Prom expense question...

[Kimmumum]

He should pay.

That being said, our HS has a HUGE senior class (over 1000) so they hold the prom at a museum in downtown Chicago. The tickets cost $200/couple

 

[CyndiLooWho]

You've already made your decision on the tix, and that's great.

As for prom dresses, hang onto the better ones! When I went away to college, I went to 3 formals a year, and I didn't even belong to a sorority. We traded dresses around the dorm and had a great time with them. You can even make some extra money 'renting' them to other girls. And watch the clearance aisles starting in mid-may. One of my favorite dresses was purchased for $20 off a clearance rack.

On a side note, I was in the mall the other day and I saw MY formal from a dance I went to in 1987. The exact same dress. I was floored. The only difference was that where my underskirt was tulle over over satin, this on had satin over tulle. Otherwise it was the same.

 

[plummer925]

Have your son look into BUYING a tux (yea, I know this isn't what you asked about!) - My DH did that when we went on a cruise - it was $25 cheaper to buy one than to rent on for a week - and he now has it in the closet (hmmm...I think I'll put it on ebay!!).

Seriously - you can get a really nice tux pretty reasonable!

 

[CyndiLooWho]

Ooh, I forgot about that option. I was in the select choir in college and all the girls had to buy formals (icky ones), but the boys bought tuxes - and never had to rent another all through college. It was a good buy. I will try to remember that when my own boys get to be prom / college age.

 

[agnes!]

My boys were in a wedding last week. The Tuxedos were $156.00 EACH!!!! A $50 tux Good for you! Weddings and Proms and truly budget busters.



I guess we are spoiled in this area. The company is mostly in the Northern Ohio. They are even doing a promo that if you hand out fliers for them and get 10 people to rent a tux for prom from your flier, the tux is free. They also offer $30 off a tux rental with coupon.

For weddings they are doing complete tuxes with long tie and vest for $54.99 with 5 wedding party rentals. Free rentals for the groom and ringbearers.

Sounds like we all need to start dealing with this particular tux rental company . I wonder if they would do mail-order....

agnes!

 

[Nie0214]

When I was in high school, I asked my friend Mike to come with me. We were going in a limo as a group of friends (10 of us total), and it was very much as friends more than dates (even though we tried to go on a few dates together, we were still friends first). We each paid for our own ticket / limo share, etc. Our mutual friends were mad that he didn't buy my ticket.

The flowers he got me (aka the flowers his mom picked out) were beautiful though.

 

[cougar242]

My son is going to prom on Saturday and we paid for both their tickets which was $50 total. His tux is $80. Now after reading this thread I feel like I am paying WAY to much for the flowers, they are costing me $50. YIKES! I wonder if it is to late to inquire about something different.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

id buy her ticket i think our prom tickets were like 90 a peice! 25 is a good deal!

 

[Dizisfun]

I agree with a lot of the post already. If your son ask her and it's a date then he should pay for both tickets. If they both just were looking for someone to go with, they usually pay for their own tickets.

My son went to Prom several years ago, the girl was a senior and he was a 10th grader. She didn't have a steady boyfriend, but wanted to go to prom, she ask him and she paid for both tickets. (he did give her the money back because he felt funny that a girl was paying his way, but he only gave her the money back for his ticket)

Gosh, $25.00 a person is cheap compared to what my nephew paid this year to go to prom where we live. The tickets were $60 a piece!

 

[Dizisfun]

Okay I must really be stupid, What are the tickets for? Here Proms are free. The Jr. class has all the fundraising, they do it all. Last years Jr. class had over $12,000. The Jr. parents are in charge of the meal.

The only cost the kids have is the clothes, accessories, and pictures.

DD14 is going to prom on Saturday, just decided last week, well we had no dress. Her friend a sr. had an extra dress.


Prom tickets are not the norm around here.

Wow, that's what we did back in the day! I graduated like a million years ago tho. The juniors "put on" Prom for the seniors and it was held in the High School Gymasium! Now they drive about 2 hours away to rent a hall and have no input at all except for selling the "tickets". My son graduated in 2006 and he wouldn't even go to his senior prom because the school has eliminated the "Senior Walk" of recognition for the Seniors.

