Prom season at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes has come to a close, but the costly expenses that came with it are still trailing behind. Finding the perfect dress, hair stylist, tuxedo, boutonniere, shoes, and so much more are things students are quickly spending their money on for the most awaited dance of the school year. But the prices of giving yourself the ultimate makeover for prom can add up, and a noticeable sum of income disappears in a blink of an eye. Attending a private school like SSSAS is expensive enough, but would some say the prices of prom are an essential part of the prom experience or completely unnecessary? Would some feel unsatisfied if they didn’t spend as much money for a nice dress or tuxedo like their peers? And do some students feel pressured into buying high-priced items just for one dance out of the year?
We sent out a google form to see how students really feel about prom expenses. The data collected showed that most students purchased one ticket for $65 dollars, while a few were purchased later for the price of $75 dollars. Some students bought two tickets, reaching a total of $130 to $150 dollars depending on when they bought their ticket. However, there was a consensus with respondents overall feeling that prom tickets are very expensive, and some respondents even suggesting an ideal price for tickets ranging from $40 to $50 dollars max.
In an interview with Bishop Hart, a senior at SSSAS, when asked if the prom tickets live up to the price he answered no, saying that people get to the prom venue late and leave really early, making it “not worth it paying 150 dollars for tickets if you’re only going to stay an hour.” Chloe Patrone ‘27 agreed saying, “I think they [tickets] are really, really expensive, given how much tuition is already. I just think it’s kind of a lot of money to give if I’m already paying to go to school here.”
Art History Teacher, Yearbook Advisor, and Head of prom committee Ms. Sandoval suggests, “One thing we could do If price is a problem, is to have it on campus in the dining hall where we host all these events. I could probably charge 40 bucks a ticket, but nobody really wants to do that.”
Ms. Sandoval explained why the price of prom tickets is so high and where that money is going. Unlike certain expenses or events, such as yearbooks, the school does not provide a standard prom budget. Instead all the funds for prom come from student ticket sales. The prom committee tries to stay within a $5,000-7,000 budget for the venue alone, but the budget also has to factor in the price of a DJ, photographer, decorator, and more.
Ms. Sandoval says “If every single person bought just one ticket at $65, the least amount we would have to work with would be about $15,000,” and “Usually prom ends up being closer to $16 or $18,000…there’s always little incidentals, I’ll buy extra decorations and things from Amazon.”
However, prom ticket prices are not the only expense that students are worried about. From dresses to dinner, students spend hundreds of dollars to just get ready for the dance. Most girls reported spending anywhere from $50-$300 on dresses while some reported spending up $700 to $1,000. Some girls stated that they also get their hair and nails done, which on average ranges from $70-$100 for each. This can add up to around $700-800, when taking into account the price of heels, spray tans, makeup, and flowers.
An article from the Washington Post, Proms Have Become Like Red-Carpet Events. That Comes at a Price, explains how prom has become an expensive event with families spending hundreds to over a thousand dollars for one night, especially with things like dresses, suits, and transportation prices rising faster making prom a less affordable event than in previous years. The article showed correlation between large spending and prom becoming potentially a less accessible event to everyone, which can pressure students to spend a lot of money on this event or even skip it all together.
This article inspired the question: why do people spend more and more money each year? The simple answer is, overspending on prom is a social expectation. Olivia Cushman ‘26 says she feels like it’s “expected that you have to go get your hair done and get your nails done, which I like, but it is also very stressful.”
Another female google form respondent said that they “don’t want a basic dress” and that they “want a nice design no one else will have” which could definitely lead into dress prices increasing depending on distinctiveness, while others want to look nicer for prom more than any other dance.
“I think people are very judgmental about dresses so it’s more like I feel the need to find a unique dress that I haven’t seen someone wear as well as having it look good and flattering on me,” another respondent said.
On the contrary, a female respondent said that they don’t feel the pressure to out-do their classmates in a certain way for prom, saying that “it’s fun to dress up” and how “I’ve honestly reached a point where what I’m doing for my appearance is for me.”
At the end of the day, everyone can agree that getting a more expensive dress or dress shoes does not affect how fun you’ll have at prom; “I just want to feel comfortable in what I wear and have a fun time,” a respondent concluded.
