Arguably the most exciting part of formal season is dress shopping and taking photos of your perfect look for your special night. Here are some steps to achieving the perfect look by the day of your sorority formal!
1. Start planning what you want to wear.
Buy any and every fashion magazine that you can find. Plan whether you want to wear a long gown or a short cocktail dress. Think about the venue of your formal before deciding on a dress to wear. Also, decide on how you want to accessorize your dress. Think about whether you want dangly diamond earrings or pearl studs. Or would you rather make a statement with gorgeous designer stiletto shoes.
2. Make any and all appointments.
You want to be able to schedule all of your appointments at your first choice of salon and boutiques for the big day. Make sure to schedule both hair and nail appointments with people that you have used before or who have shown great work on someone you know's hair, nails or makeup. French manicures are my preferred choice of nail color as it looks classy yet gorgeous with any colored dress.
3. Order your dress.
As Gainesville does not have many places to shop for cocktail dresses or evening gowns, make sure you order your dress in plenty of time for your formal. There are numerous online places to order gorgeous dresses. Check out Jovani, La Femme and Sherri Hill if you are looking for a high-end gown.
4. Hemming and Alterations.
It is likely that you will want to alter or hem your dress once it arrives. It's important to get this done as soon as possible to ensure that your dress is ready in time.
5. Get cash out for tips.
Not only is it respectable to leave a tip for each of the people who you have appointments with, but it shows that you are genuinely grateful for the wonderful work that they have done on your hair, makeup or nails. Also, if they remember you being a kind customer, you are more likely going to be able to get a last minute appointment in the future if you ever need one again.
6. Make a schedule.
The night before the special day, write up a schedule of the times of all of your appointments, complete with addresses of where each appointment is located. You don't want to show up late to anything, or get lost on the way to a salon.
7. Have the time of your life.
After all of this work and attending all of your appointments, it is now time for you to look back on the crazy and amazing year that you have had. Time passes so quickly, especially in college. Take this night to have the time of your life with your sorority sisters and incredible date!