Who pays for Prom?

[Lilacs4Me]

Who paid for your or your child's HS Prom? If you have a boy, did he (you) pay for his date's ticket? If you have a girl, did her date pay for her, or did she pay for her own?

DS had a girlfriend for a while that he thought he would ask to Prom; they are still "sort of" dating, but it's kind of fizzled out to the point that she said to a mutual friend that she would "still say yes if he asks me, but I really just want to hang out with my friends while we are there"

OK, that's fine, but now DS doesn't want to ask her/go with her because it is $90 per ticket, $180/couple and he doesn't want to pay that much, plus a tux, limo, etc, for her to go have a playdate with her girlfriends.

I told him to ask her to go but she pays her own ticket. He wasn't sure about that. He also has a couple other girls who he says have been flirting with him lately that he could ask, but he isn't really dating any of them per se, they are all just friends. If he asked one of them, how would that work?

I don't care about the ins and outs of the 17/18 year old dating world, lol, I just want to know how much I should expect to have to shell out for prom this year. He's my oldest. We haven't done this yet!

 

[Praying Colonel]

Who paid for your or your child's HS Prom? If you have a boy, did he (you) pay for his date's ticket? If you have a girl, did her date pay for her, or did she pay for her own?

DS had a girlfriend for a while that he thought he would ask to Prom; they are still "sort of" dating, but it's kind of fizzled out to the point that she said to a mutual friend that she would "still say yes if he asks me, but I really just want to hang out with my friends while we are there"

OK, that's fine, but now DS doesn't want to ask her/go with her because it is $90 per ticket, $180/couple and he doesn't want to pay that much, plus a tux, limo, etc, for her to go have a playdate with her girlfriends.

I told him to ask her to go but she pays her own ticket. He wasn't sure about that. He also has a couple other girls who he says have been flirting with him lately that he could ask, but he isn't really dating any of them per se, they are all just friends. If he asked one of them, how would that work?

I don't care about the ins and outs of the 17/18 year old dating world, lol, I just want to know how much I should expect to have to shell out for prom this year. He's my oldest. We haven't done this yet!

DD went to prom without a date. The thing among her group of friends was to just go as a group and hang out. We paid for her dress, ticket and meal because we wanted to do something special for her.

DS's school didn't have a prom but they did have a senior function and we paid for a new suit and his ticket.

 

[CarolAnn856]

In high school, my son dated a girl a year behind him. We paid for his proms, and she (or her parents, I'm not sure) paid for hers. Had they been the same year, the costs would have been split

 

[Christine]

When my son had a date (not his girlfriend) he paid for the ticket. When my daughter was asked (sort of boyfriend), he paid for the ticket.

In your son's case, it sounds as if the girl wants to go with her friends. I wouldn't ask her if I knew that. He can either go alone and pay his way, or invite one of the flirty girls and, if so, pay their ticket.

 

[cabanafrau]

Older daughter paid for her own ticket because she decided it would be more fun to be part of the big group of friends going without dates. Younger daughter was the guest of her boyfriend his senior year, he was her guest her senior year.

 

[MamaBelle4]

When I had prom, it was $60 an individual ticket or $60 per couple. So it paid to go with someone.

Both of my proms, I took my best guy friend who was a year behind me. I paid our tickets. He got me a corsage and drove us in his car. I paid for the tickets myself (I had a job). I don't know if he or his parents paid for the corsage.

 

[NAB]

My son was working at the time of his prom so he paid for his girlfriend's ticket. We paid for the tux and his ticket. No limo. For Grad he got a "new" car since he was going far away for school the next fall . He was happy to take that.

Sadly they broke up a week before the prom. She was one year under him so it wasn't as if she would go anyway. He got two plates of food , two desserts and two pictures that came with the ticket. He hung out with all the single guys and had a picture with a bunch of friends, girls and guys .

My daughter has prom this year , we will pay for her ticket and dress. I tease her that she can still fit the dress she got for grade 8 grade. It was pretty fancy since she is a girly girl. It was short and this one has to be long so I have been told. Which means I will be getting it altered too I'm guessing she is a short thing. Looks like she is 12...lol

Tickets are $85 each Dinner/Dance , picture. If you have someone from another school or lower grade you have to have them go though the principal of the school and permission from the other students parent saying they can go and will follow the rules set for the event.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

The asker pays for the askee's ticket and deals with transportation, regardless of both people's gender.
Each person pays for their own clothing.

 

[mjkacmom]

Dd16 is paying for her bf’s formal ticket, he is paying for her prom ticket (different schools). Dd21 had boyfriends a year older, same school, she paid their way, they paid her way. I do think ds19 paid for his girlfriends junior formal ticket, even though she was a junior too, but he didn’t feel comfortable asking her to pay. A girl (acquaintance, not friend) asked ds19 to her senior prom when he was a junior, I can’t remember who paid for him (I think he did, because he’s funny like that).

