Prom Themes
When an Ordinary Prom Just Won’t Do

Have your prom in a tropical paradise, fairytale, hip-hop club or outer space using themes! The prom theme you choose can be used when planning entertainment, décor, food, and souvenirs. Last year, I helped select and plan a Mardi Gras themed prom for one of the largest high schools in Long Island, New York with nearly 800 students attending. It was a tremendous success and students, parents, and teachers are still raving about it. I want your prom to be just as fabulous, so I’m sharing 7 of my most prized professional prom planning tips with you.

Choose a Prom Theme
If you new to themes, choose a simple easy one to execute. Brainstorm with your prom committee to come up with ideas.

Draft Design Plans for Prom Theme
Once the theme is determined, the prom decoration committee should measure the area where the prom will be held. If it is in a banquet hall, you may request a floor plan along with room dimensions. Then, present the prom design plans to the rest of the prom committee.

Find Local Merchants for Prom Theme
Research your local neighborhood for merchants willing to donate prom theme items. At the same time, price items in online catalogs such as Anderson’s (wwww.andersonsprom.com), Harding’s of Chicago (www.hardingschicago.com) or Stumps (www.stumpsprom.com).

Get Ready to Build your Prom Theme
If items are to be built by volunteers or prom committee members, schedule dates to meet in the cafeteria or other location to work on creating your prom theme.

Include Food in your Prom Theme
The catering sub-committee should research past banquet halls, prom caterers or local restaurants to find food that can be incorporated in your theme. For example, using a Mardi Gras theme, you could create a “Blues Café” and serve food reminiscent of New Orleans.

Fantastic Favors can add to your Prom Theme
The student protocol sub-committee is in charge of prom favors. In addition to traditional prom favors such as long stemmed glasses, include a themed favor such as a Mardi Gras mask to complement a Mardi Gras theme.

Get Help with your Prom Theme
Implementing a themed prom can present an added challenge that some prom committees, the prom coordinator, teachers, staff find overwhelming and time consuming. When Long Island’s largest high school approached me to help them with their prom, teachers were overwhelmed with both teaching full-time and helping coordinating the prom while students were busy with other activities. At the same time, they wanted to increase the caliber and lasting memory that the prom would have on all those attending.

If you or your prom committee feels challenged, consider a professional event planner experienced in prom planning. The first thing you should do is schedule interviews and solicit preliminary proposals. Make sure they are professional and can meet your prom budget. Event planners are useful for a number of reasons:
• They are experts in creativity.
• They have the ability to purchase themed items at very reasonable costs.
• Entertainers and vendors are at their beck and call.
• They can work within your prom budget.

Think an event planner is beyond your budget? By increasing the cost of a prom ticket by up to five dollars, most fees for an event planner can be covered. You can also save money on other areas by utilizing the planner’s expertise to buy wholesale, negotiate with prom caterers, and to help make better use of the resources available to the prom committee.

With the expertise of a professional planner, your prom will truly be a memorable and outstanding event. Your prom committee will save time, money, and ensure the delight of all those who attend your prom.