Prom Spot - Prom Spotlight: Sarah & Aaron in South Bend, IN

Sounds simple enough: Sarah Edwards' prom was coming up, and she needed a date. So she asked Aaron, a freshman that year. "He was so cool," she tells us. "A real sweetie too." She asked, he said yes, and the two agreed to go to the dance as friends.

SHE IS Sarah Edwards, 18, senior
HER DATE IS Aaron Fedroci, 15, freshman
DAY OF PROM May 15
HIGH SCHOOL Riley High School; South Bend, IN
THE SCENE The Century Center; South Bend, IN

THE PLANNING Sarah began her prom prep in January. "It took forever," she says, "but the process was worth it. She and her friends had a blast trying on dresses at David's Bridal ("We are now good friends with the girl who helped us," Sarah says) until she finally found The One -- a pale pink strapless gown. Apparently, it pays to try on everything. "I didn't really like my dress on the hanger," Sarah admits. "But when I tried it on, I just couldn't take it off!" She bought some jewelry at David's Bridal too, and while she desperately wanted a tiara to top off her look, she couldn't find one she liked.

BEAUTY TALK As thrilled as she was with her dress, Sarah was equally pleased with her hair. She asked a family friend -- a hairdresser -- to give her an updo for prom, which turned out just the way Sarah had hoped, with curls across the back of her head. She opted to do her own makeup, pairing a smoky eye look with pink lipstick that matched her dress. "It was understated elegance," Sarah says. She wore Journey from Mary Kay, a fragrance she loves.

THE FLOWERS Aaron presented Sarah with a pink corsage accented with gold glitter. "I loved it," she tells us. Sarah bought her date a pink rose boutonniere. She attempted to put it on his lapel, but it didn't quite work out. "I almost stabbed him with the pin!" she says.

LET'S ROLL Aaron was dropped off at Sarah's house early on in the evening so that the couple could have their pictures taken in the yard and on the front porch. "He looked smashing!" Sarah says of her date. After their photo session, they met up with friends and rode in a limo to the Fondue Parlor, a local restaurant where diners cook shrimp and other tasty morsels in a pot of oil right at the table. Sarah says, "It was a ton of fun," and adds that it was one of her favorite memories of prom night.

THE BIG NIGHT After dinner, they piled back into the limo and headed to the dance. As each couple descended the grand staircase to the banquet hall, their names were announced. "It was cool," says Sarah. The theme was These Were the Times. "Not great, but ok," Sarah tells us. Their group chatted at the table, getting up to dance periodically. "The DJ wasn't very good," Sarah recalls. "He played a lot of rap -- not exactly good dancing music. But when he played the right songs, it was great." The after-party was held at a local bowling alley, but Sarah chose to take it easy and head home to sleep. She spent the rest of her weekend at Indiana Beach enjoying amusement park rides with her closest friends.

WISE WORDS Is there a prom or another big party in your future? Sarah offers the following advice: "Don't get so lost in the stress -- just sit back and enjoy yourself. And always buy at least three disposable cameras!"

--Jackie Fisherman