Prom Fayre

Albrighton Hall Hotel and Spa, in Shrewsbury held their first Prom Fayre on October 20th. The evening was a great success with over 50 local girls modeling an amazing array of prom dresses from Jessica’s Bridal in Frankwell and Shropshire Designer Grace Barby of Grace and Glory.

Viv Kelly Dance school also performed 2 routines one in amazing funky tights from Thighs the Limit based in Mardol, Shrewsbury. There were lots of exhibitors with a great choice of accessories and jewellery from Masque Boutique, MeMe Mode and Solo Jewellery all local independent companies.

The boys weren’t left out as 2 local boys modeled suits from Skopes a new menswear concession located in House of Fraser.Local hairdresser Claire Greenhow was on hand not only to do all the models hair but also continued to show the audience lots of great prom hairstyles.

Brian Fisher Photography and Malcolm Whittall local cartoonist,amused us all.The atmosphere was extremely party-like with one of the suites dressed as an actual prom night,complete with helium balloons supplied by the Giant Party shop,disco, fantastic lighting, a lifesize James Bond model and even giant Oscars, supplied by Solid Gold entertainment.

Get me to the Prom on time!

 The theme didn’t just stop inside the hotel, there were vehicles from 2XL Limousines and a Vintage bus from Bolton's, and even a Red London double decker. 

 The raffle raised over £170 for the Breast Cancer Campaign, first prize was a Prom dress,which was won by a lady who booked her Summer ball at the Albrighton Hall Hotel on the evening,she was absolutely delighted.

Fiona Clarke, Business Development Co-Ordinator for the hotel said “ We really wanted to showcase all the local talent we have and give the teenagers some inspiration, the girls had a fabulous time and looked fantastic,the feedback has been so positive, I was even asked if I would do another one this year, we will definitely be making it an annual event, so date for your diary 19th October 2012.”

For more information contact Fiona 01939 291732

Hello,
I organised my 6th form leavers prom last June and used your website for advice. It was very helpful so thought I'd mention some things I think you could add as a sort of thank you
Personally, I'd love to see a "6th form/ college prom" section. There are just as many of these as there are proms for after GCSEs, in my area at least, but the main difference is that most people are over 18. The biggest problem I had was that there was a mix, with 2 months worth being under 18. Obviously everyone wanted a bar but many venues rejected us straight out as they refused to have a mix. One club accepted us and I told them around 16% would be minors. On the night it turned out many guys had brought girls in the year below as +1s. This led to around 30% being under 18 and the club stopped letting them in. This led to a huge fiasco outside and I had to get the owner there as the manager was no help. The owner showed up in a land rover with what looked like personal security… a bit mafia esq! After a while of shouting from both sides and pretty intense bargaining, he offered to hire in extra bouncers and split the club into two areas, one of which under 18s couldn't go.

This happened because I failed to get a written contract of all their terms and conditions. I had written confirmation of our booking but nothing about their policy on what happened. I understood that under 18s were a problem but his verbal agreement that it would be workable and us paying extra for more bouncers (which he didn't actually provide until it all went to hell) convinced me it would be fine.   Check out venue tips here

Anyway, this is a long winded story of how my prom went wrong and I think it would be great if you had a page stressing the importance of drinking laws and the rules and tips on how to play it safe.

My advice would be:
1) When taking tickets, calculate exactly how many under 18s there are going to be.
2) Make it perfectly clear how many there will be and keep the venue informed throughout the ticket sales process.
3) If the club give strict numbers of minors, don't sell under 18 +1 tickets until everyone else has had a chance to buy them. That way, under 18s in the leaving year have priority.
4) Get a written signed contract stating the venues backup plans, i.e., what has to happen for everyone to be kicked out/stop letting people in?

That was my main issue and one that I think other 6th form prom teams would find very useful.

Another small issue I had was with photographers. The school IT guy also runs a photography company and he quoted us £350 to show up and take set shots with a screen where students would have to pay around £10 online for prints  and an extra £700 for someone to take roaming photos and give them to us on a disk to put on the Facebook group.
I thought that was way too much so I paid them for the set shots but hired a friend with my mums SLR camera for £100 to take the roaming photos and give them to me. This was fine until the professional guy found out and got angry at me threatening to take me to court over it… clearly not a very nice guy if he was willing to take money from students. Anyway, perhaps making it clear that photographers don't like to have other companies there as well would be helpful.

