Survey Shows Going To Prom Is Getting More Expensive Than Ever
MARLBORO, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Proms are getting more expensive than ever before. A new study shows costs up more than 20 percent compared to last year.
For 17-year-old Cheyanne Roper of Queens Village, looking prom perfect is pretty pricey. She came to Marlboro to get a dress with a price tag of more than $500.
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"It's a special occasion so might as well do it up, do it big," Roper told CBS 2's Dave Carlin.
The price of Roper's dress is more than double the national average.
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Seventeen magazine polled readers and found a typical price for a dress to be $231, plus $45 for shoes and $23 for a handbag.
Those dollar amounts are in addition to an average of $50 for hair, $68 for makeup and manicure and $32 for jewelry.
Roper, however, said she believes those numbers are on the low side.
"The hair -- that's going to be $200, plus extensions," she said.
Roper's mother, Elena Roper, said that she is willing to spend in the "high hundreds" for her daughter's special night.
"Money is not an object at the moment. It's her prom," she said.
Roper's date can expect to pay, at the very least, $227 for the tuxedo and accessories, $100 for a limo rental and another $125 for the dinner and dance.
Bonnie Cerminaro of Dante-Zeller Tuxedos said Tri-State customers want the best and typically pay much more than the national average.
"It's not as cheap to do prom because of the bids and the limos and everything adds up," Cerminaro said.
Reality television shows may be helping drive up prom costs. Some experts said teens watch those celebrities and want to mirror their red carpet moments.
How much are you planning to spend this prom season? Let us know in the comments section below...
