A few weeks ago we put out a call for prom pics. We thought it would be fun for CollegeCandy readers to share their favorite prom memories with one another and to compare prom experiences. Ok, that’s bullsh*t. We really just wanted to have something fun to look at in the CollegeCandy headquarters.

And boy did we. The prom pictures flooded our inboxes and left many of us “working” late to sort through them. The funny thing is, though, that no matter how many we got and how many different places were represented, prom is the same no matter where you go.

We chose a handful of our favorites to break it all down below. We’re pretty sure you’ll enjoy these more than the actual prom itself as much as we did.

The Posed Group Shot:

There are so many of us that there is no way we can all fit in one frame. Also, one person in this picture will look bad, thereby ruining it for the rest of us.

"Wait, no. You are ruining it! Everyone has to stand in front of their date. That is THE prom pic!"

The Glam Factor:

12 cans of hairspray, 3 bottles of self tanner and countless eyeshadows were used in the taking of this photo.

The Corsage/Dress Color Scheme:

"Thank you for listening and getting a flower to match my dress. Now we will look perfect forever."

The Corsages:

"These things are going to die in a few minutes, so let's get an artsy shot!"

The Putting-On of the Boutonniere:

Girl: "OMG my mouth is KILLING me from all this smiling. But we have to get the pic of me putting this thing on you." Boy: "Watch my nipple, woman."

The “My Baby is All Grown Up” Moment:

"Mom, this is really awkward. Stop crying. Mom. Mom! It's not that big a deal!"

The BFFs:

The just-girls shot must always be taken in a garden setting. Always.

The Limo:

"Ohmygod, mom. Get a picture of this! We're in a limo!"

1 or 2 pictures from the actual event:

"I had class with these girls once freshman year, but they look so pretty so we shoved the camera in my date's hands and made him get a pic."

Look how much FUN WE'RE HAVING!!

Aw. Together forever. Or until they go off to separate colleges and hook up with other people at their first frat party.

The Picture with Asian Tourists
(Ok, so that one isn’t quite so standard, but it is pretty awesome. How could we not include it?)

Sigh. Prom. What we would give to go back there and do it all again (in sweatpants…without a limo….and without that awkward date who spent the entire night at the dinner buffet instead of on the dance floor with us.) At least we can relive it through everyone else’s identical experience.

(Thanks to everyone who submitted prom pictures. You definitely made our week.)

It’s prom season! No, I don’t know this because I plan on cougaring it up and heading off to de-flower some high school senior on prom night. I know this because I was visually assaulted by hundreds of horrible sparkly dresses when I attempted to cure my weekend hangover at Nordstrom. And let me tell you – they did not help me with my task of “keeping vomit down.”

Why oh why do you have to put those things next to my beloved shoe department?!

All that taffeta got me thinkin’ back to my own dreadful prom night: my pastel blue dress, the flowers in my hair, my date who left the after-party because I thought I’d try a Mike’s Hard Lemonade for the first time…

Ah, memories…

I started getting a little nostalgic for that overpriced night of mediocre fun, so after I returned home (and pulled the trigger) I flipped through my old pics. And they are priceless. I realized that I am clearly not the only college girl with a book full of awkward posed photos chock full of hairspray and caked-on makeup. We all have ‘em…and we should all share ‘em.

So this is my call to all of you: send us your favorite prom pics! We are going to compile them all into one fantastically awkward post and share them with the world. The more cliche (in front of limo or not!) the better! You can block out people’s faces if you want, or let everyone see that smiled-so-much-my-cheeks-are-killing-me face.

Just attach ‘em to an email and send them to Lauren@collegecandy.com by Friday, April 24th and we’ll put them all together next week. And don’t worry; I guarantee mine are a whole lot worse than anything you can come up with. I left a deoderant smudge on my date’s shoulder…and didn’t realize until I’d gotten my 4 rolls of film back from CVS.