For her 60th birthday this year, Livier Reynoso threw herself the princess-themed quinceañera she never had growing up, fulfilling a dream 45 years in the making.
The Oakley, California, resident told "Good Morning America" she never had the traditional celebration when she turned 15 in Jalisco, Mexico, and as an adult, she wasn't sure she'd make it to her 60th birthday either, since doctors had told her that her diabetes could severely impact her health.
As her Sept. 10 birthday approached and she was still healthy enough to celebrate, Reynoso and her family and friends -- some of whom were eventually part of her court of honor, a group of people with a close relationship to the lady herself -- decided to gather to mark the special occasion with a mass at her home church, Saint Anthony Catholic Church in Oakley, and a fiesta at a local family ranch.
"For me, it was something grand to see my whole family reunited and happy and to see my friends. It was something bigger than I ever could have imagined," Reynoso recalled to "Good Morning America" in Spanish. "It was just like the parties I used to see when I was that age … Everything was incredible. Everything was just how I dreamed it would be."
Reynoso and her court of damas, or female friends, all dressed in Disney princess gowns. Reynoso was in a Tiana-themed dress from "The Princess and the Frog" while her damas chose their favorite princesses, ranging from Belle from "Beauty and the Beast," Cinderella, Mirabel Madrigal from "Encanto," Mulan and Snow White.
"When I saw 'The Princess and the Frog,' I really liked the dresses and the first thing I said was that one day, I was going to make a dress like hers," Reynoso said of her Tiana gown.
Reynoso's niece Suzette Reynoso-Bivens, who shared her aunt's quinceañera on TikTok, said it was "a great sight to see." The Austin, Texas, resident and former journalist said she and her daughter traveled to California to surprise her aunt in person for the big party.
"It was just really a fun time ... seeing all my tías, [or aunts], getting dressed up as princesses. It's not something you see every day," Reynoso-Bivens said. "It was a great sight to see and very inspiring as well."
For anyone else inspired to have their own quinceañera, Reynoso said it's never too late to celebrate.
"If they want to, they have all my support because it is very fun, very exciting. You can't explain what it feels like to be in the moment," Reynoso said.
"Don't be embarrassed. People are going to talk but it's OK to have a good time," she added.
