Prom Spot - Prom Spotlight: Natalie & Matt in San Francisco, CA

When junior prom rolled around last year, Natalie and Matt had been going out only for two weeks, and she had already agreed to be another guy's date. By senior prom, though, this couple had been together for 15 months -- and nothing could keep them apart on prom night.

SHE IS: Natalie, 18, senior
HER DATE IS: Matt, 17, senior
DAY OF PROM: June 7
THE SCHOOL: Alameda High School, Alameda, California
THE SCENE: San Francisco Gift Center, San Francisco, California

PROM STYLE Natalie was way ahead of the planning game. "Honestly, even though my prom was in June," she says, "I must have been thinking about it since November." It didn't take long for her to find the dress of her dreams. On her first day of shopping with her mom, Natalie spotted the one at Nordstrom -- a shiny turquoise dress with beading, an empire waist, and open back. "It was like a light from above was shining on it," she jokes. "When I tried it on, I knew my search was over." She also picked up a pair of strappy white shoes and a matching purse. Sparkly jewelry -- a choker, drop earrings, and a bling bling-covered bracelet -- completed her look.

FINISHING IT OFF Since Natalie had a bad experience getting her hair done for her junior prom last year ("Such a nightmare!" she tells us), she was skeptical of salons. But someone told her about a place that was known for killer updos, so she brought in a picture of what she liked and hoped for the best. "Luckily," Natalie says, "my hair looked just the way I wanted, and everyone said it was beautiful." About a month before prom, Natalie went to a MAC counter for a makeup application. "I brought in my dress and asked them to do a glamorous evening look to match." She paid close attention to how the makeup artist applied everything -- then bought a bunch of products to recreate the look on her own. Natalie tells us that when she did her makeup herself, it looked just as good if not better, because she adjusted it to her liking. For fragrance, Natalie wore Clinique Happy.

A ROCKY START... The evening started off less than perfectly -- the limo was 20 minutes late picking up Natalie, Matt, and eleven of their friends. "It was a little hassle," Natalie admits. But soon enough, the group was on the way to dinner. They chose a restaurant on the recommendation of friends and family -- no one in their group had been there before. "It turned out to be delicious," Natalie recalls, "and cheaply priced."

...T0 A ROCKIN' NIGHT After dinner, the group piled back into the limo and headed to the San Francisco Gift Center atrium for the dance. The theme was Here's to the Night, and Natalie thought the decorations were amazing. "The colors were black, red, silver, and white," she tells us. "The ceiling was a beautiful skylight -- the place was great." Natalie was equally impressed by the DJ. "He really got into it with us," she says. Everyone danced the night away. Their prom song was "Here's to the Night," by Eve 6, which is also the Alameda High School senior song.

PROM MEMORIES One memorable moment came when the prom royalty was announced. "One of my good friends who's totally in love with her boyfriend won prom queen!" Natalie says happily, and adds that her pal's boyfriend was crowned prom king. "It was perfect!" When the dance ended, Natalie and Matt decided to call it a night and reminisce about the evening. "The best part of the night," Natalie tells us, "was the whole experience. Most of these people I'm never going to see again. It was great for one last fling."

--Jackie Fisherman