It's one of the biggest nights of your teenage years with many spending weeks or even months searching for the ideal outfit and preening themselves to perfection.
But sometimes all that effort doesn't quite pay off, as these hilarious prom night photos show.
People have been sharing some of the most disastrous examples online, including the dubious decision to take a cardboard cutout of Justin Bieber along on the big night in the absence of a date, reported the Daily Mail.
Others found themselves the victim of photobombing by scantily clad men and even Barney the dinosaur.
And while sometimes breaking from tradition is a good thing, couples may well regret abandoning the tux and formal dress combo in favour of matching outfits.
