Failing to plan means you are planning to fail when it comes to setting up a quincerera. Planner and the dj should be in constant communication to make the event memorable. They have to figure out what events are going to be done and what specific songs are going to be used for the event. It would be good to check in a few times to go over any changes. I like to talk at least 3 times during the planning process. The first time to get the general idea. The second time to go over specifics and the third time to go over any loose ends or questions before the event.
Usually with quinceneras there is a mass then pictures. The mass is a special mass honoring the quincenera. Some folks are not religious and skip the mass but if one is religious then it’s the typical way to start the quincenera. When the quincenra court is taking pictures, the guests can start arriving at the venue and have appetizers or drinks while they wait for the grand entrance.
During this time, the dj will be playing either Spanish music or English music depending on what was chosen. Ideally the dj will have music for both languages to appease the guests. Like the wedding grand entrance, the dj has everyone sit and announce the the important people in the party. A good Dj will coordinate with the group so the dj knows who is who and what order they will be walking in. They will also go over pronouncing the names to make sure they say it right. Like Weddings, it is never the same. It can be just the quincenera court or it can be just the quicenera with her chambelan. Parents and Padrinos can also be in the group. With times not everyone is doing it traditionally. But if you really want to go with the lineup it will the parents, padrinos, the quinenera court, then the quincenera with her partner, the chambelan.
After everyone walks in, you have everyone’s attention and it would be good to take advantage of it and make a toast. Parents and Padrinos can also give words of wisdom or appreciation to the guests. It’s the best time to thank the guests for showing up and being part of the celebration. Before the toasts please make sure everyone has a cup to toast. If the microphone is wireless you do not need to be close to the dj area but make sure if you do have the microphone any kind do you stand in front of a speaker. You will get feedback. These toasts don’t need to be long and not everyone that is up with you needs to do one. You can just have one toasts or a few other ones but do not go overboard. People are ready to eat and celebrate.
I always tell my bride and groom the same thing. Always make sure you eat! When it comes to a big party people get caught in the moment and forget to have the meal. When it comes to getting food please make sure your court, plus parents and padrinos are the first ones to get served.
What music needs to be played during dinner? Sometimes people hire mariachis to play at their quicenera or a trio. If you do have some guest that appreciate that music then the group usually goes table to table taking requests from the guests. But if that is not in the budget or needed the dj can play English or Spanish music. Everyone is different. Find out what part of latin America the guests are from and you can formulate a playlist.
No quincenera is planned the same. If you want to go with the traditional then after dinner there is the changing of the shoes and the doll dance will happen. Some folks opt not to the shoes since they maybe wearing the shoes already and just don’t want to do it which is fine. The doll event I have not seen much but I see the shoe change more than the doll dance. Then dad and daughter do a dance then the quinceneara waltz can take place. The quincenara waltz is a classy dance but you can tell the court is way more excited to do the surprise dance. The surprise dance is usually with a more current song with more current dance moves. At this time, members of the court can get people who are sitting down to join the dance floor and the dj can work his magic to build the dancefloor. If that doesn’t work, the dj can invite everyone on the dancefloor to take a group pic then when they are done with the picture then the dj can play a song that everyone loves to dance to. The question of the hour is what type of music do you play for your young guests and for the grown-ups at the event. The party is centered on the youth but the grown-ups are there. Also add the factor that you maybe playing Spanish and English. What works for me is to play songs in pairs or threes. In the start I will play songs that everyone knows then I will throw in songs for the youth then after a few songs throw in songs for the grown-ups. It’s all about reading the crowd. If the grown-ups are not dancing since they are not in the mood then focus on the youth. Not all the youth like the same type of music. Some like current songs or throwbacks that are made popular from tic tok. Just be forewarned that some songs may have explicit lyrics. There are some places where djs can can clean versions of songs. Clean versions of songs mean the profanity is muted or has like a vinyl stop censor over the word so the word is not heard. The content of the song may still be inappropriate so the dj should be familiar with the music to see if it’s actually kid friendly.
After an hour or so of dancing it would be time to cut the cake. It would be a good time for pictures. It would be good that the dj have a timeline to keep the events in order and let the other vendors know what’s going on. I always let the photographer/ videographer know what is happening so they can capture the magic.
Then after the cake there can be another dance session. Then there can be the final song of the night where the quince era can dance with her padrinos.
Again, let me state that a quincenera can be as different or traditional as you want it. Keep the events what you will enjoy to do and there is nothing that is mandatory. This party is celebrating you and should represent who you are and be the way so its enjoyable for you and your loved ones.
If you are located in the Bay Area, please contact Black and White Affair Dj Services to make your quincenera memorable and stressfree. We make it easy with our music selection and our planning.
