Fiesta Favor Etiquette, Made Simple

by: Michael Kabel

The Quinceañera fiesta is pretty much just a big ball of details you want to plan and stage so well your guests will think they're perfect. But with so much to get right, you'll want to be careful not to miss a few details along the way.

One matter that many Quince fiesta planners often overlook involves the proper distribution of the fiesta favors. While the quince anos girl chooses the favor itself, the means and method of getting favors to guests remains open to some interpretation. There's even a certain kind of etiquette, or proper way of doing things, involved too.

Presented below are answers to some of the most common questions we receive about Quinceañera favors and their distribution.

Why should I give Quinceanera favors?

Because your guests deserve a souvenir of your celebration. While it's true that the Quinceañera is a long-held tradition in the Latino community, today's busy pace of life often makes attending such an event require a special effort. So giving a fiesta favor, which is really just a small gift, is also a reward. When you give a favor, you thank your guests for coming with something tangible that they can touch and see. It's proof of your appreciation!

Quinceañera favors also allow every quince anos girl the chance to show off her unique sense of style. No matter what your motif or fiesta theme, the right favor highlights the decorations and acts as a reminder of their beauty for every guest.

How should I choose the Quinceañera favor?

The favor should reflect the quince anos girl's own sense of style and help to echo the fiesta's decorations colors and texture. The favor can be practical or purely for ornamentation. It should definitely have a purpose or useful function, though, since that practicality will encourage guests to keep them after the fiesta concludes.

How should the favors be distributed?

The proper distribution (how you actually give the favors to your guests) depends on the type of fiesta you hold. Generally speaking, the more formal event that you give, the more rigid the etiquette must be followed. For guest favors, this means placing the favor at each place setting, above or atop their serving plates. If no plates are included in the place setting, they may still be placed where the plate would normally go.

For less formal events, it's okay to have a table near the front of the venue where guests can pick up their favors as they enter or leave.

Which guests should receive wedding favors?

In the strictest etiquette, all adult and teen guests should receive quince favors. Very small children do not need a favor. For less elaborate celebrations, it's okay to give a favor to both small children as well as members of the fiesta band and wait staff.

Some Quinceañera fiesta planners sometimes order separate favors for small children, such as personalized cookies or other more "fun time" gifts that the children are more likely to enjoy. You may also wish to provide a more elaborate or complicated fiesta favor for your grandparents and padrinos. The court of honor might also get a special favor. But of course, it's also perfectly fine to give everyone the same favor, too.