Other than that, things that worked well:
1) I took £350 cash with me to buy rounds of 50 shots, line them along the bar and get everyone there to take them all at once. Didn't end up doing this annoyingly, due to the under 18 nightmare!
2) Phoning taxi companies and getting lots of discount cards to put on the door and telling them when the prom ended.
3) Buying bottle openers with the school name on it (people loved this)

Anyway, sorry for the long email! Just thought my experiences might be of use!

Kind Regards,

Steve

Whether taking place at a local hotel or country club, or even at the school itself, the sight of stretched limos, classic cars, buses, fire engines horse drawn carriages, tractors with trailers and even helicopters, bringing beautifully dressed young ladies and handsomely dressed young men is becoming all the more common.  For most of the guests the glittering ball gown or new suits or hired tux are obviously not their usual attire – and it shows, as they awkwardly settle into the evening.  The flash of cameras is continuous as groups of friends and classmates, with whom they have shared the highs and lows, come together to celebrate, experiencing a rite of passage in surroundings worthy of such an event  - it’s the school Prom. 

In the last six years, this high school import from the U.S. has become a major focus of activity alongside year 11 examinations and the decisions relating to the students’ futures. 

The Prom is often largely organised by the students themselves, overseen by a senior member of staff.  Not only is it a major focus for the students, it has also become of commercial importance for local traders and service providers. In some parts of the U.K. there are now prom fairs where local providers offer schools and their students presentations on how they can assist in making the Prom night one to remember.  Venues, caterers, dress and suit hire companies, entertainment artists/discos, novelty transport, make-up specialists , decorations and event photographers will all be on hand to help make it a night to remember.  It’s rapidly becoming big business. 

Brian Fisher, an event photographer and an ex-teacher of social ethics in a number of Shropshire schools, finds this new love of the prom very interesting.  He firmly believes that this new experience can be of great value socially for the local teenagers.  Organising the event in a safe environment, at venues outside of their normal experience is a positive learning experience, whilst the formal wear also helps them to enter the world of adulthood.  For some, this form of celebration will become a regular thing as they journey through life, for others though, this will be a special experience to be treasured by them and their family.  As a photographer and an ex-teacher secondary school teacher, Brian has become very conscious that some businesses see The Prom as a means of making a good income from vulnerable teenagers and their families.  However, he also recognises that it’s a great opportunity for local companies to display the quality of their services and products. This way, as they become independent adults, the teenagers will return to develop relationships with these businesses as they celebrate other family, business or social events throughout their lives. As a photographer who takes, prints and sells the prom photographs on the night, I have gained future bookings for weddings, family portraits, social events etc. 

I would hope that other businesses would see the Prom in such a way, by reducing their prices, offering first class service, offering free advice to prom organisers and hopefully making The Prom an event which everyone can enjoy. 

For more information about Brian Fisher, take a look at his web site www.shropshirephotographer.co.uk 

Or view his advertisement opposite this post.

Brian Fisher Photography… Prom business going great…resulting I believe from a quality product for a sensible low price. …

So if you are looking for prom business why not join us.  Contact jean@thepromorganiser.co.uk

On prom night

Obviously everyone wants a fun and enjoyable time and a good photographer will contribute to this. A good rapport and a degree of flexibility are, in our experience appreciated by the guests. If your photographer has specified a time limited attendance only for arrivals then it is important that your guests are aware of this so they aren’t left disappointed when he or she has packed up and left. On the flipside if the photographer is there until the end there is no need for everyone to ‘pile’ into the studio area at the same time especially if the food is being served.

From a photographers point of view we would love to have orderly queues and a reasonably calm area but…we know this isn’t going to happen! Personally I think the noise and excitement add to the fun of being there.

If there is a single thing that concerns me more than any other at any prom or for that matter any event it would be damage to the equipment. Accidents do happen but all we would ask is simply to be careful in and around the studio area. Not just because we are worried about our equipment but we also want everyone to be safe. We have seen occasions where a guest comes diving onto the studio to be part of a group already in place. Fortunately nothing was damaged and we got some good photos but all I would add is please be careful and everything will be fine.

