Preparing for the Bal des Débutantes: The Days Before
The fittings, the waltz, the hair, the calm: what the organisation takes care of, what the family prepares, and how we hold the rest.
Last updated 5 October 2026 · 3 min read
The days before Le Bal follow the organisation's programme: fittings with the couture house dressing the debutante, photo sessions, hair and make-up, and a waltz lesson for the fathers and the escorts. This programme belongs to the organisation; the family, for its part, prepares what surrounds it: arriving in Paris a few days beforehand, the father's or escort's white tie, the attire and hair and make-up of the family, a few waltz steps practised in advance, and rest. We arrange these parts — palace, a chauffeur for each appointment, a tailor, hairdressers and make-up artists for the family, a dance teacher — without ever touching the programme of the evening.
What belongs to the organisation
The programme for the days of preparation is set by the organisation and communicated to the invited families. As publicly described, it includes fittings with the couture houses, photo sessions, the debutantes' hair and make-up, and a waltz lesson for the fathers and the escorts.
The gown, in particular, is not chosen like an ordinary outfit: each debutante is dressed by a couture or haute couture house, within the framework set by the organisation. We involve ourselves in none of these appointments; we make sure that everything around them runs smoothly.
The calendar, on the family's side
Most families arrive in Paris two to three days before the ball, according to the programme sent. The table below gives an indicative outline; we adjust it to the actual timings as soon as you receive them.
| Moment | The organisation's programme | What we arrange around it |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday or Thursday | According to the programme sent | Arrival, welcome at the airport, settling into the hotel |
| The days before | Fittings, photo sessions | A chauffeur for each appointment, a light lunch in between |
| Friday | Rehearsals, waltz lesson | A quiet family dinner, an early night |
| Saturday, daytime | The debutantes' hair and make-up | Hair and make-up for the family at the hotel, the father's white tie ready |
| Saturday evening | Le Bal | The car at the appointed hour, the return planned in advance |
| Sunday | — | Family lunch, an unhurried departure |
The waltz
The opening waltz is danced by the debutantes and their fathers, before the dances of the young couples. The organisation provides a lesson for the fathers and the escorts; many families prefer to arrive with a few steps already in mind.
We can arrange a few private waltz lessons, at home before the journey or in Paris in the days before, with a ballroom dance teacher, in a hotel salon or a private studio. The aim is not to replace the organisation's lesson, but to arrive at it at ease.
Hair, make-up and treatments for the family
The debutantes' hair and make-up, on the day of the ball, are the organisation's responsibility. Those of mothers, sisters and relatives are not: we book hairdressers and make-up artists at the hotel, timed to the hour of departure, so that they do not overlap with any of the debutante's appointments.
A treatment at the hotel spa the day before, a manicure in the morning, a moment of calm before dressing: Saturday is prepared as a day of rest. We compose this programme with you.
The father's and the escort's white tie
The escorts wear white tie: tailcoat, white waistcoat and white bow tie. For a father who dances the opening waltz, the question arises too: we advise you to keep to the instructions sent by the organisation.
White tie is prepared in advance: a Parisian tailor takes measurements and arranges fittings and alterations at the hotel, or adjusts a suit you bring with you. Our guide Bal des Débutantes Dress Code details each outfit.
The rest: calm
Those days are intense for a young woman of seventeen or twenty, under the gaze of others and of the cameras. What she needs around her is calm: a chauffeur who waits, simple meals at the right hours, a quiet room, parents who are available.
That is what we are for: holding the rest, so that the family lives these days together. Our guide Where to Stay for the Bal des Débutantes helps choose the address, and our page Bal des Débutantes VIP presents the whole.
Frequently asked questions
Most often two to three days, according to the preparation programme sent by the organisation. We set the arrival and the hotel according to these timings.
The organisation: each debutante is dressed by a couture or haute couture house, within the framework set by the organisation, fittings included. We do not intervene on the gown; we arrange the journeys to the fittings.
Yes: a few private lessons with a ballroom dance teacher, before the journey or in Paris, in addition to the lesson the organisation provides for the fathers and the escorts.
On the day of the ball, the debutantes' hair and make-up are the organisation's responsibility. We arrange those of the family — mother, sisters, grandmothers — at the hotel, with no overlap with the debutante's programme.
The escorts wear white tie; for the father, we advise you to follow the instructions sent by the organisation. A tailor can prepare the suit and its alterations at the hotel.
Yes: a TGZ point of contact within reach from the first day to the last, a chauffeur, dinners reserved and, if you wish, a few moments to yourselves — a museum, a lunch — during your child's appointments.
Take it further
Days of preparation that run smoothly
Send us the programme sent by the organisation, and tell us who is travelling: we compose around it — hotel, chauffeur, tailor, hair for the family, waltz lessons — on a tailored quote and subject to availability.