How much will you be spending on prom?

[mndisneylovinmom]

Ok, I'm just curious about how much other people will be spending on prom? Dress, hair, shoes, everything. I know there are plenty of budget minded people out there, as well as people that feel money isn't an issue. I wanna hear from both!! And please, no ridiculing for what us spent... Be it a little amount or a large amount. It's for fun, I'm just curious.

 

[Robbi]

We spent about $750-$900 on our daughter's dress, shoes, hair, mani/pedi.

 

[pixiewings71]

Dress was $38, not sure what the hair will be but probably $40-50, she does her own nails, she's wearing shoes that she already has (or borrowing a pair of mine), I'll make her jewelry and her boyfriend is probably buying dinner and paying for her ticket (he's like that, he pays for things all the time, I had to fight with him today to let me pay for lunch! LOL). So probably around $100.

 

[nsmith]

Let me tell you what my husband and I paid for and what we told dd was her responsibility. We paid for her dress, an up do and prom ticket. She had lots of shoes but chose to buy a new pair, instead of the nail salon she and her girlfriends had a mani pedi night, she didn't get a spray tan because she likes her pale skin and she bought and borrowed jewelry.

The expense can really get out of hand and as long as you are paying they don't step back and decide what they really need. As dd would say "proms are like crack for girls"

 

[sk!mom]

Dress and shoes were purchased this week- $220
Feels like a lot but she chose shoes that will be worn again- probably for years. Her dress is a black Betsey Johnson that I think she will take to college and possibly wear again. It's more a great black party dress than a prom dress. It fits her personal style very well. At least these are the words of affirmation I'm giving myself to feel better about the cost.

The remaining expenses will be estimated-
Boutineer $20
Prom tickets $30
Hair and make up- free- She's the pickiest girl around so will do her own. Paid a salon last year and it had to be done over at home. She hated it so much it was going to ruin the night.
Mani/pedi- $35
Black strapless bra- $20? She's going to look at Target. If they don't have one then I'll order from Aerie with a coupon.

No limos even discussed- she finds them obnoxious. They kind of are here because they are rarely seen. Maybe only 4 in town.

Her boyfriend will pay for dinner. She has to buy the tickets because he goes to a different school. He will offer to pay her for the tickets but I won't let him.

He is unsure about his prom but she has already said that if they go, she'll be very happy to wear the dress to both- she loves it that much. Or she might wear last years.

She's getting a great pair of earring purchased on sale a while back in her Easter basket. I think she'll love them with her dress but since I had already bought them for the basket I'm not including them in prom expenses.

 

[njmom47]

This is the first year I'm having a son go to his Junior Prom and his gf's Senior Ball. I'm not really sure how much guy stuff costs for this but we shall see!
(I know how much we spent for dd#2 to go to 4 different proms )

 

[patsal]

Hoping to keep it under $350. With college coming I am not investing too much money in a dance.

 

[anniemck]

DD1 in 2006, borrowed gown from my now SIL, same sil also did her hair and makeup, she looked awesome, and felt great. Shoes were $20 at payless and she still wears them. I dropped her off at Prom and she got a ride home with friends after they had gone out to eat.

DD2 in 2008, borrowed gown from same SIL who also did her hair and makeup and again WOW... her prom date is now her husband. Shoes were again from payless and she still wears them. Dd's date paid for her ticket a group of them reserved rooms at the hotel where prom was on the beach, and I picked them up the next afternoon.

DD3 in 2010, Bought a dress that she had picked out for $40 at the mall, shoes for about $30 to match, her dad's girlfriend paid for her to get her makeup done at Macy's at the mall and sil did her hair. She did not like the makeup job at all, and said she won't go back there again. A bunch of the girls rode to prom together, and she was back home afterwards.

All 3 went for mani/pedi's, but they also worked at the time and paid for it themselves.

They all said themselves it isn't worth it to pay hundreds of dollars for one night, unless it is their wedding... and even then so far only one has married and she was quite practical about it, and it was beautiful.

