize the big party," says Graciela Fonseca, who oversees Stay-in-School Quinceanera, a program at the Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho that helps kids finish school. For most participants, however, the event is about much more than the trappings. "It's an opportunity to express your maturity and be thankful," says Marlowe Veloz, a Miami teen who just celebrated her quince aboard a cruise. "Every girl should have that, whether she's Hispanic or not."
#1-Businesses tapping quinceañera market
Posted: 09/23/2005 by Elaine Ayala - San Antonio Express-News
Priscilla M. Mora's Quinceañera almost 25 years ago was, relatively speaking, a simple affair. She wore a white flower in her hair, a white dress (no "poufiness," she says), and she curled her own hair. Still, her parents spent close to $5,000 on the event.
Yet in comparison to some of today's highly choreographed affairs complete with limousines, hotel catering, 14-member courts of honor, videographers, memory CDs, money trains and wishing wells Mora's special day was on the subtle side.
A young Latina's 15th birthday, or quinceañera, which can be both a religious and secular celebration, stems from a mixture of ancient Aztec coming-of-age traditions and Spanish Catholicism. It's a major milestone for a girl readying for the responsibilities of becoming a young woman.
These days, her quinceañera also can be an expensive milestone that businesses are recognizing.
On Sunday, Mora's PMM Promotions will put on its seventh Quinceañera Expo: A Coming of Age Celebration at the Airport Convention Center, 8505 Broadway, just outside Loop 410.
More than 40 vendors and 1,000 people are expected to attend the trade show. Mora says 250 to 300 girls planning quinceañeras will be there.
PMM also is announcing two new ventures: "Quince Años," a twice-yearly magazine that will debut next spring and a TV show on quinceañera traditions and products that they hope to air on public access TV.
The magazine will be sold on PMM's Web site, www.qe4u.com and, Mora hopes, at various retail stores. The glossy magazine will contain stories on traditional quinceañeras, new twists on tradition, do's and don'ts, financial tips and, of course, advertisements from businesses that cater to the market.
For Mora, 39, these new business ventures are all part of a long-range vision birthed at a women's conference. As part of a workshop, participants were asked to write down a major dream. "Mine was this show," Mora says. "I was told to put (the paper she wrote her dream on) in a fire, and let it go up to God."
Yet another event led to the expo's creation. When she and her daughter, Chantel Marie, were planning the girl's quinceañera a few years ago, they had to go to a bridal show for ideas and businesses that would provide services.
The down side: Her teenage daughter had to wear a sticker reading "bride."
That led to a series of events. Mora quit a steady job and launched an initial show in March 2002 that attracted 600 people. Last year's drew 1,200.
The growth of quinceañeras reaches beyond San Antonio, to Web sites, such as www.quinceanera-boutique.com, and www. quinceanera.invitations4less.com to books, including "Sweet Fifteen" (Pinata Books, $9.95) by San Antonio author Diane Gonzales Bertrand.
While businesses are discovering the market, quinceañeras have long been part of Latino life.
"In my family, a quinceañera was a family tradition," says Mora. "I had no choice in the matter. Either you were going to have a quinceañera, or you were going to have a quinceañera ."
"Now it's a career," Mora says, and a calling.
Sunday's expo will include products and services ranging from catering, DJs, venues and formal wear to decorations, photography and videography. A financial services company will be there for those seeking loans for their celebrations.
San Antonio singer Victoria Acosta will perform and promote her debut CD "Once Upon a Time." The first 100 girls will receive a goodie bag, which will include a planner and ticket to receive the magazine.
Since 2002, Mora says her Web site has received 6 million hits from girls all over the country. They want to know what colors their dress can be, for example. Some parish priests don't like quinceañeras in white, "because it looks so much like a wedding," says Mora.
She's quick to add that a quinceañera's Mass of thanksgiving is not a sacrament, and that girls can wear white, pink, blue, even multicolored dresses, "symbolizing youth and vibrancy."
Quinceañera courts are also doing choreography these days. Mora attended one in which the teens did a routine from "Singing in the Rain," complete with umbrellas.
But the biggest change the tradition has undergone is cost. Today, a quinceañera bill can reach $10,000 and some have reached the $50,000 mark.
"I can't believe parents are paying that much," she says. "But you know, quinceañeras are only once in your life."
Weddings, she jokes, aren't always forever.
The expo is noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $6, free for children 10 and younger.
