A quinceañera is much more than a 15th birthday party. For many Latino families, it is a coming-of-age celebration, marking a young woman’s transition from childhood toward adulthood. And an event of this significance doesn’t come cheaply — families often spend anywhere between $10,000 and $30,000 or more, with venue, food, decorations, entertainment, photography and, of course, the dress playing into the cost.
With Latinos making up roughly a fourth of Lee County’s population, quinceañeras have become big business locally. An expo scheduled for Sept. 27 will bring local vendors and families together to inspire and begin the planning for future celebrations.
The Celebrate You Expo — presented by Mine and Yours Bridal and Formal Boutique, Events by G, and Luminarias — is set for 1 to 5 p.m. on Sept. 27 at Luminarias, located at 200 Independent Drive in Sanford. According to Dehra Green, owner of Mine and Yours, the idea for the Expo was born from her participation in bridal expos.
“I came to the realization that quinceañeras, Sweet 16 parties and other coming-of-age events often take on the same kind of planning — and many of the same vendors — as weddings,” Green said. “I looked, and we have not had anything like this recently in Sanford or Lee County.”
In recent years, Sanford has become a destination for weddings, particularly those looking for farmhouse-inspired or rural settings. So the vendors are here, Green says. And many, like her, are including quinceañera dresses and planning to their repertoire.
“Dresses alone range from $800 to more than $2,000,” she said. “There are also honor escorts — the damas and chambelanes — which are like the bridesmaids. The venues are important. And there’s so much that go into planning these events that can be overwhelming without help.”
Green said quinceañeras were not part of her original business plan when she launched Mine and Yours in 2022. Starting a wedding boutique business was a lifelong dream of hers, and over the years, she’s had more and more requests to offer items for weddings and parties (like quinceañeras).
“In four short years, I’ve gone from just bridal and mother of the bride and bridesmaids to much more — we’ve become a one-stop shop for all of these events,” she said. “Once I started carrying dresses for quinceañeras, we got a lot of interest. This Expo is another way to reach these families — I think a lot of them can Google what they’re looking for, but we’re offering an opportunity to sit down with vendors and have real conversations. They’ll get to see their wares, and I think it will help them make those tough decisions and alleviate a lot of the stress.”
The team behind planning the Expo will be on hand, joined by event planners, decorators, florists, businesses that rent tables and chairs, caterers, bakers, invitation printers, DJs, bartending services, limousine owners and more. Green said up to 100 families are expected to attend the Sept. 27 event.
“We’ll have door prizes — one of the top prizes will be $300 off the purchase of a dress,” she said. “Limo rides, photography sessions and gifts from local businesses like Celia’s Boutique will also be handed out.”
Entry is free to the Expo, but registration is required (see the QR code on the flyer in this story).
— by Billy Liggett