A sea of prom dresses is available at the Princess Prom project.

Prom. The high school ritual that many teens dream of attending. For many, it’s the most important dance of their senior year. Whether a teen is attending with a date or decides to go as a group, the expenses can be staggering. Once tickets are purchased, the search for the perfect dress and shoes begins. For young women its not just the outfit, there’s the special hairdo, the make-up, the manicure that make them a princess for the night.

For the young men, a tuxedo rental including shoes can cost over $100. And that doesn’t include the prom tickets, flowers and dinner.

So what if there is no budget to make this happen? What if a teen’s family is struggling financially? What happens then? Would you tell your teen you simply couldn’t afford for them to go?

By Sonia Duggan • [email protected]

For the complete story see the March 3 edition or click here for the e-Edition.