Here's Why People Are Traveling to Cuba for Birthday Parties
This tradition is extremely important.
As the relationship between Cuba and the U.S. has grown, a trend in the events industry has started for quinceañeras.
Amanda Teresa Betancourt practices a dance with her boyfriend Erick before the party.
The celebration of a young girl's 15th birthday is incredibly important for many Hispanic and Latino families.
Families have actually started to travel to Cuba for quinceañera photo shoots and parties.
Business reforms in Cuba have helped to grow the country's economy.
There has been an increase in new photo and party planning companies thanks to the rising numbers of traveling families who are visiting the country for parties.
Daniela Santos Torres currently lives in Glendale, Arizona, but dreamt of returning to Cuba for her quince so that she could include her friends and family who still live there.
She left the island when she was 3, but returned to Punta Brava, Cuba for her quinceañera.
Torres chooses a dress from EstudioMayer, the Havana-based company that her family chose to organize her party.
She takes a break from the photoshoot to eat with her father.
She arrived at her party in a classic American car driven by her father.
The cake and doll are centerpiece of her party.
Traveling to Cuba for these events allows the girls and their families to reconnect with loved ones and their culture.
It may seem like a financial burden on families to travel just for a birthday party, but it actually costs them less to travel to Cuba for these services that it would get them done in the U.S.
A quinceañera photoshoot package in Cuba, with professional hair and makeup artists and scenic backdrops starts at $150.
In the U.S., that same service would cost upwards of $1000.
Camila Lopez Rivas was raised in Miami but traveled 90 miles south to have the quinceñanera of her dreams.
Hansel, a member of Cuban band Los Angeles, joins her for her portrait session.