 

[mamamary]

My son brought a girl from school who wanted to go but didn’t have a date. They split the costs. My daughter brought her boyfriend from another school and she paid for his ticket.

 

[Poohlove]

For both of DS proms I helped him pay for the tickets and the flowers and his tux rental. (The cost of the tickets was very high and his limited availability for work due to sports didn't allow him to make much and he always has paid for his own gas for his truck.) His now ex girlfriend was his date for both and her family paid for her dress, hair, etc. but barely because money was very tight for them. I feel like if a gentleman is asking a girl to the prom as a date then he should buy the tickets. If he is asking her to go as friends the ticket cost should be split.

DD went to the prom solo last year so I paid for everything. This year if she goes with a date I would expect him to purchase the tickets. (As and added bonus they are significantly less this year) We are still searching for a dress but I will pay for that and all that goes along with it. I will also pay for her hair, etc. I would prefer to pick out/pay for her flowers to make sure she gets something nice. (not to sound snotty but I don't want her to have something that doesn't go with her dress or something that is totally hideous)

 

[neverlandsky]

We have a son & daughter. Both will have the same prom budget that we gift them. Up to them on how they want to budget out the money.

 

[Hikergirl]

When my son had a date (not his girlfriend) he paid for the ticket. When my daughter was asked (sort of boyfriend), he paid for the ticket.

In your son's case, it sounds as if the girl wants to go with her friends. I wouldn't ask her if I knew that. He can either go alone and pay his way, or invite one of the flirty girls and, if so, pay their ticket.

Or not go at all

My dd paid for her own ticket for her proms, she went to both solo with a group of girl friends.
She went to her boyfriend's prom and he paid for her ticket.
My ds who doesn't have a girl friend isn't going to prom, he said that his guy friends that don't have girlfriends have no interest in going.
I'm actually relieved, I am one of those parents who dreads prom season.

 

[soccerdad72]

If our son was actually to go to Prom (they only have Senior Prom, and he's a Junior now), I'm sure my wife would pay for it all.

He's unlikely to go, though - he deems all school dances as 'stupid'.

 

[bjscheel]

We don't have to pay for tickets or dinner, just clothes and flowers, so I can't help you there. I would have him see how kids normally handle it at your school. And otherwise I would plan on paying the couple ticket price, and if the girl offers to pay her half, then great!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

The asker pays for the askee's ticket and deals with transportation, regardless of both people's gender.
Each person pays for their own clothing.

This is how it works in our area. My son took a girl he was dating (this was many years ago) but they had already both gotten their own tickets so he paid for both of their shares of the limo a group of them rented.

My DD18 is going this year with friends. We bought her ticket - it's only 40.00. the prom only has snacks and drinks so you are on your own for dinner - most people pay for theirs and a date and go someplace. Since she is going with friends, they are talking about going to a chinese place near us for dinner and everybody pays for their own food.
Nobody has brought up transportation yet although I think it's getting kind of late and it needs to be figured out since prom is in a month. Most of my DD's friends now have drivers licenses and access to vehicles if they don't have their own car which is different from when my son went.

 

[mjkacmom]

When dd21 was a freshman in college, she wanted to go to the senior prom, sincesome of her girlfriends were going. She told them to put the word out that she was available (her boyfriend was okay with it). One guy didn’t have a date, even promposal’d her (with a burrito), and paid for her ticket (she offered). The week before prom, he got into an altercation with another student (not his fault but zero tolerance). He was banned from the prom. Dd called the principal (a good friend of DH’s) without us knowing, and asked if she could still go without him.

So, not a student, and she went stag to the prom. She begged him to take her money, he refused.

 

[Cadiewampus]

Well we were going to pay for DS ticket ($75.00 ea) for him and girlfriends (shes a junior) . Not sure when it is but is moot anyway. He asked her to go a couple of weeks ago. She broke up with him this week. Ah well part of life but I feel bad for him. Wife said she hopes he just goes an hangs out with his buddies. I doubt he he will though.

 

[mjkacmom]

Well we were going to pay for DS ticket ($75.00 ea) for him and girlfriends (shes a junior) . Not sure when it is but is moot anyway. He asked her to go a couple of weeks ago. She broke up with him this week. Ah well part of life but I feel bad for him. Wife said she hopes he just goes an hangs out with his buddies. I doubt he he will though.

That happened to ds senior year. The hardest part for him was deciding who to take, he based it on who was in his party bus and table. He asked a girl in a connecting friend group (and only ran into his ex at one picture taking house).

 

[mi*vida*loca]

My son is going with a friend so she's paying for her own ticket. If he had a gf he would probably pay for her ticket. I'm not sure.