Funky Watutsi

The point of prom is to celebrate the culmination of 13 years of education and the commencement of a new life of adulthood and independence. Regardless of whether you believe in all of that, the party remains. And the way that we party in this country is to get a bunch of people together in a poorly lit room and make them move around to the beat. So, if you don't know how (or think you don't know how) to dance, you will be the lame (wo)man out.

Usually I'm very accepting of everyone, but I'll admit that I have no tolerance for someone who can't dance. I firmly believe that a lack of rhythm is simply laziness. We were all born with the rhythm of our own hearts, the oceanic sway of our mothers' amniotic fluid and the natural flow of the seasons, pull of the tide, etc. etc. etc. If your body can't get on the beat, it's because you have been to lazy to listen for it and let your natural impulses handle the rest. *Note: If you have some sort of inner ear or cerebral issue that affects your movement, I exempt you from my scathing criticism.

Now that you have been thoroughly chastised for not being able to dance, I will provide with the necessary resources to correct your shortcoming. First of all, listen to a song with an obvious danceable beat. If you're listening to Hot Hot Heat or Dead Prez or Tibetan monk chanting, no wonder you can't dance, you big nerd. This is what you should be listening to:

• SexyBack - Justin Timberlake
• SOS - Rhianna
• Hips Don't Lie - Shakira
• Top Back - T.I.
• We Fly High - Jim Jones

I put that last one on there because it just came on my Pandora, but it works, too. Plus, the beat is really slow. It's a good one to get started to. Every one of these songs has a very obvious "hand-clap"-esque beat that you should be able to catch and do a little two-step to.

What's a two-step, you ask? The answer is in the name, my friend. It's a step to the left, a step to the right. It's the easiest thing in the world. Did you hear that hand clap in the song? Good, step to the right on that. Here comes the second hand clap. Go ahead and step to the left. Oh Snap! You're a dancing genius. Okay... honestly, I can't do this without being sarcastic and annoying, so if you really can't dance, check out the following very helpful resources.

www.clubdancelessons.com
WikiHow to Dance
Dance in the Nightclub
How to Dance for Average Guys

**Just remember, if whatever you're trying to do has a name, chances are you're trying too hard.

Fat Season!!

What's up party people? I didn't forget about you.

Here's the deal - fat season is upon us. What with Halloween candy , Thanksgiving turkey and Chrismahanakwanzakah dinner, sweets, eggnog, etc - we're all getting fat. Let's not even talk about the dark and cold that leads one into hibernation all season. Let's just say that the winter coat is going on for most of us (and I'm not talking about a Bubble Goose).

What does this have to do with prom? Well, most people freak out and try to look better than they've ever looked once they're presented with formal wear. And, while you could probably get all extra-sexy between New Year's and May, why not start thinking about your eating and dieting habits now so that you don't have to get all anorexic then? Don't say that I don't look out for you.

So, with that in mind, I have found the best online sources for healthy eating and dieting that will help you lose (or maintain) your weight the fun, healthy and sane way.

• My personal favorite is SparkTeens. This extension of SparkPeople was started by one of the early employees of eBay with the massive riches that he got when that company blew up. This website gives you FREE food advice and recipes, personalized workout plans and it provides communities that you can join to find workout buddies or people that you can talk to about your challenges. Last, but not least, you can also win a $5000 scholarship when you join. You really don't have anything to lose.
  

• Another site that's doing a good job is CosmoGirl! (I'm not super excited about it. The exclamation point is part of the proper name.) If you read the magazine, you know that each month features an exercise section. Well, they've compiled all of the exercises in one place on their website so that you can get the perfect workout plan for whatever it is that you're working on (delts, gloits, croits, whatever). There's also a nutrition section so that you can learn delicious alternatives for Wendy's fries (put the Frosty down!!) They even have a prom workout for you and a CosmoGirl! group on SparkTeens that you can join.

• And for the guys, don't feel left out (you can totally do either of the ones above), but also check out this No-Gym workout from Men's Health. It's a totally free, 8 week workout that apparently helped 20,000 guys lose weight. Get cut; make the ladies swoon. That's all I'm sayin'.

Alright, so put down the hot chocolate and cookies. You'll thank me when Jan. 1st comes around and you don't have to make that resolution to lose 20 pounds of turkey gut.

