Need Help with Prom Committee Details

MaryLennox

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I'm working on a YA contemporary where the two main characters decide to help with prom committee. I really like this plot idea BUT - I've never actually helped with a prom committee or any kind of dance when I was in high school. I didn't even go to prom.

My main questions are: Would some schools have fundraisers to help with the costs of prom?

How early would the prom committee start working on the prom during the school year?

Other than a theme, what are some things the prom committee would need to plan/figure out? Venue? Do they help pick the dinner options, etc? Is it similar to planning a wedding when it comes to venue stuff? (Although...I also have zero experience with wedding planning.)

Would picking a DJ be part of their work? What other kind of entertainment could there be? A live band?

Are the prom committee the people who would go set up and decorate the venue before the big night?

How much do prom tickets cost nowadays?

Are prom-posals still happening?

Thanks!
 
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Debbie V

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Many of these things depend on the school and the financial situation of the actual students. If the prom is at a venue, the committee wouldn't need to do much decorating. It would be like planning a wedding or sweet 16. Have you googled prom committees? You might find something helpful. I've told you all I know.
 

s_nov

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Hey! So for some godforsaken reason, I was on prom committee in high school, even though I kind of hated it. For context: I'm from a rural-ish area and my graduating class was about 250. Our prom was junior/senior, and sophomores could be invited. I think they estimated like 500 people would go, just because not everyone would go and some people would bring dates from other classes/schools/etc. SO all that aside. There were two people elected in the previous spring to head the prom committee. In the fall, people signed up. We started fundraising at the beginning of the year to offset the cost. Think selling things at football games, bake sales, candy canes around Christmas, valentines with Hershey's kisses. We also did a candle sale and a chocolate bar sale, which was like every person tried to sell a certain amount and the jr/sr classes could contribute.

Like I said, we had meetings all year, but it really became a thing in the spring. Our high school did Grand March in the auditorium and then we went to a hotel for actual prom from like 10PM to 5AM the next day. Our prom committee was like 30 people so the co-chairs made the big decisions, but I think we got to vote on certain things. The menu was basically set by the hotel, since they catered and all. We had a DJ, and from what I can remember, he was just the same guy who DJ'd the previous dances. I think schools try to stay with the same people because they know they'll play "appropriate" music. I do have a friend in a band that is popular in my area, and they play for parts of proms. A couple of hours or so.

Something kind of dumb but might be fun - my school always had a hypnotist come at like 1 AM and hypnotize people for entertainment.

We did decorate! We signed up for shifts over the two days before prom. From like Wednesday to Friday afternoon, everyone had to do a couple of hours of work decorating the auditorium for Grand March, sticking to the theme. We didn't decorate the hotel, though.

Our prom tickets were like 125/couple, but I've heard of ones being like 300. It depends on the venue. Prom-posals are definitely still happening.

I'm masochistic, so I went to 3 proms. If you have any other questions, feel free to DM me!
 

MaryLennox

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Thanks for the information! That is all very helpful. I had no idea prom tickets cost that much money!!! I did find some good websites that explained stuff and have found on-line prom catalogues which have been helpful. I didn't even know prom catalogues existed until I started researching.
 

Iambriannak

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I'm working on a YA contemporary where the two main characters decide to help with prom committee. I really like this plot idea BUT - I've never actually helped with a prom committee or any kind of dance when I was in high school. I didn't even go to prom.

My main questions are: Would some schools have fundraisers to help with the costs of prom? Yes! I don't remember what my school did but there was definitely have a funrasier of some sort. You could have them do a bakesale, or dunktank.

How early would the prom committee start working on the prom during the school year? I wasn't on a prom committee, but I do help plan large company events for my firm, and at least for the venue, we book out nearly a year in advance. A lot of the other details are probably months 6-3

Other than a theme, what are some things the prom committee would need to plan/figure out? Venue? Do they help pick the dinner options, etc? Is it similar to planning a wedding when it comes to venue stuff? (Although...I also have zero experience with wedding planning.) Venue, I think, with the help of a teacher or leader of the committee. Dinner options, no, although catered snacks and dessert, yes. Music/DJ, decorations, invites, advertising it around school

Would picking a DJ be part of their work? What other kind of entertainment could there be? A live band? Some schools do have a DJ, and some do a band - it all depends on preference. One of my proms had a photobooth, which was fun, and would be something they would coordinate. Depending on the venue, that place might have options as well. Such as my junior prom took place at an Air Zoo Museum, so we had access to roam the museum and do a motion simulater of taking off in a plane

Are the prom committee the people who would go set up and decorate the venue before the big night? If it's in the school gym, yes, but I feel like you'd hire someone to do that. Some venues will take care of it. If you need to order chairs and tables for your venue, they might help set them up.

