Prom season is a right of passage for millions of teens across the country. If you and your teen have not already planned for the big day it’s not to late. All you need is a few items to get you on the path to cheesy photos and dancing the night away to music you will never get out of your head.
If you have waited until the last minute like most people then you are in luck I am going to cut through the red tape and get to the heart of what every plus teen needs to make prom night the night of a lifetime.
Prom 2012 Checklist
- Dress – I suggest Sydney’s Closet. With size 14-44 you have a wide selection
- Foundation garments – Hips and Curves
- Makeup – Shop e.l.f. Cosmetics – $1 Makeup
- Hair – Your local hair salon
- Nails and Feet – see #4
- Shoes – Zappos.com
- Hoisery – We Love Colors Inc.
As for cost a conservative estimate for a typical prom will be in the ball park of $700 and that is if you do not spend a lot on your dress and shoes which combined can count for over half of your total budget. If you are not worried about having the latest in fashion designer names then you can save as much as 60% on the cost of what you purchase.
Now that you know about what you need lets move on to the timeline you need to have in your mind when it comes to getting ready for prom night. With a solid timeline you will not be rushing around even though starting in February getting ready is kind of pushing things.
Assuming you will be attending a May event here is what you should do:
- Buy your dress today! Wait until the week of the event to have your final fitting to factor in weight fluctuation
- Purchase all the other items on the list at least on an every other week basis leaving at least 21 days before the event to have everything gathered
- Have your hair and nails done at least 24 hours BEFORE the event. Your makeup should be done right before the event
- Wear your shoes a few hours before the event to break them in. Breaking them in on the dance floor can be painful
- Have a dress rehearsal of your entire outfit at least one week prior to prom night to allow time to make any changes
- Have a backup to everything in your outfit. It will keep you from having to run around last minute looking for anything that messes up
- Try to sit and relax for as much of the day of the prom as possible
I know everything suggested above assumes that we live in a prefect prom world. As a parent of two teens who have already been down this path I can tell you that everything that can go wrong WILL go wrong but that does not mean you can’t plan for the day. For more ideas I will be posting outfit combinations on Pintrest to give you a visual idea of what is needed to make Prom 2012 the best of your life.
