As AP testing season comes to a close, the next event on juniors’ and seniors’ mind is prom. The annual event hosted by the junior class is the ideal evening for students to celebrate after a successful year.

“I think the [excitement for prom] is natural just because the whole planning process is really fun and everyone is super excited for a great time with friends,” senior Julia Recto said.

For some, prom mania began as early as March with the hunt to find the perfect dress and accessories.

“I started looking for my dress in [the beginning of] March, but I didn’t actually order a dress until the end of March,” senior Siobhan Reardon said. “I looked on a bunch of different sites and ended up ordering a dress from Lulu’s and then another dress from a Canadian website.”

Although many bought their prom outfit, others preferred to rent their attire for the evening.

“[I am going to] rent my tux because every year the style changes. The style starts becoming obsolete and eventually you end up having to wear a very outdated tux later on,” senior Andres Alarcon said. “They also cost a decent amount of money to buy.”

A challenge for some is deciding whether to spend the night with friends or attend with a date.

“If you have a date, the hardest part is coordinating with other people. [It is difficult to decide] whether you’ll go with their group or your friend group as well as how the timings will work out,” senior Teresa Burrell said.

For most who go with a date, a tradition that has become more common is the promposal. Some chose to ask their date with a simple text, whereas others decide to ask in a more grandeur manner.

“It wasn’t very hard [to plan a promposal]. I knew who I was asking very well, so I knew what to write [on the poster] and how to ask her,” Alarcon said.

After deciding who to go with, the process of planning does not get less complex as the group must decide where to take pictures, where to eat as well as modes of transportation for a large group of people.

“Someone else [in my group] did most of the planning. She organized a party bus and made reservations for a restaurant in Washington D.C,” senior Gustavo Sagastume said. “I didn’t have to do much except pay the bus fee.”

Most choose to attend the prom hosted by Chantilly, but others still choose to attend another school’s prom for various reasons.

“I went to Oakton High School’s prom because my friend really wanted to have a date and we are very close,” Sagastume said. “I knew it was going to very fun and a great experience for both of us.”

For some seniors, this year’s prom is the second prom they will attend and hope to make changes from their experiences last year.

“[It’s helpful] to plan ahead. You want to give yourself sometime to get yourself the tux and give the girl you’re asking enough time to get her dress,” Alarcon said. “There’s a lot of things that can go wrong, such as the tux not fitting. It’s best to give yourself some extra time.”

Although the process of planning a prom night may seem stressful, many just hope to have a fun and memorable night.

“I chose to go because as I senior, I feel like this would be the last to have fun with people [from high school] before we go our separate ways,” Burrell said. “I just want to have a good time.”

Prom will be hosted at the Reston Hyatt from 8 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are on sale now for $65 and are sold in the cafeteria.