Slippery Rock High School prom-goers paraded through an arch of silver and blue celestial bodies Friday at the annual grand march. The tradition gives parents and onlookers a peek at all the dazzling regalia.

Despite the cool drizzle outside, the students were not going to let anything rain on their elegant parade.

This was a time for them to shine, no matter what the cost, though for some it was more than others.

"It cost $800," said a blonde, tanned Ashley DeLucca, a Slippery Rock senior.

She was referring to her pale blue gown, sparkling with sequins. The fairy godmother in her story was her parents.

"Everything goes for my son's racing," said mom Chris DeLucca, of Ashley's brothers' passion for ATV racing. "Ashley always goes and she supports him. This kid has never asked for anything and we wanted to do something special for her.

"This was her first prom and she fell in love with the dress because it was like Cinderella's. She's always loved that story... They only get dressed up like that twice in their lives, so we splurged this once," DeLucca said.

Both the dress, purchased at The Winner in Sharon, and DeLucca's silver bracelet and matching front-fastening necklace were by Tiffany.

"He bought the necklace and bracelet," Ashley said of her Prince Charming and date, Slippery Rock High School graduate, Rameen Mamoozadeh, who spent a generous $180 on the matched set.

With coordinating earrings for $25, a rhinestone tiara for $50, and shoes for $35, DeLucca was wearing well over $1,000.

Though young women have been splurging on prom dresses since the days when proms were held in high school gyms, for prom 2005 most females spend an average of $350 on a dress, and also shell out for pricey accessories, French manicures, trendy makeup and tanning.

"We have prom dresses from $50 to about $500," said Michelle Ball, assistant manager at Bridal Treasures in Butler. "Most girls spent between $300 and $400. They see something on the computer or in a magazine and that's what they want. Anymore it's (the money) no issue."

But Ball said the shop's prom dresses went on sale about a month ago and the prices keep going down.

Though the dresses may be taken off display after prom season, they are still in the store.

"Right now all our gowns are 10 to 50 percent off. They are always here. All you have to do is ask," she said.

Suzann Yurko of Butler, a senior at Slippery Rock, did just that. She spent $330 on a dress last year, but shopped smarter this year."I had to pay for everything myself," said Yurko, who works 15 to 20 hours a week at Target and Sheetz in Slippery Rock. "We spent a lot the last couple of years. They (the dresses) are all just hanging in the closet. So this year I decided I wanted to get something nice but not spend a ton of money."Yurko said she had gone to Bridal Treasures a couple of months ago and couldn't find anything in her price range but when she went there two weeks ago, she did."The one I wanted wasn't on the sale rack, but I asked her about it and she gave me $50 off," said Yurko, who had purchased her last three prom dresses at the shop."I think I just lucked out. It was originally $220. It's just a straight black dress so I can probably wear it for a wedding," she said.Timing is everything.Moniteau senior Abby Sutton knows when to shop. She'll step out to her school's prom Friday night at Butler County Community College in a white satin, full-length, beaded dress with cutouts and slits in all the right places that she bought for - ready? - $20."I got a very good deal at J.C. Penney. I bought it in July. It was originally $289 or $298," she said.

Sutton and her grandma made some adjustments and added a few things. She's more than satisfied and plans to really get her $20 worth."If it fits for my wedding day. I'll wear it again," said Sutton, who has no immediate plans to marry.She also saved money on other items. Her cousin, Stacey Pleaskov of the Cozy Zone Salon in West Sunbury is doing her hair."She'd do it for free but I won't allow her. I'll probably pay her $20," she said.Most of the girls interviewed spent about $35 for an up-do at a salon.And though Ball said her shoes run $20 to $60, Sutton planned to wear her flip-flops most of the night, so she only invested $12 in high-heels.With the $50 she'll have spent on tanning and $30 on a manicure, the savvy shopper will have put only about $135 into prom 2005.Slippery Rock's junior class president, Kayla Madison, paid $130 for her dress."My parents helped but I had to use some of my savings," she said.With dress alterations, $20; jewelry and other accessories, $80; a purse, $15; nylons, $5; ballet slippers, $15; sunless tanning lotion, $30, and a disposable camera (a must for prom-goers), about $8, Madison added another $173 dollars to the tab. She also pitched in on her flowers, which cost $50.And there are yet more ways for young ladies to spend money on their proms.Slippery Rock student Sarah Thompson glowed April 22 after having a Lancôme makeover at the cosmetic counter of Boscov's Department Store in the Clearview Mall. "It was free. You had to buy two products that they used but you can use them every day," said Thompson, who spent $50 that day on cosmetics.

Penny Logan, counter manager for Clinique at Boscov's, said all the cosmetic counters were busy with Slippery Rock students onApril 22."We had 18 makeovers in four hours," she said.Logan said though her makeovers are complimentary, most prom-goers spend about $35 on products to make them look fresh-faced.Thompson also spent $85 for a month of tanning to get her skin a healthy glow.Most males attending the prom at Slippery Rock spent a lot less than the females.One who went for the cowboy look, though, spent more than his date.Slippery Rock senior, Jake Hogg, who likes to ride horses, said he bought his western gear on the Internet.His snakeskin boots, with shipping, cost $185; his string tie and Stetson hat came to $100. He rented the rest of his outfit for $70, for a grand total of $355. At least he gets to keep most of it.So does senior Tom DeCola, who stood out in a hot pink tuxedo ensemble. "I bought it for $120 in Philadelphia when I was there looking at schools," DeCola said.That price isn't bad considering that most young men had rented tuxedos for an average of $100.DeCola's date, senior Markie Ponsonby, didn't fare as well. Her rainbow- sequined, form-fitting, full-length dress coordinated nicely with pink, but set her back $400.

Guys have traditionally bought the tickets for the prom and afterprom, events, sprung for dinner beforehand, rented a limousine and bought flowers for their dates.But Slippery Rock guys got a bit of a break this year.There was no formal afterprom and students were being bussed from the high school to Shakespeare's Restaurant in Ellwood City for the prom, which included dinner. None of the couples interviewed were renting limousines to the grand march, and most were attending house parties after the prom.So the only other expenses for guys, besides what they wore, were prom tickets at $35 per person and flowers, which ranged from $30 to $100.Even for those who manage to do it on the cheap, the prom can be pricey for couples. But is it worth it?"It was definitely worth it. I had a great time," said Ashley DeLucca, who left the ball when the clock struckmidnight.Unfortunately, she couldn't fit the dress into the heart-shaped memory box given as a favor to the girls at the Slippery Rock prom. But fear not."My dad owns a glass company. He's making me a frame for the dress so that I can hang it on the wall in my room," she said.At the end of the evening, no matter what was spent, a prom night to remember was priceless.

Knoch - May 6Moniteau - May 6Grove City - May 6Butler - May 13Karns City - May 13Mars - May 13Seneca Valley - May 13Allegheny-Clarion Valley - May 21

RICK KROSEL/SPECIAL TO THE EAGLEAVERAGE COSTS OF PROM:HAIR - $30JEWELRY - $50TANNING - $40COSMETICS - $30DRESS - $300 to $400FLOWERS - $40PURSE AND OTHER ACCESSORIES, INCLUDING SHOES - $48MANICURE/PEDICURE - $35TUXEDO - $70 to $200TICKETS - $35 eachUNFORGETTABLE PROM - PRICELESS