 

[duketennisgal]

I think I recall our prom tickets being about $50 or so, I went with my friend that asked me, not as a date. I tried to pay but he insisted that since he asked he paid for everything.

Jeez, that was 12 years ago! I can't believe I've been out of high school for 12 years. I think my dress was around $150 and my shoes were $30 or $40. Then of course you have to get your hair done, make sure you have the proper accessoried and what not, it can get very expensive.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Okay I must really be stupid, What are the tickets for? Here Proms are free. The Jr. class has all the fundraising, they do it all. Last years Jr. class had over $12,000. The Jr. parents are in charge of the meal.

The only cost the kids have is the clothes, accessories, and pictures.

DD14 is going to prom on Saturday, just decided last week, well we had no dress. Her friend a sr. had an extra dress.


Prom tickets are not the norm around here.

The tickets cover the cost of the prom venue, cocktail hour, dinner, dessert, drinks, DJ.

My son's prom tickets are $125.00 per person. The prom will be here http://www.grandprospect.com/

After the prom a bunch of the kids are going on a party cruise around NY harbors.

A few parents hired party buses ($200.00 per person) that includes transportation to the prom, after party cruise, home and admission to the cruise.

Thank goodness my son and his friends decided to all go without dates.

After talking to a few parents, none of us were willing to pick up the tab for our kids and their date.

 

[almburr]

Wow, that's what we did back in the day! I graduated like a million years ago tho. The juniors "put on" Prom for the seniors and it was held in the High School Gymasium! Now they drive about 2 hours away to rent a hall and have no input at all except for selling the "tickets". My son graduated in 2006 and he wouldn't even go to his senior prom because the school has eliminated the "Senior Walk" of recognition for the Seniors.

The newspaper had a notice for the prominade(sp). Every little old couple head to the school to see the dresses, and cute couples.

 

[bizeemom4]

My son is going to prom on Saturday and we paid for both their tickets which was $50 total. His tux is $80. Now after reading this thread I feel like I am paying WAY to much for the flowers, they are costing me $50. YIKES! I wonder if it is to late to inquire about something different.

Well, is your son taking my daughter? Her prom is this Saturday night. If so, I'm sure the $50 flowers will make my daughter really happy.

She's a National Honor Society member with awesome grades AND we make her work part time. I paid for her dress and she has to pay for everything else - hair, shoes, his flower, accessories. Her 'updo' alone is $80!

 

[branv]

I just had to post b/c this whole thread is really taking me back. Ahhh, those were the days. Remember the corsage fumble when a boy would buy you a pin-on -- and his look of fear as he tried to pin it on without giving the impression to the parents that he was a Perv? ROFL!

Though I am a little stunned at how inexpensive some of the proms are! Back in 1991 at my prom, tickets were $75/couple, and all that covered was you getting to dance at a nice hotel. I think there were snacks/punch, but in my area you always went out to dinner first, and then came to the dance to mingle and get photos. I shudder to imagine what they charge at my old HS today. Of course, our districts didn't do a junior prom, so the senior prom was a bigger deal.

FWIW: when I got married, we rented the tux's for about $75/ea at Men's Warehouse. It was the newer style, with the full length tie. Dunno if anyone has thought about checking there?

I still don't understand why people buy boutonnieres. I am all thumbs, impossible for me to be crafty, but even I can make a bout, and a person with marginally better skills than me could make a corsage. In fact, I remember my groups of guy/girl friends all ordering from someone's mom who made a killing just doing these on the side (and mums) for dances. And she wasn't even a florist. Helloooo Disney money!

OP: glad to hear you're covering the ticket. That was going to be my vote as well. I hope your DS has a great time and you get great photos

 

[cougar242]

Well, is your son taking my daughter? Her prom is this Saturday night. If so, I'm sure the $50 flowers will make my daughter really happy. :rotf

She's a National Honor Society member with awesome grades AND we make her work part time. I paid for her dress and she has to pay for everything else - hair, shoes, his flower, accessories. Her 'updo' alone is $80!

