Pricey pre-game! Parents shell out upwards of $30K for elaborate pre and post-prom festivities: Go all out for your kid
Keeping up with the prom joneses.Gone are the days of posing in gowns and tuxes at a designated classmates’ house while snacking on some chips and soda before hitching a ride to prom.Today, high fluent parents are spending upwards of $30,000 on over-the-top pre-prom parties that are in the same realm as an A-lister jetting off to a fancy award show.Think professional photographers, stunning decor and catered food so good it could tempt high schoolers to skip prom altogether.Proud Philadelphia mom Lanise Gartei spared no expense when it came to her daughter Lakyia’s prom send-off.She not only funded a $3,000 custom Qaysean Williams dress for her high schooler’s big night, but Gartei didn’t bat an eyelash at spending around $6,000 for a luxe prom send-off, which included a roped red carpet that led to a stunning step and repeat, massive balloons and a Lamborghini rental.“I feel like it’s definitely a celebration, and you should go all out if you can for your kid,” proud mom Lanise Gartei told ABC News.Another Philly mom went as far as hiring an event planner to transform a city lot into a Cinderella-inspired pre-prom party for her teen that could’ve been mistaken for a Disney movie set.It might’ve set the family back $27,000, but the smile on their daughter’s face? Priceless.“It’s the family’s prerogative to do what they want to do, and prom send-offs are a thing now,” she told 6 Action News.
Wanda Burgos Matos shelled out $12,000 for her daughter, Madison’s Bridgerton-themed prom send-off that was so elaborate, the high schoolers were probably better off spending the night there and skipping prom altogether.The Post reached out to Matos for comment.While some parents are transforming their homes, others are hiring private jets for their youngins to strut into their prom from.Expectedly, NYC photographers are capitalizing on the extravagant festivities, offering pricey “2026 Prom Packages” that cost well into the hundreds.Hubaidulla...