In Latino culture, a quinceañera isn’t just a party; it’s a rite of passage. For Mario Lopez and his wife, Courtney, celebrating their daughter Gia Francesca’s 15th birthday meant creating an unforgettable night that honored Mexican tradition, family, and Gia’s own unique style.
The teenager knew exactly what she wanted, and they went all out with around 300 guests in attendance. Mario opened up about the milestone after the party with ¡HOLA! in an exclusive interview. His voice was still hoarse from the epic celebration.
"It makes me feel old. She's a great little girl. And I'm very proud of her and of the young woman she's becoming. She's worthy of a celebration like this."
From little girl to Quinceañera queen
As a dad, Mario admits the milestone hit him in more ways than one. Anytime a quinceañera comes around, one of the first things people will tell the parents is, "She’s starting to become a woman now."
When we asked Mario what that makes him feel, the 51-year-old admitted, "It makes me feel old." "And then, she’s a great little girl. And I’m very proud of her. And to the young woman she’s becoming. She’s worthy of a celebration like this.”
The party, which was months in the making, was a team effort. “My wife did a great job with her event planner, Stephanie. And Minted Concierge made sure every detail reflected her personality and made her feel celebrated."
Of course, the captain leading the ship was Gia. "She had a really clear vision of what she wanted, from the colors to the theme to everything. She was pretty creative about it. And it was just a lot of love that goes into the planning,” Mario said.
Honoring tradition
For the Lopez family, it wasn’t just about decorations and dresses. “It’s really not just an event. It’s kind of a rite of passage, right? And so, it’ll be like a big core memory for our family."
He continued, "And it’s a big milestone, especially in the Mexican tradition. It was pretty emotional to see my daughter step into this next chapter. And it was great to see all our family and friends together.”
Another aspect that touched Mario was Gia’s desire to highlight her culture, and she was escorted by a mariachi band led by Julian Torres. Mario's parents, Elvira Soledad Trasviña and Mario Alberto López Pérez, are both emigrants from Mexico.
“She wanted to make sure there was a mariachi band sort of welcoming guests and escorting her in. I love that. She loves the culture. That’s really good.”
Gia's dress was stunning. The light blue traditional dress by Princesa had a royal touch, with delicate, embroidered, gold flowers and intricate designs on the corset. She had matching nails, a gold and blue diamond bracelet, and wore gold hoops and a cross necklace. With hair by Nini Z and makeup by Jay Alarcon, Gia looked flawless.
Special Father-Daughter Bond
The night was full of moments Mario will never forget, and the proud dad used one word over and over again during the interview - "emotional." “I was getting emotional seeing her in her dress and just seeing all the family celebrating her, and just the whole evening was emotional, and it was beautiful. Couldn’t have gone better," the host continued.
A bond between a father and daughter is incredibly special, and there are two days in a Latina's life where they share a special moment on the dance floor: her quinceañera and her wedding. The traditional father-daughter dance set the tone for the evening, and they got creative with it. “She and I started with a slow dance, and then we started busting out into a fast dance. That was probably the highlight for me, just getting to be with her.”
"It was pretty emotional to see my daughter step into this next chapter"
The medley started with Luther Vandross’ “Dance With My Father” before switching into Chris Brown’s “Beat It.” Four years ago, when Gia was 11, she roasted her dad's dance moves on The Kelly Clarkson Show, calling her mom the better dancer because of the way he swayed his hips. Thankfully, at the quinceañera, Mario made her proud, but she still had notes. “She’s particular. She’s a good little choreographer. So yeah, she still had notes for me afterwards. But I think I was all right," he said.
Gia's chambellan was a friend from school, and she performed four dances in total, with a special outfit change that included custom Converse by Urbana Chappa, allowing her to move freely. “She was tumbling and everything. It was a whole thing. Very athletic, very coordinated,” Mario said proudly. After her moment on the dance floor, DJ Livia kept the party going.
And of course, there was food. There were delicious touches like a Jarritos mocktail station, a Tostilocos candy and snack cart, and a Mini Donut Bar. The evening began with a formal dinner of meat and fish, but Gia had one special request for later. “She wanted Raising Cane's, since it’s her favorite afterward. So it was funny, all the little things she wanted. I had a food truck come late at night. And after everybody’s been drinking - not the kids, but all the adults and stuff - it hit really nice.”
Like a true Mexican party, the Lopez house kept the celebration going well past midnight. “We went from like six to midnight and started to shut it down. I got out of there about one o’clock. I had people over to my house, and we partied the next day too."
Looking back, Mario says the whole night was flawless. “The whole thing was a great high. There weren’t really any low lights. Just nailing down a date was the toughest thing because of our schedules, but it all went great.”
Family, forever and always
Gia is Mario and Courtney's firstborn. The couple has been married since 2004 and also shares sons, Dominic and Santino. When he looks at his daughter, Mario sees pieces of both parents. “She’s a very hard worker and focused and very people-loving and likes to kind of lead, but comes from a really good place, and people kind of turn to her. And I’d like to think that kind of stuff comes from me. And then, as far as her mom, she is very smart and very talented. Their dancing, piano, singing, and everything.”
She’s also still very much a daddy’s girl, and she even goes to Mario to talk about boys. “She’s pretty comfortable with me talking to me about that stuff, which I like. I hope it doesn’t change. And she knows when she wants permission, she comes to me for most of the stuff because mom is probably the stricter one.”
He knows this night will live on in their family memories. “We documented the whole thing and shot it, so it’s going to be a nice thing to have for us, for her. Obviously, my time with her and the dance was really special and, you know, probably won’t do it like that level again until she’s married.”
As for what's next for Gia's life, such as following in her father's footsteps in entertainment, it's not something she really discusses. "I think if she does, it would be more behind the scenes," he shared. "She's a good little producer and choreographer. But she's just entering her first year of high school. I'm trying to let her figure out what she wants to do."
Until then, Gia carries not only her quinceañera memories, but her father’s words of guidance: “Just continue being the great young lady she is. Work hard, stay focused. When you do the right thing, right things will happen for you.”