Think Green

Piensa Ecológicamente


SPEND HALF, MAKE HALF BACK, OR BUY SMART?

You can rent your Quinceañera dress and spend about half the price of most gowns. Tweet’s Tux and Bridal provided us with a gorgeous rental gown that was practical for those of you who may be watching the price tag! For those of you that are Planet-Conscious, then you will be doing your part in recycling (or as I like to call it ... Re-style-cling).

Let’s say you are one of those girls who want to buy your dress new! Well, consider selling your dress after your big day. Local consignment stores or on-line resources can help you make some cash and help put money back in your wallet.

For those chicas who want it all, then you should buy a convertible. No, not the car... but a two-in-one dress. Check out our Top Dresses for 2009 and you’ll see that perfect dress that will help you be the belle of the ball and give you a second dress to “party like a rock star”.

NO POSTAGE...NO PROBLEM/
AFFORDABLE KEEPSAKE INVITATIONS

Here are two options: Consider e-mailing your invitations to your guests. This will save you 42 cents per invite and the cost of the invitation itself – not to mention all the paper you’ll save! GO GREEN!

Make photo invites. Use a portrait studio that takes coupons and save money on your photos and sitting fees. Try one of my favorite studios in town, Sears Portrait Studios. They can make your professional picture invitations at a fraction of the price! These invitations can serve as both your keepsakes for guests and their invitations.

CAKE FAKE-OUT

If you are looking to save some money on your cake we’ve got the solution! Try ordering a smaller version of your cake with fewer tiers and order a large sheet cake from a nearby grocery store for guests. The guests will have no idea you faked them out. This way you have a beautiful cake for your pictures and an affordable cake for your guests! Shhhhh! It will be our secret!

FOOD AND BEVERAGE SAVINGS

Try a Buffet-style dinner for your Quince and save a bundle of green. Most caterers charge lots less for this service and guests can enjoy the same foods only (it’s a self-serve situation).

Cocktail hour without the cocktail! Weird but true. Skip an hour of alcohol service and reap savings. Most halls or caterers charge an hourly rate for alcohol service. So try skipping the alcohol during cocktail hour in order to stick to your budget. Some guests arrive late and you don’t want to waste your money.

BECOME A “DO IT YOURSELFER”

Here are some of my do-it-yourself tips. Make your own centerpieces. If you are not using fresh flowers then you can get a head start and design some that are inexpensive and creative. You can find tons of links online on do-it-yourself centerpieces – they have great pictures, too! Bueno, Bonito y...well, you know the rest! Pick-up your chair covers and tie your own chair ties. This alone will save you $200-300.

HALF THE PRICE AND TWICE THE FUN

If you have a B.F.F that is thinking of having a Quinceañera then this is “THE” best way to save 50% of the cost! Have a joint Quince. If you think about it, you share the same friends and you can split the family invitations. It can take a lot of team work, but if you can agree to disagree on a few things, then you are well on your way to saving! Cha Ching! Cha Ching!

IT'S A GIVE GIVE SITUATION:

We all know how large our Quince Court can be and, for most, it’s about 29 members. So finding a little something special that says thank-you and that is not hard on our wallets is nearly impossible....until now. Make a donation to a charity in their name. Find an organization that is dedicated to preserving our planet and make a contribution. With a $100 donation this charity can do tons of wonderful things and you can save money while doing something great for the environment! Most charities will provide you with a note that will say “A donation was made in your name!” How thoughtful is that and it only cost you $3.45 per gift!

It’s a piece
of cake... Really!

¡es facilito... de verdad!

By Cristina Bermúdez-Przybycin

Some quinceañeras don’t give their cake designers enough information so they can create the perfect bizcocho or pastel. Here are some helpful hints to choose the appropriate cake for your style, taste and budget.

Before meeting with your cake designer, ask yourself a few questions -and have the answers in order to make this process a fun and special one.

First... What is your budget for your cake? This will certainly help you rule out certain kinds of cakes. Most people don’t like to talk about dinero, but this will give your designer a ball park fi gure within which to work. For example, cakes that are covered in fondant may be a bit more expensive, but a butter cream cake can save you some mula.

What are some of your favorite fillings? This one is my favorite question because it’s ok to have a few options. If you are doing a multi-tiered cake, you can certainly do a different filling for different layers. This is a great question to have arrowed down in order for your cake designers to have certain flavors available at your cake tasting. ¡Qué rico!

Next, are questions that are created to help with the design of your cake. For example, how many guests do you plan to serve at your Quince? This will tell you a lot about the size, proportions and dimensions of your cake.

What is your theme or color scheme?
Your cake designers may have a few samples of their works of art that are similar to what you may be looking for. Use their “look book” as a guide to helping move in the right direction. Remember to bring along a fabric swatch, so that your artist/baker can match the color as closely as possible. We all know that periwinkle and lavender are two totally different colors. If you don’t have a predominant color or theme, then maybe you’d enjoy a cake that explores your hobbies or pastimes. I’ve seen cakes that are in the shape of handbags, microphones and even ballet slippers.

What are some items that you have already selected for your big day?
If you have a copy of your invitation, a photo of your dress or a picture from a magazine you clipped, then bring it along for inspiration. Designers can use these items to help mirror things you have already chosen.

It can be so much fun building the perfect cake -it’s just a matter of narrowing down the possibilities in order to make it your own.

What will you be using as a cake topper? Some quinceañeras have a muñeca or the number 15 that they have already purchased. This is something that your designer needs to see, so that they can determine the weight and how it will be incorporated into the final design. If you don’t have your cake topper then consider getting your initials monogrammed on the cake or look into purchasing silver initials to give it a modern twist.

The last question is the easiest one of all…
What do you not want to see on your cake?
If you don’t like bows or can’t stand pineapple filling, you may want to let your cake designer know. They are there to help you fi nd that perfect cake for your Quince! So when you’re done answering your questions, make sure to share your thoughts and ideas with your cake designer and I’m sure that they will be able to come up with exactly what you’re looking for! ¡Buen Provecho!

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