 

[mamasuf]

Just spent 239 this weekend for the dress. She works so she's paying for tickets (100) and I told her she will buy her own shoes and maybe a purse if she doesn't borrow one.

Prom isn't 'til 4/27 so we still have hair, I'll probably pay for that. Should be about $50 w/tip. She'll do her own nails and her friend will do her makeup. Haven't asked if she wants to spray tan but I doubt it.

It's only junior prom so they don't do limos for that - just senior.

After reading, so far, I feel cheap.

 

[kim929]

I have a question. I have seen many times people post their children go out to eat before the prom. Here dinner is part of the prom, dinner and dancing. Then there is an after prom party back at the high school till 6 am. So what does your prom consist of?

This year I don't have a daughter going to prom. But when I did she borrowed a gown from her cousin, new pair of shoes 20.00, rhinestone headband 25.00. up do and make up was done by her older sister who is a hair stylist. They took their own cars, couldn't see spending the money on a limo and 25.00 for a boutonniere.

This year my son is going to his Sr. prom, and his gf junior prom. Both times he's wearing his black suit, borrowing a cumberbun and bow tie from my friend and you would never know he's not in a tux.(he did this last yr for his jr prom) tickets 100.00 and flowers 30.00 that's it.
Last year he borrowed my bil mustang convertible so he probably will do that again.

I have been very lucky when it came to the proms, I was able to do it without going broke.

 

[Darcy03231]

Well, it was a couple of years ago:

Prom dress was $300. I budgeted $200 so DD paid the other $100 (she was working). She used the same shoes, jewelry and purse that she used the year before for junior prom.

$50 for her share of the limo, $25 for the boutineer, and $50 for nails/pedi. She and her friends did their own hair. Prom tickets were $50.

 

[Jenny3]

We got her dress last week, that was $189 including tax. Only a hem is needed, so we dodged a bullet there for alterations. I expect a mani/pedi will be around $40 with tip. DD will do her own makeup. We are getting her hair done; I expect that to be expensive as she has long curly hair, so maybe $80?

Jewelry & shoes I'm going to keep to a minimum, hit Payless and Claire's or fish around my sister's closet for something she can borrow. I'm not going to spend more than $30, if she wants something above that, she can pay for it.

No limos and hopefully her date will buy her prom ticket. Not sure what a boutineer costs, $15?

If I can keep the total around $350-400, I'll be happy! This is junior prom, btw, just dancing and the prom is from 7-10pm.

 

[sk!mom]

I have a question. I have seen many times people post their children go out to eat before the prom. Here dinner is part of the prom, dinner and dancing. Then there is an after prom party back at the high school till 6 am. So what does your prom consist of?


Here it is Jr/Sr prom combined. DD16 went last year because her then boyfriend was a junior. The tickets are around $30 per couple and include only the dance which is held at the convention center or a hotel.

DD and her boyfriend will go out to dinner before and will go to an all night pancake house after with a group of friends.

 

[4shinystars]

DD saved up for 2 years and is paying for her dress ($395) and boutonniere for BF ($5, she's making it). Doing her own hair, make-up, and nails. Already has jewelry , including the choker I wore to MY prom. (my BF then ended up being my DH )Sold magazines and earned a free prom ticket.
Her BF is paying for his tux ($120), his ticket ($75) flowers if Hanna decides not to make her own bouquet ($30 est) and is surprising her with a limo shared with 4 other couples ($180 their share, -they were going in a classic car of his uncle's, but it won't be out of storage by then)

I bought her an evening bag ($5.98 clearance,lol) and strapless bra ($25). She was going to wear her glitter Converse, but they clash with the dress, so I bought her the flats she wanted (with spikes on the toes!) for $19.99 at Target. If BF misbehaves, she says she'll kick him, lol.

Dinner is part of prom. Grand march at school is at 5, prom is at the Hall of Springs in Saratoga from 7-12 and after-prom lock in at school is 1-6am.

