The $40,500 Cost of Throwing a Quinceañera

Welcome to Show the Receipts, a new series where we ask interesting people to share exactly how much it costs to get shit done. No matter the task, we're tracking every last dollar from start to finish. Up next: planning a quinceñera.

For many young girls, adolescence is marked by milestones and traditions like getting your driver's license, celebrating a "sweet 16," and going to prom. For many Latine families, however, there's the quinceñera, which is celebrated on or around a 15th birthday.

A quinceañera serves to celebrate a girl's transition from girlhood to womanhood, typically with both a religious mass ceremony and a social celebration with her family and closest friends, which includes food, cake, music and dancing.

Unsurprisingly, a quinceñera is a high-end affair, often compared to a wedding in terms of all the planning that goes into it, as well as the costs associated with throwing and hosting the event. As a result, many girls and their families plan these celebrations well in advance.

Alva Olvera, 37, had a bit of a unique experience planning her daughter Neftaly's celebration, which would ultimately be split into two events due to the COVID pandemic: a church ceremony and luncheon at home just for family, and a larger celebration a few months later at a traditional venue.

"Planning this event did make for some additional stress with the extra costs," Olvera tells PS. "But it was such a bonding moment with my daughter and I'm so grateful to be in the position to do this as a mom."

Read on for the full breakdown of costs.

Task: Planning a quinceañera
Occupation: Stay-at-home mom
Location: Houston

Venue: $17,500
Dress: $6,400
Live band: $8,000
Hair and makeup: $900
Photography: $1,700
Invitations: $700
Catering and cake: $1,900
Centerpieces and decorations: $750
Mariachi band and dancers: $1,900
Party favors: $750
Total: $40,500

Olvera certainly went all out for Neftaly's quinceñera, and the pandemic certainly didn't help with keeping costs down. However, she believes splurging on many aspects was worth it to make her first-born daughter's milestone as memorable as possible.

PS: How far in advance did you start planning your daughter's quinceañera?
Alva Olvera: I started planning when Neftaly was 13 for her 15th birthday in 2021. We started by going to the various quinceañera expos that are often held here in Houston. I initially budgeted around $10,000, which was around what my family spent on my own quinceañera in 2002, and times and expenses have certainly changed since then.

PS: What surprised you the most about the costs for the event?
AO: The biggest thing was having to plan two events due to the pandemic. We held a small luncheon at our home just for family members (a total of 50 people) following the religious ceremony in 2021 to maintain social distancing guidelines, and a bigger party with all of Neftaly's friends in 2022, with a total of 250 invited guests. I know I went all-out with many items, so I wouldn't say what I spent would be close to the norm even without those circumstances, though.

PS: Was there a particular item that you would say was worth splurging on?
AO: Shopping with my mom and my daughter for her dress was such a bonding moment for all of us, and while it was one of the biggest splurges, it was definitely worth it. Neftaly ended up going with a custom-made rose gold dress with two crowns and matching pillows for the church ceremony. It also came with accessories, including a necklace, bracelet and earrings, as well as matching toast glasses and a box to store gifts and gift envelopes.

Neftaly enjoyed this part of the planning so much that she began working as a model for the designer of her dress, which is extra fun for her to relive the experience with other dress styles she loved when searching for her own.

PS: What advice would you give to other families planning future quinceañeras?
AO: Give yourself plenty of time to start planning and saving up for the expense. It's possible to avoid surprise expenses and going way over budget while still planning a memorable event that's worth it.

Once again, Olvera acknowledges that she went all-out for Neftaly's quinceañera, as she likely will for her two younger daughters, who are now 12 and 6 years old respectively. Many of the additional costs associated with Neftaly's celebration stemmed from the fact that she had two events due to the pandemic, and some costs added up with rescheduling.

"I know I did a lot of things 'extra,'" Olvera says, "but I would advise anyone to give themselves time in planning a quinceñera because it will still end up being a big financial expense."

Emilia Benton is a freelance health and wellness journalist who is particularly passionate about sharing diverse stories and elevating underrepresented voices. In addition to PS, her work has been published by Runner's World, Women's Health, Self, Outside, and the Houston Chronicle, among others. Emilia is also a 13-time marathoner and a USATF Level 1-certified run coach.