Seeing Broadway: At the Dance previews reminds many students of a special event: the annual AVHS Prom! For girls that have not attended prom before, planning for it can seem overwhelming. The purpose of this article is to give female readers a leg up on planning this exciting day, focusing on what should get done when. Several AVHS seniors have also pitched in with their advice.

First, February is a good time to start looking for a dress. Most dress shops won’t be as picked over at this time. Some girls will get their dresses much earlier, and some will wait until the last minute. Senior Claire Hoffa advises, “Buy a dress early. Wear comfortable shoes.”

Once you start dress shopping, it is also a good idea to have a conversation with your parents about budgeting. Are you going to pay for everything on your own? Are your parents going to pay for it all? Or, will you split the cost of some things?

There are a couple easy ways to save money for prom. First, consider getting your hair and makeup done at a beauty school instead of a professional salon. At the Regency Beauty Institute in Burnsville, a makeup application is only $8 and a prom hairstyle is $24, compared to professional salons around town that can cost up to $100 for both. Another option is to do your hair and makeup on your own, if you have a knack for it.

For nails, you could easily do them yourself, instead of paying anywhere from $30-$60 for a professional manicure or acrylic nail sets.

Carpooling to International Market Square is another great way to save money. Driving on your own can be really nice when everyone is pooped after the dance. And, it’s essentially free (aside from gas). Senior Heidi Le says, “It’s a great way to save money and still have fun because you are still with other friends.”

However, some large groups opt for a party bus. Senior Ashley Runck vouches that the experience is worth the price. “It makes the night go by a little faster and makes the night more interesting! I like how you can play your own music and mingle with friends, and it’s not super packed.”

Another appointment you may want to consider is a tan. The airbrush spray tan offered at Luxe Tan in Lakeville is a popular choice. The owner usually does a prom discount for about $20, and a little extra glow can make you feel brighter on the day of prom. Senior Kathrine Groh speaks highly of it: “I thought it was awesome! It was weird after a few hours because you turn ten times darker, but after a shower in the morning it is gorgeous! I would definitely recommend it to anyone.”

March is a good time to start forming a prom group. There’s no magic number of couples; it all depends on what feels right. Eventually, a lot of people are going to want to join your group. It can be hard to turn them away, but after you have hard plans made it is best to not add any more couples.

As a rule of thumb, don’t invite another couple to join your existing group without consulting those currently in it. It causes a lot of drama.

Senior Ashley Runck says, “The drama in a group isn’t worth it. Everyone is going to have to agree to the same thing at one point. It helps not to be picky either, and just go with the flow and realize that in five years none of [the drama] will matter.”

Your group should also plan pictures and transportation together. Senior Kayla Kirtz says, “Make sure you plan ahead in terms of meeting place, pictures, and travel time, because once you get to International Market Square it can get busy.” Runck adds, “The easiest way [to plan pictures] is to get some ideas for picture-taking places, and make an online poll for everyone to go fill out and narrow it down.”

If you don’t have a prearranged date by now, don’t worry! Going stag in a big group of friends is an option many girls choose. AnaLiisa Olson, a member of the Prom Committee, says, “I think prom is a night that’s best spent with your friends, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t have a date. You’ll look back and remember the fun night, not that you went alone!”

If you would prefer to go with a date, it’s not as hard as it seems to get one. Every guy you know probably wants to go. Go with a friend or someone else you will have a good time with. Sometimes, it’s easier to outright ask a boy if they’d be interested in going with you instead of waiting for them to make the first move.

In April, start looking for hairstyles that you want, and even makeup looks. Pinterest is a great place to look for these, or tutorials on YouTube. If you’re getting these done at a salon, make an appointment during March.

Go shopping with your date! Or, more sensibly, his mom. Sometimes, it can be stressful relying on a guy to pick the right flowers and accessories. A month before prom is when you should go in to rent a tux with your date, and also order your flowers. Bachmann’s and Flowerama are the main florists in Apple Valley that provide corsages and boutonnieres, but Cub Floral is rising in popularity as well.

Overall, “Don’t worry too much or freak out over the little things, and have fun!” said Le. For this year’s prom, Olson says, “[The Prom Committee] wanted to get more people involved in planning prom, hence why we used Twitter and Facebook to determine the theme, and to help put together a playlist. So please tweet us more songs!”

For prom divas and last minute planners alike, this year’s prom is sure to be a hit.