By Sarah Jones

Your quinceañera will be one of the most memorable experiences you will ever have. Planning it requires time, patience and sacrifice. It is important that you manage your time carefully. If you plan early, your quinceañera will be a beautiful and special moment for you, your family and friends.

Below are a few tips that you may find helpful in your party planning process.

Escort and couples-One of the best parts about planning your quinceañera is selecting the people for your ceremony. Most young girls have twenty-nine of their closest friends or relatives in the ceremony. These individuals are paired off into fourteen couples, each couple representing one year of your life. Your closest male friend should be your escort. It is important to remember that he does not walk you down the aisle of the church ceremony. Your walking escorts for the church ceremony are to be your parents. The reason for this is that at the beginning of the ceremony, you are still a child and are therefore not to be escorted by a young man.

Porcelain doll-Another quinceañera tradition is the presentation of the doll to your younger sister or cousin. During your reception, you call for the attention of your guests and explain to them the tradition of the doll. You then present your younger sister with a porcelain doll. This action symbolizes that you are now ready to move on to the next stage of your life--becoming a young woman. As you perform this, you are not only leaving the doll to your sister, you are also leaving her your childhood.

First dance-Tradition states that the young woman's first dance as a young woman should be with her father. The reason behind this is simple: He is to be honored because he was the first man in her life.The song should be selected carefully. The melody of the song should have a slow tone, appropriate for slow dancing. The lyrics should have special meaning to the relationship the young woman has with her father. After the dance is over, he then hands her over to dance with her escort.

These are just a few of the many traditions that take place in quinceañeras around the world. Remember, start early and manage your time. It is important that you take one day at a time and don't stress out over trying to get everything done at once. As long as you plan well, your quinceañera will be a beautiful experience that you will never forget.