Censorship on the Dancefloor

Party People be aware!! There are forces in this world that would censor your right to listen to Lil' Wayne and shake that thang at prom! I'm here to show you what you need to look out for.

www.schooldancenetwork.com calls itself "The School Administrator's Best Friend" and comes complete with a national Do Not Play list (of songs that DJs shouldn't play at dances, ever), a slang dictionary called Slanguage, "No Freak Zone" posters to keep people from "freak dancing" and a totally random youtube clip of Ellen playing guitar hero. This is like Footloose for the 21st century, people. Fight for your right to pop, lock and drop it!!


Okay, wait, now I'm really freaked out. This group claims that its long term aim is to "keep [the 30 largest record labels] informed regularly of those songs that have been determined to be inappropriate for a teen audience at school dances in hopes that in the long term it may play a role in improving the content of music being released. We have compiled a list of the key upper level managers that will recieve updates on our DO NOT PLAY list. We will also inform major radio station program managers of those inappropriate songs. " Basically, what this means is that if this group decides that Flo Rida's newest album is too sexy, they're going to tell radio stations not to play it. Pardon my French, but that's bullcrap.

Student Council leaders and Prom committee members, remind your faculty advisors that you're not tiny kids who've never heard a swear word before. You have the right to listen to The Whisper song.

Oh, wait, don't worry though. There's a preferred playlist that is "made up of a variety of songs in varying tempos from Top 40 music, 80's and 90's “Old School” and novelty dance songs that combined help to create a fun and lively environment for the entire student body. DJs can play this song list in the order listed and it will likely work for most school dance events." So, go wild dancing to Miley Cyrus, Thriller and the Cha Cha Slide all night. That sounds awesome!


Here are the most recent additions to the DO NOT PLAY list....

L = Language S = Sexual V=Violence

Inappropriate for school dances
Inappropriate for Middle School, Junior High and conservative high schools V = Violence
“Radio Edit” version available and appropriate

Posted	Song	Artist	Appropriate?
9/24/2008	lolli lolli pop that bo...	Three 6 mafia	(S)
9/3/2008	Thizzle Dance	Mac Dre	(L)
8/13/2008	I Kissed a Girl	Katy Perry
8/11/2008	Paper Planes	MIA	(V)
7/28/2008	The Business	Yung Berg	(L)

...Sigh... what kind of world do we live in?

Save Money and Give Back

Hey Party People! In these financially turbulent times, it's more important than ever that we take care of each other, find fun and happiness where we can and save as much money as possible! To that end, I'm bringing you news of a great organization called Becca's Closet.

Started by a 16-year-old named Rebecca Kirtman, this organization provides formal dresses and menswear to high school students without the resources to attend prom or homecoming. There is also a college scholarship fund associated with this organization. Learn more about these three $1000 scholarships here.

Rebecca died in a tragic auto accident in 2003, but her dream lives on through this organization and people like you who have spread it throughout the United States. While there are currently 96 chapters in 30 states, there is clearly still need. Get a chapter started in your town. Or get the Senior girls to donate the dresses they wore during Junior prom. It's not like they're going to wear them again. Plus, it'll look good on your college apps.

Thank you, Becca for your generous spirit and inspiring life.

• Step Into Becca's Closet
• Celebrity News

Dear Prom Lady... On Drugs!

Hello party people! Please forgive me for leaving you for such a long time. I let real life get in the way of prom life when it is so clear that prom life is much more important. So, with no further ado...

Dear Prom Lady,
What's your deal? In every post you make some comment about drinking or doing drugs or something at prom. What are you trying to do? Tell us to do drugs? Tell us not to do drugs? And with all of your - "don't drink and drive" talk... do you work for M.A.D.D. or something?

- Get Over Yourself

Listen GOY,
I don't claim to have all of the answers or any special expertise, but as someone with a few years of hindsight and a public forum from which to spew my opinion, I feel like it's my duty to include some responsible warnings for you, my audience. (And, no, I don't work for M.A.D.D. though I think it is a respectable organization with its heart in the right place.)

That having been said, let me take this moment to talk about drinking, drugs and their place at prom. The fact is, a lot of people think of prom as the perfect opportunity to get wasted. I mean, you're hanging out with your high school friends for potentially the last time ever, you're already spending tons of money, you're having a good time - why not add recreational drug and alcohol use, right? Well, not exactly.

Let's take this step-by-step:

• Alcohol - This is the most abused drug in the U.S. It's cheap, easy to obtain and widely accepted. The thing is, it's also illegal to consume if you're under 21 (which you probably are), lowers your inhibitions to the point where you might do something that you will really regret later and has huge potential to make you look like a jackass in front of your friends.

