This made me think about you guys. Not because you're getting married (if you are you're in the wrong place!) but because you've got a big event coming up next year, one involving dressing up and dancing, just like a wedding. Yup, I'm talking about your prom night, and it's made me wonder how much you are planning to – and perhaps you've already started to – spend on your prom.

I'm talking about prom guests here, not the prom committee, who are likely to be spending money on a larger scale to pay for decorations, food, entertainment etc. When it comes to prom night, the little things can all add up. Off the top of my head, a prom guest will be spending money on:

• A prom dress / tuxedo
• Accessories – shoes, jewellery and corsages
• Hair and make up (less for the lads of course!)
• The ticket price for the prom itself
• Prom transport
• Any contributions to a post-prom party

etc…

Over to you!
So I'm curious; how much are you spending? For prom year students it can be hard; you're still at school so dependent on a contribution from parents, or finding the money through the small amount of part-time work you're able to do. How are you finding the money? Is it a worry for you and your family?

If you don't feel happy to put something in the public comments below, drop us a line. I'm thinking about writing a couple of posts on ways to keep your costs as low as possible, I'd like to know where your budget is going so I can tailor my advice to what you need.

1. Roll your eyes every time the word "prom" is mentioned

If you're not very excited about the prom, that's up to you, but if your girlfriend is, you need to prepare yourself: the closer it gets, the more she'll want to talk about it. It doesn't matter if you've heard it before, or you think her worries are silly, just listen – without the eye rolling.

2. Ask her how much weight she's planning to lose before the prom.

I'm hoping that you've just read that and thought "Whoa! I'd never say anything at all about her weight!" Even better, hopefully you don't care about that anyway, but your girlfriend is likely to worry about whether she'll look good in her dress. Sadly in this day and age that usually has a lot to do with weight. Just don't go there.

3. Ask "You're not going to wear one of those [insert any kind of dress here] prom dresses are you?"

If you hear about a certain style being the rage, or you happen to be with her when the celebrity news is on and they're talking about the latest dress fashions and your girlfriend gets excited about something awful on the screen, button your lip. It's the only way to be sure. Trust her taste, accept that fashion does dumb things sometimes and remember, whatever she wears, she'll look fabulous.

4. Tell her that you're going to be picking her up in a taxi – even if you have already booked a limo / sports car

It might seem romantic to make her think that you're a clutz and all the while be arranging the most amazing prom transport surprise, but nine times out of ten, all it will do is stress her out. Instead, tell her you're sorting out the best prom transport ever and promise her you'll be arriving in style – then be sure to make that happen!

Of course, it doesn't have to be a surprise at all. You could reassure her that the prom transport is booked if she has a tendency to worry, and then surprise her with a gift waiting for her in the car. Then you'll give her the romantic experience, without the worry.

5. Neglect to ask her to the prom – she'll just know, right?

No assumptions! Don't just think that she knows, she might be worried that you don't want to partner with her at the biggest event of the school year, and that's not good. Why not go the whole hog and make a big deal of asking her? It'll make her feel special, get both of you (hopefully) excited about the prom and earn you many, many boyfriend points.

6. Assume she'll buy her own corsage

This can be tricky in the twenty-first century: the tradition is for the guy to buy the corsage for the girl, but some see that as old-fashioned and some guys worry that they'll buy the wrong corsage if they do go down the traditional route. Don't worry; just ask her which she would prefer. You could always go and choose one with her and then arrange to buy and collect it yourself to give to her on the night. And if that sounds like hard work, just remember that it's the little things that count.

7. Buy a piece of jewellery and insist she wears it to the prom.

On paper that looks like a really good idea. It's a present that girlfriends usually love, and it means she has something sparkly to wear to prom and show all of her friends. What's not to love about this idea?

The problem is with the second part. By all means buy jewellery as a gift if you like, but be warned, your beau may have her prom outfit and accessories all planned, bought and ready to wear – and the necklace you've chosen may not match anything she's planning to wear to prom.

Over to you!

Have we left anything out? Have you put your foot in it already? Let us know in the comments and help the other boyfriends out there navigate the next few months…

For some, school sucks. And if school sucks, it's likely that the school prom might not be something you're feeling over the moon about. It may seem strange to blog about this on a site which is dedicated to the sheer fantastic brilliance that is the school prom (hey, we're optimistic, positive people) but I feel it's important.

So what is freaking you out about your school prom?

Let's take a moment to roll over this upcoming glitzy school prom and see what's on its dirty underbelly… or in other words, let's look at the prom stuff that is freaking you out.

Why? Well, I want to find out what you're worrying about, because when I know that, I can figure out how to address those specific worries, and give you advice and tips that might help. Sure, I can think of lots of things that you might be worrying about, but seeing as this is a blog, and you can 'talk' back to me, why not start a conversation?

Then when all these worries are dragged out into the bright daylight, we can all look at them, figure out how to make it better and then get on with being all excited again. Sound good?

