Prom is a big event for high school students across the nation. It’s a night full of dancing and fun with friends or dates, but it can feel as if nobody talks about the “before” the dance.

The “before Prom” time for some doesn’t last very long: Just get ready and go to the dance. For others, the process starts hours before the dance. Girls, especially, like to gather and get ready together, take their pictures with their dates at a scenic location, eat out, and then arrive at the dance itself fashionably late.

“My friends and I met up around noon, and finished around 4:30 in the afternoon. That and taking pictures took more time than we spent at the dance itself,” said senior Alexandra Ball.

For some, pictures are the most important part of Prom. Some people get ready just to take pictures, then don’t even go to the dance at all. Deciding where to take pictures can be difficult, especially if you have friends going with a date from another group of people.

“My date wanted to go take pictures with his best friend and his date, so I had to settle for taking pictures at one of my friends’ houses so we could get some together,” said junior Townes Mullinex.

Finding a place to eat before Prom can be a bit difficult, especially when you’re going with a bigger group or if the date falls on the same night as other school proms in the area. Some people don’t want to eat too much, while others want to get in that fuel for the rest of the night.

“In my group, all of us wanted to have a pretty casual dinner. So it was fairly easy deciding on one place,” said junior Kameren Green.

The amount of time and effort put into just the “before” can be really stressful, but a lot of students think it might also be the most fun part as you get to be with your friends in an event that goes far beyond the dance itself.

“My ‘before’ Prom was full of smiles and laughter with me and my friends just getting to hang out together and dress up. It was almost like we’re little again,” said sophomore Amelia Moore.