-Edition
York, PA - Four months ago, families were enjoying a few days off from school or work, opening gifts or enjoying the holiday light displays around York County.
Renaissance Bridals was selling prom gowns.
"We start selling on Christmas break," owner Jon Smith said. "Is everyone shopping then? No. But if someone has shopped with us before, they want to be the first ones in."
The shop, 315 E. Market St., York, sees its highest volume in March.
Simone's Day Spa & Bridal, 332 E. Middle St., Hanover, has seen the same trend.
"Since early January, even late December they've been coming in," owner Simone Hostetter said. "We've been full steam ahead."
Then, as prom draws closer, the boys come
"They don't come in at Christmas break," Smith said with a laugh. "The end of the season is when you see the boys."
Girls, on the other hand, take time to sift through their options. Renaissance Bridals, which has been open in downtown York for 21 years, boasts two floors of prom dresses.
"We're really seeing a return back to what I call old-Hollywood glamour, as opposed to super sexy," Smith said. "We'd been inundated with that before."
Hostetter said she's seeing the same thing at her Hanover shop.
"More and more now, a lot of the girls are paying attention to the strict rules that schools are implementing," she said. "Things are not too low in the front, not too low in the back."
The mermaid shape is one of the hottest silhouettes, and girls are looking at glitter, sequins and sparkles, too. Hostetter has seen a comeback for ball gowns, as well.
At Renaissance Bridals, one full floor is just ball gowns and full skirts, Smith said.
"We've never sold as many full skirts as we have this year," he said. "Girls are returning back to wanting to be pretty, wanting to be glamorous."
Although both Simone's and Renaissance Bridal stock high-end dresses, there are also less expensive options. Simone's opened a second location in November, Se Jolie, at 947 Carlisle St., Hanover. There, last season's dresses are sold at a discount.
While a dress at Simone's normally runs $350 to $700 dollars, a dress at Se Jolie averages $125 to $325.
Renaissance
"It's a cool testament to downtown York that we're filled with girls who have come from all over," Smith said.
"It's important to know. People are shopping in York."
Here's a look at what high schools across York and Adams counties have planned for their proms:
Bermudian Springs
Where: Holiday Inn and Convention Center, West Manchester Township
When: 5:30 p.m. May 12
Theme: Evening in Greece
Menu: Buffet
Entertainment: Essential DJ, Maryland
Biglerville
Where: Liberty Mountain Resort, Carroll Valley, Adams County
When:
Theme: Light Up the Night
Entertainment: Fireworks and DJ John Zeigler
Central York
Where: Valencia Ballroom, York
When: May 12
Theme: None
Menu: Caesar salad, stuffed chicken marsala with tomato bruschetta, risotto and asparagus, and dark chocolate mousse
Entertainment: Boogie Knights Entertainment
Crispus Attucks Youthbuild Charter School
Where: Valencia Ballroom, York
When: 7 p.m. May 24
Theme: Moment for Life
Menu: TBA
Entertainment: Performances by current students and alumni
Dallastown Area
Where: Eden Resort, Manheim Township, Lancaster County
When: May 26
Theme: None
Menu: A choice between petite filet mignon and baked chicken breast, or stuffed flounder with crabmeat topped with lobster sauce
Entertainment: DJ Charlie Jansen from Crowd Pleasers
Delone Catholic
Where: Martin's Westminster, Westminster, Md.
When: 5 p.m. May 4
Theme: Karma
Menu: TBA
Entertainment: TBA
Dover Area
Where: Wisehaven Banquet and Expo Center, Windsor Township
When: May 26
Theme: Enchanted Evening
Menu: Fresh fruit with dip, tossed salad, stuffed chicken breast or pasta primavera, dessert station
Entertainment: DeLuge DJ Productions
Eastern York
Where: Eden Resort, Manheim Township, Lancaster County
When: May 18
Theme: None
Menu: Starlight Buffet with carved roast top sirloin, meat lasagna or stuffed chicken
Entertainment: DJ Soundwaves
Fairfield
Where: Lodges of Gettysburg, Freedom Township, Adams County
When: May 4
Theme: Under the Stars
Menu: Buffet by the Carriage House
Entertainment: DJ
Gettysburg
Where: Gettysburg Area High School
When: May 5
Theme: An evening in Paris
Menu: Light refreshments
Entertainment: Zeigler DJ services
Hanover
Where: Hanover Country Club, Abbottstown, Adams County
When: May 25
Theme: TBA
Menu: TBA
Entertainment: DJ
Kennard-Dale
Where: Valencia Ballroom, York
When: May 5
Theme: Waking Up in Vegas
Menu: Caesar salad, traditional roast turkey with whipped potatoes, filling and gravy, fresh green beans laced with applewood smoked bacon and cranberry sauce, or a garden pasta with fresh herbs and roasted garlic sauce, death by chocolate cake with raspberry sauce
Entertainment: Party Time DJs with a special guest appearance by "Elvis"
Littlestown
Where: Gettysburg College
When: 7 p.m. May 12
Theme: Make a Splash
Menu: Snacks
Entertainment: DJ
New Oxford
Where: Martin's Westminster, Westminster, Md.
