Prom Spot - Prom Spotlight: Katie & Shaun in Denver, CO

Katie met her friend Shaun two years before prom when he lived in her town. Then he moved to California for a year...a year that changed him -- at least physically. "He is oh-so very hot," says Katie. So she and the "long-haired surfer hottie with gorgeous blue eyes" made a mutual decision to go together.

SHE IS: Katie, 17, Junior
HER DATE IS: Shaun, 18, Senior
DAY OF PROM: May 3
THE SCHOOL: Chatfield High School, Littleton, Colorado
THE SCENE: Sherman Events Complex, Denver, Colorado

FINDING HER STYLE Katie bought her fitted black dress on her first and only day of dress shopping. She had been in a prom fashion show but wasn't crazy about any of the dresses featured there, including the one she modeled. So Katie and her mom headed to Dillards, where she saw a beautiful Jessica McClintock dress. But it wasn't in Katie's size, so the two sprinted down to the Jessica McClintock store in the same mall, where they found the one that was a perfect fit. "I just loved my dress!" Katie tells us. Since the dress was floor-length, and Katie knew she wouldn't be able to dance in high heels, she bought a pair of fancy flip-flops from Charlotte Russe.

FINISHING TOUCHES Because her dress was such an eye-catcher, Katie decided to go the simple route with her hair and makeup. She pulled tresses into a low ponytail at the nape of her neck, and the hairstyle looked great. It was a particular hit with someone special from her past: her ex-boyfriend who was also at prom. "My ex actually told me that my hair looked really nice," Katie tells us. "I guess it could be that boys don't understand [what's] dressy." For her corsage and his boutonniere, Katie and Shaun wore matching magenta roses. Frankly, Katie wasn't thrilled with the size of her flowers -- a "table decoration" as she puts it. "I had to take it off at dinner so it wouldn't poke me in the eye!"

THE BIG NIGHT Katie, Shaun, and about 20 other people decided to rent a tour bus for prom night. "It was marvelous," Katie remembers. "We had such a large group and didn't want to be cramped in a limo." Before prom, the group ate dinner in a private room at a restaurant -- and the meal took much longer than anticipated. "Dinner took so long that we almost missed the dance!" Katie tells us. Eventually, she and her friends arrived at the Sherman Events Complex. The theme was "A Magic Carpet Ride." The professional photographs included an Arabian-theme background and a magic carpet. "It was cute," Katie says. Unfortunately, Katie and Shaun only got to dance for about half an hour before prom was over! But the night was just beginning: After the DJ played the last song, the couple and their friends ducked out and headed to after-prom at school.

THE AFTER PARTY The theme of after-prom was Austin Powers: The gym was decorated to look like an airport terminal, and there was a room made up in a 1960s-theme as well. "There was tons to do," remembers Katie. Activities included an inflatable, life-size foosball table, poker, a palm reader, and karaoke. Students were invited to partake in free pizza, cake, candy and more. "[The parents] do such a wonderful job," Katie says, marveling at it all. When asked for her favorite memory of the evening, Katie can't pick just one. "It was overall a wonderful night," she tells us. "I got to spend time with tons of wonderful friends. Plus, I felt gorgeous -- so that made the night fabulous."

--Jackie Fisherman