Prom is a perfect opportunity for high school students to go out and enjoy their final moments as seniors, spending time with friends who have been close since grade school. However, planning a successful prom can often stimulate anxiety or stress, with the countless amount of steps and foresight required. This comprehensive guide is meant to cover nearly every aspect of prom night, to guarantee that Green Hope students can experience a smooth prom night. This year, the prom will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Raleigh Sheraton Hotel. This comprehensive guide covers, “promposals,” attire, flowers, photography and restaurants, all while considering the location of the event. For each section, the GH Falcon compiled a list of options that fit all students, ensuring a beautifully clear sky for our “starry night” at prom.
With Green Hope’s prom quickly approaching, the age-old question is asked – what should I wear? A big part of prom is taking pictures in your dresses or suits and posting them for all your friends to see. This makes finding the right outfit a crucial part of prom planning.
There are many factors to consider when shopping for your prom outfit. It’s important to coordinate with people in your group, whether it’s friends or a date. It’s typical to match your dress color to the bow/tie color of your date, which ensures attractive photos. On top of this, planning a good color palate within your prom group will make pictures look more cohesive and thought out.
When it comes to actually buying a dress or suit, there are two routes to take. Shopping in-store is a great option when you want to try on the outfit before purchasing. The other path to use is online shopping. Ordering online is perfect for convenience and a wider variety of colors as well as styles. Listed below are ten stores that offer affordable yet stylish options for prom clothes.
IN-STORE:
Dresses
Windsor – As a women’s fashion store, Windsor is a great place to shop for prom dresses and all the necessary accessories.
Cousin Couture – While the dresses are slightly more expensive, they are great quality with a timeless appeal.
Suits
Men’s Wearhouse – They offer affordable prices with a large selection of colors as well as patterns
Brooks Brothers – This luxury clothing brand has stylish take on classic suits as well as pocket squares and ties
Dresses and Suits
Nordstrom – There are many locations throughout the triangle with each store selling dresses, suits, jewelry and shoes making Nordstrom a one stop shop for prom
ONLINE STORES:
Dresses
Lulus – Affordable prices with an extensive selection of both dresses and heels make Lulus a great option.
Hello Molly – Providing both trendy and stylish dresses Hello Molly is a great pick especially since they have a lenient return policy.
Suits
Banana Republic – They offer a wide variety of materials for suits as well as shoes and they frequently have large sales.
Suitsupply – Using only premium Italian fabrics, Suitsupply focuses on customization making these suits very long-lasting.
Dresses and Suits
Dillards – Known for being a great price as well as great quality, this is a fantastic choice.
In order to ensure your prom night goes smoothly, one of the first things you should do is plan your dress or suit. Your outfit can determine your mood and by shopping at any of the mentioned stores, you should have an amazing night!
Many florists in Cary provide fresh flowers from bouquets to corsages and boutonnieres. These shops provide different varieties and colors of flowers to choose from while delivering high quality, providing all you need for prom. Here are some options of places to get flower necessities for prom. This list is ranked from more expensive to less expensive.
Preston Flowers
This florist shop provides a variety of bouquets and has the option for one to get pre-made bouquets or a personalized one. Preston Flowers also offers corsages and boutonnieres that can match any kind of dress one is wearing to prom. There are different types of fillings and ribbons for the bouquets and other flower accessories you’re wearing to add more to the occasion.
Cary Florist
This flower shop offers in-store pick-up for pre-made corsages and boutonnieres, coming in different styles, shapes and colors. They also provide huge bouquets which can be used to decorate the background of photos or to make smaller bouquets for holding during prom pictures.
Trader Joes
If you are going for a cheaper option for flowers, Trader Joe’s usually has spare flowers one can use, they also offer pre-made bouquets that are 100% high quality. Shopping at Trader Joe’s even gives the prom group an opportunity to spend time together to create the flower necessities.
GCG Flower and Plant Design
This flower shop provides hundreds of different flower bouquets for a variety of occasions. The pre-made choices are top quality and provide loads of bouquets, you won’t even know which one to choose! It is a little more pricey, but these flowers are neutered, will last, and are lively. Flowers for any occasion are available if you have an idea to match the bouquet, and there is even an option for what kind of seasonal flowers you are looking for.
