Salma Miramontes is lovely in the early-morning light. She smiles as if born that way.

Today is her quinceañera - a spiritual, religious and cultural celebration of her 15th birthday.

It's 7 a.m. Aug. 2, and the Twin Falls teen is having her hair styled. Her mother, Reyna, looks on, smiling with pride.

"Are you excited or nervous?" asks stylist Grieselda Mendoza at the Euro Style salon as she creates curls with a hot iron.

"I think I'm more excited," replies Salma.

"No, I think you're nervous."

Her finished curls are topped by a small tiara that signifies she's leaving childhood behind. Afterwards, Reyna gets her hair touched up. Soon, they head home.

There, it's reserved bustle as family, friends and Reyna's grandparents from Guadalajara, Mexico, get ready. The men wear cream-colored cowboy suits with green shirts. The chambelanes, or male escorts, dress in black with bolo ties. Salma's sister Alma, wearing a long, shiny green dress, says she is excited for her sister and there to help her.

With a rustle of fabric, Salma enters.

She wears a beautiful cream and green gown, looking like a princess with sparkles and roses at the bodice. Her mother kneels in her long blue gown to adjust Salma's shoes. Reyna, who helps with quinceañeras at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church, has said that dresses come in all colors in Mexico. Her own quinceañera dress was red.

Later, Salma puts on mascara in her parents' bedroom.

At about 9:30 a.m., she and her mom leave for St. Edward's. There Salma's damas, or ladies in waiting, ooh over her gown.

"That's hot," says one.

"That's hot," returns Salma, admiring their white dresses.

Guests begin to arrive; a small band sets up in the choir loft, and Oscar Sanchez, who heads up the church's Hispanic ministry, lights candles.

About 10 a.m., the music starts. Father Camilo Garcia, dressed in white and gold vestments, leads the procession of six damas and six chambelanes, followed by family, and Salma, who has a place of honor in front of the altar during the entire Spanish Mass. The priest talks to Salma and her family and friends about how they should help her through her life. She receives a medal with the Virgin Mary and, from her grandmother Salvadora Puentas, a rosary and Bible. Salma renews her baptism vows.

Movingly, she presents a bouquet of flowers before a mosaic image of the la Virgen de Guadalupe, her head bowed in prayer, while the congregation sings.

At the end of the Mass, the priest formally presents Salma, who receives applause and blessings.

Outside, Salma is hugged and congratulated, while two little girls in white hand out small momentos to guests, another quinceañera tradition. There were many moments, Reyna says of the ceremony. One of them was Salma's presentation to the Virgen.

"We didn't understand any of it until the end when he (the priest) said one thing in English," says dama Alyssa Soloaga, laughing with another dama, Madi Mason.

"It's really cool that she (Salma) is keeping up tradition and doing all this, and we got to be involved," Madi adds.

Both agree they're ready for a party.

Photographer Floyd Padilla, who recorded the ceremony, now shoots more photos in the church of Salma with her family, damas and chambelanes. While Padilla snaps away, people take advantage of his arranged subjects and take their own photos and video. Later, he photographs Salma in Twin Falls City Park across from the church. While she is at the park, a white limo pulls up. Meanwhile, a wedding party consisting of a bride and her bridesmaids in purple has arrived and is getting photographed outside the church.

When Salma returns, she and her young quinceañera party load up into the limo.

In the afternoon, the celebration moves to a merchant building at the Twin Falls County Fairgrounds in Filer. Purple and white balloon arches float over the place. White roses and purple color decorate the tables. Latin music pours out of the building, as does the smell of barbacoa - spicy barbecued beef. Guests serve themselves and receive decorated plastic tortilla holders.

As Padilla takes more photos of Salma with family and friends, she seems more serene now.

"I'm enjoying it now, thanks God," Reyna also says.

At night is the dance, which includes an almost hour-long march, a quinceañera dance that the damas and chambelanes have practiced, and Salma's dance with her father, Jose.

The young girl has gone through a passage on this day especial, not only culturally and spiritually but, Salma says, emotionally and with her family. That makes all the preparations and sacrifice worth it.

"I don't think that I'm ever going to forget this in my life," she says, then turns and smiles for more photos.

Go to Magicvalley.com/quinceanera for: • Video of Salma Miramontes' quinceañera. • Video interview with Reyna Miramontes, who helps girls prepare. She also talks about her daughter's quinceañera. • Video of Alexia Cantu's quinceañera dance rehearsal, and an interview with Alexia and her parents. • Video interviews with photographer Floyd Padilla and DJ Pedro Garcia. • Video ofSt. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church's Hispanic ministry director, Oscar Sanchez, talking about the meaning of a quinceañera. • Lots more photos and a slideshow by Meagan Thompson of the quinceañeras of other local girls, from preparations to parties.