Prom

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Two female students say they were not allowed to attend Lexington Catholic High School's prom as a couple Saturday night, upsetting a number of students at the school.

See video of the assembly here

LAYTON — Tears flowed freely during an assembly Friday at Layton High School after the junior prom queen was announced.

Students gave a spontaneous standing ovation as junior Sabrina Newman had a surprise reunion with her father, who visited on leave from a 22-month deployment.

Sabrina, already in shock from having learned she was to be crowned the junior prom queen, waited anxiously for her name to be announced as she stood with her best friend’s dad as her escort, still thinking her dad was away with the military.

Wake Up: A smile spreads across your face as you realize today's the day.

Day Date Prep: Here's the trick, you want to look as nice as you can without going all out, because you want to save the wow factor for tonight.

Doorbell No. 1: He's here! Cue the heart-pounding -- oh stop it, it's just a day activity, relax. After he gets the car door for you and walks around, you think, "Wow, he cleaned his car, it looks nice in here." You make small talk for a few minutes and soon warm up to each other.

LOS ANGELES -- For weeks, South Pasadena High School senior Alex Hom knew he wanted to ask freshman Brooke Drury to winter formal. But it wouldn't do to just pop the question -- too boring -- or, even worse, to text it.

So he rounded up more than 20 friends, supplied them with red roses, choreographed a dance routine and wrote out his plea on signs. Then he had a friend bring Brooke, blindfolded, to a spot on campus for the big production.

"I thought, this is my senior year and I gotta go out with a bang," Alex said.

He's not the only student elevating the art of the school dance invitation.

Students are folding the question into homemade fortune cookies, tucking it into pinatas, knitting it into scarves, spelling it out with pepperoni on pizza and orange chicken on fried rice.

BALTIMORE -- Michelle McGinn took three weeks to complete her gold-and-fire-red dress -- aptly named "The Phoenix."

Briana Angel found her dress at a bridal shop only to dismantle it and piece it back together to reflect her personal flair.

Sarah Lewis designed her prom dress and recruited the owner of a local fashion house to produce the elaborate frock.

Years ago, many teens would have scoffed at the thought of wearing a homemade dress instead of flaunting a stylish store-bought number.

Prom: Annual high school dance big on tradition

When many teenagers hear the word "tradition," Thanksgiving at Grandma's or history class comes to mind, not prom. However, the one-night dance party has a surprisingly cultural past.

Originating in the early 19th century, prom was a form of a debutante ball. Wealthy families would host extravagant parties for their young as a way of introducing them to society, a coming of age of sorts. Guests would arrive by carriage, dressed in their finest apparel, eager to partake in the buzzing atmosphere of the social gathering.

LAYTON -- A group of Layton High School boys wanted to make their junior prom memorable.

The group opted for something different, forgoing the traditional limousine ride for a decked-out private school bus that would accommodate their party of 22 students.