Formals are an exciting and fun occasion. They are the perfect excuse to dress up, look flawless and have the best time with your close friends and schoolmates. However, all the costs that go into your clothes, transport and beauty can add up to be pretty expensive, especially for just a few hours of formal fun!
However, there are a few tips that you could adopt to save yourself some money without skimping on the fun!
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The Dress
- Shop around: When you work out what type of dress you like, don’t buy the first one you come across. Shop around, and see whether there are other places that sell the similar type of dress but for a little less money.
- Choose versatility: Pick a dress that you can use on different occasions. A dress that can be slightly modified to different occasions but still look suitable would be a great way to get the most out of your buck!
- Borrow: Ask around and see whether any of your friends or family members have any spare dresses that would suit you. Chances are some of them would still have their own prom dresses, gathering dust in their wardrobe.
- Rent a dress: Check out our post on the top 5 places to rent your formal dress
- Sew your own: If you have the time and skill, always consider designing and making your own dress, or get a family member to help! Fabrics are relatively cheap and you can construct it to fit and look perfect on yourself!
The Suit
- Buy don’t Rent: This might seem counter-productive but renting suits or tuxedos usually end up costing more or about the same than buying one. And this way, you’ll have a spare tux that you can wear on special occasions. You never know when it will come in handy!
- Don’t fall for branding: Nobody is going to notice whether a black suit is Ralph Lauren or a cheaper brand. A black tux is a black tux. Choose an off-brand to save a bunch load of money.
- Don’t buy/rent the add-ons: Pocket squares and top hats may seem a stylish trend to go, but for only a few hours, they aren’t really worth the additional costs. Besides, they are just an extra thing you have to worry misplacing on the night.
Hair, Make-up and Nails
- Phone a friend: Instead of going to a professional put a little faith in your family or friends and let them do the beauty essentials. You can always practice days beforehand and it will be way funner doing it as a group then going off the separate salons and getting it done for a lot of money.
- Cosmetic Desks: Head over to the cosmetic desk in Myer/ David Jones (You might want to come in a few days earlier and book) or go into Priceline and ask whether they are happy to do your make-up for the formal. Chances are they’ll be willing, and you can get that professional look without the money spent.
- Glamazon: put your hair and make-up on the Glamazon app. Glamazon let’s you book at a salon or have a stylist come to you. It saves you heaps of time because you put in when you need your hair or makeup done and it will show you all the available salons/stylists and their prices
- Wear long gloves: As well as giving you that elegant look, and depending on your dress, wear long gloves to avoid having to spend money on an expensive manicure!
The Photos:
- Skip on the professional: Don’t waste money on hiring a professional photographer. With smartphone cameras and your well-versed skill of Instagram photography take your own photos before and during the formal, or get a family member to.
- Avoid the official photo booth: There’s always going to be a professional photographer at the formal venue. Before you decide on getting a candid snap with your friends, consider that the photographer usually only gives you a couple of snaps, before you have to wait a few weeks until you actually see how the photo turned out.
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The Transport:
- Split the Limo: If your squad decides to arrive stylish with a limo make sure you split the cost. Depending on how many friends you are going with, it could end up to be quite cheap.
- Hire a Party Bus: If you have a large friendship group (and their dates) consider hiring a party bus. They are usually cheaper than limos, are so much more fun and can fit a lot more people.
- Just use your car: If your group has decided to arrive their separate ways, just use your own car. Not everybody will want to arrive in limousines or party buses, and it really doesn’t matter!
The Corsage:
- Be crafty: Don’t buy an expensive corsage from the florist, make your own to save the extra money. Plus, if your trying to impress your date, taking the time to make them their own individual corsage might impress them!
- Opt for something more subtle: Wrist corsages can be expensive! Why not give your date more individuality by purchasing a pin corsage or even a simple single flower!
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As you can see there are plenty of ways that you can save a tonne load of cash on your formal, but still celebrate the end of your schooling life! Besides, it could be money better spent on the adventures soon to come! If you have any more great money saving tips for formals, we would love to hear them. Why not head over to the forum and let our friendly community know.
