Prom Tips

Hey Nice girls!
I really wanted this blog to go up yesterday, but I have been so busy the past couple of days trying to get class work done. I’m so glad I finally found time to tell you all of my prom tips. Remember these are just my personal tips, and things I have learned. I had the opportunity to go to 5 different proms while I was in high school. Prom will be the best time of your senior/ junior year if you are prepared.

Tip number one- Make your dinner reservations NOW! You want to make sure the restaurant you and your friends want to go to will have a spot available for you when prom rolls around. Also, call and confirm your reservations the week of prom. You want to make sure the restaurant is still expecting your party. From experience, check the menu before you make your reservations! I am the pickiest eater you will ever meet, and I always have to check the menu before I can agree to go to a restaurant for dinner.

Tip number two- Girls, get those dresses to a seamstress ASAP. If you still don’t have your dress picked out, remember you need to give the seamstress at least two weeks to work on your dress to get it just right.

Tip number three- A lot of you nice girls out there will go to a salon for hair, makeup and manicures. There’s really no need to spend extra money on salon services. My mom did my hair, makeup and nails for every dance I went to in school. And believe it or not, girls would always ask me where I got my hair done. I would just smile and say my mom did it. The secret to great hair, makeup and nails is to plan ahead. Think about the type of hairstyle that will go with your dress. Is your dress elegant and formal? If so, think past the traditional up-do and consider a slicked back style with a wrapped ponytail. This is always a classic look. Is your dress more fun and flirty? Go for long, loose curls or a messy up-do. Don’t have long hair? How about a clip in hairpiece? Everyone at the dance is going to have the same up-do. Be creative and stand out with a great unique style. I suggest doing some trial runs with your style once you have decided exactly what you want and have purchased all of your hair accessories. I discovered a super brand of glue on nails at Target. Do-it-yourself nail kits have come along away in recent years. I found a kit with a natural looking French manicure that I used for every special occasion. No one ever knew I did them myself. If you are planning to go to a professional to get your hair, makeup and nails done, make your appointment NOW! The salons fill up so fast for prom. Also, leave more than enough time to wait at the salon because you can’t count on them being on time. You want to make sure you and your stylist have plenty of time to get your style on!

Tip number four- Pick out your flowers and get them ordered. The biggest problem with flowers is people forget to pick them up (trust me – I helped out at a friend’s flower shop on prom day and couldn’t believe how many people forgot their flowers).So please don’t forget. Set am alarm on your phone or write it really big on your calendar so you don’t forget. Girls get creative with your flowers! Try and think outside of the box! Don something different besides the typical corsage that everyone else will have. I have experimented with different ideas. I have done traditional bouquets, I once carried a flower bomb, and I also had a wire bead bouquet. The flower bomb was basically a styrofoam ball covered with roses, check out my photos under tip number nine to see picture of the flower bomb. It was so cute and different. It matched the big dots on my dress perfectly. I can say no one else had flowers like I did at that dance. Below I have inserted a picture of the wire bead bouquet. This was a big hit, and I loved it! Again, it matched overall feel of the look I was going for. I think that’s the thing with flowers. They should compliment your look, not just match the colors you are wearing.

Tip number five- I promise you nice girls that no matter how nice your Jimmy Choos are, you will not wear them all night. Be prepared and take a pair of cute flats or flip flops. This way you will not be leaving the dance with dirty feet. I have learned the hard way. This is a prom must!

Tip number six- Stash extra bobby pins in your purse for a quick hair fix. Your style may loosen up once you start dancing so be prepared with extra pins.

Tip number seven- If you are going to tan start NOW! You do not want to go to prom burnt. Give yourself enough time to get color. If you tan fast I would start a month early. If you take forever to tan like I do, you really should start now. Please know that in no way am I telling you to tan. If you are a tanner this advice is for you. If you want color but don’t want to tan, consider professional spray tan. Most tanning salons offer spray tanning at a reasonable price. There are also a ton of great self tanners on the market. But if you decide to use a self tanner, play around with different products early enough to find the perfect color for your skin tone.

Tip numbers eight- Limo’s are so fun for prom! Although I never took one, I think everyone should have the opportunity to go to prom in style. I always wanted to go to a dance in a pink limo. (Maybe at my wedding someday I can have that pink limo!) Keep in mind there will likely be several proms or other events on the same day. Get that limo reserved now! Limo company’s fill up fast because everyone wants to be a celebrity on prom night. I can say I may not have gone to my senior prom in a limo, but I did go in my dad’s bright blue Toyota Tundra and I definitely stood out! This nice girl always likes to make an impression.

Tip number nine- Don’t be afraid to have fun with your pictures! Try new things; don’t just take the same old picture of you and your date standing in front of the fireplace. I’m sure you have a million of pictures like this. It’s prom, make it special! Below are a few pictures from my sophomore homecoming of my date and I having fun before the dance. These are some of my favorite pictures.

Tip number ten- I expect you to be dancing all night long at prom! Yes, that’s right I am telling you to dance all night long! No need to worry about your strapless dress falling down because I have the best solution for that! DRESS TAPE! Now I have never actually used tape meant for dresses. I go a different route. My secret is toupee tape. Yes, I mean toupee as in men’s hairpieces. It works like magic ladies and it is much cheaper than tape marketed specifically for clothing! Place the tape in the areas you think you will be pulling up all night and viola! Now you can really dance all night long!

Tip number eleven- The worst thing that can happen at prom is for you and another girl to have the same dress on. This was always my worst nightmare! Here’s my nice girl advice. Take a picture with her and laugh about it. There is no reason to get upset and have your evening ruined. Just make the situation positive.

Tip number twelve- Discuss your plans with your parents. Your parents are going to want to know where you are going before and after the dance. As a thank you to them for putting time, effort and money into making your day the best, let them know your plans. Try to tell them before they ask. I promise your parents will be so proud and will respect you more for telling them your plans for the evening before they have to drag it out of you.

Tip number thirteen- If your school has a grand march or a prom parade get there super early. I arrived to my grand march 20 minutes early and I was still close to the end of the line. Plan out your time for the evening so you get to everything on time. You don’t want to miss a second of this special night.

Tip number fourteen- This is the most important tip I can give you. BE SAFE! My school was great about having an after prom. If your school offers activities for your class after prom, take advantage of them. At the very least there is always free food. Remember teens you are ALL under 21 and you should not be drinking! I promise you can still have a fun time without alcohol. If a friend gets into trouble or needs your help, make sure you are there to help them. I know all you nice girls will make me proud and will grab a water or, in my case, a diet coke instead of alcohol.

Again these are just my personal opinions and experiences. Please feel free to leave comments and questions. I will gladly respond to your questions and comments as soon as possible. Have a great time at prom and make me proud!

And remember, nice girls always finish first!

BrittneeNoel