The Diary of One Girl's Say Yes to the Prom Transformation
This year Teen Vogue teamed up with Discovery Communication's TLC for Say Yes to the Prom. Forty students were selected from New York City high schools in all five of the city's boroughs for a day full of pampering and styling. Monte Durham, star of TLC's Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta, hosted the event and helped the girls pick out their final prom looks. We asked Krystal Bydonne, one of the students from Pathways College Preparatory School in Queens, to walk us through her day of sequins and tulle.
8:30 A.M.: I arrived at the astonishing New York Palace Hotel and didn't even know one building could hold so much beauty. We walked in and enjoyed a fantastic breakfast to get us fueled for the day. That's when I met my prom consultant, Chantal Strasburger. I automatically liked her because I felt like we had a lot in common—I want to be a broadcast journalist and she's an editorial assistant at Teen Vogue. It was exciting to connect with someone who works with magazines all day and witnesses firsthand the art of fashion.
9:45 A.M.: Adria, a representative from Discovery Communications (one of the companies that made this day possible), explained their vision of giving back to the community and providing every girl with an opportunity to have a positive prom experience. Then she introduced us to…
10:00 A.M.: MONTE DURHAM! I was so happy, I didn't even know what to do with myself. I kept nudging Chantal because I was so excited. Monte told us about his background and journey to becoming the mogul he is today. He told the room of girls that makeup is only there to enhance your natural beauty, not to turn you into a whole other person. He even gave us tips on how to sit depending on the length of our dress: Short dresses should cross at the ankle for modesty's sake, and long dresses cross over the knee so your dress has volume and doesn't look flat. Monte's speech truly inspired me to embrace the beauty that I already have, and own every room that I walk into.
10:30 A.M.: We left breakfast and were guided into dress heaven. An entire room was filled with almost 3,000 donated prom dresses from size 0-28. I honestly didn't know where to start, but I walked up to the racks and started the hunt. The first dress I saw hanging when I entered the room was a beautiful sequined gown, but I was afraid it might be "too much", so I walked right past it. I was having a hard time choosing the right dress, but after some searching I selected a few good candidates. On my way out, though, I took another glance at the first dress I had seen, and Chantal and I agreed that I might as well just try it on for fun. It was the first dress I zipped up and it looked AMAZING! It was so far from anything I ever thought I would wear, but after putting on about five other dresses Chantal, my friend Chenise, and the entire dressing room agreed no other dress would look as magnificent in comparison.
11:00 A.M.: Time for shoes and accessories! I picked out a pair of gold strappy shoes that really pulled the dress together and completed my Cinderella look. Monte helped me pick out my accessories and directed me to pieces that wouldn't have even caught my eye otherwise. When Monte said he loved the dress on me, that's when I officially said "yes!" to the dress. We sent it to be altered with the on-site tailors, but it was already an almost-perfect fit, proving that the dress was meant to be.
11:30 A.M.: We moved on to hair and makeup. I loved how everything turned out and it was so nice getting to relax and be pampered. While I was sitting in the chair, First Lady of New York Chirlane McCray walked up to me, much to my surprise! We had a nice conversation about the day's events and I told her about my dress. I couldn't wait to tell my mom I met her!
1:00 P.M.: We arrived at lunch to a wonderful feast of sandwiches and wraps and the best truffle french fries ever. It was a welcome break to mingle with the other girls and talk more about working at Teen Vogue with Chantal— prom shopping is exhausting!
2:00 P.M.: My dress came back from the tailors and it fit perfectly. When Say Yes to the Prom said everything would be taken care of it, they really meant it! Everything was complete: the hair, the makeup, the accessories, the clutch—I truly felt like a princess. Just the dress alone made me feel more confident.
3:00pm P.M.: Showtime! My heart was pounding as I hit the stage for the final runway show with all the girls. I was nervous my heels would get caught in the dress, but I felt like a supermodel. Monte gave me a flower and explained to the crowd the thought process behind picking my dress, and I got to strut the catwalk one more time. I walked off that stage with memories I would save for a lifetime.
The whole day was an adventure from beginning to finish and reminded me of the movie The Princess Diaries when Mia finds out she's actually royalty. I felt like I had also just become a princess and went through a process of finding my true beauty. The entire event was truly priceless and I can't wait to show off my new dress at prom!
1/11Finding the perfect dress is harder than you think!
2/11"Monte told the room of girls that makeup is only there to enhance your natural beauty, not to turn you into a whole other person."
3/11Krystal looks through the racks upon racks of prom dresses with her prom mentor—nearly 3,000 were donated!
4/11"I was having a hard time choosing the right dress, but after some searching I selected a few good candidates."
5/11"Monte helped me pick out my accessories and directed me to pieces that wouldn't have even caught my eye otherwise."
6/11Krystal talking to the First Lady of New York Chirlane McCray as she gets her hair and makeup done.
7/11The girls are all done up! Krystal with friends Krystal Rosa (center) and Shanice McCarthy (right).
8/11Sitting pretty and prom-ready.
9/11The students-turned-models join the audience after they walk and look on as their peers work the runway.
10/11"I felt like a supermodel. I walked off that stage with memories I would save for a lifetime."
11/11All the Say Yes to the Prom participants with Monte in their gorgeous final looks!
