Sure, some of the “proposals” are cute, but I hate to break it to them — at least in most cases — they aren’t getting married.
Our oldest son’s HoCo invitation was turned down one year because he went the old school way; he just, you know, “asked” a girl to the dance. God forbid.
Both boys though were pretty good about making sure their dress clothes fit before the dance; most items they already had.
But their shoe game every year was on point and that remains the current trend. Bowties are paired with snazzy dancing shoes (that probably also hurt their feet) and they never disappoint.
By the time our boys graduated we had amassed a collection of bowties; some new, some borrowed and some had been traded with others trying to achieve the same level of matchy-matchy required to win a game of Memory.
And now our youngest is of the HoCo age. Her boyfriend went the HoCo proposal route. It was thoughtful, creative and sweet, but she would have said yes to him even if he just sent a text.
Back in August while waiting for an appointment time, she and I wandered into a store touting unique and stylish Homecoming dresses.
“Let’s just go check it out,” I said openly. She knew what was coming.
We walked in the store and back out in under 30 seconds. The dresses cost more than my wedding gown!
“Nope. That’s not happening,” I told her. “You are only going to wear it once.”
I’m pretty sure I wore whatever skirt was in my closet (or more accurately, on my closet floor) and a sweater to HoCo.
Our daughter has expensive hobbies, she can cut costs somewhere, right? Last year, she borrowed a dress (that was a win!). This year, she found a dress on Amazon and also one from a graduated friend who had worn it — you guessed it — once. Another win!
As for shoes, last year’s pair will do. They still look brand new because we all know once the dancing starts the shoes come off.
All that being said, I admit, we have indulged in some of the pageantry around school events. We never regret making sure they look their best (albeit on a budget) or have a safe ride to-and-from wherever they are going. And the photos — which are never taken at home anymore because well, Instagram — are always fun to look back on.
(And P.S. — this opinion also applies to prom season.)
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