For that most distinct of memories
MILFORD - The senior prom is one of the most distinct memories (cherished or not, depending on how the event goes) of adolescent years - making the preparation for the dance quite intimidating, especially for the girls. With prom right around the corner in May, we teamed up with seniors Courtney Cox (no relation to the actress), Daniella Montemarano, and Kaitlin Paul as they went on the first of presumably many quests to find the ideal prom dress. The early birds may have completed their shopping, but for the rest of the female senior class, the search for their dresses (not to mention shoes, earrings, necklaces, hair style, hair stylist, date, his matching attire, a limo company and plans for afterwards) has only begun. “Ever since I was a little girl,” Cox stated, “I’ve always been looking forward to the prom, but I never thought it would be this stressful.” Cox expressed some frustration in that “the problem with most prom dresses are that they are prom dresses they look too over the top for me.” She said she was on the lookout for a dress that wasn’t very traditional, and, as she said, “certainly something I would not look back upon and say what was I thinking.’” She expects to do some more traveling with her mom to a handful of malls. For Montemarano, this is actually an enjoyable experience. “I love trying on dresses and picking out accessories. It is nice to spend time with your friends, but everything is very draining and exhausting,” she said. Montemarano anticipates a process as long as her last name, saying, “Prom is a pretty big deal; I expect to be going to more than one store.” In particular, the dress she envisioned was described as “something unique, but classy - something that complements me.” So when does it all end? “You just know when you find the right one. Everything else is easy to pick out once you have the dress.” “The process is exciting,” said Paul who describes prom as the “biggest event of one’s high school career.” Unlike Cox, she is going for the more traditional, princess-style dress, perhaps a chocolate color. As to what amount of time she will commit for the dress search, Paul replied, “As long as it takes to find the perfect dress” - something that all three girls are in agreement with. Locally, the girls visited A. Bridal Co. on Broad Street, upstairs from 7th Street Coffee. The store is in its first year of business locally, owned by Alan and Christina Villanueva. Alan said that they moved from a five year establishment in Long Island. “I enjoy it up here, expect for the snow,” he said. The prom season has been busy for the store, which will relocate at the end of the month to 310 West Harford Street. The girls also visited the Fashion Bug in K-mart Plaza. In the coming weeks, they will also pay visits to places such as Middletown, the Palisades, and even as far away as Philadelphia. Prom dresses and formal wear nearby Ahead Of Our Tyme Milford, PA 570-296-3590 Bob’s Towne & Country Newburgh, NY 845-561-1205 David’s Bridal Middletown, NY 845-344-1200 Formally Yours Monroe, NY 845-783-2601 Harriman Clothing Co. Harriman, NY 845-783-6053 Jacqueline’s Boutique Warwick, NY 845-987-9602 K’s Wedding Center Middletown, NY 845-692-3313 Lili Unique Bridal Port Jervis, NY 845-856-6294 My Sister’s Closet Sugar Loaf, NY 845-469-9681 Santiago Couture Cornwall, NY 845-534-4188 Woodbury Common Outlets Saks, Betsy Johnson, Neiman Marcus etc 845-928-4000