COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Cinderella Project hosted its prom boutique on Saturday morning, welcoming almost 200 girls to see over 700 dresses.
The event allows those who may not be able to afford all of the luxuries that come with prom to find a style they might like.
Alena Young Shivers, a senior at River Bluff High School, was joined by her mother Melva Shivers to help find the perfect dress to wear on her special night.
"It was very overwhelming, but it was fun," Young said.
Shivers was ecstatic to help her daughter search for the right dress.
"There was so much excitement to get in here and look at these dresses and there was a large variety," Shivers said.
Having such a large number of dresses made finding the right one harder for them but, after an hour and a half of searching, they were happy to find the dress of her dreams.
Mom said that, when her daughter walked out of the changing room, she was brought "to tears."
"It's my oldest and only daughter and it's our first prom experience," Shivers said. "It's the perfect dress for her. It looks so flowy and gorgeous. It's a new dress and she looks just like a princess."
Finding the dress was not only about looking for a beautiful one, but also a dress she could walk and feel like herself in, Young explained.
"It made me feel really good," she said. "It made me feel better than the other dresses."
After trying on the dress, it was time to look for shoes and accessories. After trying on heels, she said quickly that they would be coming off after photos in favor of sneakers. Because, aside from the dress, there's another very important aspect of any prom.
"They're easier to dance in and I just want to dance," she said.
Young will be headed to prom with her boyfriend and friend group on April 2.