Prom, one of high school’s most celebrated rites of passage, is quite an expensive experience. According to a Visa survey, the average American family spends $919 on the big night. Mindful that not every teen can afford the experience, the team at Blumz…by JR Designs in Detroit and Ferndale, Michigan, is engaging in some charitable promotions this spring to make some dreams come true.

Throughout the month at their Ferndale location, owners Robbin Yelverton, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, and Jerome Raska, AAF, AIFD, CAFA, PFCI, are accepting donations of gently used prom dresses. In April, teens can sign up for a special night of complimentary “shopping” and pampering. They can try on the gowns, then get a makeover and styling tips from professional hair and makeup artists, followed by professional glamour shots, all while enjoying refreshments and camaraderie.

“It’s for a great cause,” Yelverton said of the promotion, dubbed “Say Yes to the Prom Dress.” “As a former high school teacher, I have seen situations where teens can’t afford to go to prom, and it just makes sense to provide a place for girls to get their dresses. also increases walk-in trade for us.”

The idea came from Raska’s daughter-in-law, Djay, who couldn’t afford a prom dress when she was in high school. (Her then-date, now-husband bought it for her.) She’s partnering with Blumz and advertising the promotion through her business, Jim Shaffer and Associates, a real estate firm.

“Say Yes to the Prom Dress” launched on Monday, February 25, and has already been featured on Detroit’s local Fox affiliate station.

“We are good friends with a local reporter and told her about the event,” Yelverton said. “She offered to bring a camera crew out to the shop, and it turned out to be wonderful. It received a lot of attention and kicked up the amount of donations.”

At press time, Blumz had collected six racks of donated dresses.

“We had one gentleman bring in an arm-load of dresses, including his wife’s wedding dress,” Yelverton said. “He had been holding on to them since her death, and when he saw ‘Say Yes to the Prom Dress’ on the news, he knew his wife would have loved contributing to the cause.”

In the coming weeks, the shop will post an online registration form for interested prom-goers to sign up, listing their size and color preferences.

Interested in hosting a similar event? Here are some more Blumz tips:

Start early. Last year marked the shop’s inaugural “Say Yes to the Prom Dress” promotion. But it did not gain as much traction as this year’s event because the staff didn’t get a head start with organizing and marketing. Raska recommends starting the planning process as early as January.

Partner with local businesses. Fortunately, Blumz’s Ferndale location can accommodate multiple racks of dresses without crowding the flowers and giftware. If you are in a smaller space, reach out to bridal salons, consignment stores or hair salons to see if they would like to partner and store donations.

Reach out to local schools. Djay Raska connected with guidance counselors at local schools. The counselors are able to gauge who could use a free prom dress and can discreetly pass along registration information about the event. 

Mackenzie Nichols is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.