Seniors say they are getting their prom dates, fashions and cars all set for the big day, which is May 27.

LaRiya Bowers says, “The color I have in mind for my prom dress is champagne, but I may decide on another color by the time prom is near. My date is going to be a secret so that it will be a surprise to my friends and family.”

She has already made her make-up and hair appointments.

Fellow senior Austyn Boulware says, “I don’t think there’s a set time to consider the ‘right time’ for beginning prom preparations because it all depends on the person. I know that I procrastinate, so the earlier I start getting things in order, the better.”

Boulware says she already has her dress, – a silver iridescent floor-length gown from Unique Lady, a boutique in Southfield. But she does not yet have her car figured out, and she still needs to book a hair appointment.

“Oh my gosh, prom!” Zana Atkins says. Her full-length dress, which she already bought, was designed by Tony.

Atkins says, “I like to say keep it cute or put it on mute.” For her hairstyle, she wants a “classy” look – “maybe curls or something. My nails will be glamourous and shiny,” says the senior excited for prom.

Like Bowers, Atkins wishes to keep her date a secret.

In the United States, prom is a formal gathering of high school students. In some schools it’s open only to upperclassmen, including both juniors and seniors. But at Southfield High, the event is strictly for seniors.

“Prom,” short for “promenade,” is typically held near the end of the seniors’ school year.

This year’s prom is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, at the Marriott Hotel in Detroit, from 6 p.m. to midnight.

The decorating theme this year is “white royalty,” which means the room will be decked in all white to create a dramatic, elegant effect.

The decor will include an ice sculpture, perhaps of a crown, to enhance the white royalty theme, says Tracy Armstrong, co-sponsor of the Senior Class.

Seniors voted on the theme at lunch and in English classes earlier in the year.

Seniors have one prom ticket included in their senior packet. Additional tickets for guests will be $65 or more, Armstrong said. She will finalize guest ticket prices when the date gets nearer, she says.