Teenagers unknowingly attend their first wedding before they step foot into college: flowing dresses, late-night expectations and trashy dancing all await students on prom night, much like they would for most weddings. 

Most guys even “prompose” to their dates. 

The concept of prom is somewhat ridiculous. It is a teenage version of dress up that we used to play as children and an expensive one at that. 

Prom dresses range anywhere from $100 to $500 for seven hours of wear. Not only is the price outrageous, but picking the dress is just as stressful. Ladies get together with their mom and friends like a bridal party and try on no less than six dresses to pick out the “perfect” dress.

No one prepares you for the 101 types of dress styles that can either make you look like a stripper or a nun, and don’t even get me started with trying to figure out your dress size. Every brand is widely different. 

On the off chance you find a dress that fits and doesn’t need alterations, you still have to pick shoes, schedule a hair and nail appointment and coordinate with a date. 

Recently I went with my date to buy his suit, and my eyes almost bugged out my head when I saw the price tag of a suit jacket alone: $300. Ridiculous. 

The whole experience made me feel like I was in a used car dealership. They were trying to sell him accessories left and right, insisting that he need shoes and these special “fun” socks that look like something my grandpa would wear. 

Nevertheless, we picked a very expensive suit, scheduled an alteration day and left with a very empty wallet; all the while, I couldn’t help but compare how similar it was to what a bride and groom would experience. 

Next was picking our mini bouquet: the corsage and boutonniere. It was a relatively simple, but pricey endeavor after a quick visit to the flower shop. The scheduling did not stop there: we still had to decide on a food venue, picture location and post-prom agenda. Prom requires so much planning. 

The whole after prom fiasco is a stereotype that needs to go away. They even made “Blockers,” a whole movie about parents stopping their teenage daughters from doing bad things on prom night. 

It doesn’t matter whether I am shopping, planning, coordinating or dodging expectations. There are striking similarities between the process and the expense of prom and a wedding, but I am ready for my mini wedding and a night to remember.