Latina Magazine 2004 - CULTURA - The Princess DiariesHorse-drawn carriages and tiaras, designer gowns and seven-tier cakes. These are the details of a modernday quinceañera. Our once simple rite of passage grows up - By Claudia S. Meléndez
Photo albums. Souvenirs, Party favors, Cake bases. For 10 years Madeline Ramos has been steadily stockpiling these items whenever money allows, preparing for what she calls the chance of a lifetime: the quinceañera party of her only daughter, Jeseina. And so when Jesenia arrives at her 15th-birthday party on October 2, she will step out of a horse-drawn carriage that rents for $225 an hour. Wearing an imported white dress with a Cinderella style collar ($518), she will pose for a professional photographer ($950) at a rental hall ($1,200). Add to that the guestbook with penholder shaped like a pillow, the lavender-and-plum decorations, and the silver scepters that Jesenias 14 attendances will be carrying, and the price tag of the one day party for a teenage girl climbs to about $10,000. Im spending a lot more than I was anticipating, says Madeline, a Puerto Rican-born single mother raising three children as a records processor for the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, police department. But it will be worth it.
More and more Latino families are echoing this sentiment, transforming what used to be a rite of passage marked with a modest celebration at home or maybe a favorite restaurant into a busting extravaganza that seemingly announces to the whole world (or the whole neighborhood, anyway) that their little girl is now a woman. This evolution reflects in part the growing buying power of Latino families: According to the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia, disposable income for Latinos has jumped 30 percent since 2000-double the pace of the rest of the U.S. populationsa trend so significant that the $70 billion-a-year wedding industry now targets quinceañeras at bridal shows.
At the same time, experts say, the quinceañera serves a powerful link to Latin American heritage. Its a continuation of culture and tradition with a strong religious tie, Alma Morales Riojas, president and CEO of the Washington, DC-based Mana, an organization that develops Latina leadership and empowerment. A big part of being Latina is looking forward to a quinceañera. The message is certainly getting through; just note that in March, Priscilla M. Mora, a San Antonio event planner and president of Quiceañera Event, attracted 1,000 people to a company trade show. Similarly, Jeremy Miller, a disc jockey for Best Bet Entertainment in Reno, Nevada, reports that as of April 1, he and already booked 12 quinceañeras celebrations this yearcompared with the 10 he had throughout 2003.
The growing emphasis on a single days event, however, has led some to wonder if young Latinas are being sent the wrong message. According to a recent survey by the Pew Hispanic Center, 77 percent of Latinos cite the cost of tuition as a major reason they dont go to college; meanwhile, though, the average total price of attending a public university for one year is nearly $11,000practically the same amount that a typical quinceañera can run. For our culture, sometimes people think, Eres mujer, te vas a casar she may be getting married soon; she needs to run a household not, Shes going to go to college, says Alejandrina Montoya, a coordinator for a mother-Montoya, a coordinator for a mother-daughter leadership-program at Mujeres Latinas in Acción in Chicago. We need to have the quince años be just a part of growing up and also have other expectations, like going to college.
Juana Ortega, a mexicana, says she has always told her daughter Kayla that she does want her to have an education, but have a beautiful quinceañera party is equally a profound goal. When the two went to get invitations printed up for the 200 guests expected at the March 20 event in San Jose, California, I became very emotional, Juana says. Kayla and I came back home so happy. All in all Juana, along with Kayas 56 padrinos, spent $6,000 on Kaylas quinces, springing for a Cadillac Escalade limousine to ferry Kayla to the rental has as well as a seven-tier cake and disc jockey. We have some savings, and thank God the padrinos were responding wellso far everyone has come through, Juana says.
Family has also come through for Maritza Vazques, a puertorriqueña planning her daughters quinceañera on May 29 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Maritzas sisters and nieces will help decorate the rental hall with balloons, which are cheaper than flowers, and Maritza herself will bake the cake. Still, Maritza will end up spending about $6,000 to celebrate her daughters 15th birthday but she says she will do so without any regrets. To me, Maritza says, the expense of the party is worth it.
Modern quince parties break the mold
By Rudy Arispe, Conexión - August 24, 2006
A year before Mathew Solis celebrated his 15th birthday on September 10, 2005, he asked for one gift: a quinceañero.
"He old us, "Why do girls get to have all the fun? Why can't I have a quinceañero?" said his mom, Rosie. "I said OK, but you have to have a Mass just like the girls."
With his parents' blessing, Matthew, then 14, took it upon himself to do most of the planning.
I picked out the girls' dresses and the tuxedos for the guys," the Kennedy High School Freshman said. "And I made the decorations."
His quinceañera took place at St. John Berchman Catholic Church and Matthew's court consisted of eight girls escorted by his six uncles, a cousin and his godfather.
"He had a king's crown and a king's chair," Rosie Solis said. "We did everything a girl would have except it was geared for a boy."
While Matthew's public celebration of his rite of passage from childhood to young adulthood might appear uncommon, the traditional quinceañera is breaking tradition with the past, said Adriana Lopez, editor of Harper Collin's upcoming anthology "Fifteen Candles; 15 Tales of Taffeta, Hairspray, Drunk Uncles and other Quinceañera Stories."
