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Prom is a costly dream date for many

MARIETTA – There’s nothing more nostalgic than the pivotal high school event known as prom. While driving up in a limousine to the venue, getting out while heads turn and enjoying an evening full of expensive food, fun and fashion sounds ideal to some, others realize that the cost of attending prom can be high.

According to a nationwide survey conducted by Visa, the average American household spent $919 last year on prom pomp and circumstance. This is actually a 6 percent decrease from 2014; however, many local residents think it is still a high price for high school memories.

“It’s going up and up every year, out of control,” said Morgan Tinney, 17, of Marietta. “My parents pay for a lot of my prom stuff, but I use whatever I make to contribute.”

Tinney said that what saved her money this year was a more simplistic style of dress and not renting a fancy vehicle.

“Last year, I rode with friends in a limo and it was overrated and expensive,” Tinney explained. “This year I’d rather spend that money on a road trip, new clothes for summer or to help pay for prom dinner.”

Although teens are the ones attending the formal, parents often incur some if not all of the costs. In 2014, parents planned to pay for 56 percent of prom costs; that increased to 73 percent in 2015.

From a gorgeous gown to a four-star dinner out, prom cost has many components to it: transportation, ensembles, accessories like corsages, pre-prom dinner, prom photographs and even post-prom activities.

There is also a new way to spend during the season: promposals.

Money spent on promposals-creative, public ways to invite someone to prom- has increased from 2014 to 2015 and is now costing the average American household $358.

“I asked my date out with a proposal, if that’s what you want to call it,” said Austin Harvey, 18, of Parkersburg. “My parents and I went, bought a couple dozen roses and also had a sign made so I could ask my girlfriend to prom at lunch one day.”

Local businesses are also seeing inflated costs for all things prom, although many said it can depend on what the individual desires.

“We’re seeing a lot more high-end fabrics than we’re used to,” said Andy Fenton, co-owner of Vogue Swift Cleaners in Marietta. “It depends, though, on how many layers a gown has or other intricacies like beading.”

Sleek, simplistic gowns can cost less to purchase as well as to alter. Fenton said Vogue Swift has seen a spike in alterations within the past few years due to more customers buying gowns online and bringing in to be custom tailored.

“An average alteration on a gown can be between $80 and $200,” Fenton explained. “For tuxedos, it’s different and also more affordable. We take a $30 deposit up front. Pressing costs $16 and to rent a tux from us is between $80 to $190.”

The store had 12 dresses altered alone on Thursday and expected business to pick up even more over the weekend.

Despite increases in costs for prom-related expenses, the Visa survey also found that lower-income households actually planned to spend more in 2016 than their affluent neighbors. Families making under $25,000 per year plan to spend $1,393 while those making $50,000 or less plan to spend $1,109. Households with a total income over $50,000 only expected to spend $799 on average.

For fiscally conservative parents Mike and Becky Shawver, of Marietta, decking their two children out for prom 2016 is not their biggest concern.

“We try to keep events like this within our budget,” Shawver said. “My husband and I both work hard for our money, and we feel it’s the responsibility of our children to help out with things like prom. We buy the basics, a nice tuxedo or the prom photos … but they have to come up with their own money for the extras.”

The extras, including shoes, jewelry and rental rides like stretch Hummer limos or vintage convertibles, are what the Shawvers think add up excessively.

To save money, parents and prom-goers can opt out of expensive transportation and submit to driving their own vehicle to the venue. Another option is to pick one priority to spend money on (i.e. a custom tiara or expensive men’s dress shoes) then save on the less important accessories by buying on sale or thrifting.

Aletha’s Florist in Marietta is another business seeing a mad rush to get last-minute, or even custom, creations before most proms take place.

“I think it’s definitely getting more expensive,” said Heidi Curran, employee at Aletha’s. “We do see a range in customer expectations though…from simple, basic corsages to the more blinged out requests.”

Curran said the shop makes between 15 and 20 corsages per day using flowers from carnations to roses and even orchids. The traditional wrist accessories begin at $20.95 for three carnations and go up to $55 for orchid corsages with multiple layers of jewels and ribbon.

“Our most popular, though, is actually moderately priced … it’s the three roses corsage for $30.95,” Curran said.

From proposals to flowering flair, the overwhelming sense of having it all and doing it all has caused some high schoolers to forgo the traditions all-together.

“I couldn’t care less about all of that,” said Rebecca Stine, 17, of Devola. “I found my dress on clearance last year, already had the shoes and my date and I may just go to a friend’s barbecue they’re having before prom. It’s more about the memories than the money spent … for me anyway.”

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