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The earliest Quinceanera girls were princesses to their whole villages and cities. It's true.

In ancient Central American and South American times, young girls were declared princesses when they became old enough to wed. The girl's father would invite the entire community to celebrate, and all the eligible young men and their families would compete for the Quince girl's hand in marriage.

Over time, as these traditions blended with the European settlers' ideas of the debutante ball, the marriage aspect faded and the Quinceanera became instead a time simply to celebrate the threshold between childhood and young adulthood. The idea of the princess became more symbolic in nature and less literal.

And continues today.

You're probably planning your Quinceanera already - maybe you've even been dreaming of since you were a little girl. As you imagined it, were you a fairy tale princess, straight from a storybook romance? Inspired by the latest in fashions, many girls are planning their Quinceanera fiesta around a princess theme, going all out into the world of make believe and letting their friends and family celebrate their royalty-for-a-night.

The Gown

Modern women's and young miss formal wear so completely matches the traditional princess look that Quince girls don't need to look far and wide to find the perfect dress. Shimmering, metallic-sheen fabrics with corsets and full skirts are all the rage, as you've probably seen on shows like MTV's My Super Sweet and in countless magazines.

Once you have your gown selected, you can discuss your damas' gowns with them. They might wear scaled down versions of your own dress, to designate their status as your honorary maidens for the evening. Or, you may let them wear similar gowns with different colors, to accentuate your own color palette.

The Fiesta

If a Quince anos girl is a princess on her special day, her fiesta party space is her domain and her kingdom. The decorations can all accent your theme, with sumptuous place settings for each guest, a large feast to celebrate your arrival, and celebratory music that reflects your status.

Because your theme and all the decorations are yours to decide, you should take the time to really pinpoint how you want your final product to appear. Take some time and daydream the space as much as possible, starting with your choice of venues (ballroom, hotel banquet hall, et cetera) and getting down to even the fine details.

Making Even the Little Details Count

One way to make your princess decorations come across to your guests is to include favors that suit the theme as well as make them happy. Candles and soaps are always a delightful souvenir of a celebration, and their simple elegance can remind them of your stately poise and sense of taste.

Knwoing all of the intricate details of the traditions and the history of quinceanera will not only better prepare you for the quinceanera celebration, but will also make it one of the most memorable fiestas she'll ever have.