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Once you have a smaller group of committed volunteers, there are three critical decisions you need to make:
- Do you have a formal prom committee with defined roles?
- What is the date of the prom?
- What is the prom theme?
The formal committee decision
There are pros and cons to this approach, so a discussion about it might be a good idea.
Formal prom committee pros:
- Everyone knows who is responsible for what
- No tasks get left out or forgotten, because there will be a nominated person (or people) responsible for them
- People can concentrate on things they like doing and not have to worry about the other stuff
- People can get credit for more specific things
Formal prom committee cons:
- People might take on a role and find out they hate it
- Not all committee roles are glamorous – how do you handle filling the role no-one wants?
- Do people want to be stuck in one role for the next six months?
- What happens if someone needs to drop out because of unforeseen circumstances?
- What if someone thinks they can do the job but can’t handle it?
- Some roles are harder than others, or have more responsibility
Ultimately this decision is all about finding the balance between being efficient and organised, but not so regimented that all the fun is taken out of it. One approach could be that everyone discusses ideas, tasks etc, but the responsibility for making the decisions actually happen falls on a specialised prom committee member. For example, you can all discuss the decorations together and decide what you want, but then it’s up to the committee member responsible for décor to actually go and source materials, get quotes and buy the gear, and arrange for it to be put up on the day.
Setting the date of the prom
Your school might have already decided upon the date – so there’s one less thing for you to worry about! If it hasn’t been decided already, then there are few things you need to bear in mind.
Firstly, the prom is likely to be at the end of the year, so find out the date of the last exam so everyone can be chilled out on the night. If any key prom committee members are in the last exam, you might want to set it a couple of days later so they can get their head around prom stuff again (especially if they’re the ones decorating the venue!).
Secondly, you need to make sure that the date doesn’t clash with any other major events in your area. Some events (like festivals) are held at the same time every year, so they’ll be easy to find out about. To be absolutely certain, pop into (or call) the local tourist information office as they will have a long term schedule. (It’s best to visit as they may not have an up-to-date website.)
Thirdly, spare a thought for the Mums and Dads that might be the taxi for the night and choose a day that is at the end of the week (Thursday or Friday is ideal – Saturdays might clash with weddings and other family events).
Deciding upon a prom theme
Having a theme for a prom gives you the opportunity to have lots of fun with decorations and entertainment, and can help guests choose what to wear. It makes planning a prom easier too as it narrows down all the options, and it makes a more memorable night.
It’s critical to decide upon the theme at the first proper meeting, as it will shape all of the planning and budgeting for the entire prom. You might come to an agreement quickly, or you might have a few favourites you can’t choose between. You could always hold a ballot, either within the committee or for the whole school year. Or it could be a matter of choosing the theme that is the cheapest and easiest to arrange.
Don’t forget that the prom theme can simply be colours, rather than something more complex. Black and white balls are very popular, for example, and a black and white prom could look really stylish with minimal effort.
