With the warm weather this week, many who have been wearing coats, scarves, gloves, and hats, emerge from the layers to realize that Prom is just weeks away. Where’s your dress? There are a variety of options for when it comes to buying your dress, and how much it’ll cost.

Most dresses cost between $100-$400, and yet there’s still other expenses: tickets shoes, dinner, hair, nails and accessories.Overall prom expenses can range from $175-$2,100.

So, finding your perfect dress on a budget? Junior Sara Harding says, “You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a dress to look good.”

If you want a dress that is runway worthy, go to Rent the Runway. Rent the Runway is a website that allows shoppers to rent a dress directly off the runway, for 4-8 days and for less than half the cost of the dress. The style of dresses on the site include formal, cocktail, night out, daytime, with 250+ designers.

Worried about ruining the dress (such as stains)? There is a $5 insurance fee, which covers minor stains and damage. If the dress arrives and does not fit, there’s no need to panic because a shopper can get a different dress/size shipped overnight for $12.95.

Rent the Runway  has designer accessories such as earrings, necklaces, rings, handbags, wraps, and bridal accessories.

Not so sure you’re comfortable with getting a dress online? “I prefer to purchase my dress in stores because you can never tell what the dress will really look like or how it’ll fit if you order it online,” says Sara Harding. You want to be able to try on the dress first and see how it fits to avoid last-minute dilemmas.

Rent the Runway can be an option because there is now a Rent the Runway located in Georgetown, MD.

Co-founder, Jennifer Fleiss, said, “The company is the ideal experimental marketing for young designers and brands.”

Much closer to home, many girls will go to the local boutique, Deja Vu, on Main Street in Mount Airy. Deja Vu has the largest selection of 2015 prom dresses in Maryland and DC. When purchasing a dress from this boutique, the employees record the purchase so no one else from your school can wear the same dress.

Raffy Villatoro, an employee at Deja Vu, said, “A majority of our prom dresses get selected by girls at Linganore.”

Not purchasing your dress from Deja Vu and plan to post your dress on social media to avoid others from getting the same one?

“Why ruin the surprise? It’s supposed to be one of those times where it’s supposed to shock everyone,” says Sami Phelps a class of ‘14, Linganore graduate.

Don’t rule out department stores.  Macy’s, Boscov’s,  and J.C. Penny’s also have large selections at a great price.

Lancer Media will be on the red carpet on May 2. See you there.