9 Pro Tips for Prom

Ah, the promenade! That magical time when young ladies and gentleman let loose from the stresses of their young lives with a night of dancing and lighthearted revelry.

If only...

Instead, prom is a pretty stressful occasion. From the dress to the dinner conversation, there are plenty of ways your night can take a nose dive. Don't freak out, though. I've collected plenty of wisdom to make sure your night is that much smoother.

1. Don't have a date? Go anyway. I went to prom alone and was the life of the party. I never had to worry about making the experience fun for anyone but myself, and got to do a ton of things like flirt with six guys in a night. Also, my terrible dancing provided comic relief for my group instead of just being sad

2. Join a big group: If you are rolling solo, being in a big group means you’ll never feel like an awkward spare tire on the rolling vehicle of life. Prom groups of ten or more mean that you’ll always have someone to talk to and it’s likely that not everyone in the mix will have a date anyway.

3. Break in your shoes ahead of time: Bloody, blistered feet will put a damper on the festivities and possibly get you a raging infection. Instead of trying to wear your shoes fresh out of the box, debut your prom shoes at the grocery store. While you browse the produce and cheese puff selection, you’ll figure out how to balance on your high heels and get used to walking in them while holding on the cart. Sure, you may get a few weird looks wearing stilettos while passing the meat case, but at least you won’t fall on your butt when you get to the dance.

4. Practice wearing your dress/tux: See if you can dance, frolic, and generally have a good time. If your dress is strapless, see if you need to make adjustments or buy boob tape. Instead of finding problems at the dance and freaking out, learn what’s wrong beforehand so you can hit the tailor and get your pants hemmed. That way you won’t tear your dress (like I did) or trip over yourself trying to impress your date with the cabbage patch. Plus swanning around the house in your formal gear will give you an effortless appeal once you roll into the promenade. It’ll seem like you wear fancy formal gear ALL THE TIME and it’s no big deal.

5. Split costs evenly: As the Wu-Tang Clan once wisely said, “Cash rules everything.” If you're going to prom with a date, it’s a really good idea to split the costs straight down the middle. Sure, you gentlemen may want to foot the whole bill, and some ladies may graciously accept, but as a general rule, no one wants to drop six hundred dollars on one night. Even if your date offers to pay for the entire thing, at least try to chip in for the limo or dinner. That way if things go south romantically, you won’t feel obligated to stick it out or feel guilty because of a cash issue.

6. Eat a snack before you leave your house. Ideally the people planning your prom night will have picked a nice safe place that has something for everyone, including a vegetarian option or two. Sometimes the planners don't do such a good job picking a place, which means a smart Sparkler/Mankler will plan ahead and eat something at home. Just fill up enough that you’ll be okay for a few hours if you can’t stand the food, but not so much that you’ll be too full to even look at the food.

7. Spend a little time without the arm candy: Yes, prom is a couple’s dance, but it’s also a time to be making memories with your friends. Of course you should spend as much time with your date as you like, but keeping things interesting is the name of the game, so grab a couple guy friends and get some fresh air, or take one of your girls for a spin out on the dance floor. No one will feel neglected and you may be able to return to your date with a fresh topic of conversation or a funny story.

8. After prom, go to a dive restaurant. You and your friends will probably be starving around this point and will head to the nearest establishment that sells edible things. It turns out the closest place to our group was Taco Bell. Beware the grease that may stain your fancy wear, and tuck in, because this will taste like the best meal of your life.

9. Roll with the punches: You know those moments of the evening that make you want to cry? They really suck when they’re happening, but they end up making the best memories and stories. Anytime prom comes up in college, the best stories are the ones about how dinner reservations were denied and 20 teens ate fried chicken instead.

Have you been to prom? Got any pro tips to share?