So, prom is coming up, right? Nervous? Don’t be! I mean, I know the whole “finding a date” thing can be a little anxiety-inducing, and it seems super important to have one, but believe me, going to prom without a date is the best prom-related decision you’ll make. It’s not the right choice for everyone, sure, but if all the stars align — you’re going to have a rockin’ time date or no date.
I didn’t date in high school — like, at all. I didn’t go on dates, and I didn’t have any boyfriends. Not because no one was interested in me or because my parents had some sort of rule, but because I kind of just found human interaction to be extra terrifying. The very thought of being alone with a guy I liked was enough to spike my blood pressure. Needless to say, I accepted the fact that I’d be going to prom without a date, and it was really no big deal. I went with a big group of friends — both couples and dateless singles — and I had a blast.
In any case, before you decide whether or not to go to prom dateless, you should ask yourself some real-talk questions.
1. Is there someone who you actually want to go with?
Let me preface this by saying that even if you get asked to prom, you can still choose to go alone. But yo, if you like someone and they like you and you think you’d have an awesome time at prom together — go with that person. At the time of my prom, I had been hanging out with and flirt-texting (it was high school, you know how it goes) with a guy I’d had a crush on since I was 9 years old. I liked him, but I wasn’t sure how he really felt about me, and he was older than me and out of high school (I’m an old soul or whatever, I don’t know). So, I really didn’t have anyone who I saw myself going with and/or not having a weird, awkward time with.
Obviously, if you feel the same, you should continue to consider going to prom without a date.
2. What do you actually want out of prom?
I know that literally every high school movie makes prom seem like a big deal and super magical and romantic, but that is not always the case. Those movies are fantasies, and you shouldn’t let that dictate what you actually want to get out of prom. For me, I just wanted to have a fun time and not be nervous and stressed out the whole time. If you want to take chest-to-back prom photos, kiss in the limo, and maybe still be friends on Facebook after you leave for college, you’ll probably want to go with a date. But if you just want to look super cute in your awesome dress, dance with your friends, and take a ton of very dark but very fun selfies all night — going dateless is probably the way to go.
3. What’s the plan with your prom?
My prom was pretty loose plan-wise. There was no planned dinner and no planned after-party, but I know that some schools have a very structured prom experience. If there isn’t a set plan in place, it might be easier for you to customize your prom experience if you’re just with your girlfriends. Usually, the school will send around a flyer or an email or something with all the details in the weeks beforehand, so you’ll have some time to figure out what you’d like to do.
4. What are your friends doing?
You should absolutely feel free to do your own thing, but you will probably want to consider what your friends are doing. For my prom, I was lucky enough to go with a large group of friends with a good mix of couples and singles like me, and it was really chill. We all had dinner together, took pictures together, and left together, but the couples and the singles were all able to do their own things. So coordinate with your buddies, and see what would work best for you.
5. How much money can you spend?
By my humble estimate, going without a date may be cheaper. It kind of depends on what your plans are, but I can tell you that splitting a limo between 10 people is way cheaper than splitting it between two people. Just sayin’.