However, none of those awesome reasons or your parents and school telling you not to do it will make you not do it (probably).

So, be smart. If you plan to drink, (1) find someone else to drive you around. (2) Drink 1 glass of water for every 1 drink you have (you will thank me later). (3) Listen to your body and listen to yourself. If you can't understand what you're saying, or you can feel the liquid sloshing around in your stomach, or you find yourself lying in a pee soaked bed in your Costa Rican host family's house, you know you're in trouble. (Don't ask)

• Marijuana - Oh you wacky wacky weed... the thing about pot is that it's different depending on where you get it from - sometimes you don't know how it's going to make you act. Maybe you'll get high and spend your whole prom laughing and acting silly with your friends. Or, maybe you'll get high and spend your whole prom sitting in a chair paranoid that the teachers at your dance can smell the weed in your hair.

Bottom line, weed makes you slow and stupid (at least until you come down). Dancing won't be as fun, anybody around you who isn't high will get bored of you pretty quickly and you probably won't remember most of what happened the next day. If you have to smoke, do it after the prom when you're kicking it with your homies at someone's house and you don't have to drive anywhere until the next day.

• Prescription Drugs - If you're taking a prescription that isn't yours or in a way that wasn't recommended by your personal doctor, you're potentially causing major chemical damage to your body. (The potential is there even if the prescription is yours, but that's another blog entirely.) Like weed, when you take a prescription drug, you have no idea how your body will react. Unlike weed, you can potentially become deeply chemically dependent on a pharmaceutical or find some way to kill yourself. (Like inadvertently mixing the wrong thing with alcohol or aggravating a condition that you didn't even know you had.)

My advice - don't use a prescription drug that was not prescribed to you. However, if you just can't resist the temptation, definitely don't do it at prom (and get help). It's just a bad plan.

• Cocaine - We have officially moved outside of my personal realm of experience, but I'll do the best I can. If you can afford to do coke, congratulations on being a rich teenager. Do yourself a favor, save your money for college, or a sweet apartment during college. No? Not convinced? Wikipedia will tell you why you shouldn't use this drug: "The initial signs of stimulation [from cocaine] are hyperactivity, restlessness, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate and euphoria. The euphoria is sometimes followed by feelings of discomfort and depression and a craving to experience the drug again. Sexual interest and pleasure can be amplified. Side effects can include twitching, paranoia, and impotence..."

To the point - if you do coke at prom, you're going get all hyper and weird, everyone will notice that you're acting like a silly fool - you'll get all twitchy and freaked out eventually and if you're a guy who's trying to score, chances are you won't be able to get it up...sad.

• Hallucinogens (including Ecstacy) - The really scary thing about this drug is that we're still not really sure what all it does to the human body. Also, chances are, whatever you're buying isn't just MDMA (aka Ecstasy). These days, you're far more likely to be sold speed with something cut into it. Or some other damn thing that you couldn't even predict. Point being, take X and anything or nothing could happen to you.
  

But let's get practical. If you're going to roll at prom, the issue is this: the point of prom is to dance around and have fun with your friends. E makes you want to jump up and down and have fun, but it also raises your blood pressure and body temperature, makes you forget to pee and drink water. So, as you're dancing all around and having a great time, your body is getting super hot, your heart is beating 1 million beats / minute, you're sweating your water supply out and after a while the machine that is you gets overheated and stops running. Talk about a shitty way to spend your prom. Don't risk this one at prom, too many things can go wrong.

And finally...

• Meth - There are honestly not enough ways that I can say do not use this drug. Seriously. There's nothing good here. Turn back now. Crystal Meth is very very bad for you. Whether you're at prom or in a closely monitored padded room with doctors at the ready - it's just a horrible idea to ever let this drug near you or someone you love.
  

Just read this... Common short term side effects: Diarrhea, nausea, Excessive sweating. Loss of appetite, insomnia, tremor, jaw-clenching (Bruxism), Agitation, compulsive fascination with repetitive tasks (Punding), Talkativeness, irritability, panic attacks... That's the sh*t that can happen to you the first time you take it. Gross.

In general, putting anything in your body that causes unnatural internal behavior is bad for you. This includes caffeine, excessive amounts of sugar, cough syrup, etc. The key is to be smart. Learn to listen to your body - know how you react to different things. (I crash super fast with caffeine and sugar.) Don't drink, drug and drive, ever. And finally, if you're going to take drugs, tell someone who you trust and know will be sober what you're taking. If, God forbid, something goes wrong, they can get help.

