Should I Bother Going to Formal?
 

Five members have just dropped from our chapter, there are unneeded politics going on, and formal is costing $500+ this year (we are going somewhere very far).

I rather save up the money and visit my friend in California.

WOAH
 

$500 PER PERSON? even per COUPLE, that's so much money. Who approved this decision? In my chapter, no one could afford that.

$500???!???!!!!!!?
 

Good Lord!!

Unless this formal is in Aruba and you all get horses and Mercedes for the weekend, I would definitely say "nay."

Re: $500???!???!!!!!!?
 

Let's just say it's in another country, not-too-warm, that you can get to fairly easily.

$500 is what it was tagged at last semester. It will probably increase given five people have dropped.

I'm going to bet that those of you who feel that $500 is too much (and it is, for goodness sakes!) could all get together, get dressed up and go to the nicest restaurant in town for about half the price.

honeychile

Why in the world would you pay $500 for formal?!?! Especially if you are not going somewhere super nice (5 day cruise or some island) - especially in the winter...visit your friend in CA and get all dolled up and go out on the town...it's a better way to spend the money.

LOL ... our formals were like $75 a COUPLE, and people complained they were too much!

It's stuff like this that gives Greeks reps as rich snobs!

The person who chose this is in their senior year and really wants to go out with a bang.

They have acquired a lot of distaste from the other members lately. Perhaps we could rally for a reasonable formal! :)

500 is outrageous....and i'm assuming it's canada. Heck, you can go on a weekend roadtrip to canada for half that for everyone! We never pay a dime for formals or anything else...so I say make a roadtrip to sunny Cali with the $$$$

Okay, this sounds a bit far fetched
However, if it $500 per couple for a formal in Cancun. . .HELL, I WANT TO JOIN YOUR SORORITY!!!
if not, i would be setting up to have a party. . .$180 will buy you 3 kegs and tons of kitchen space. . .

HEY, FORMAL AT MY PLACE. . .

I'm spending $500.00 on Spring Break for a week in Cancun but that covers Hotel, Food, Alcohol and Airfare. How did this formal ever get past a chapter vote?

Bit off the subject, but where the heck did u find an all inclusive trip to cancun for 500$????

i know i am sounding repeatative now, but....

OH MY GOD!!!!! $500.00???????

:eek:

I love formal and all the details of it, but in my opinion, $500 is just not worth it.

We have a travel agency on campus and the more people you get to commit to going the cheaper your package is. It also helped that I paid my deposit back in October to reduce my rates. I’m paying the final installment tomorrow so ill get the name of the company.

Shoot, for the $500 you're going to save, get dressed up and go out to the fanciest restaurant with a bunch of your friends. That is just a RIDICULOUS sum to pay for a formal.

I SAY come to California !! course I AM obgligated to tell everyone that has the chance to experience the greatness of Cali to do so... but... I would never pay 500 dollars for formal unless that price includes like the plane ticket there and hotel room or whatever... I don't know what all this girl who's planning this has spent the money on to make it so expensive.. but I can't see it being worth it, especially when I know my chapter is probably going to have our formal at a VERY VERY nice place in San Francisco and it's not costing anything close to 500 a person

Here are the elements:
Charter bus ride
Renting the facility
Hotel room
Dinner
Open bar

approximate attenance: 20 couples
current approximate price: $450

wow.. that doesn't even count your dress.. and other stuff like that

OK, here's the next question. Is that $500 American or $500 Canadian? I don't know what the exchange rate is right now but that can make a difference - although I doubt that much.

shiiiiiiiitttt... what are they serving for dinner? caviar? oysters on the half? NY steak? gold?

how did that get approved from your national (sorry i am under the assumption you are, if not I apologize.) I remember my cousin saying that her sorority only paid $5 for their formal one year and then another friend in another house said their national restricts them from going over $20 per couple.

i'd say skip it... my house gets all bent out of shape if the bids are over $70.

That's US dollars

WOW! That is too much money for a formal. :eek: We spent $85 per couple at the most.

Assuming that you belong to a national GLO, and I realize that every GLO has its own standards, how do you get away with the fees for a hotel room and an open bar? Pare those two expenses away, and you have probably cut away the cost to less than $100 couple. If someone wants/needs a room so badly, or needs to drink like an idiot, let them pay for those parts themselves! All an open bar accomplishes is the feeling of "getting your money's worth". Don't even get me started about the hotel rooms!

honeychile

Here is a link to the travel company, STA Travel.

Yeek...I paid less than that for my flight to Rome! :eek:

Our formal was maybe $50 a person, if that much. We have it in the nicest hotel in the city, with heavy hors d'oeurves and open champagne bar. We also have a charter bus. If people want hotel rooms to pre-game or post-game in, they could pay for it.

no
 

go to california. You will love the trip.

Well, we just had a meeting to verify who was going and we were a few couples short of what we needed. No $500 formal!

(might I add to the reverb echoing across the walls of the thread...."WHOA!!!....$500 formal!!!) I would rather PAY MY DUES!!

I'm glad for you that you don't have to have the expensive formal. I would be upset if i had to miss our formal!

$500 is far too extravagant for any undergrad. Maybe you can all get together and plan a little more affordable formal. :)