Veronica Gass, Reporter
@vgasscourant
Prom 101 is here to spill the tea on everything you need to know before the big night. Wondering if it is okay to show up solo or if you need a date? Panicking because it is the day before prom and your hair appointment isn’t booked? Don’t worry, this story has it all.This is an inside scoop of all: attire, finding a date or who you’re going with, promposals, picking tables, getting hair and nails done, and preprom. Lots of students haven’t attended prom yet and have no clue on where to start, and that is where this guide comes in handy.
Attire:
Finding the perfect dress is only half the fun but so exciting. Whether you’re scrolling through Pinterest for inspiration, or stepping into a store that is bursting with options, there’s nothing like the thrill of discovering the dress from bold colors to soft pastels, sparkly to silky gowns. Prom fashion is all about expressing your style and feeling your absolute best for the big night. Junior Anna Vertin and Senior Tessa Riley talk about their experiences with finding their perfect prom dresses. Anna says, “When you walk into the store, you are met with a sea of dresses in every size, shape and color. Going in, I honestly had no idea what I wanted. I only knew that I wanted a dress in pink,” Anna said.
Tessa shares somewhat of a similar experience to Anna in terms of finding the perfect dress. “I would save TikToks and screenshot ads on Instagram for inspiration on what I wanted to wear; This year, I found my dress on Pinterest,” Tessa said, “This year was pretty similar. I knew I wanted to wear a lighter-colored dress, but I wasn’t sure about the style. For weeks, I browsed a plethora of sites and online shops because I had no idea what I wanted.”
Prom prep:
When it comes to getting prom ready, timing is everything. From spray tans to blowouts, planning ahead makes all the difference. Some of us are doing it last minute rushing from school to the salon and squeezing in nail appointments on prom day. Others, like Tessa, started booking back in March to avoid the prom week rush. “It’s really important to book everything ahead of time because all the local places will fill up. I booked my spray tan in late March and planned to get it at Goddess Glow in New Canaan on Wednesday (two days before prom),” Tessa said. “Lastly, I plan on getting my hair blown out on Friday right after school. I also booked this far in advance because most people will get their hair done in town, so it’s important to book your appointment before it fills up.”
On the other hand, Anna was super last minute. She says, “I am super last minute so I am getting my spray tan tomorrow after school. I am getting my hair blown out at 1:00 P.M on prom friday. Since I am getting a spray tan after school I won’t be able to get my nails done until Friday,” Anna said.
Finding your date:
Finding a prom date can feel like a whirlwind; one minute you’re calm the next you’re spiraling with your friends trying to figure it all out. Some have it so easy to find dates while others are asking friends for help. Maybe others may skip the stress and go solo or with a close group of friends. Anna had very good luck finding her date, ”I would say that across the board finding a date was extremely chaotic for my friends and I. One night about a month ago, my friend was freaking out because she hadn’t secured a prom date yet,” Anna said. I was comforting her when I realized that I hadn’t found one either and began to spiral as well. On a bit of a whim, I decided to float the idea to one of my friends and he agreed to come!”
Promposals:
Promposals have become a very entertaining tradition. People become so creative with a pun on the poster. The person making the poster gets all their friends involved to help out making it a fun start to prom. Anna says, “I have a super jam packed schedule right now so I had very little time to execute the actual poster. I quickly brainstormed some ideas and after bouncing them off my friends I decided to go with “Let’s take the night to new heights – prom?” (because we are both really tall)” she said.
Picking tables:
Out of all the prom prep, picking tables is definitely the most chaotic part. There are limited spots for friend groups bigger than 10, which means 5 couples per table. Counselor and class advisors of the junior class, Erica Schaedler says, “Tables can be really tough. What we have students do is as they purchase their tickets, they’re also able to sign up for their tables and it’s a google form where they submit the names of 10. It’s not uncommon that students will reach out after they’ve submitted and have to change things around, she said, “Things change, availability changes, things like that. We’re able to make last minute changes. We try to make it work with whatever students have requested. And then if there’s extra space at a table or we feel we need to kind of combine things, then Mr. LeDuc and I oversee that.”
Pre prom:
Pre prom is when the real fun begins. After hours of getting ready, it is time for photos! Groups of the grade come together to take photos, soaking in the memories; before going off to the big night. Senior Alice Hanson says, “It was super fun because our whole grade was all together. That made it just super enjoyable because you could be with your friends the whole time. We just took pictures together, it looked super cute, and then went to prom,” she said.
Prom night can feel like a whirlwind, but with the right prep, and a little flexibility, it all comes together. Whether you’re going solo or on a date, wearing a pastel or one with sequins, the most important thing is to enjoy the moment and make memories.
