Let’s face it: nobody looks forward to prom. They look forward to getting to prom and leaving prom, but nobody seems to actually care about the two or three hours spent with their graduating class at what is just a glorified senior mixer.
If it’s true that the ‘after prom’ is what people look forward to most, then much of the money spent on prom is actually spent for the photo-ops that precede the event.
There’s nothing wrong with spending a little extra to look good, but prom budgets have risen throughout the years, averaging well over $1,000.
Obviously, it’s not the guys that are pushing the budget towards the $1,000 mark. Makeup, nails, hair, accessories, and, of course, the ever-worshipped prom dress all add up to some of the fattest price tags in existence. Some girls are even willing to spend hundreds on the dress alone. To spend upwards of $500 on a designer dress, one would expect it to come with its own butler and a full course meal. More likely than not, this pricey article will rot in the corner of a closet, never to be worn again.
A tuxedo can at least be rented, and will likely find use beyond one extravagant night. However, a dress is often bought to be worn once.
Talk of limousines pushes the limits further. Arriving in style is one thing, but prom is far from a wedding. A limo isn’t needed when a ride from a family member is available. It’s extra money you could be putting in your pocket.
Generally, it’s not even the teenager’s money. The parents are the ones who’ll suffer monetarily, and there’s rarely any consequence for the teen. It’s easy to agree to a large price when you aren’t responsible for the cost.
The argument for this kind of spending would be that the only time money is worth spending is when it’s on a once in a lifetime event, such as prom. That’s fair, but the question remains: what exactly do you plan to enjoy so much during the prom? It seems pretty simple: there’s some dancing and some mediocre food from a catering hall. More time should be spent on making the event something more than just a mixer. It’s not quite clear what the party offers that makes it so distinct and so memorable. The only thing that makes it worth looking forward to is the fact that it’s “the prom.” The idea itself is all that makes it compelling: a formal event that is allegedly ‘one of the best nights of your teenage life.’
A prom is a formal goodbye, a final social get-together for a group of people who’ve been through a lot together. The money we spend would maybe make more sense if we could look forward to more than just dressing nice for a few pictures before doing what we really want: go somewhere far away from prom for the weekend.
