Oxford High School’s annual prom is scheduled for April 5. With that date fast approaching, many OHS students are scrambling to make preparations. There is much that goes into getting ready for prom, but one of the most important parts of the prom experience is finding the perfect dress. This year, OHS is continuing their annual tradition of the Say Yes to the Dress program, which gives students who are unable to afford prom dresses the opportunity to borrow a dress, shoes, and jewelry from the high school.

The Say Yes to the Dress program is largely run by parents of students in OSD and OSD teachers involved in the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). One of the parents who contributes to the Say Yes to the Dress program is Melanie Randle.

“At Say Yes to the Dress, the ultimate goal is to make every student who walks in the door feel beautiful and excited to go to their prom,” Melanie Randle said. “It really just makes us [the parents involved] feel like fairy godmothers.”

Prom dresses are notoriously very expensive. Dresses can range anywhere from less to one hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, with brands that specialize in extravagant prom dresses, such as Sherri Hill, usually charging within the $500-$2,000 range.

Say Yes to the Dress tries to combat these high prices by offering teen- age girls the perfect alternative: a free prom dress. This program offers a boutique-like experience for those unable or not wishing to splurge on a dress they will only wear once.

“We will be having a boutique the week after spring break, on Tuesday, March 18 through Friday, March 21, and we will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for girls to come in and try on dresses,” Melanie Randle said. “We will be in the auxiliary gym and have it set up with racks of dresses. Girls will be able to try on dresses in the locker room. We just try to make it a special boutique experience for the girls, with refreshments for the shoppers and parents in there to help.”

Ava Randle, a senior at OHS, is the daughter of Melanie Randle. Her mother has been involved in the Say Yes to the Dress program for two years, so she gets to see how this program works up close.

“This dress closet provides girls with the ‘shopping’ experience and the opportunity to have shoes, earrings, and a beautiful dress at no cost,” Ava Randle said. “It is great to see girls who might not be able to afford a new dress for prom get to pick out something they feel beautiful in. The Say Yes to the Dress closet has dozens of beautiful dresses and several helpful volunteers ready to help girls find the best fit for them.”

Ava Randle understands the importance of finding the perfect dress for special occasions and important events. She has been involved in various pageants and has been to prom before.

“In my opinion, it is so important for girls to feel confident in their own skin, and I believe that is something that cannot be taken away from them,” Ava Randle said. “Wearing dresses I love has helped me boost my confidence and feel like the best version of myself. I love getting to see others experience that as well.”

This year, one of Oxford’s popular boutiques, Lulu’s Shoes and Accessories, donated to the Say Yes to the Dress program. Their donation included various items of jewelry– bracelets, earrings, necklaces–that are traditionally worn at prom for any students to borrow.

“Lulu’s has very generously donated new pairs of shoes and pieces of jewelry for the girls to wear with their dresses,” Melanie Randle said. “We have a large selection of dresses, but we could always use more. If anyone has any dresses that they would like to donate we would love to accept those.”

Anyone can donate to this program at any point in the year by simply bringing any old dresses, heels, or jewelry to the front office of OHS. From there, the dresses will be taken to a closet within the school and organized based on length and size.

“There is a box in the front office at OHS year round for people to drop off donations,” Melanie Randle said. “We accept shoes, jewelry, dresses, anything that you want to share. We are always in need of any size or style.”

Say Yes to the Dress does more than just help students financially, but boosts students’ self-esteem and helps them feel more confident during events that are formative for teenagers.

“Being in high school is such a tricky time, and most students are constantly worried about their appearance,” Ruth Beyene, leader of the R.I.S.E. club, said. “It is so important that all girls feel comfortable in what they are wearing at such a big event like prom. Having the perfect dress through this program is such a blessing for students.”

This program specializes in supplying prom dresses for OHS students, but also has a variety of styles for short-dress or business occasions.

“We have a small collection of short dresses,” Melanie Randle said. “We even reached out to the band directors to let them know that if girls do not have band appropriate attire, they can borrow from us. We do have a few looks that are more formal appropriate, such as short dresses or jumpsuits.”

Say Yes to the Dress is committed to holding the annual boutique for prom dresses, and is potentially looking into broadening their horizons in the future.

“We do not know what the future holds for this program yet,” Melanie Randle said. “The goal is always to widen our net and hopefully get more donations. The more dresses we get, the more girls we are able to serve.”