Before you counter with an indignant, “I’ve been ready for prom since pre-school,” know that some sound, practical advice should always be welcome when it comes to heavily anticipated, tradition laden, iconic events. This goes for your wedding and, for our current concern, your prom.
Even if you have a dress, carefully chosen, cleaned and pressed and hanging in a protective bag in your closet, there are a lot of other elements that need to complete your entire prom ensemble. And while you might not realize it, your state of mind is key – so here are some great tips on what to do the day-before prom to help you prep.
Take a moment to review some of the most up-to-date websites and see how ensembles are being crafted. You can start with an online dress shop like Prom Dress Shop.
Look at the different dresses, and compare how the models have been styled — how is their hair coordinated with their dresses? How about their accessories? Shoes? Make-up? Necklaces? Bracelets? Earrings? Hair embellishments?
The Day Before
The absolutely best, the very best, most solid, most important advice anyone can give you regarding the day before prom is to get enough sleep! Take a nap during the day and go to bed early in the evening. If you’re like any other teen girl at prom, you’re going to be photographed. A lot. And often. Your friends and classmates will be pointing their smartphones at you, turning their vlogging cameras on you, and all around looking and admiring your loveliness. And what does that mean? You don’t want dark circles or to look wan. You want to look refreshed and the key is to be well rested.
Don’t wait until the day of prom to do your nails and toes. If you have the resources, make an appointment for a mani-pedi and if you don’t match the color of your dress, at least coordinate between your chosen nail polish and your prom gown.
Do not get a facial the day before and certainly not the day-of! While it may depend on the type of skin you have and your skin’s needs, you may have some gentle bruising or marks on your face that you do not want the next day.
Walk around in your prom shoes for at least an hour, if not more. Check for any redness where your shoes may have rubbed against your feet. You can use moleskin to line your shoes or apply directly to your feet (out of sight, of course) to make dancing and walking and standing more comfortable.
Experiment with hairstyles, if you’re planning on doing your own hair. If you’re wearing your hair “up,” be sure to jump around or simulate dancing to see how your hairdo holds up. Don’t make your hairdo so complicated that it hinders your ability to move much. You not only don’t want to be fussing with the style, you don’t want to have to keep making excuses to go to the bathroom to re-do your coif.
Don’t over-plan. This means, don’t schedule meet-ups with friends, visit amusement parks or hang out at the mall. Any of those activities will take away from resting, which should be your primary assignment pre prom.
You can find stunning prom dresses in Chicago and, from the same venue, online, too. Take a look at the dresses to get a sense of what your peers will be wearing, too.
Remember, with enough sleep your skin will glow and your true sweet personality will shine through.