Today, the quinceañera is no longer restricted to young Hispanic girls, she said. boys, girls of non-Catholic faiths and other ethnicities are enjoying quinceañeras.
"There are no borders anymore," Lopez said. "It's open for everyone."
What has remained the same, however, is a family's wish to introduce their child to society.
"It's a community event where families are saying, "We're the Reyes family, and this is our daughter,": she said. "It's also (party of) celebrating an aspect of Latino Culture."
Priscilla Mora, a local quinceañera planner, auther of a Quinceañera Planner - Listed as a number 1 resource by Conexión, and owner of AskPriscillanow.com, said she has known of some teenage boys who celebrated a quinceañero.
"I think they've always had them. It's just never been recognized," Mora said. "In Mexico, it's more prominent. In the United States, guys think it's a girl thing, but some guys don't care. I think it has to do with machismo."
Young girls from Anglo to African-American backgrounds who celebrate 15 years usually do after a parent has married into a Hispanic family. Mora said. She's also had girls from the Baptist and Lutheran faiths call and ask if it's OK to have a quinceañera.
"It's neat to me as long as they grasp the concept of "what it's about - the blessing, the oath they give to God, and the mother and father presenting the child to family and friends under the eye's of God," Mora said.
Sister Rosa Maria Icaza of the Sisters of charity of the Incarnate Word and author of "The Quinceañera, Celebrating Life," explained how the traditionally Catholic quincañera crossed over to other religious faiths.
"They copied it from us," Icaza said, "Some priests don't want to do it because they feel it's a financial burden on the family, and it's not a sacrament. So (families) went to a Methodist or Baptist church, whichever pastor allowed it.
She also cautioned parents about going over the top on a child's quinceañera.
"For their girls, the father likes to give the very best, and they get into debt," Icaza said. "They need to be instructed beforehand that the elaboration doesn't make it any more meaningful. It should be seen as a rite of passage."
#2-A Quinceañera In One Stop -
By Rudy Arispe (Special to the Express-News) - Posted: 09/02/2003
Planning for her daughter's Quinceañera three years ago, Priscilla Mora found the task far more difficult than expected. "l had such a hard time trying to find the right dance hall, crown, caterer and dress," she says. "These were very frustrating moments. I knew there had to be other ways to make this planning easier not only for myself, but for others." Adding to her frustration, there were no Quinceañera exhibits or specialty shows as there are for brides, so Mora and her daughter, Chantel, attended a bridal show to get ideas. "My daughter wore a sticker that indicated she was a bride," Mora says. "I felt uncomfortable because everyone kept saying how young she was to be a bride. My daughter didn't need to register for a trip to Cancun or look for an eight-piece place setting." Looking around at the services available for brides and under one roof, Mora wished the same type of event existed for young girls and their families planning a Quinceañera. It was then she struck upon the idea of starting a company that caters to the Quinceañera market. With guidance and assistance from her business partner, Beverly Braun, Mora in 2000 created PMM Promotions, which produces Quinceañera trade shows, where families can meet with local businesses to plan for their daughters' Quinceañeras with minimal stress. On a recent Sunday, about 1,000 people, mainly mothers and daughters, attended the third Quinceañera Trade Show and Fashion Show at the San Antonio Airport Convention Center. The trade shows, Mora says, highlight the 2,000-year-old Mexican tradition of celebrating a girl's 15th birthday, and they help families plan for a Quinceañera in a one-stop event. "When a young lady of Mexican descent has a Quinceañera, it's not only a celebration, it is a time to reflect on her life as she goes on to become a young woman," Mora says. And not only is the Quinceañera cause for big celebration, the Mexican tradition has also become big business, says Mora, who spent about $5,000 on her daughter's Quinceañera in October 2000. "One woman told me today she plans to spend $50,00O," she says. Esther Porter, a management service specialist for Friedrich Air Conditioning Co., attended the trade show with her 13-year-old daughter, Kathryn. Though her Quinceañera won't be celebrated until January 2005, mother and daughter were there to select a dress and bakery for the cake. "I'm planning now because it takes a lot of work," Porter says, who plans to spend $3,000 out of her own pocket, which she says will mostly be used to pay for a disc jockey. "It's like planning for a wedding, except there's no groom." People like Porter who will be shelling out big bucks for their daughters' 15th birthday celebrations are exactly who business owners, such as Danny Cassanova of DJ Express, are targeting. Cassanova was one of 42 vendors who set up shop at the trade show, offering photography, limousine, gown, tuxedo, cake, floral, catering and disc jockey services. Cassanova has been spinning records at Quinceañeras for 28 years and says catering to the market has become profitable. About 75 percent of his business is playing at Quinceañeras, and he expected to sign up at least a dozen new customers from the trade show. "Every time I (set up a booth), my phone goes crazy," says Cassanova, whose prices range from $375 to $900 a gig.
