This year I had the privilege of attending Ludlow High School’s Prom on Saturday May 3rd. What I learned from my experiences and mistakes will stick with me for the rest of my life. While it was an amazing and memorable night, next year will be significantly better since I now know what to do and what not to do.
First things first, when I woke up at seven in the morning, I had to go to work. Big mistake. Luckily I managed to push back my shift until 12 p.m, so that gave me an extra hour to get myself ready. However, next year when I am a senior I will, without a doubt, take prom day and the day after off from my work schedule. It was so stressful and I lost so much time, and plus, I was dirty after work so I had to take a shower when I got home, which lost me more time to get ready.
After I finally got home and took my shower, I had to wait until 2 p.m to finally get my hair done. A week in advance, me and my best friend marked our appointments for the same time with the same lady. Another big mistake. When I got there, I ended up going first and the woman took so long to put my hair up the way I wanted it. My mom even blamed me for taking too long because of the hairstyle I picked out. I was so upset and I did not want this to ruin my day, but I felt so bad because by the time I was finished, it was passed 3 p.m and we told our friends that pictures were at four. That’s when I realized that if I hadn’t worked that day, we could have scheduled our hair appointments way earlier and not be in a rush to do our makeup. However, it was too late and we just went with it and pushed back the time to take pictures.
I decided, days in advance before prom, that me and my best friend would get ready over my boyfriends house since our group was going to take pictures there. This was a good idea, and since I finished first and left the salon to start doing my makeup, I was done before my best friend came. This let her have room to do hers and we were not in each other’s way. By the time it was 4:30, we were all set and ready to get in our dresses.
Finally, our group showed up and all of the parents and some friends came to take pictures. I honestly felt so amazing because I knew I looked good and so did everyone else. After all of this hard work and stress I put on myself, it finally payed off and I felt like a princess while holding the hand of my Prince Charming.
When we got to the Wyckoff Country Club, I thought it looked pretty from the outside. Inside, however, it was disappointingly small. The tables looked crowded and too close to each other, and the dance floor was also alarmingly small. But, trust me, this did not matter in the end. I was happy to be there, and everyone in the room looked gorgeous. What made me even happier was that my boyfriend and I were on the ballot for prom princess and prince. While we didn’t win, it was an honor and it made my night so much more special.
The one thing I looked forward to when we approached the driveway of the country club was the food. The first thing we got was bread, and to my amazement, they had garlic breadsticks. Let me tell you one thing about them, they were delicious. We even asked for a second basket. And once that second basket was at our table, the bread was gone in minutes. The salad was also very good too, and the main course was even better. I had chosen chicken and it was stuffed, which made it even better. It was juicy, tender, and it was tasty especially with the mashed potatoes. For dessert, the caterers passed out ice cream sundaes. Other than the breadsticks, the sundaes were one of the best courses out of the four that was served there. The open bar was also something I didn’t expect, but getting to drink a strawberry daiquiri was perfect.
During this whole time, I got to take some of the most memorable pictures at the photo booth with my best friend and with my boyfriend. I have to admit that those photos will forever be a part of my life. But, I had enough of pictures and enough of eating for the night and it was time for my prom party and I to hit the dance floor. The DJ was surprisingly good and he played a great mix of slow and upbeat songs. It was a great experience being in the middle of the dancefloor surrounded by sweaty good-looking people who are all fist pumping, jumping, and singing out of tune. Before I knew it, the DJ announced that it was the last song of the night.
It was an all over amazing night. It wasn’t exactly everything I dreamed of, but it was everything I hoped for. I felt so confident and lighthearted with all of my friends around me. It sounds super cheesy, but my favorite moment out of that whole day was slow dancing with my boyfriend as he sung his rendition of “All of Me” by John Legend. It made my dream of prom believable and I felt like a princess, or should I say, his princess.
It will easily be one of the most memorable, amazing nights that I will forever cherish. I advise any incoming Juniors, and even my class who will be seniors next year, to attend Prom. However, when and if you do decide to attend prom use these tips in order for your day to be perfect and smooth sailing.
1. Save the Date: If you are typical junior or senior, you have a job. Just remember to take off the date of prom. Don’t be that worker that calls out or has to leave early just to get in trouble and make your special day more stressful.
2. Don’t pull your hair out over a hair appointment: Although getting ready with my best friend was an amazing experience, waiting for one another and getting set back almost two hours was not so amazing. Make your hair appointment months in advance so you have the earliest and most convenient time for yourself. If you do decide to make an appointment with your friend, don’t plan it at the same time and request different hair dressers. Your time is precious.
3. Enjoy Your Experience: Remember to stay stress free, this your day. You only get to go to prom twice in your high school career so take lots of pictures and “get down” to every song. Before you know it, the stress will be all behind you.