Prom Spot - Prom Spotlight: Andi & Jeff in Irvine, CA

Even though she's known him since freshman year, Andi was nervous about asking sweet, adorable Jeff to the junior prom. But on May 12, just about a month before the big day, Andi sucked up her courage, called Jeff, and asked him to be her date. And he said yes. Now she was even more excited to wear the dress she'd bought weeks before!

SHE IS Andi, 16, junior
HER DATE IS Jeff, 17, junior
DAY OF PROM June 7
THE SCHOOL Northwood High School, Irvine, CA
THE SCENE The Imperial Ballroom, Fullerton, CA

FAIRY TALE STYLE Andi had fantasized about looking like Cinderella for her prom. She even bought transparent shoes at Lexies. "They're an updated version of Cinderella's glass slipper," says Andi, "because they have a two-inch heel." While visiting family in Texas on spring break, Andi stumbled upon a half-off sale at David's Bridal. She brought along a picture of the dress she wanted -- a pale blue strapless ball gown with lots of tulle and lace -- and found the perfect dress. "I spent 45 minutes in the store," she remembers, "and about 30 of them were spent just looking at myself in the dress and being elated!" But the piece de resistance of this fairy princess look was the tiara she found at Nordstrom's, made of faux crystals and pearls. "I must have gone to at least ten stores before I found this one!"

REGAL STYLE "My mom and I didn't sort out the hair details 'til two weeks before prom," Andi admits. Still, it all turned out fine. Andi headed to a nearby salon where her stylist got creative with back twists, side braids, and curls on the top. Andi was thrilled: "My hair was awesome and took less than an hour." Her makeup was subtle and feminine. She wore a bit more blush than usual, Stila lip gloss, and eye shadow with a hint of sparkle. Her fragrance was Tresor from Lancome, borrowed from her mom. And speaking of scents, Jeff presented Andi with a corsage of four white orchids accented with a light blue ribbon that matched her dress. "It smelled so good!" she says. "I gave him a stephanotis boutonniere -- and it smelled even better!"

TRULY A PRINCESS
Since dinner wasn't served at prom, Andi, her date, and their friends piled into a minivan ("It was so much fun because we could be loud!") and headed to Buca de Beppos, a family-style Italian restaurant. "It rocks," said Andi of the place. "We shared two chicken dishes and two bowls of pasta." Andi got a wonderful, though unspoken, compliment at dinner: "I was walking to the restroom," she remembers, "and I noticed that three little girls at the next table were staring at me with their mouths open and eyes wide. That's when I realized that I really looked very fairy-tale princess-like."

A STARRY NIGHT After dinner, Princess Andi and her crew went to prom at the bi-level Imperial Ballroom in Fullerton, California. Downstairs, students could dance to hip-hop tunes or gamble away play money in an elaborate casino-like lounge. Upstairs, they were able to jump, jive, and wail in the swing dancing room. "The theme was 'Swingin' on a Star,'" Andi tells us. "It was really neat!" Since Jeff didn't really know how to swing dance, Andi led herself into a semi-complicated routine. "When he caught on," Andi says, "it was so much fun!" After the prom, Andi and her buds climbed back into the minivan and went back to her place to watch the movie Zoolander. At around 2:30, the guys started falling asleep so everyone decided to call it a night. Andi's friends Katie and Stefi slept over, the three of them talking about their amazing evening well into the night.

--Jackie Fisherman