Lol... Not unless we are flying her up from Atlanta so she can go with him. We recently moved back to our home state and he has stayed with his girlfriend so we are flying her here for the weekend. I thought I was getting a good deal with the flowers until I was reading this thread. I guess it just really is also a matter of where you live as well.

I hope all of the kids have an experience of a life time and a safe prom night.

 

[stitchlovestink]

I just have to ask...why $200 for a tux and corsage? When we got married not quite 4 years ago, it was only $50 or so for a tux from American Commodore. I can't imagine the tux costing $175, allowing $25 for a small corsage which is high.

Also, when I went to my prom, there was a discount for couples. If you bought single tickets, they charged more. The other thing I agree with PP about is who is paying. My parents didn't pay for anything. I had a job and so did my friends. We all paid our own way. My dress alone was over $300 without shoes, accessories, dinner, limo, and other expenses.

I don't know anywhere around here where you're going to get a 21st century style tux for $50.
While I agree that the rental cost for a tux is outrageous, it is what it is. The rental places around here know when the proms are and charge accordingly. Wedding parties do get better rates since they are renting several at once.
while I also think $25 for a coursage is high, it is on the 'cheap' end around here. I guess it comes down to it, either you pay it or you don't.

Okay I must really be stupid, What are the tickets for? Here Proms are free. The Jr. class has all the fundraising, they do it all. Last years Jr. class had over $12,000. The Jr. parents are in charge of the meal.

The only cost the kids have is the clothes, accessories, and pictures.

DD14 is going to prom on Saturday, just decided last week, well we had no dress. Her friend a sr. had an extra dress.


Prom tickets are not the norm around here.

WOW! Lucky you, no cost for prom tix.
Here, we only have Senior prom and it's been that way since before I graduated (which was ehmm almost 23 years ago ). Proms here are held at the same type of venue (ball room) as a wedding reception and includes dinner. They do have a Spring formal at the school in the gym and it is for freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors (if they want to stoop so low as to go to this right before prom ).

My boys were in a wedding last week. The Tuxedos were $156.00 EACH!!!! A $50 tux Good for you! Weddings and Proms and truly budget busters.



I guess we are spoiled in this area. The company is mostly in the Northern Ohio. They are even doing a promo that if you hand out fliers for them and get 10 people to rent a tux for prom from your flier, the tux is free. They also offer $30 off a tux rental with coupon.

For weddings they are doing complete tuxes with long tie and vest for $54.99 with 5 wedding party rentals. Free rentals for the groom and ringbearers.

You are very lucky. Most places around here charge MORE for the ringbearers tux or at least a larger deposit since those tuxs are the ones most likely to get ruined.

 

[DianaPrincessofWales]

This whole PROM topic is new to me. My son who is a junior said he wouldn't be going to prom until his senior year. BUT ............then along came a girl!!! who REALLY wanted to go and so he was nice, etc, etc. He offered to pay for her ticket but because she asked they both agreed they would pay their own ways, period. We as parents are staying out of the "who pays" discussion and letting them handle that.

I'm not sure if I've read anyone on this thread that is BUYING a suit or tux. We just bought a basic black suit with tie and shirt to match the girls ensemble. We're hoping he will wear it for at least 10 years!! WAY cheaper than renting. So he's covered for weddings, grads, music event, funerals and future college events. I don't know, just lots of occasions!

 

[gilby]

Our prom tickets this year are 50 for the juniors and 30 for their dates. Dress we got on sale, shoes, hair and make up(sister works at hair salon) jewelry 9.10, nails and altering. It is spendy, but I tell my daughter she has to pay for nails and tickets. It doesn't hurt for them to know the cost and to help out.

 

[ShanPoosky]

Glad mine are only 2 and 3 years old and I don't have to worry about this yet. However, I think he (or should I say you) has to pay fro the "friends" ticket. Sorry!