- Prom Lady

TRADITION!!

Hello All. I hope that you missed me as much as I missed you... I will do my best to give you more reasons to come visit.

In the meantime, let's talk about some of the age-old and kind of new traditions that are a part of proms around the world today. I did a bit of research and it turns out that everyone likes to celebrate this end-of-the-year party in fun and varied ways.


The Classics / Prim and Proper

• Crowning a Prom King, Queen or a whole court - My friend Mizz1218 is still bitter that her school crowned her prom queen and only gave her a certificate (no sash, no crown...wamp wamp)
• The Junior Class hosts / plans the prom in honor of the Seniors (Juniors and Seniors can both go, but maybe the Seniors get a free ticket, gift, both or the honor of just not having to plan it)
• One girls' school in Delaware partners with a Boys' school to hold prom. The guys get etiquette and dance lessons and then write a letter to a girl at the partner school inviting her to prom... very Pride and Prejudice
• At one school in Chicago, all of the guys (and male chaperones) wear kilts and a Scottish bagpiper and dancer comes to bring it all together
• At Junior prom, the guys give corsages. At Senior prom the girls get bouquets (sweet).
  

The Clothes Make the Prom

• At one school, there are several formals. The Sophomores have cotillion and wear long straight dresses. At the Junior prom the girls wear ball gowns and at Senior prom they wear fishtail gowns.
  
• In Hawaii, the guys give the girls a bouquet and the girls give the guys leis made of vines called maile. These traditional leis can be anywhere from one strand to about seven strands thick. They symbolize anything from love to friendship. These leis have no flowers and the guys wear them right on top of their tuxes.
• Some schools have a contest for the best dressed couple - (fun idea, but I think this would just encourage people to spend ridiculous amounts of money)
• At one school, only the Seniors are allowed to wear white. Imagine a room full of big white dresses and tuxes with a few pops of color here and there.... gorgeous.
• Another idea that I think is beautiful comes from a school that has its attendees wear masks to the event. At the end of the night, there is a contest to see whose mask is the best.
  
• Finally, I've heard about schools that have garter dances. The guys pull garters from their dates' legs with their teeth (or hands. Let's bring it down a notch), and then wear the garters on their arms and later hang them from their car rearview mirrors... racey.

Small Town, USA

• In a lot of smaller towns, prom is one of the biggest things going on. Therefore, they are more likely to have an actual "promenade" or red carpet-like procession where the town comes out to see everyone's beautiful dresses (and to find out who came with whom).
• Also, in a lot of towns, it's a big deal to arrive in some sort of creative conveyance. I've heard of everything from the (now) traditional limos and stretch hummers to golf carts, Segways, horse-drawn carriages and firetrucks with hot tubs in the back. (I feel like this last one has to be an urban legend).
• Another big tradition is to make the event a whole day of fun to spend with friends and dates. The day starts with movies, bowling, miniature golf or some other type of day-date (I've even heard of one town having a big school-sponsored triathlon with girls and guys teams and everything) followed by the dance and ending with a night of camping and bonding.

International Ideas

• While most countries outside of the U.S. don't have a prom at all, a lot of other English-speaking countries (U.K., Australia, New Zealand) do something fairly similar. Typically, there is a formal dance held in conjunction with graduation, the handing out of diplomas, etc, called Grad Night. One tradition that seems to occur all over these places is called Safe Grad. This is where after the students have officially graduated and received their diplomas, had a formal dinner and a big fun dance, everyone is bussed off to a secret and remote location (no one knows where they're going except the planning committee) where the students then proceed to get drunk and carouse until the wee hours of the morning. They then crash and later get bussed home to sleep more. This system keeps everyone from drinking and driving on the big night. **Let's remember that the drinking age is often much lower in countries outside of the U.S. and it is therefore legal for high schoolers to drink.**
• A lot of our foreign friends at least have a big breakfast after the dance is over to give everyone time to sober up and get some food in their systems to soak up the alcohol. (which is a myth. Food does not actually soak up alcohol. A drunk person who has eaten chicken wings is still drunk and should not drive. The only think that "cures" drunkeness is time.)
• Another big thing that happens at most schools abroad (and a lot of schools in the U.S.) is an after-party where the student council raises money all year to pay for a casino night, karaoke, sumo suits, food, bouncy houses and all sorts of fun stuff to keep people entertained and kickin' it with their friends all night long.
• Also, the end-of-the-year shindig is much more often a family affair abroad. In one school the students dance with one of their parents on the first song, with their date on the second and then the kids go off to party in one room while the parents stay and party in another.

