With formal just around the corner, many students are starting to feel the pressure of everything that comes along with it. From dresses to corsages, now is the time to start brainstorming! Here are just a few ways to step up your prep!

1. Don’t wait! Procrastination can put a huge strain on the excitement of formal. It is vital to have a few ideas in your back pocket before you even begin your official preparations. Having an image of what you want your formal to look like will make your life a little less stressful.

1. Make sure to explore your options! Every girl has the exact idea of what she wants to look like on formal night, down to every last detail. Unfortunately, things don’t always go according to plan and more often than not, there are bumps in the road. To help decrease the stress, make sure you have multiple backup plans in case that red dress doesn’t work out.

1. Make your reservations ASAP! The key to perfect formal planning is knowing exactly what you want to do way before it’s supposed to happen. This means talking to your date and deciding together. Once you’ve done that, make sure you have a guarantee and the rest will be easy.

1. Have fun! Formal is supposed to be filled with good vibes and good memories, so there’s no need to stress more than you have to. Following the steps provided will make for an easy and stress-free night.

Knowing what to do in order to have a successful Formal is always great, but getting ready can be quite stressful sometimes. Decisions on where to shop or where to eat seem impossible to figure out.

Turlock, and towns nearby, have plenty of options for a variety of people.

For instance, if you are looking for a fancier place to eat, Geer road has a good assortment alone. Table 26, a cozy little restaurant, with a romantic atmosphere, would certainly set the scene for a lovely evening.

Also on Geer road, Villa Napoli, an Italian restaurant, is known to have good desserts. Following in the fancy tone of restaurants, is a place on Main Street called 10 East, which is an establishment with great bar food.

Adding onto restaurants in downtown Turlock, there is another great bar & grill enterprise on Center street, called Center Street Grill, and a Latin American restaurant, La Mo, on Main Street.

If fancy isn’t your cup of tea, then there are plenty of more laid back restaurants for your choosing. If burgers and fries are what you crave, then the Red Robin on Monte Vista Avenue is a great option.

There is also, Olive Garden, an Italian restaurant on Countryside, and Sizzler, a buffet on Hotel Drive. Right by Sizzler is a Latin-American restaurant called Las Casuelas, which sits on Entertainment Way.

The eating portion of the evening is important, but so is finding what you will be eating and dancing in.

Tuxedos, for instance, could be purchased at Camara’s Clothing, on Main street, which is a men’s clothing store that has vests and coats of all different colors.

Outside of Turlock, on Dale road, in Modesto, there is a Men’s Warehouse that would surely provide sleek suits for this winter formal.

Also in Modesto, on Coffee road, a place called Vito’s Tuxedos could possibly have your perfect tie or pair of shoes.

For those looking for an elegant dress near or around Turlock, there is a good option, in Turock, on Countryside Avenue, called Clothes Avenue.

In addition, Modesto has a mall that holds many stores that could have a dress waiting for you. For example, Sears, Macy’s, JCPenny’s, etc.

All these places and so many more have dresses, accessories, and shoes that will make your Formal experience even better.

So lace up your shoes, grab a partner or even a group of friends, and enjoy this year’s Winter Formal!