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Georgia pageant season starts Saturday as contestants prepare

21-year-old Michaela Heide says she won't spend more than $500 on a dress and does her own hair and makeup, but says some can spend up to $10,000.

Saturday night kicks off pageant season in Georgia with the Miss Warner Robins International City Scholarship Competition.

The winner will go on to compete at next year's Miss Georgia competition.

This will be Remie Heide's first preliminary pageant.

"I've walked in my gown and I've practiced my talent and I've just had a lot of fun," said Remie.

She said she is most excited to sing, "How Far I'll Go," from "Moana" as her talent.

Contestants have been preparing since the start of the year.

"After January, it's just, 'boom, boom, boom,' so it's one thing after another to get prepared," Remie's older sister Michaela said.

Michaela is currently Miss Cherry Blossom Macon. She has been competing in pageants since she was 5 and has gone to Miss Georgia three times.

"I bought one of my dresses off of pageant resale online and it was $200," she said.

But the 21-year-old dancer said it can get expensive. Some girls she has competed against have spent $5,000 on a dress.

Michaela said some makeup and hairstylists charge $2,000 for the whole week at the Miss Georgia competition.

According to Michaela, if you wanted to get a top-of-the-line dress, hire the best hair and makeup team, and get a pageant coach, you could easily spend $10,000.

She said she does her own hair and makeup.

"I gotta buy hairspray and a few things at Ulta. You know, I could break the bank at Ulta, but I do it on a budget," she said.

She wants to let girls who are thinking about competing know you can do it without spending all of your money.

"I, of course, still have a great wardrobe and I love it, but you can definitely do it affordable," Michaela said.

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