Dresses, Hair appointments, nail appointments, spray tans…. Triton senior Molly Porter-Crean has spent close to $1,000 on prom preparation. Fellow Triton senior Liam Kneeland  on the other hand, has only spent about $100. So, how much does prom really cost? 

Prom is way more than just a dance for some attendees. For some, this is an opportunity to dress up in dresses and suits and put their best foot forward. 

For girls, the cost of prom adds up quickly. Some girls choose to make hair, nail, and makeup appointments all to prep for their big night, on top of the cost of their dress, shoes, accessories and the actual tickets to attend prom. According to amarra.com , “You can spend $150 to $2,000 or more attending the event. However, on average, a girl will spend about $900 – $1000 on their big night with all the above mentioned costs.”  Molly Porter-Crean needs to put a lot of time and money  into her prom prep. She adds “I think I’ll probably spend maybe around $1,000. I mean, I need to pay for my dress, shoes, accessories, a hair appointment, a nail appointment…It’s a lot.” 

For boys, the expenses are a little different. Most boys just need a suit and sometimes a corsage for their dates. Liam Kneeland reports, ““For prom I need to get my suit ready and get a haircut. I also need to get flowers for my prom date…that’s about it. So maybe I’ll spend around $100” Although this process might sound easier and cheaper, Liam reports that its still a lot of pressure to look his best for prom. 

From a chaperones perspective, Mrs. Cheryl Wotton sees and hears about all the effort, money, and time that goes into the preparation for prom night. “Let’s see, a dress- $300; alterations – $100; shoes – $100; make up – $100; spray tan – $50; manicure/pedicure – $80; hair – $100; jewelry –  $100……total: $830.00” Wotton reports as she recalls a rough estimate of the potential prom expenses. After all, all the time, money, and effort is worth it for a night of laughing and dancing with your friends.