Prom 2019 will be held at the Oregon Zoo for the 2nd year in a row. Many students will be renting party buses, going to dinner, and planning after-prom parties. This is what I would’ve done differently to prepare.

1. Gotten a Cheaper Dress
DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON A DRESS!!! Prom is expensive enough, and you will 9/10 only wear your prom dress once in your life, save your money for fun things to do on the night of! There are a ton of places you can look that have dresses that are way more affordable and super cute.

2. Not get overwhelmed about changing plans
When you are doing anything with a large group, everyone has a different idea of what the event will look like. So keep in mind that things might not go completely your way! Be really flexible and don’t be close minded to other people opinions and ideas, because often times the other ideas are super fun too!

3. Known that reservations can be made and changed so easily if you just ask!
Calling a restaurant might seem scary, but it is much better to make reservations at multiple places and then just easily cancel them rather than waiting until the last minute to makeshift a plan, especially with a big group on a Saturday night.

4. Spent less on the afterparty/transportation
Prom ticket prices have definitely gone up, and because of this, prom budget has become more limited and personally, I would rather choose one thing to spend extra on, rather than a $30 pre-dance party bus, $25-30 dinner, and another $30 for something else after the dance.

5. Planned better picture locations
Unfortunately for Oregon, the usual month of prom (April) is very rainy and the lighting is not ideal. If you get the chance, do lots of research before to find cool and different places for pictures. Some cool ideas are train stations, the Portland Rose Gardens, a nice house or just a regular house with good lighting, or The Barn in the main Wilsonville park.