That is nuts. I can't believe the parents that will pay the money to go all out for this.

At the High School my daughter's attended, they had the chance to buy four dresses. For freshman and sophmore year it was not a prom but a fund raiser for a local psychiatric hospital. The first year that my older DD went, I let her pick whatever dress she wanted. (I never went to a prom in HS so I guess I am living vicariously through my kids.)
However, when the next year rolled around, I told that she already had the experience and she still had proms to look forward to, so let's to this one cheaply. She got a gown on sale and she and her friend decided to wear their flip folps instead of high heels. She had the same good time and it cost half as much.
When prom came around, I did give each of my daughters a limit for the dress.
I think where all the expense comes in is renting limos (we didn't) after parties etc.
I still don't get why kids need a junior prom when they will go to a senior prom?

Spending that much money on Prom is as stupid as blowing absurds amount of money on a wedding.

Both of my kids each went to Prom 4 times. Maybe, just maybe 1000 was spent between dresses, tux rental and dinners. Some people have the money to spend, so let them. Seems ridiculous to me if you don't have the money to spend, though.

I can tell you this would never happen in our house... I just don't understand some parents these days. They say the average wedding is $25,000. We had 2 girls get married and didn't spend half that on each. Plain crazy in my book.. Have you ever seen what some parents pay for Halloween costumes? We live in a different time now and this is so sad..

We are in a small school and while it's the Junior prom the whole high school is in attendance. I've never heard of anyone coming near the $1000 mark even those that could afford it.

I think the reason some parents may spend more than they can afford is because the kids parents may not be together and they are competing for their kids. I have a friend that is a struggling single mom. Last year was her year to buy the gear for prom. She couldn't afford a dress but she did borrow a dress from a friend. The daughter acted like she was very happy with it. Anyway, the stepmom got wind that the kid was wearing a used dress so she decided to buy her a brand new dress to the tune of $500. What kind of message do you suppose the stepmother was sending to this kid?

Speaking of prom, here are the bad prom photo's from Ellen's website. Enjoy!

Here is a link that might be useful: Bad Prom Photos

Some of those are really funny adellabedella! I love the one where the dad is in the background with a gun. lol Glad I went to prom in the 70's and not the 80's. I would have embarrassed myself with some big hair and a poofy-sleeved dress.

I don't know anyone who spent $1000. on their kid's prom. I may have spent $350. my DD's senior year prom, but that was for everything (dress and alterations, hair updo, jewelry, manicure, prom ticket, shoes and splitting a limo with about 10 other kids). She did wear that dress to 2 other events, so I think we got our money out of it.

Admittedly its been a few years, but we never came remotely close to spending that much - what our school had were Christmas and Spring formals, and graduating seniors still have an 'all night party' not prom/formal.

We were adept at borrowing and even MAKING our dresses (sometimes with help), shoes often little dyed to match things that were only worn just a very few times (recycled). I don't think I EVER paid full price for a dress, then switched back and forth with a friend who lived just across state line who wore the same size.

No limos, not once. We didn't go for an expensive meal first, we had pizza in our formal gowns after. I don't know when the practice of the high end restaurant meals came into play, long after my own high school days.

A few years ago DH and I were splurging on an expensive long weekend resort getaway, and late Saturday afternoon float plane after float plane started landing and docking, teens in tuxes and gowns filling the docks and heading for the 5* restaurant.... Seattle pre proms, they were flying out to the peninsula/islands to eat first. Talk about limos, these kids were renting planes :)

Ok, I live in an area where the parents and kids really do it up for prom. This was not how my kids spent $$, but here goes.
1) a limosine and driver/ motor home
2) a pre prom soiree
3) expensive tickets to the prom at an area hotel ballroom
4) dinner out at a nice restaurant, even if dinner is included in the cost of the prom ticket
5) prom dress, shoes, purse, accessories or tux
6) acrylic nails, pedicure, hair styling, color touch up
7) hotel room in the prom hotel for the night
8) flowers, pictures
9) post prom breakfast party for those having an overnight at someone's house.
Since we are in a suburb of a large metropolitan area, everything here is so much more expensive.

both dds got bargains on dresses...dd1 on sale, dd2, had gone to visit gma in vegas and again a sale dress..aside from clothes, they did pay for a lot themselves...all 4 kids worked...

my prom dress was also my wedding dress, lol (1964) and was under $25...we drove our own car, then to a night club (special shows) on sunset bl...i also had a curfew...

My daughters went to 2 proms each-Junior Banquet and Senior Prom. School held Jr. thing in the school with catered food. It ended promptly at midnight and everyone went home. Did it on the cheap- dresses bought off the rack, tickets were maybe $50. Senior Prom was a bigger production. Held in a restaurant, kids don't come home, some go to motels. My kids drove to local beach and partied till dawn. Yes they were "drinking". But they were smart enough to have a designated non-drinking driver. These tickets were $100, dresses were more expensive. Older daughter is now 24. My younger is 22. She had one disaster at Sr. Prom-her digital camera got broken. I took it to be fixed and they couldn't, couldn't even save her photos from it. But I hope that's the worst thing that happens to her, broken camera and lost photos. Both still have their memories. And nowhere NEAR $1000 was spent on anything.

First of all the survey was taken by Prom magazines which are published for the sole purpose of upping the costs of these things just like bridal mags help to inflate the costs of wedding with the ideas and "must haves" they promote.

Secondly check the demographics of the two highest areas they mention. Read between the lines and you will understand that those areas are populated by two cultures that have traditionally overspent on their daughters when it comes to what are "milestone" events.

Around here some do may do it it over the top but most kids have made prom a group event where they pool costs and have a night out on their real budgets.

Of course you will always have the princesses but most kids would rather save for a tat or a piercing than a tiara. LOL

Senior Prom for DS was 7 years ago.

They did rent a limo - divided by 8 couples at about $50/couple. They went to a restaurant for the pre-prom dinner, but they had called ahead, chose a single dinner for all, and got a really good deal for about $14/person.

All of the young men wore suits (already owned), rather than tuxes. This is common in our area. I know DS's girl bought her dress on-line and spent about $100.

It really does depend on the area and how expensive things are there. I'm sure the $14/person dinner wouldn't have been possible in a more urban area, for example. Nor would the limo have been affordable.