Formal tips

Last October was my school formal which is an annual event held for the girls in upper sixth. We get dressed up, bring a date, eat food and have lots of fun. However, I was really shocked at how rough the day had ran and it was pretty unpleasant so by the time the formal at night came I was stressed so I have decided to provide formal tips on the basis of my own experience and to prevent you from making the same rooky mistakes!

 

1. The dress! The main part of the whole formal so you have to get it right. Look for a dress well in advance and don't just jump at the first dress that you have seen - have a look around before making the final decision! I saw a dress in August and bought it straightaway and looking back I regret it as I spent £200 when other girls had got dresses which were just as nice for A LOT cheaper! Especially check ASOS.

 

 

2. I had never had a spray tan before and to be honest I was horrified with the Wotsit/Dorito shade of orange that I ended up being left. I got the tan the night before the formal and I cried all the way home as I felt horrible and I knew I had to wash off the dirty bits but it was obvious I was still going to be a gross colour. It turned out not too bad but my tip would be to get a practice tan - even just your top half done which is normally cheaper just to see what shade of tan suits you best and it will make you more confident for when the real time comes.

 

 

 

3. Similar to the last point - don't get individual false eyelashes applied if you have never had them before. I also got the lashes applied the night before and was not physically and emotionally prepared for the pain that was about to occur. My eye got glued together and the beautician couldn't get it pulled apart for ages while the glue was stinging me. Once they were completed the set of lashes on my right eye were in a straight line rather than following the curve of my eye which wasn't too flattering. Once again my tip here is to get a test done to ensure that your eyes aren't too sensitive to the lashes and glue and to make sure you like them. I would probably have prepared to wear a complete set of lashes strip rather than individual ones.

 

 

4. Try and keep the morning and afternoon of your formal totally free and only a couple of appointments e.g. hair and makeup. I had a Senior Official position in my school and I had to give a speech during the morning of the day of my formal which was absolutely horrendous. I would have been nervous enough standing infront of a room of 40 principals for different primary schools but standing infront of them with spider eyelashes and looking like a cheesy crisp did not make matters any better. Try and keep the day as empty as possible not including appointments though and remain calm and relaxed. 



 

5. Have a nice location for the pre-party before the formal to ensure that you get decent photos while you are still looking lovely! We went to a friend's house who had a beautiful grand staircase which was ideal for taking photos on.

 

 

 

 

 

6. In all honesty I wouldn't really worry about transport going to the formal as many of us found it be a waste of money and thankfully our friend's dad had lovely Mercedes which he dropped us off to the formal in which was perfect instead of hiring a limo but if there are a lot of people at the pre party before then maybe a coach would be a better option.

 

 

7. Normally at formals you can get a formal photo with your partner - please practice your "formal pose" beforehand as it will save a lot of awkward photos and moments when you receive the photos in the couple of weeks. Also try your best to get your photos before you eat which will save the risk of including your dinner in the photo and also before your too drunk as although it may be all fun then; you will look back at your photo and most likely feel embarrassed! I had made Andrew practice our stance so that our photos didn't look too dodgy!

 

 

 

8. Make sure your date (if you are bringing one) knows the colour and style of your dress so he can choose a suitable corsage. Most of the girls had the same cream corsage as boys being boys didn't really care about the detail. Also another bad thing was that some of the corsages really did not match the dresses of some of the girls. Don't go for a wild or unnatural colour like red, keep it simple and understated so it doesn't take away from the dress.

 

9.  Take lots and lots of photos as your school formal will probably only happen once and you will want all the memories captured!

 

 

 

10. HAVE FUN! Although a lot of my hints had been from negative experiences - the formal really was a fantastic night and enjoy every single moment of it! Here are some more photos of my night.

 

 

 

 

Hope this helps!

 

RR xx