Flower Gallery at Harris Teeter
Harris Teeter is a less pricey and good place to get the corsages and boutonnieres you are looking for. These have many options to choose from, but you may also personalize them with the flowers they provide. They can come with ribbons and bands to put around your wrist for reuse. Most local Harris Teeters will have a florist to assist you and create a lovely creation.
Taking pictures in fancy clothing is a right of passage for high school dances, and prom is no exception. Below is a compiled list of the prominent locations for naturally beautiful backgrounds to highlight the incredible appearances of students on their special night.
Duke Gardens
Located just minutes from Duke University, Duke Gardens provides one of the largest collections of flowers in the area. With over 55 acres, Duke Gardens offers both beautiful wooded and meticulously landscaped areas, combined by multiple pathways. Despite being a large public park, it can fill quickly with other prom groups, as one of the most sought after picture locations in the triangle.
WRAL Azalea Gardens
Another primary garden for pictures in the triangle is WRAL Azalea Gardens, located in Raleigh, which is convenient as the Green Hope prom dance is held in the Raleigh Sheraton hotel. WIth over 60 varieties of beautiful azalea flowers, this area is another sought after location for pictures. However, this garden is much smaller, with only about 1.5 open acres. This garden has gorgeous landscaping with fountains and benches throughout the park.
JC Raulston Arboretum
Arboretums across the country have been serving high school kids as great places for prom pictures; the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh is no exception. This botanical garden has one of the most diverse collections of flowers, making for unique and exciting picture backgrounds. Additionally, this Arboretum is always open to the public and is located near North Carolina State University, relatively close to the prom dance.
NC Museum of Art
If it’s time to switch up from the traditional garden or arboretum scene, the outdoor displays at the NC Museum of Art offer a beautiful variety of structures and natural sites. As one of the largest art museums in the country, the 164 acres contain bountiful options all with bright green grass and crisply paved pathways. This museum is located in Raleigh, and typically has ample foot traffic, so be sure to avoid major paths with people in backgrounds.
American Tobacco Campus
For more of an urban atmosphere, the American Tobacco Campus, located in downtown Durham, provides a brick-and-mortar design that offers a unique historical presence in pictures. While this area does have natural water features and greenery, taking pictures in the dusk of a city-like location can add an element of man-made elegance.
Deciding where to spend one of the most important dinners of high school is no easy task, below is a list of a few options one can’t go wrong with.
Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar
Featuring a variety of high quality Italian feasts, Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar is a great location to enjoy dinner before prom. The lavish dining area allows for an intimate meal between one’s date and themselves. They also offer a variety of exclusive reservable areas. One of which, the Palace room, offers seating for up to 40 which is a great option for those attending prom with a large group.
Lugano Ristorante
While still being a great quality Italian restaurant, Lugano Ristorante is more affordable than Mulino’s while also offering a great experience. They also offer certain menu items such as pizza and stromboli that you can count on if nothing else seems appetizing. For those attending with a large group, they have a wine room that hosts up to 20 guests. They even have a semi-private dining room that accommodates up to 54 guests for extremely large groups.
Daniel’s Italian
Another Italian restaurant, dining at Daniel’s is a vibrant way to start the night off. The menu is the perfect size, assuring customers that there are both plenty of options to pick from and each item is unique. For groups of over 10, they will only sit all members once everyone has arrived. For parties over 20, reservation and use of a “set menu” is required and the meals will be served family style. They are also highly accommodating, reservations can be adjusted on the fly by simply calling and without calling they allow a 15 minute grace period if you are running late for your reservation.
Stanbury
Offering traditional american cuisine, Stanbury is a great location to have dinner with a medium or smaller sized group or even just your date. With the only day of the week they are not open being Sunday, you can count on them to be open on prom night. Their menu also changes to reflect the season so your meal will perfectly reflect the springtime flowers you just took photos with. Their menu is specifically renowned for their exquisite seafood selection which can make for a light meal.
Second Empire Restaurant & Tavern
Offering a variety of exquisite American menu items, Second Empire is perhaps one of the highest-quality locations that one can go to for an unforgettable dinner. Their menu features a variety of different meat-based entrees including Australian lamb rack and even duck breast. Due to the restaurant’s exclusivity, they strongly recommend reservations regardless of the size of the party to ensure that there is no wait upon arrival.
