Thursday, May 10, 2018

How We Did Prom On A Budget



Prom doesn't exactly occur at the most affordable time.  We still have the residual winter heating bill as well as other utilities, my youngest's cheerleader fees for next year are due, my truck needs to be registered for the year and there are other expenses occurring as well.  That's just how life is.  Can a Thrifty Mom still manage to pull it off?  Well, happily, yes she can!

The biggest expense of prom for any girl is the dress.  Initially we intended that I would make her dress and off we went to try some on and see what style that might be.  We hit the mall and she tried on several.  But then we found the one.  Any mother cannot possibly look at her daughter in the one and not have her heart tug.  Especially when you see the way her face lights up because she has just fallen in love with her first formal gown.  So when I caught a quick glimpse of the tag and saw the price I did some quick math in my head and the decision was made.  We weren't leaving Dillards with out that dress!


You can only imagine how thrilled and excited she was when I said, "I think we should buy this one."  At first she was silent, not sure she heard me right.  Then... "Really?"  When I assured her we could buy the dress she nearly exploded in the dressing room and I got the biggest hug.  That alone made every penny worth it!  I think the other woman in the dressing room was just as happy for her as I was.  All they way home she chattered on about how much she loved that dress and how she planned to where it everywhere.  Oh my goodness, it was priceless.

The rest of preparing for prom would be Thrifty Mom style moving forward and fortunately we were up to the task.

One beautiful prom dress - check!  $149.99 (not bad compared to most of the ones we saw)


Shoes - already had them!  Hand me downs from a family friend who wore them once to a wedding.

Jewelry - already had earrings, a necklace (from the boyfriend), and a bracelet


Handbag - that one was tricky because we had a heck of a time finding the right one.  But a quick stop into a thrift store after work one day took care of that.  I found a 1950s vintage handbag for a whopping $1.99!



Manicure/Pedicure - little sister came in here with her talent for nails.  Fingers and toes were painted to perfection.  Two bottles of polish from the dollar store just $2 and little sis provided the rest.  Very nice!


Hair - we did her hair at home.  She found a picture of what she wanted and by some miracle of miracles I pulled it off.  I have no idea how either because I don't do hair!


Makeup - she did her own with cosmetics she already had and she did it beautifully.  Very simple not a lot of makeup, but very elegant.



The Boutonniere -  to order one from the florist would have cost a minimum of $18 for a simple rosebud.  Having made gobs and gobs of boutonnieres in my life when I used to do weddings it didn't make sense for me not to make this one.  Even though it had been 20 years since I made my last one.  Fortunately I still remembered.  I went to Fred Meyer that morning and picked out the perfect rose to match her dress and she and I made the boutonniere together that afternoon.


Photos - We assumed there would be a professional photographer at the prom, but decided to try our hand at home photography anyway.  Good thing we did because it turned out no photographer!  Again, not quite sure how I pulled it off, but somehow I did.  Other than blog photos, I don't do much in the way of photography but the planets must have aligned that afternoon because they turned out amazing.  And when I went to pick up my prints I was questioned and had to sign a waiver stating these were not professional photos.  Seriously?!  Okay!!!  Total cost of 51 prints including 3 5"X 7" enlargements (you have to know I found a 40% OFF coupon online- Mother's Day special) - $16.56!







That, my friends, is how we pulled off The Prom for under $200.  Mission accomplished!


46 comments:

  1. I always read, never comment. This post really touched my heart. Your daughter looks so pretty! Congrats on a job well done!!! Lynne F

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    1. Thank you Lynne. I'm so happy you decided to comment. I hope to hear from you again.

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  2. Simply beautiful! I hope your DD had a great time.

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  3. This is WONDERFUL! Oh, your daughter looks so beautiful! And her date is pretty dashing as well! I hope they had a magical time at prom.
    And way to go on the budget! I'm glad you were able to give your daughter the dress of her dreams and all the accessories without going broke. And hurrah for little sisters with mad nail skillz!

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    1. Definitely a family effort! He is pretty cute, LOL.
      They had a wonderful time. Thank you Sue.

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  4. Your girlie looks absolutely beautiful -- and very happy. Congratulations!

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  5. Everything is perfect and your daughter looks beautiful. I love the dress! I should fly you in for my daughter's wedding in September as the official photographer and florist! Good Job, Mom!!! ColoradoGirl

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    1. OMG! I did wedding years ago, but was never the photographer! LOL

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  6. What a beautiful girl your daughter is. Wonderful dress and the pictures are so good! The memories she made (and you made) were priceless but oh doesn't it feel good to do it all and not blow the budget. Photography looks like it is professionally done! Way to go.

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    1. Thank you Crystal. I admit it was a lot of fun and very rewarding.

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  7. Well done. She looks absolutely beautiful. I bet you must have shed a small tear. I know I would have.

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    1. You know, I was so busy I completely forgot to get all emotional. Dang! Knew I missed something!

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  8. Your daughter is beautiful. The dress is gorgeous!! Looks like it was made just for her.

    Great thrifty ways, Janie

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  9. Yup, I would have bought the dress too. She looks amazing, and the nails are work of art. And the hair. And the photos. Everything really :D

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    1. Thanks so much Allegra. I couldn't say no to that dress. No way. :0)

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  10. She looks beautiful! Glad you said yes to the dress! It is lovely on her.

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    1. Thanks Anne. I couldn't agree more. I'm so happy I could get it for her.

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  11. Aww, so sweet, she looks so pretty!

    Tania

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  12. Cute couple, handsome young man and a beautiful young lady. The dress is beautiful and I loved hearing how you made it all possible. Gorgeous pictures also. I smiled and smiled as I read this post and saw all the pictures.

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    1. They are both so sweet and I'm really happy I could help in making it all happen. Thanks Tana!

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  13. Awwwww......I just love these details...all of the behind the scenes. Thank you for sharing!! You did her hair?? WOW!!!! And your photography is beautiful. What a special day for these 2 wonderful young people. Thank you. ((hug))

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    1. I thought you'd like this post! I'm so happy I could be a part of their day like this. They are wonderful kids!!

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  14. WOW! Such a beautiful celebration of high school. I am sure your daughter felt like a princess all night! She will never forget this opportunity! Everything is beautiful and thrifty! Way to go family!

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    1. Thank you!! She really did feel like a princess. I'm so happy with how it all turned out for them.

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  15. Wow, you outdid yourself Mama!! I'm very impressed with how beautiful she looked and you put a lot of effort into it!

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    1. Oh my goodness Gineva, thank you! I loved every second of it! :)

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  16. What a beautiful couple they make and well done for doing it on a budget. Proud mamma!

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  17. Your daughter looks beautiful! Beautiful couple. Way to go on the savings and doing most things yourself. The pics look great too!

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  18. A big thumbs up! Her dress is beautiful and they make a very handsome couple!

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  19. Absolutely stunning! I love the dress and what a precious memory was made. Her hair, nails, flowers, etc were incredible. You are a great mom!

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    1. Oh thank you. So sweet of you to say that. It was a very memorable day! :)

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  20. You all did a great job. Her dress, her hair, nails--all look professional as well as the photos. I would say less than $200 is a very frugal job and beautiful.

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    1. Thank you so much. I think, all in all, we did pretty good.

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  21. PERFECT! You did everything great, the dress, the hair, the pictures, even the budget. Good job.
    Jeannie @ GetMetoTheCountry

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    1. Oh Jeannie, it was such a great day!

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    2. I never had girls and missed all the dressing-up fun. You are blessed.

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