The Perfect Prom Timeline

Deciding on your prom plans can be a stressful task that, many times, is pushed to the last possible minute. At XO, we want to do everything we can to help  our girls feel ready and prepared on their prom day. Using my personal experience from my proms, and as a 3rd year stylist in the Indy store, I have formulated the ideal timeline to make sure you are on track to be fully ready for your prom day.

Months. 

As mentioned in my “Perfect Time to Shop.” blog, the best time to shop for your gown is mid January, early February. When you shop at this time you’ll have first pick of that season’s gowns and have plenty of time for alterations. For most, in the Indianapolis area, that time frame comes about 4-5 months before prom. 

After you have bought your dress, alterations are the next highest priority-- that is if you need them, your stylist will help you determine what alterations you will need, if necessary. The best time to get your alterations immediately/shortly after you get your gown. When you take your dress to be altered 2-3 months before your prom day, you avoid running into  the risk of the seamstress being overbooked and unable to take your gown. It also gives you plenty of time to correct any issues that could happen during alterations.

Weeks.

The weeks leading up to prom are a great time to book hair, nail, and makeup appointments. Not everyone needs to get their hair and makeup professionally done, but if this is what you choose, I recommend you set your appointment at least 4 weeks in advance. The reason for this is, again, to avoid running into an overbooked stylist.

Once you’ve got your dress, gone to a seamstress, and made your appointments, you can shop for accessories--This is such a fun part of the process and allows you to really customize your look! Of course you can always shop for these earlier, or even the same day you get your dress (we’re a one stop shop here at XO😉), I only recommend you start shopping, at least, by the 4 week mark.  It’s important to shop in advance for this so you can be as picky as you want and still have plenty of time before the dance. The 4 week mark also always you time to order accessories online if you want!

Days.

By the 30 day marker you have done everything you need to do to be 100% ready for your prom day... almost. If you are planning on eating dinner at a fancier restaurant, getting a reservation sent in is a good idea to insure that you will have a table. -Check out my previous blog on dinner spots, if you need some ideas! If you aren't planning on going somewhere fancy for dinner, or going to dinner at all, you can totally skip this step. I always ate a couple snacks throughout the day and then ate all of the refreshments at the prom venue! 

If you have been keeping up with my timeline, by the 20 day mark you will have all your ducks in a row and everything planned for prom day to run smoothly. Once the 20 day countdown begins, it’s time to take care of you. Enjoy your final months of the school year, or possibly your high school career, and treat yourself! A great way to do so is to take care of your skin, to do everything in your power to avoid a breakout on prom day. Check out my  “11 Ways to Take Care of Your Skin” blog to see some of my favorite products.

Prom.

Finally, the day we’ve all been waiting for, PROM DAY!!! Wake up, have some breakfast and get to your appointments. If you’ve followed the timeline you’ll know your schedule for the day like it’s written on the back of your hand, or, in my case, it might actually be written on your hand. Running off of this timeline will give you all the tools to make your day and night stress free and incredibly enjoyable.

~P.S. Don't forget to enjoy every second and have fun!~

XO, Olivia.