Twenty school prom worries

So, let's kick things off with twenty things that might be worrying you about the school prom. These are just off the top of my head…

1. I will look awful in my prom dress / black tie
2. Everyone will laugh at me when I arrive
3. Someone else will be wearing the same prom dress as me (and look better in it)
4. I will trip up in front of everyone as I arrive
5. I'll look awful in all the photos
6. [insert name of ex] will be there with new boyfriend/girlfriend [delete as appropriate] (and be really happy with them)
7. The people who bully me in class will bully me at the prom and ruin it
8. My prom date will be a complete muppet
9. I'll be asked to dance by someone awful
10. I won't be asked to dance at all
11. I'll have to dance at some point
12. My friends will think my date is awful
13. My friends will like my date too much (and dance with them all night)
14. My parents will expect me home straight afterwards, when all my friends are staying out
15. My parents will insist on dropping me off in the family car
16. I'll get nervous and my skin will go all blotchy
17. I'll get a spot the size of Cornwall on my nose
18. I'll choke on a chunk of sausage roll in front of everyone else
19. The person in my year who has a crush on me (not mutual) will harass me all night
20. I won't have anyone to talk to / hang out with and so I'll have to hide in the corner all night

What are your prom worries?

Now it's your turn! What are you worrying about? Let me know in the comments so I can figure out how to help you – and if we have enough responses, I might start a regular slot. You don't have to give your real name, just a real worry. And if you're just too shy, drop me a line through the comment form.

P.S. If you enjoyed this post, you can subscribe by email so you don't miss the follow-up.

Prom dresses and endless choices

The wonderful thing about school prom dresses is that you have so much choice; you aren’t restricted to only wearing full length gowns, or only cocktail dresses. When it comes to prom gowns, as long as it’s glamorous, anything goes. I’ll be writing all kinds of posts about prom dresses over the next few months, so I want to start at the absolute beginning of your selection process: knowing what style of prom dress suits your shape.

No matter what shape you are, you can find a prom dress that looks fabulous.

If there is anything the wonderful Gok Wan has taught us, it’s that you don’t have to be an underweight supermodel to look fantastic in a frock. Whatever shape you are, there is an ideal style to suit you, you just need to identify three things about your figure:

1. Your overall body shape
2. One feature you like to show off
3. The feature you most want to hide

I’ll take you through each one step-by-step, the rest is up to you and your shopping stamina!

The Prom Organiser’s guide to prom dresses for every body shape

Curvy hourglass

Lucky you! With your bust and hips perfectly balanced and a slim waist to boot, you can carry off most styles of dress. Some A-line styles won’t make the best of your figure, though most formal gowns will suit your shape, especially those that have a defined waist.

Boyish figure

If you’re slender but there isn’t much definition between your waist and hips, an Empire line gown is a good choice. The style is designed to take attention from the waist and skim down over the hips. Decoration at the bust can also keep the eye away from the waist too.

Pear shaped

Wide necklines that balance out your top with your lower half helps, along with dresses that are fitted at the waist and then flare out into a full lower half. This style shows off a slim waist, leaving anything below to the imagination.

Apple shaped

If you are fairly tall, an Empire-line gown can detract from the stomach and waist areas and lengthen your body too. Some carefully designed A-line dresses that have a bit of boning under the bust can also be very flattering. A lower neckline with really striking, eye-catching jewellery is also a good idea.

Tall and thin

Softer lines, rather than tight bodices are more flattering for your shape, and wide and scooped necklines help to widen you out at the top. Sleeves that are cropped and sit wide on the shoulder can also do the same.

Petite

A dress with Princess seams or an A-line shape is the best bet – never wear a dress that has a waist feature, as that will make you look shorter.

Prom dress details to emphasise your best feature

Most of us have one feature that we are proud of, perhaps it’s shapely legs, a trim waist or smooth skin across the back. Decide which one is your best feature, and then choose a design that draws attention to it.

Long legs

For example, a long sheath dress with a slit cut at the side can tastefully reveal wonderful legs, or if you want to be less subtle, you could go for an asymmetrical hemline.

Shapely back

A backless dress can show off that skin, but be sure to find a cleverly designed bra to keep everything in place around the front.

A bust to die for?If you have a good bust, you can have a bit of cleavage, but go for gowns with wider shoulder straps – thin straps don’t work for those with a larger bust, and you’re likely to need a good bra with thicker straps to hide anyway.

Tiny waist?

Get a big belt or dress with a spectacular sash waist to show it off!

Distracting away from a feature with a savvy prom dress choice

Even the most beautiful women in the world have something they don’t like about their figure, and for you to feel fabulous on prom night, you need to be confident that attention will be where you want it. Here are a few common worries, and what prom dress designs can do to help.

Chunky upper arms

You could wear a bolero style jacket, or add a spectacular wrap to the outfit which will also frame your bust and neck, drawing attention away from your arms.

Chunky legs

Avoid styles that are long and straight that have a slit cut into them for walking. Depending on your overall shape, consider a full gown that will emphasis and sweep out from the waist, disguising your leg shape.

Large bust

Not everyone wants to show them off! Choose a princess line gown with a fuller skirt to make the lines flow over and balance the bust, and choose a dress that has beading or other decoration around the hem to distract the eye from the top. Avoid thin straps and halter necks.

Small bust

If your bust is too small for you to carry off some designs, consider an Empire style gown with pleated or ruched fabric across the bust to make it look like there is more there.

Figure it out, then the choice of prom dress style is easy

Once you have identified these three characteristics of your figure, start with the base shape that suits, then choose style details that maximise what your proud of, and hide what zaps your confidence. It may take time, but it will be worth it!

Do you have any questions or worries about your prom dress? Drop us a line or ask in the comments below, we’re here to help!