prom prom marks the beginning of a special time in most high school students' lives. For Sewickley Academy, wedding party dresses it was last month. For Quaker Valley students, it's tonight.

Sewickley Academy kicked off the local prom season with a four-hour dance April 16. Quaker Valley's prom begins tonight with a grand march at 5:30 p.m. before seniors dance the night away. In anticipation summer gowns summer gowns prom dresses 2012 prom dresses 2012, we asked students what this special event meant for them.

Olivia Marsh and Maddie Greathouse are juniors at Sewickley Academy and offered nsight that might be a little surprising.

Finding a date

Girls often go with traditional dates, but others sometimes choose to go with a group of friends, they said. Social pressure no longer dictates if a student attends the prom or not. Young people are confident enough to strike out on their own. They don't feel pressured to go with a date. If they want to go, they go.

Old trends

The rent-a-limo idea for the prom is still alive and well, at least for some. Silver Fox Limousine in Sewickley Heights or Class Limousine in Coraopolis are just a few places that offer options for traveling in luxury.

Time was when everyone went out to eat before the prom. In years past, restaurants often were full of young people in all their prom finery. Not anymore. These days, dinner served at the event is just fine, the girls said. But if you want to eat before the dance, plenty of restaurants, among them the Sewickley Hotel, wholesale cocktail dresses wholesale cocktail dresses Sewickley Café or Sweetwater Grille in downtown Sewickley can accommodate prom-goers.

The perfect outfit

Local teens said it is important to find the perfect dress dress . Some girls search online or in local hot spots such as  Macy’s or David’s Bridal, or head even farther Find your favorite prom dresses, cocktail dresses, evening dresses and pageant gowns at the premier wedding dresses online fashion boutique., such as the Winner in Sharon, to find just the right formal wear .

“I wanted it to be a special dress but actually wore the first I tried on," Olivia said.

Maddie said, "I wanted to look nice in my dress, but finding the right one was not that hard. I ordered three dresses and picked the one that fit the best.”

For guys, formal-wear decisions may mean going with a cane or accessorizing with a top hat. Trends for guys these days go beyond the traditional black tux. Places such as Tuxedo Junction or American Commodore Tuxedo offer great solutions to help guys look their best.

Let's not forget accessorizing with the right flowers, hair and nails. For flowers, local florists such as Cuttings or Shafer's offer tips to suit individual tastes and budgets. Can't choose between an up or down hairdo? Plenty of Sewickley salons, such as  Sean's Signature Salon and Spa, will help prom-goers solidify that perfect look. Some salons, such as Sean's, offer a one-stop shop to get styled, Mani-Pedi ready and cosmetics applications.

The after-party

While some prom-goers hold and attend parties held after the event summer cocktail dresses prom , neither Olivia nor Maddie decided to attend those gatherings.  It was enough, they said, to enjoy the actual prom event and being with friends.

Olivia said the best part of the evening was, "taking pictures with my date at the Duquesne Club and just the experience as a whole.”

The highlight of the event for Maddie?

"Having one last celebration with the seniors before they graduate,” she said.