The NHHS prom was on April 26 at Valley Mansion. Ticket sales closed Wednesday, April 9. Students are usually fitted for suits and going dress shopping, not to mention the smaller details. So, how much does a prom cost? For an average student, how affordable is it to attend with everything you would want? How does this affect low-income students?

     Tickets this year were already 95 dollars; this was to cover the cost of the venue, Valley Mansion, as well as the DJ who was hired. The DJ brings their decorations, which helps slim down the cost. So, although the cost of the tickets helps balance out the cost of the venue, decorations, and supplies, it does add up to be a lot for students. This is already $95 down for students; this doesn’t account for everything else students need to buy, such as dresses, suits, as well as flowers and extra accessories.. 

     According to Amarra.com, girls’ dresses can range from $85 to $700, depending on the style, quality, and fabric. Junior Catie Wehage explained that her dress cost around $450 and that she still “needs to do alterations with it.” This doesn’t include alterations that may need to be made, which can cost between $35 and $150 or more, depending on the extent of the work required.

      Junior Emma Konopacki said that her dress was “$500 and alterations were $94.” For girls, an average lower-cost dress starts at $150 with an alteration of  $35, which totals out at $185. Including $95 for tickets, the total is $280, without extra items that some will buy.

     For guys, it is a different story, because a suit is one with many parts you have to buy separately. Shirt, pants, belt, jacket, tie/bowtie, and shoes, as well as other things like a vest or cuffs that might add to the cost. The average rental cost is about $200, and again, that’s only for one night. Junior Maxwell Diegel bought a tux and said that his outfit in total was “around $500.” He added that “it is about the same, as the $250 suit rentals both years, and I get to use it for other events later,” stating that the future use of the suit evens out the cost of it. Junior Gavin Watts mentions that in total, his prom outfit was $300, stating that he also plans to use the suit for other events. 

     Suits and dresses are the bulk of prom expenses, but that doesn’t cover the cost of the extra items that are traditionally added. The corsages for both dates are averaged to be $15-$60 (Amarra.com). Another cost for girls is the deal with makeup and hair, which, depending on the person, could range from $50-$350 (Amarra.com) if not done yourself.

     What is the total cost? For girls, taking the averages, the total is $355. For guys, the total is $370. Again, these are just average costs and can be more or less depending on what limits are set. This is not affordable for many students, so is it worth it? What workarounds are there to enjoy prom and to save money as well? 

     There is hope; there are many workarounds for both boys and girls. Thrifting is always an option for plenty of prom dresses. Additionally, family members and friends are options for both boys and girls. Prom as an event is special, and there should be ways around the cost that it takes to getting students to go.