Who is Priscilla M. Mora
I have been noted for the voice of the Quinceañera. Although this event has been celebrated for thousands of years before I came along, I was the one started the movement to have this category recognized in the "Market" industry. Now, when you go to the Dallas Market Center, there is a definite category for all the items needed to plan one. I am also a public speaker, I give seminars on the Quinceañera, noting importance of the traditions history. I recognized the need for the "Quinceañera" to have it's own identity in the market as I was planning my daughters' celebration. "Focusing on the rich history and traditions of the "Coming of Age" celebration is my cup of tea." The importance of the Tradition and History of this wonderful celebration only comes once in a lifetime, trust me, I had one. This event was so meaningful for me. Families write me from all over the world and ask me questions. 'With the right tools and knowledge families can empower themselves to plan their event smoothly and successfully." Educating families and companies about the Quinceañera has been a blessing for me. They no longer have that sense of being lost and can focus on planning.
People often ask me how I got into the business I am in today. My answer is always, "God, because he gave me the passion." What I didnt realize the first time I answered that question, is that it was the Womens Conference on Money & Faith that really inspired me. This conference pulled me out of my shell, grasp hold of me, and never let go. It started with listening to all the stories, at the same time growing with them, and then applying them to my life.
At the The Womens Conference on Money & Faith I asked God to help me get better, because I was ill for a while and to help me get my life in order.
I didnt know how it was going to happen, and then, poof, this conference came along.
Before this conference I had only my self-esteem, ideas, and dreams.
It started with a shoebox, and then the financial orientation. Within this conference
my self-esteem became powerful, my ideas became my dream, and the story goes on in history...pmm
Since this Conference:
What inspired me to create the awareness of this event were my experiences and traditions that my daughter and I had in celebrating our respective 15th birthdays with a Quinceañera celebration. My memories as to how my Quinceañera was planned were vague. It was very frustrating a couple of years ago when I began to plan my daughters Quinceañera, trying to find the right dance hall, crown, caterer, dress, etc. These were very frustrating moments. I knew there had to be other ways to make this process easier not only for myself, but others.
My motivation began when my daughter and I attended a bridal show to get ideas. My daughter wore a sticker that indicated that she was a "bride". I felt uncomfortable with this idea because everyone kept saying how young she was to be a bride. She did not need to register for a trip to Cancun or look for an 8-piece place setting. This is when I felt the need to "cater" to all debutantes, regardless of their gender or their having a Sweet 16 celebration. There needed to be a separate category for these young adults, and living here in San Antonio was the place to create an event for them. When a young lady of Hispanic decent has a Quinceañera, her whole life is transformed. It is not only a celebration; it is a time to reflect on her life as she goes on to becoming a young woman. Regardless of your culture, you probably know someone who is planning to have, has been in, or has had Quinceañera.
With my business I wanted to spotlight small and corporate companies that catered to this wonderful tradition. Many companies have told me how this highlight on the tradition has helped them prosper. One company for example has gotten two hotel contracts. Another company has grown with customers and contracts. Never in my life did I imagine this would effect so many peoples lives.
Since the awareness, I have created a Quinceañera planner, so that families do not have to run around with their heads cut off like I did.
I feel that with out this conference I wouldnt be the woman that I am today. I feel strong, independent, and overwhelmed with Gods presence. I feel that everyone has a destiny. Not only did this conference lead me to it, but it gave me a new way of looking at things with open eyes.
Thank you Lord:
for the efforts and encouragement of my dear husband, 3 children, family and friends.
for those who believe in me.
for the knowledge, inspiration, and "drive" you have given me to fulfill my destiny.
for the passion you have put before me to keep me going.
for the sleepless nights thinking about this event, and what I have to do to prepare for it.
for all the specialist who took a chance on this site!
Your Questions
People ask me questions from all over the world and I am glad that I can help. I did have a Quinceañera and felt the blessing from the father/priest when he placed his hand on my head. From then on, I knew there was something special about that day and the affects it has on me today.
I had done some intense research for my daughter's special day and found out that so many girls and guys are doing it their own way. I haven't been to one that is the same. These days they are incorporating their own traditions with their own style. It's their day, and so yes, they can do it their way. I feel that morals play a huge part of this "Coming of Age" celebration, so don't leave that out!
There are different denominations (Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopalian, etc.) are creating their own "Coming of Age" celebrations.
Many families ask me, "Where do I start?", I do recommend my planner, it has wonderful tips and ideas from beginning to end.
Please send me your questions, and I will answer them...pmora_priscillasadvice.com
DUE TO AN OVERWHELMING RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTIONS, THERE MIGHT BE A DELAY IN ANSWERING THEM. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR QUESTION WILL BE E-MAILED TO YOU BEFORE IT WILL BE POSTED, THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE...PRISCILLA
My Seminars...
