The new Coming of Age

Maryann and Harry Denmead, 1958 graduates of Netcong High School remember decorating their school’s gymnasium for their senior prom in a Neptune’s Grotto theme. “The mothers made all the food, and there were fish nets hanging everywhere,” said Maryann. “Harry made paper mache` fish that were suspended from the ceiling and a huge seashell for the king and queen to sit in.” The Denmeads also recall their junior prom, which was held at a fancy catering hall, with ticket prices set at $25 a couple. The evening was a disaster. “We borrowed a new ’57 Chevy and got into an accident, my dress got torn on my grandmother’s screen door, and the waiter spilled a bowl of soup all over my dress,” said Maryann. Sandy Sutton of Sparta also recalls her gym prom in 1956, but especially remembers her dress. “It was $35 and my mother said it was too much. I promised I’d wear it to every single dance I went to, and I did! I loved that dress. What’s funny is that all my pictures look identical to one another, you can’t tell which dance, social or prom it was. And to make it worse I even went with the same boy to all the school dances,” laughs Sutton. Times have changed and having your mother make your dress, decorating the gym and scooping your drink out of a punch bowl are in the past. Today’s prom goers know what they want, and that usually means, big, elaborate and . . . expensive. Marilee Bennis, Sparta High School senior is looking forward to her prom. At approximately $100 per couple, prom tickets, or bids as they’re now called, are a bit more expensive than the proms of yesteryear. Chris Carl is attending the Lanape Valley Regional High School prom this year and will spend $150 for two bids. Carl says the bid prices are determined by how successful the school fundraising was. “I think if the kids are a couple, the boy will typically pay for the tickets. But since my date and I are friends, we’re splitting the cost,” he said. Carl admits that the girls have most of the financial burden of the prom, simply due to the additional preparations and accessories they need. Carl’s tuxedo rental will be $100, and he’s good to go. There is very little argument that the dress a girl chooses for her prom may just be the most important part of the affair. “The prom is a red carpet moment for her,” says Bunny Matthius, owner of Exquisite Brides in Sparta. Many girls are choosing to shop in formal wear boutiques for the personal service the stores offer. “The dress a girl picks should not only represent the event, but also the girl’s personal style. We try to help the girls choose that perfect dress, a black-tie dress that can be worn again, rather than a trendy style,” says Matthius. “Today proms are so big, these dances and other events like this are all about celebrating life.” A prom boy can still get by with a new haircut and a clean shave, okay, and maybe some hair gel. Whether it was a matter of money or the styles at the time, years ago girls styled their own hair for the big night. Not anymore, “These girls know what they want and if they don’t, they look through style books. Up Dos are very popular,” says Terri Burkhardt of K&C Hair Designers in Sparta. And just a new style for their hair is no longer enough. “Some girls accessorize their hair with decorative pins and glitter,” says Burkhardt. Getting a fresh look used to mean simply adding eye shadow to the make-up regimen or changing lip color to match the dress. Today, girls are looking for a fresh new look and have it applied by a professional. “Having your make-up done adds brightness to the face without overdoing it. A professional will accentuate a girl’s best features and they’ll pick up good application tips through the process,” says Shelly Gaughran owner of Salon Encore in Sparta. Facials and eyebrow waxing are also very popular with prom girls. Sun Hee of Elite Nails doesn’t have to be told when it’s prom time. Manicures and pedicures are booked way in advance of the big event. But it doesn’t just end with a simple manicure. “Acrylic and gel tips are very popular with the girls. French manicures are very popular now,” she says. Many salons offer a variety of pedicures and some even have mini massages to soothe the prom jitters away. What would a prom be without cur sashes and boutonnières? This may be the one area of a prom that has remained relatively unchanged and affordable through the years. Except that now the girls wear wristlet flowers, rather than piercing their new dresses. “The boys are still matching the ribbons on the wristlets to the girls’ dress and the girls still do the same for their dates,” says Mary Adelman of Sophie’s Place in Sparta. A bootineer including tax is $8.47, and a wristlet goes for $22.47. No more borrowing the family’s ’57 Chevy. Stretch limousines, and Party limo buses are the way to go for this generation of prom goers. “Parents and kids are looking for prompt, courteous, professional service, and that is what they get,” says Vincent Cocozziello, owner of Alliance Car Service based in Sparta. “However, we absolutely do not tolerate any smoking, alcohol, or drugs in my cars. Parents can rest assured that our goal is to give the kids a fun but safe ride to and from the prom.” The price for an average prom limo is $850 for an eight-hour booking. According to Cocozziello, parents will pay for the limo, or the group of teens will divide the expense. Prom goers nowadays look as if they’ve spent a week on a Caribbean island. The truth is they’ve most likely spent a week or two in a tanning salon bed. “Tans just make the dress look better, it completes the look, and we are so busy with prom kids at this time of year,” says Denise Spaanstra of Super Tans in Jefferson. No matter how much things have changed, the prom remains a coming of age milestone in young people’s lives and when they look back, they may not recall the pomp and circumstance or the expense, but the time spent with friends before embarking on their live’s journey as adults. Marilee Bennis agrees. “The prom is the last celebration of all the years we have spent together in school; it marks the end of high school before we all move on,” he said. “I will remember the fun I had with my friends that night; many of us have been together since kindergarten, and after the prom, that will all change.”