She's only going to this prom, the senior ball next year is not as fancy an event and she already has decided to wear a dress she wore at homecoming this year ($20)

 

[anniemck]

All three of my daughters included food, but it was not something that they would really eat. Most left afterwards and went to dinner. DD1 and 3 prom was in the same place and was a sit down meal, even the although it was 4 years apart food photo's looked the same... neither was impressed. DD2 was a buffet and said food ran out early.

 

[powellrj]

We have already bought the dress. Here DSIL is doing her hair and I think she has about earned the cost of her prom ticket doing fundraisers at school. They were planning on a limo and a nice dinner, but nobody is in charge so they may be too late for the limo. If I still had my car I had planned on letting her take that, but since someone decided to hit me head-on and total my car, that plan is gone too!

The class sponsor had planned on having a bbq buffet at prom but the kids vetoed that and last I heard they were doing a dessert buffet. Not sure about after prom yet.

Spring break is week after next and we are going to Charming Charlies for her jewelry and I think she is getting either sparkley vans or toms since she has really big feet that are hard to fit! I think she can wear her bra from last year. She is paying for her tan and if she decides to get a mani and pedi, she will pay for those too. I asked her about flowers and she hasn't decided yet what she wants.

One of the other moms in her group and I are going crazy because we just want them to finish making their plans and stop changing their minds and putting everything off until the last minute. As hard as it is for me not to step in, I am not doing it. I told her at this point she will be driving her 22 year old car and eating at the local drive-inn if they don't firm up some plans soon.

 

[Julia M]

We have a junior prom and senior ball at dd's school. Last year I bought a dress and shoes for junior prom. About $200 for both. Dh paid for mani-pedi. We paid for prom bid which included dinner. Also had to pay to shorten dress.

Dd also attended senior prom as boyfriend was a senior. She borrowed dress from cousin and wore shoes from junior prom. Boyfriend paid for bid and their share of a limo.

This year lucked out with dress.......a Jessica McClintock. Quite classy. Sales clerk let us know they were taking 25% off any purchase over $100. So dress ended up being about $140 and she will wear shoes she already has. A petite size so no alterations!!!!! We will pay for bid.

We live in CA and many kids buy $400 and $500 dresses. I just told dd that wasn't our budget. Her cousin did her makeup and hair last year. She moved 2 hours away.....I'm hoping to cajole her to come back and help out.

I was happy that dd wanted to donate last years dress to a princess project. Seems like a nice thing to do.

 

[disykat]

We plan on buying DS a standard tux this year, since he'll need it for college music performances. (He's worn his dark suit to other dances.) Based on what we paid for his older brother's, I'm guessing it will be about $150. We'll pay if he wants to rent a vest to match his date's dress.

I need to start looking for deals.

He'll buy tickets, a corsage, and pictures. We'll offer to host a group for dinner or give him a gift of some cash towards expenses if they go out, but he'll mostly be expected to cover the evening himself with spending money he's earned working.

Limos aren't a "thing" in the groups my boy's hang out in.

 

[aprilgail2]

Prom tickets $30
.

No limos even discussed- she finds them obnoxious. They kind of are here because they are rarely seen. Maybe only 4 in town.

Wow- our prom tickets are 125.00 per person. It is basically the same venue as a sit down wedding reception. And almost every kid comes by limo- most split the limos with other couples, some rent the limo party bus where they fit 30+ kids on it. So different from region to region.

 

[believenfaith]

We just paid $500 for DD's gown However, I think I loved it more than her and I simply caved.

She's only a freshman and I told her moving forward, the max I am putting towards a dress is $300. She will have to save and cover any costs above that. I didn't anticipate that she would be going as a freshman or I would have had that discussion last year.

She'll wear the same shoes from her winter formal and a family friend is doing her hair, make-up and nails. Not sure what her ticket will cost?? I think it is around $35 but includes dinner.