One of the largest social nights of the year is the prom. When you consider having a successful prom, there are several factors to consider. Those would be costs, location, manpower,entertainment, decorations, refreshments, and supervision. Before we get into themes, lets go through these.
Costs; Set a budget. If you don’t, the prom could turn into a very expensive monster. The three biggest expenses will be entertainment, food, and building rental. Sometimes you can get around these three with good planning. If you don’t have a major meal planned, simple refreshments work best. Entertainment such as a band or DJ can run between $300 and $1000. Maybe you know a DJ that would volunteer is services. The same could be said about a band. Keep in mind though that these people might belong to a union and still have to charge a small fee. If you leave the school property, you can expect to pay rental like you would for a wedding reception. Many times the school is free as long as you have good supervision and clean up your mess.
Location; You have to have plenty of dance room. A gym floor provides that. Also, it is easier to control territory that you are familiar with.
Manpower; You need people to decorate and clean up. You also need adults to sponsor and maintain control. The bigger the prom, the more help you need.
All events have rules. Who will be allowed to attend? Setting a time and a dress code. Areas of the building that are off limits. Parental approval. The use of vehicles. All of these are important but, more important than anything is notification to parents when their child leaves. Most proms require students to stay until the event is over. A three hour time limit is a good rule of thumb for a prom.
Themes
Wild Wild West; Use western ideas for your prom. You could build an old time boardwalk as an entrance. Use saloon doors to enter. Construct an old western town along one of the walls. Have boys and girls wear garters. Boys on the arms and girls on their legs.
The Ritz; Top hats and canes are the order of the day for boys. White gloves for the girls with their long gowns. Use ideas from Broadway in New York. You could build a replica of Times Square.
Camelot; Build a courtyard with a trellis to enter through. Using cardboard, you could build a stone wall with stone blocks painted on it.
Enchanted Forest or Garden; Paper flowers of all colors everywhere. Construct large trees our of lumber and cardboard. Maybe a small wooden bridge over a fake stream.
Hawaiian Luau; You could have boys wear Hawaiian shirts. Decorate with an island setting or beach front idea. Palm trees could be constructed.
Ski Resort; Use ideas from a ski resort, especially the inside of a lodge.
Oriental theme; Chinese or Japanese theme flow. Geisha’s as waitresses. Japanese lanterns and letters as backdrops. A Japanese gazebo would be easy to make.
Movie themes; Use different themes from motion pictures or use a group of them together to make a Hollywood idea as a main theme.
London or European theme; This could be like a Bavarian theme or even an English or Paris, France type of theme. You could construct a Big Ben, Eiffel Tower, or London Bridge as a backdrop for your prom.
Stairway to Heaven; In this theme you would use planets, stars, and the moon for a backdrop. Space stations and satellites could be hung from the ceiling.
These are only a few ideas. You can original in your approach or seek help through different web sites. www.teens.lovetoknow.com and www.stumpsprom.com are great places for ideas.
Another area that I want to hit briefly on is the problem of alcohol. Use a key check, if students drive cars. I knew one prom where the parents were drivers all night. Parents names were put in a box and the driver of the car had to draw out a parent as a chauffeur. Nobody who the driver was till the day of the prom. The sneak use of alcohol has always been a major concern. We have even had Police officials come in the week of the prom and give lectures. Being proactive can save lives.
