For the class of 2023, March marks the start of the best and last months of high school. Seniors have reached the point where talk of prom dresses, venues and party buses is in full swing. Amongst college decision releases, student preparations for this unforgettable event have also begun.

Specifically for female seniors, shopping for prom dresses has taken the hot seat. Ranging from purchasing dresses online to going in person to boutiques to find the perfect fit, students are going to different lengths to find dresses that mark the beauty of this iconic night. “I think that prom dress shopping is one of those events you really look forward to your entire high school career, and it’s finally here. It’s almost stressful to find the perfect dress that’ll be timeless and suit me,” senior Katya Sorokin said.

Beyond the dresses, preparations for the actual event have been quietly groomed since the start of freshman year. “We’ve worked on fundraising to make sure we were on track to the best prom we could plan, especially through Covid-19 when fundraising was slower,” senior class president Max Choi said.

Senior Planning and the class of 2023 officers have been working hard on making arrangements for this landmark event, including landing a venue, theme and organizing finances to ensure a successful night. The theme for this year’s prom is Night Under the Stars.“Senior planning came up with ideas, voted for our top three, then we released a voting form to our grade to vote for the top theme. It’s going to be really cute, simple, but meaningful at the same time, and we’re very excited,” senior vice president Hope Safai said.

The class officers put out polls on their Instagram account earlier in the year to open voting on prom themes, options including Night Under the Stars, Masquerade Ball and Vegas Casino. These were the most popular theme nominations, with Night Under the Stars winning by popular vote. Plans for the venue were also decided via Instagram poll. This year’s prom will be held at the Marriott Hotel in Bethesda. “This year, the officers and I went ahead and searched for a venue based on the polls we took from class. We saw most of the poll takers wanted prom in Bethesda or Pike & Rose, so the venue we found is very close to both,” Choi said.