When: 6:30 to 11 p.m. May 25
Theme: Hollywood
Menu: Buffet style. Beef, fried chicken, Italian meatballs, seafood jambalaya with salad bar, fresh vegetables, potatoes and various desserts
Entertainment: Ziegler's Mobile Entertainment
Northern
Where: Holiday Inn Harrisburg East
When: 4:30 to 10 p.m. May 4
Theme: Forever for Tonight
Menu: Buffet
Entertainment: Soundwaves Entertainment
Northeastern
Where: Wisehaven Banquet and Expo Center, Windsor Township
When: 6 to 11 p.m. May 5
Theme: A Walk on the Red Carpet
Menu: Chicken cordon bleu and prime rib
Entertainment: DJ Soundwaves
Red Land
Where: Harrisburg Holiday Inn East
When: May 12
Theme: Laughed Until We Cried
Menu: Appetizers and finger foods
Entertainment: Soundwaves Entertainment
Red Lion Area
Where: Valencia Ballroom, York
When: April 28
Theme: A Night Among the Stars
Menu: Appetizers and desserts
Entertainment: Soundwaves Entertainment; photo booth
South Western
Where: York Expo Center, West Manchester Township
When: 6 to 11 p.m. May 12
Theme: Under the Sea
Menu: Buffet including caesar Salad, three-cheese vegetarian lasagna, stuffed chicken, roasted red skin potatoes, broccoli and dessert
Entertainment: DJ
Spring Grove
Where: Wisehaven Banquet and Expo Center, Windsor Township
When: May 19
Theme: Fire and Ice
Menu: Buffet
Entertainment: DJ Michael Marra
Susquehannock
Where: Wisehaven Banquet and Expo Center, Windsor Township
When: May 5
Theme: Midnight in Paris
Menu: Stuffed chicken, beef medallions or pasta alfredo
Entertainment: Phantom Shadow
West York
Where: Wisehaven Banquet and Expo Center, Windsor Township
When: May 25
Theme: A Parisian Escape
Menu: Grilled chicken breast, New York strip steak or pasta primavera
Entertainment: Music and dancing
William Penn
Where: The Praise Center, Windsor Township
When: May 19
Theme: A Red Carpet Affair
Menu: Beef or chicken option
Entertainment: DJ
York Catholic
Where: Valencia Ballroom, York
When: May 4
Theme: The Time of Your Life
Menu: Vegetable ravioli or stuffed chicken
Entertainment: DJ Vicki
York Country Day School
Where: Country Club of York
When: 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. June 6
Theme: Arabian Nights
Menu: Light snacksEntertainment: DJ
York County School of Technology
Where: The Praise Center, Windsor Township
When: 6 to 10 p.m. May 5
Theme: Fire & Ice
Menu: A choice of chicken, steak or vegetarian
Entertainment: DJ Soundwaves
York Suburban
Where: Valencia Ballroom, York
When: May 19
Theme: Black Tie Affair
Menu: Chicken cordon bleu or vegetable ravioli
Entertainment: Mixed Impressions DJ
771-2090; @sarahEchain
The cost of prom
Prom costs have increased more than one-third over last year, according to a national survey by Visa Inc. American families with teens will spend an average of $1,078 for prom for each child. The average in 2011 was $807 per child.
Regionally, northeastern families planned to spend the most at $1,944, while Midwestern families had the lowest planned average at $696. Parents are shouldering most of the burden, too, paying for 61 percent of prom costs. Teens planned to cover the remaining 39 percent, the survey said.
Here's how readers reacted on YDR's Facebook page:
York Daily Record/Sunday News: A Visa Inc. survey is showing families with teens expect to spend an average of $1,078 on prom this year -- for each child! Are you planning to spend that much?
Lindsay Coulson Grady: Absolutely ridiculous.
Karen Kreeger: are people crazy?
Amy Barshinger: That is beyond ridiculous.
Doris Golden: Bought my daughter a beautiful dress at JC Penny's for $40.00! People are crazy for spending hundreds of dollars for one night!
Anne Fonda: Even if I had that kind of money to blow, I'd spend it on something else. Family vacation, flying to see relatives, maybe. Shows what some parents are teaching their kids.
Clinton Gottsch: If this is true, it just proves what I've suspected for a long time: The average family is stupid. . . .
Dana Matson: Wow. That is completely insane. I would never ever spend that much for a school dance. Ever. I would rather teach my child the value of a dollar and teach her how to make money stretch and the importance of a budget!
Kristin Carl Shaffer: I am thinking that the credit card companies release things like this to make the average household FEEL like they NEED to spend this much in order to "keep up with the Jones')"
Linda Chenoweth Harlow: Outrageous! Never had children so we never had to deal with this me me me attitude.
Clinton Gottsch: @Kristin, that's probably right on. Or they take their sample to get their average from Newport Beach and the Hamptons.
Angie Adkins: Ridiculous
Jess Yaden: If a kid is old enough to go to prom, they're old enough to have a job.
Jennifer M Bragg: Hell no! However, between the dress, the tux, the nails and hair and the tickets, it will be $500. I find THAT ridiculous.
Ashley Fleshman: where was this survey taken? beverley hills? nyc?
Apps for prom
From picking the perfect dress to editing your pictures, there is an app to help with every aspect of prom.
Here are the top prom apps from Molly McLaughlin, mobile technology editor at ConsumerSearch.com.
Prom Hairstyles (free, iPhone)
--- The app allows the user to try different hairstyles on a photograph of herself. After finding your favorite style you can save a picture, bring it to your hairdresser and share it on Facebook.
iProm dress: Prom Dress Shopping Assistant ($1.99, iPhone)
--- This personal shopping app allows users to browse styles and save favorites in an alphabetized catalog of dresses by designer, color, neckline or other feature. You can narrow down your selections before you hit the store and share your dress picks on Facebook.
Ask2Dance ($1.99, iPhone)
--- If you find yourself at the prom wanting to ask someone to dance but not sure how to make the approach, Ask2Dance can help. It offers topics to talk about when you ask that special someone to dance.
Camera360 (Free, iPhone and Android)
The dance floor may be a little too dark for a photo op, but if you have the Camera360 app you can snap the picture, then brighten it from your phone. This app lets users edit and apply special effects to their photos on the go.
-- Los Angeles Times
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