When the photos are being taken expect around 2-4 shots of any individual or group on the studio at the time. These should then be available to view and you can choose to have them printed. Usually if you don’t like the photos you will be able to have them re-taken. At Event-Pics we don’t put a limit on the number of photos you can have taken, so as long as you don’t mind queuing we will take your photograph.

Incorporating a prom theme into the photography

If your prom is to have a theme, for example a Masquerade Ball, then prom photographs can easily incorporate this. You will find that most photographers tend to use two particular styles of background, either a coloured patterned background or a white background for ‘high key’ images. White backgrounds are very popular because they can bring out the colour and vibrance in the dresses as well as bringing the focus onto the subject. With this type of event is it wiser to go with a simpler background and leave the theme for specific events like Christmas parties.

If you do want to have something in the photo that identifies it as the prom it is possible is to have some text added to the photograph as it gets printed. This would need to be arranged beforehand with the photographer but you could then have the name of the school and the perhaps the year included.

To summarise this post I’ve listed a few items to help in selecting a prom photographer

• Make sure the photographer has covered proms before

• Look at samples from previous events, reputable photographers will be happy to supply them

• Don’t be fooled into believing the lowest cost will be the best, it could lead to disappointment

• Make certain you know how long the photographer will stay for

• Look for on-site printing to save any delay in receiving photos after the event

Keep these in mind and you’ll have a fun night and some great photos to show for it.

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Many thanks to David, if any of you have any questions related to prom photography then simply ask in the comments below or if you’re shy, use the contact form. Next week will be part two of our series on prom themes – why not take a look at part one before you go?

How do you go about finding the right prom photographer?

Firstly decide what sort of photography you want. Do you want someone wandering around throughout the evening taking pictures of guests at the tables, with groups of friends or just capturing the atmosphere? Alternatively, and by far the more popular, do you want a studio set up at your prom providing you with an area in which you and your guests can have the photographs taken?

The majority of prom photographers operate a studio set up because this can be lit correctly and will avoid distracting backgrounds. This is what sets these photos apart from those taken in amongst the event itself.

Next, do you want printing on-site or available after the event? In my opinion, printing on site is by far the best choice as you won’t have to wait until a later date to receive your photos. In addition if the photographer is printing on site you should be able to view the images before they are printed. The one big advantage with this is that YOU can choose which photo to have printed and if there are none you like you can simply have it taken again. Be aware that not all photographers operate like this and might only take 2-3 shots that you will have to choose from.

Another point to consider is whether you will be expected to pay a booking fee. Some companies work like this, others don’t, but either way make sure you know in advance what sort of service will be provided. It is well worth checking the photographer's website to look at the types of events they have covered and the style of photographs you can expect. Some event photographers specialise in purely outdoor events and while this doesn’t mean they won’t cover a prom it does mean that you need to know they can confidently cover your event. Dealing with 150 year 11s is totally different to shooting an equestrian event!

Booking your prom photographer

So having chosen a photographer, how can you help them in the run up to the prom? Firstly, and probably most importantly, make sure that you as a committee have all agreed which photographer will be turning up! This might sound obvious but the last thing that is needed is two different photographers arriving because one has spoken to a year head and the other has dealt with the prom committee. At the very least, expect to have to complete a booking form from your chosen photographer.

What does a prom photographer need to know before the event?

Most of the information we need is usually supplied on the booking form or even at the initial contact stage. However here is a list of information that we find very useful:

• Name and address of the venue
• Event date and time and possibly the finish time
• Approximate number of guests
• Contact name at the venue

One of the most important points to know beforehand is where the studio area will be located at the event. The space available will depend on the venue. From some of our past proms we have been in the room with the guests, by the side of the dance floor, in a separate room away from the function and even in a reception area. None of these had an effect on the popularity of the service but we were slightly concerned about where the queues of people could go.

Another factor that affects the space needed is the range of photos that are to be taken. With more space available larger group shots are possible and experience tells us that group shots prove very popular. Roughly speaking an area of around 4 metres wide by 6-8 metres long would be ideal. The area will need to have power sockets nearby, preferably spread over 2-3 points and for safety reasons not encroach onto a public walkway or cover a fire exit.

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Many thanks to David, if any of you have any questions related to prom photography then simply ask in the comments below or if you’re shy, use the contact form.

Part two will be coming soon, including advice for prom night itself, and whether to incorporate your prom theme into the prom photo backdrops. Oh, and there's only one week left on our competition to win an iPod!