For girls, prom starts in early October, but as a guy, I really didn’t start thinking about prom until my girlfriend bought her dress. I think this reigns true for all guys, and it’s not a bad thing. While our list of preparations may be shorter than the girl’s, I’m here to help go over the things every guy needs to do to look like a playa at prom.

The starting thing to do is to find a date; whether it’s just a friend or that special someone the coolest thing to do is have an over the top promposal. I’ve attached a few pictures to get the ideas flowing. Some of these ideas are from Dunbar prom-goers, while others are simply ideas found online.

The most important piece of advice I can give you to ensure a lit night is to let your date make every decision: go along with everything. Prom only happens once or twice, and it’s stupid to get overly stressed over it. The best thing to do is just be a helpful date, and take the pressure off the situation.

When it comes to getting a tux, they can be pretty expensive; make sure you ask for deals such as coupons, school codes or even if your date’s dress gets you a discount. Most guys think renting is the automatic way to go but you can also save money by wearing a friend’s, a parent’s or even asking a neighbor’s. Sometimes the cheapest option could even be buying your own tux and wearing it on multiple occasions.

Next on the agenda should be purchasing the tickets. If you want to sweep your date off her feet, you could be a gentleman and buy her ticket as well. Ticket prices go up over time, so buy early and save big. With a fly tux, two tickets and a beautiful date, it’s time to get down and turn up at prom.

With prom season rapidly approaching, many things are rushing through the minds of junior and senior girls all over the country: which dress to buy, who to go with and how to do your hair, just to name a few.

Before you schedule your hair and makeup appointments, you have to find the perfect dress. Make sure you find a dress that compliments you and your style. After finding a dress, make sure you let your date know what to wear so he can match you. If being unique is especially important to you, make sure no one else at your school has the same dress; some stores even keep records to ensure the same dress isn’t being worn to the same school’s prom. If you haven’t already picked out a dress, attached are some pictures to help you decide what style you like.

Once you have a dress, you can start scheduling makeup and hair appointments. If you are wearing a strapless dress, putting your hair down looks the best; if you are wearing a dress with a high neck line, hair up looks the best. With this is mind, make sure you look at different prom hair styles on Pinterest.

After scheduling all the hair and makeup appointments and finding that perfect dress, remember the smaller stuff: buy your tickets, shoes and bag. Make sure your prom group has dinner and picture plans. Schedule a photographer and make reservations well in advance because they get booked quickly.

Now that everything is planned, you can enjoy a great night at prom with your friends. Have fun and be safe!