One night a year, the Museum of Science and Industry is engulfed with sparkles, hairspray, blasting music and nearly five hundred of North’s juniors and seniors. Prom 2019 is coming faster than we think.

Only a couple short months away, the juniors are getting excited for their first experience and the seniors look forward to one last hurrah before graduation.

“Overall, my prom experience was really good. Even for those who don’t like dancing, you can still enjoy prom,” senior Colin Russell said.  “Last year at the Museum of Science and Industry, there were so many things to do while walking around and I know that It’ll be a good venue again this year.”

Regardless of grade, prom is an experience that everyone can enjoy or look forward to in years to come.
“Prom was really fun for me because I was able to be with my closest friends,” Wilhite said. “It’s such a different experience from homecoming so I definitely recommend going to prom at least once while you’re in high school.”

In order to get ready for what is commonly called the best night of a student’s high school career, hours and even months of preparation must go into it. Many students are already starting to get ready.

“I got my dress in late January,” junior Ashley Clark said.

The process varies from student to student, but most will agree it is one of the most important  nights of the year.
“I’m most excited to spending the night hanging out with my group of friends,” Clark said.

In order to make this night memorable, everyone must prepare in order to look and feel their best.

1. The Dress: Quite possibly one of the most important parts of the getting ready process. In order to feel confident, the “perfect dress” must be found. There are multiple stores that offer their assistance in finding it. For a boutique feel and designer dresses, places like The Prom Shoppe in Oswego, offer dresses from name brands like Sherri Hill and Jovani. For cheaper options, Windsor at the Fox Valley mall and Nordstrom are affordable and stylish options.

Tips: 

• Shop Early: North senior Bailee Wilhite, who attended prom last year, said “Get your dress early, and if you find one really like just buy it because someone might get it before you do.”
• Find the Trends: “Floral, two piece and simple or one-color dresses were trends last year,” Wilhite said. This year, new styles are being bought. “I’ve seen a lot of two-pieces, and mermaid dresses are pretty popular also,” Clark said.

In addition to those styles, metallic fabric, off the shoulder necklines, beaded belts to accentuate the waist, open backs, and ruffles have been trending.

“Two- tone sparkle is a big thing this year, as well as lace up backs,” The Prom Shoppe said on Instagram. “Simple dresses are also pretty trendy this season, especially with the ball gown coming back into style.”

• Plan a Budget and Stick to It: A rule for dress shopping and usually shopping in general is to never try on something outside of an established price range. It’s easy to fall in love with a dress that is way too expensive. Talk with whoever is buying the dress and decided where to draw the line.

“I didn’t expect it to be so expensive,” Wilhite said.

“In the end, with transportation, a dress, hair, makeup and a ticket, prom can turn into a big financial investment.” Wilhite said. Don’t stress, there are plenty of options that aren’t crazy expensive and will still look flawless.

• Be Confident and Try New Things: The Prom Shoppe recommends on Instagram to “Go into shopping with an open mind, you never know how things are going to look until you try it.”

Dress shopping is one of the most exciting and fun parts of getting ready for prom so make the most of it and try on as many dresses as possible.

“I tried on about six different dresses.” Clark said. Be open to trying new styles, but it is okay to stick to a certain style or color and use it as guidance to find “the dress.”

Also, go shopping with a friend or family member to help get a second opinion. Make the most of it and pick the one that feels gorgeous.

“You only have so many times in your life to look like a princess!” The Prom Shoppe said on Instagram.

2. Hair and Makeup: Hair and makeup are an essential component to feeling amazing on prom night. Check out a local salon and book an appointment. Depending on the salon, appointments should be made anywhere from two – three months in advance to ensure availability.

Another option is doing makeup and hair at home or having a friend do it. Many students at North are incredible at hair and makeup and can be a cheaper alternative to getting it done at a salon.

“[Getting makeup and hair done at a salon] can cost $100 alone.” Wilhite said.

Another big key is to make sure hair and make-up matches the vision that most girls create in their minds.

“The most stressful part was making sure my hair looked the way I wanted it to since it would be windy downtown,” Wilhite said. “[Another stressful part] was making sure my makeup would last through the night.”

3. Accessories: The dress, and the hair and makeup. Now what? Accessories, accessories, accessories. From necklaces, to shoes, to earrings and rings, there are so many options. Places like Charming Charlies sell jewelry that looks stunning and isn’t going to break the bank.

For inspiration, “Simple is a big trend this year. A lot of long earrings or simple pendant necklaces,” The Prom Shoppe said on Instagram.

DSW, Target and Charlotte Russe can be stores to find reasonably priced shoes.

4. The Tux: Equivalent to the dress, a guy’s tuxedo is just as important in making prom night unforgettable. Places like Men’s Wearhouse and Black Tie Formalwear offer tuxedos. While a tux does not need to be found as early as a dress, guys should still plan ahead. “[Get a tuxedo] About a month in advance,” Russell said.

Instead of purchasing a tux for one night, there are other options available. “Most people rent tuxes,” Russell said.

5. The Promposal:  Promposals have become a popular trend, as people continue to come up with the funniest, and most creative ideas every year. Whether just going as friends or a couple, promposals are a fun way to ask. Russell suggests “Communication with friends, planning and having a general outline of a plan that you think would be special.”

To get inspiration, look on social media, Pinterest or this list of a few simple, yet cute ideas:

• Order a dozen or so donuts and write on the box phrases like: “Roses are Red, Donuts are the bomb, do me a Favor and go with me to Prom?” or “I DONUT want to go to Prom with anyone else.” To get more creative, or take it a step further, tell the place to spell out “PROM?” on the donuts.
• Take a stuffed bear and write on the poster “I Couldn’t Bear Prom with Anyone Else.”
• Find out their favorite tv show, movie, or candy and play off of that. For example; “The Office” fans can write “Be the Pam to my Jim at Prom?” on a poster with pictures from the show.

6. Overall Tips:
   • Bring a Jacket and an Emergency Kit: Because prom is Downtown in May, the weather can be unpredictable. Check the weather a few days before and the day of to plan accordingly. Bring a jacket and possibly a small umbrella if needed.

“I didn’t expect it to be so cold,” Wilhite said.

• An “Emergency Kit” with bobby pins, safety pins, make-up for touch ups, Band-Aids, and a stain-remover stick can be helpful to avoid those prom disasters.

• Make a List and Plan Ahead: As fun as the whole prom process is, it can get hectic very fast.

“The most stressful part about getting ready for prom is probably going through the list of things you have to do the couple of days before and making sure you do them with time to spare,” Russell said.

• But, Don’t Plan TOO Much: Of course, everyone wants the night to be perfect, but don’t let the burden of making it a perfect night ruin it.

Live in the moment and create long lasting memories. “Just relax and have fun,” Russell said.

Prom is only a few short months away, and as the juniors get excited for their first experience and the seniors get ready to have one last hurrah before graduation, everyone can agree it will be a fantastic night.

“Overall, my prom experience was really good. Even for those who don’t like dancing, you can still enjoy prom,” Russell said.  Last year at the Museum of Science and Industry, there were so many things to do while walking around and I know that It’ll be a good venue again this year.”

Regardless of grade, prom is an experience that everyone can enjoy or look forward to in years to come.
“Prom was really fun for me because I was able to be with my closest friends,” Wilhite said. “It’s such a different experience from homecoming so I definitely recommend going to prom at least once while you’re in high school.”