How much do prom tickets cost nowadays? Not sure, I feel like $40-50??

Are prom-posals still happening? Unfortunately yes, but I personally think adding them will make the book dated in several years.

Thanks!

Even though I've provided some answers up above, I don't think you need to necessarily listen to it. I think you can have a lot of fun creating your own world and what you want this prom committee to be and take care of. Most teens won't even think about what goes it having a prom, so if the committee doesn't take care of set up, I doubt readers would even care.

Prom varies from school to school - make it the prom you want it to be, and one you wish readers could have had :)
 

MaryLennox

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Thanks for the info! Any details are helpful for figuring out what exactly I want to include.
 

mrsmig

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I did the prom committee thing, too, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. At our school it was a junior/senior prom, with the juniors hosting the event for the seniors. Our classes were small (I believe mine was under a hundred) and because the high school was on a military base, it was a given that our venue would be at one of the military clubs (we got the Officer's Club that year). We had to raise money to put prom on, and traditionally the juniors got the concessions at all the school's home games and raised money for prom that way. The year I was a junior, a newly formed "Booster Club" (comprised of parents of the kids involved with sports) took away our concessions to raise money for the sports teams.* We juniors had to scramble to find another way to raise the prom money, so we put on a spaghetti supper, a chili supper, did a bake sale and a car wash, too.

Our teacher sponsors took care of negotiating the venue rental, dinner and the band for the event (since we were underage we couldn't sign any contracts, naturally), but the Prom Committee had to come up with the theme and decorations, as well as favors (favors were a BIG DEAL). We decided on SAYONARA for the theme. The Decorations subcommittee created a bunch of cherry-blossom trees (their budget was spent mostly on pink tissue paper) and the Favors subcommittee had flat squares of wood cut in the school's shop, with a single small hole drilled in one corner. These we painted with what someone told us was the Japanese symbol for sayonara (in retrospect, I'm sure it was incorrect), then shellacked them, then ran a little key-chain through each and every hole. It was fidgety work but they turned out pretty spiffy and were a big hit with the prom-goers.

In this day and age, I imagine kids would be able to order much of the stuff we made by hand, but the most important thing to remember is that underage kids are still not able to sign a legally binding contract for goods and services. So the adult(s) overseeing the prom in your story will have a great deal of control over the event.


*I never forgave those parents for doing that to us.
 
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cornflake

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I'm working on a YA contemporary where the two main characters decide to help with prom committee. I really like this plot idea BUT - I've never actually helped with a prom committee or any kind of dance when I was in high school. I didn't even go to prom.

As other posters have said, this varies hugely by school, location, etc.

My main questions are: Would some schools have fundraisers to help with the costs of prom?

Mine did not.


How early would the prom committee start working on the prom during the school year?

At mine, not particularly, because some stuff was just set; I went to a private city school, so it wasn't like the Enchantment Under the Sea in a gym. We didn't have a gym.

Other than a theme, what are some things the prom committee would need to plan/figure out? Venue? Do they help pick the dinner options, etc? Is it similar to planning a wedding when it comes to venue stuff? (Although...I also have zero experience with wedding planning.)

That's closer -- we did prom in a hotel ballroom, like you'd do a wedding yeah, so the hotel did things. People met with the hotel caterers to decide on food options, etc.

Would picking a DJ be part of their work? What other kind of entertainment could there be? A live band?

I've never heard of anything but a DJ, though anything is possible?

Are the prom committee the people who would go set up and decorate the venue before the big night?

The hotel did that for the most part. Prom people went early and like, made sure stuff was delivered and the correct curtains and crap were hung, as with a wedding, and I *think* made some centerpieces to go along with floral ones.


How much do prom tickets cost nowadays?

Back when they were $150 I think, or $125, so I assume it's more now.

Are prom-posals still happening?

God I hope not, but probably -- this too depends. A girl I know in my area did this a year ago, showed up and covered her bf's car with 'will you go to prom with me' giant signs before he woke up and filmed it for snapchat and Insta.

Thanks!

...
 

sempersomnium

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I was never on the committee, but I do remember that for some reason Juniors picked the prom theme for the Seniors at my high school. So weird, I know. We had everything set up in our gym, was actually really nice. Tickets were 35$ a person, and for our after prom we went to a theme park that was rented out to us after hours. That was a blast! We did prom-posals as well.
 

Twick

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This was a long time ago, but my prom was at the school. Theme was picked by the committee, with tickets and decorations their responsibilities, as well as organizing chaperones, etc. A faculty advisor would assist, since teens might not think of everything.

We had a live band. Not sure how they were booked, but djs were less common then.
 

MaryLennox

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Thanks for the info. Every little bit helps me figure out what exactly I want to do with my book's prom.