×
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
FresYes!

FresYes!

The people, the places and the lifestyle of Fresno and Clovis!

  • Home
  • Real Estate
    • Fresno / Clovis Market Data
    • FresYes Realty
    • FresYes Ag
    • Tesoro Viejo Homes
    • Listings
    • What would your home sell for?
    • Home Sale Calculator
    • Affordability Calculator
    • Mortgage Calculator
  • Latest Stories
    • Fresno Flavor
    • Submit/Suggest A Story
  • Jump To
    • Food & Bev
    • Neighborhoods
      • Bullard Area
      • Downtown Fresno
      • Fig Garden
      • Historic Fresno High
      • Northeast Fresno
      • Northwest Fresno
      • Old Town Clovis
      • Northeast Clovis
      • Fort Washington / River Park
      • Sunnyside
      • Tower District
      • Tesoro Viejo
  • About
    • Our Beliefs
    • Meet our Staff
  • Store
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Family / Lessons Learned by a First-Time Prom Mom

Lessons Learned by a First-Time Prom Mom

May 9, 2024 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

660
SHARES
FacebookSubscribe

My son, a junior in high school, has decided to attend his school’s prom this year. While I treasure the memories of my own prom experiences, it’s important to remember that I was “from the 1900s,” and prom customs have evolved since then. Here’s what I’ve learned about the modern prom scene in 2024, which might be helpful for other first-time-prom parents!

Today’s teens look so much cooler than I ever have, ha!

1. Dinner Plans: Even if food is served at the prom, most attendees prefer to dine out beforehand with their date or friends. Given that multiple proms often occur on the same Saturdays locally, securing a restaurant reservation is crucial.

Recently, my husband and I dined at Saizon and saw the place bustling with prom-goers. Here’s a tip: if it’s your teen’s first time at a fancy restaurant, a quick etiquette talk might be in order—take some time to walk them through how to split the bill and tip properly to avoid any night-of stressors.

2. Fashion Trends: This year, grey suits are the trend for guys, paired with brown shoes and belts, not black. I gleaned this from observing teens and chatting with a knowledgeable salesperson at the suit store. For girls, I’ve been seeing lots of solid-colored dresses in saturated bright and rich tones in both long and short lengths. Corset-style bodices, mermaid-cuts, and ruffled shorter dresses seem most popular.

3. Cost of Attire: Renting a suit or tuxedo can be expensive, typically over $200, and it has to be returned the next morning. It’s wise to get measured and make reservations early (think 3 weeks, or as soon as you know prom is on the horizon) to ensure you get the desired style and size.

Grey suits and solid colored dressed with special details are trending this year

4. Buying vs. Renting: Buying a suit might cost about the same as renting, depending on what additional items you need. For my son, we started from scratch, needing a dress shirt, shoes, belt, and tie. If your wardrobe is more formal, you might already have some of these items, making purchasing a suit a comparable alternative. We shopped at Joseph A. Bank, and with their 25% prom-season sale, a suit jacket and matching pants ended up being $224, which was comparable to rental pricing.

5. Alterations: If buying, remember to budget for both the cost and time needed for alterations. We bought my son’s suit on May 5th for a May 18th prom, and just made the deadline for alterations. This time of year is busy with proms and weddings, so alterations can take up to three weeks. Be prepared!

6. Floral Accessories: Guys still wear boutonnieres, but many girls are now opting for mini bouquets over wrist corsages. If you’re unsure of their preference, it’s totally fine to ask directly what they’d prefer to avoid disappointment.

This matching boutonniere/mini-bouquet combo was made by local small business RanchCatt Floral

7. Photo Ops: Organize a meeting spot for pre-prom photos, as groups of friends typically gather to take pictures before heading out. Offering your home as the gathering spot can ensure you don’t miss this important photo opportunity. Remember, teens might need a little nudge to firm up their plans, as they haven’t been organizing social events for long.

8. Safety Pact: It’s crucial to remind our teens about the importance of reaching out if they find themselves in uncomfortable situations, whether it’s due to peer pressure about drinking or feeling abandoned by a friend group. Reinforce that you’re there to help, no matter what. This message of support is vital before any significant event, ensuring they know that reaching out is always better than not.

Your teens will be able to enjoy their time more knowing you’re there to help if they need you.

This year’s journey into the prom world has been both nostalgic and enlightening for me as a parent. Whether you’re revisiting memories or making new ones, prom season is a time to celebrate safely and stylishly. I’m wishing all this year’s prom-goers and their families a memorable and special experience!

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Natali Carrera
Natali Carrera
Natali Carrera is a proud Fresno native and passionate advocate for her community. A Fresno State alum and lifelong cheerleader for all things local, Natali has been a featured blogger for FresYes for over 10 years, where she writes weekly about food, coffee, family fun, and shopping local. When she's not sharing her latest discoveries, you’ll find her cheering on her teenage son at his baseball games alongside her husband of 22 years. Natali is also the founder and CEO of Success Together, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to empowering parents through education.
Natali Carrera
Latest posts by Natali Carrera (see all)
  • Lunch Goals: Dervo’s Deli Lives Up to the TikTok Hype - June 19, 2025
  • Fresno Datebook: Local Ideas for Fun Nights Out - June 13, 2025
  • Where to Swim & Splash in Fresno, 2025 Edition - June 5, 2025
660
SHARES
FacebookSubscribe

Filed Under: Family, Grab Bag, Kids stuff Tagged With: Clovis proms, Fresno prom, Parents prepping for prom, pre prom dinner, Prom night, Prom trends 2024

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get the FresYes Insider Newsletter!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Fresno Flavor: Amalgamation

SEE THEM ALL

Who is FresYes?

Fresyes.com was started by me, Jason Farris. Yes, I'm in real estate. I think that real estate is so much more than buying and selling homes. It's all about the lifestyle, it's about community. Here in the Fresno / Clovis area we have such a wonderful sense of community. I wanted a place that best reflects the people, the places and the lifestyle that we call home. Fresyes.com is that place. We have fabulous authors who share what makes this community of ours so special. I also write here, and not always about real estate. You can find all my posts HERE

Call Us!

559 286-0055

Market Stats

Fresno / Clovis Market Data

Search Fresyes!

Look what’s happening on Twitter

Favorite Tweets by @FresYes

Recent Posts

  • Swim, Bike, Run… Stay? Huntington Lake Has It All
  • New Eureka! Summer Menu Just Dropped – See What’s Fresh for 2025
  • Lunch Goals: Dervo’s Deli Lives Up to the TikTok Hype
  • Your Donation, Their Future — F.A.R.A.F. Summer Drive
  • 5 Things I Overheard in Fresno This Week (That Made Me Smile, Cringe, or Think)
5 questions
FresYes | 8469 N. Millbrook Ave #106 Fresno, CA 93720 | Phone: 559-286-0055 | CADRE #01999186
Media
...another Custom Wordpress Website by Mike Mueller Hi!