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Planning a Quinceanera Ceremony
While much time is focused on planning the quinceanera party, dress and court, it is equally–if not more–essential to plan the church aspect of your big day. The quinceanera mass will take place before the party, and is meant to celebrate a young girl becoming a young lady, and introduce her as such to the community. Here is a simple breakdown of a quinceanera mass:
- Damas and Chambelanes will enter into the church by walking down the aisle toward the alter, and they will proceed to the first row (remain standing)
- With all guests standing, the quinceanera will be escorted to the alter by her parents
From this point, the Pastor/Priest/Reverend will be leading the ceremony, as in a typical mass. The quinceanera ceremony will be held in English, Spanish, or a combination of both. Guests will be welcomed, hymns will be sang and Bible verses will be read. Some hymns will be sung by all the guests, and some will likely be sung by your vocalist. Holy communion will be offered. So, the mass generally has all of the components of a typical service. However, more components can be added to the service:
- Presentation and blessing of quinceanera gifts offered by the Padrinos de Quinceanera, may be a cross, rosary, bible, and/or jewelry. These items are blessed by the officiant
- The quinceanera sits at an honor seat near the altar. She is accompanied by her parents at some points, and her padrinos de quinceanera at others
- “Crowning” of the quinceanera by her padrinos or parents, with a tiara placed on her head
Presenting a bouquet to the Virgin Mary - Offering of a real flower bouquet to the alter of the Virgin Mary. The quinceanera will kneel for prayer after the bouquet has been placed down. Note: this is not the quinceanera’s actual bouquet, but a separate bouquet that is specifically for this purpose and left at the alter
- The officiant will encourage the quinceanera to make God a part of her life, recognize the importance of her family, and be selfless and an example for the community
- The quinceanera will read a prayer of thanks before the congregation
A beautiful outline for a quinceanera that I came across is located here: Christian Quinceanera Ceremony
The first step in actually planning the ceremony is choosing a church and officiant. There will be a fee associated with the mass and the officiant. Example: for the quinceanera we had, there was a $150 fee to use the church, and the officiant asked us for a “donation”. There was also a fee for the two vocalists we used.
Once you have selected an officiant and church, you will want to work with the officiant to plan out how the ceremony will flow and what aspects will be included. You can also plan who will be the vocalist (the officiant may have some helpful suggestions), or maybe you will have a mariachi band at your ceremony. Work with them to select the hymns and songs that will be performed at your event.
At the end of the ceremony, the officiant will introduce the quinceanera to the community, and there will be a round of applause to commence the service and congratulate the quinceanera on making her quince anos.
My Perfect Quince
I also agree with Sarah, Mass should take place in the church.
I was ask to do the blessing of the shoes for my niece’s Quinceanera. What is that about and is there a formal method or pattern to follow?
Hi, my daughter is Mexican from her father’s, mother’s side of the family (my mother-in-law). My family is Irish catholic, my husband’s side is Mexican catholic with extended family who still live in Mexico. We live in San Antonio, Tx where Quinceaneras are very common but I don’t know how to plan a quinceanera. I’ve never been to one and I also don’t know how to plan a multicultural quinceanera. Since the whole family is Catholic, we will plan the mass and everything else will hopefully come together beautifully. My daughter is 25% hispanic and she wants to 100% embrace that part of her heritage. I think it could be a beautiful and empowering rite of passage for her if we keep it centered on Christ in her life. I think I will probably try to find an event planner experienced in quinceaneras but I need to know what to ask for first- some self education. Are there resources specific for situations like ours?
Hi!
I do Quinceañeras in Houston (I’m also Mexican)
I’ll be glad to help you! My Instagram is @event.isimo .Send me a message if you’re interested.
Good luck!
Lidia
hello .. is there any catholic priests that can come to the reception to give the ceremony/mass?
Hi, I want to say the mass has to be held in the church, but you can check with local Catholic priests to see what they are willing to do 🙂 Sarah
I love this idea I come from a Catholic family and I wanted it perfect
What if you go to another church besides Catholic. . How are the ceremony the there?
We are not having the ceremony at a church with a priest due to my niece not having her sacraments done. So we are doing a small blessing at the reception hall, putting chairs in rows in the dance floor and having a Priest/Deacon come out to do a blessing. Can I still follow these steps? Aside from the communion, and the flowers for the Virgin Mary.
Also what songs do you recommend for me to play when she is entering herself and the court? Any songs and readings I can use?
Thank you!!
Hey umm I wanted to know if I have to talk Infront of the whole church because I am a really shy person and if I do what do I have to say?
At the quinces I have been to, the quinceanera does do some reading in front of the church, but facing towards the front. That might make it a little easier, not facing the crowd and also reading instead of memorizing? You’ll do great! Sarah
For Roman Catholic parishes that are not familiar with the Quinceanera, you could refer them to Order for the Blessing of the Fifteenth Birthday by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. If your Catholic bookstore doesn’t have it, you can buy online from Amazon.
Thank you!!
I live in ohio and most of the Catholic Churches are Roman Catholic and most do not understand how to conduct the Cermony. Suggestions.?
I understand your concern, have you actually been consulting with a church/churches? The way it worked for us, they weren’t particularly clear about the ceremony but they have a Father from another church, outside of the area, who was bilingual and had performed many quinces before. So I’m thinking, even if that particular church is not familiar with the quince service, they should be able to locate someone within the Diocese who is aware of quinceaneras and can perform the service. Let me know what you find out, Sarah
I wanted my quince to be outside can that still be a possibility. I was going to have it looking out onto Lake Michigan. That was my thought because there is a really pretty beach that we can go to. Do you think it’s a good idea?
Hi Jazmyn! I think an outdoor quince is definitely possible. You have to consider the time of year and what the weather is typically like. There is always a risk of bad or unusual weather.
People plan outdoor events all the time, such as weddings. I was actually just at a wedding with an outdoor reception, that was super pretty, and had a large tent. If you can rent a large, nice looking and sturdy tent, I think you can plan an outdoor quince, good luck!
Sarah
Very good information!!
Thank you, Patricia 🙂