What is a Quinceañero: A Quinceañera for Boys!

You might be wondering, what is a Quinceañero? What makes a Quinceañero different, and why does it matter to me? We'll tell you!

In the past few years, we have seen some families choosing to have a Quince Años celebration for their son’s 15th birthday. The Quince Años for a boy follows the same traditional reasoning as a modern Quinceañera; to present the child to God, in front of their family and friends, and celebrate their life. For some, it is a time to re-commit to their religion. Most importantly, it marks the boy’s journey into adulthood.

The Quince Años tradition for a boy is different from a Quinceañera because there is no big dress, no special shoes, and no last doll. The male version is more about the process, but still includes the symbolic items such as a ceremony and the priest performing the service.

Traditional quinceañeras make a huge deal on the quinceañera dress, but for our quinceañeros we have to make a big deal on the tux they'll be rocking! Our quinceañero's want to stand out, just as much as the quinceañeras do. You can rent a chambelan tuxedo on many sites for a great price! You can choose between different colored bowties and ties! Plus add on dress shoes, belts, socks, pocket squares and more!

The quinceanero boy may want their party to be cool, masculine, and... did we say cool? The centerpieces, cake colors, and decorations will be the first differences that people notice. Don’t worry if you don’t have any ideas yet! For our founder Kim Gamez’s son, they made the centerpieces as candy bouquets. For the overall theme, they chose a “club theme” so they had lots of lights, a fog machine, and glow sticks.

Here you’ll have the chance to dance with your son on his special day. This will be a special moment for the both of you as he is making the transition from a boy to a man. Traditionally, these dances are done as the first dance of the night.

This song can be played while the mother and son dance. This symbolizes your son’s ultimo juguete (last toy). During the song, at some point someone hands the Quinceañero a toy car. The car can be kept as a memento or we’ve also even seen the toy given to a younger sibling. Check out a sample song here

The only difference for the surprise dance for a quinceanero, is that he will be dancing with his female court!

Instead of a surprise dance or waltz, you could do a Baile de Billete (dollar dance). This is typically done at hispanic weddings, where they pin dollars to the tux and gown of the bride and groom. It can be quite the sight seeing your son do this dance, and it’s a lot of fun for him and everyone else there. He will have dollars pinned all over; his hair, suspenders, and even his butt!

The colors for a boy quinceañera's event will probably be darker and more masculine than a quinceanera. Be creative with it and make sure to speak with your son about what ideas you have... we’re sure he’ll have a few of his own, too! Happy Planning!