Social Deviance

• Thanks to a late night of dancing, partying and going crazy, a lot of schools have a tradition of skipping school either the day of or the Monday after prom. I think this is kind of awesome, but definitely be sure that your school is okay with it before you get in serious trouble. (Like not being allowed to go to prom, or worse, graduation.)
• At another school in Chicago, it's a tradition for the guys to try to sneak in to one specific bar in town and buy a drink. As the legend goes, if you're able to get the bartenders to sell you a drink, you'll get lucky on prom night....
• A lot of schools are starting to impose an under-21 age limit on people attending the prom. This policy is supposed to help cut down on drinking.
• Some schools have taken the age limit one step farther and actually started checking non-students' criminal backgrounds to cut down on drinking, violence and sexual aggression (i.e. rape).
• I've heard of some schools holding a super early morning event (or graduation) the day after the prom to encourage students to not get wasted the night before and end up hungover the next day...
• And I've even heard about some schools issuing breathalyzer tests at the front door to keep drunk people out.

But, On a High Note

• There are some other really cute and random traditions that I've heard of including guys asking the girls in fun ways (filling balloons with tootsie rolls and shaving cream and leaving the girl a note saying, "Hey "toots", I've heard that you're a really "smooth" girl and I would "burst" with joy if you went to prom with me. After which she has to pop the balloons to find the name of the guy who asked.)
• I've also heard of a school that has its students make videos to ask their prom dates out. The most inventive one wins a free ticket to prom (my Matrix/broccolli florets video would have totally won).
  
• Another big deal at a lot of schools is to keep the theme a secret. Students try to sneak peeks into the gym or caf while it's being decorated to be the first in the know - but otherwise they have no idea until they buy their tickets which feature some sort of clue.
• And finally, my personal favorite... have an all out, sugar-coma inducing dessert buffet. The diet and exercise regimen to fit into the dress is over - you may as well pig out.

The End. Now, go out and create some fun traditions of your own. If I missed a really good one that your school does (or did) or if you want me to write about anything in particular, please feel free to comment. I'm totally open to posting your questions, ideas, pictures; whatever you got.

A Different Kind of Prom

Hello, welcome back to Modern Promenade. I know that it has been a while and I've realized that I'm going to have to update on a weekly as opposed to daily basis. The main reason is that I'm simply not going to motivate myself to post every single day. The second reason is that, there simply isn't that much info that one can give about prom. Seriously. And now, on to this week's topic...

After reading back through some of my earlier entries, I've realized that I'm taking a very "traditional" heterosexual view of what it means to go to prom. Considering that my prom experience was very "traditional" and heterosexual (for the most part) that's the only perspective from which I can authoritatively speak. But, that's no excuse. The fact is, in every U.S. high school there are all kinds of students: liberal, conservative, gay, straight, bi, transgendered, black, white, asian, hispanic, awesome, obnoxious and everything in between. So, in acknowledgment of my queer brothers and sisters, I have amassed as many references as I could find on what it means to be "sexually alternative", teen-aged and going to the prom.

• Kings & Queens: Queers at the Prom - A historical account of GLBT teenagers and their prom experiences (with a super fun prom-through-the-ages insert)
• How to Take a Same-Sex Date to Prom - Practical advice by Ramon Johnson on About.com to keep things safe and fun
• Tuxes for women - Uniformal Wearhouse - Tuxedoes cut to fit women
• Temenos - Lambda Legal Article about LGBT youth and their rights
• Prom 2008 Resource Kit - Resource Kit by GLAAD if your taking a same-sex date to prom leads to a big news story in your town

My final word: Whether you're queer or straight or purple - go to the prom! It's your right as a young person who attends a school in the U.S. It's part of the whole coming-of-age, learning to be a well socialized adult thing that we do in this country. It's an excuse to eat a meal in a nice restaurant and wear fancy clothes. It's a great chance to hang out with good friends one last time and maybe make some fun memories. Straight kids, be supportive of your LGBT friends - LGBT kids, don't make fun of your straight friends. Forget about all of the hoopla that the old people try to make out of the whole deal - just be young and have fun. That's what it's all about. I'm Out!!

P.S. I'm looking for feedback, questions, corrections and suggestions. I need to hear from you people!

Dear Prom Lady...

Hello friends! Pictures are still forthcoming from the last episode, but in the meantime I am here to dole out prom advice (a la Dear Abby).

Dear Prom Lady,
I'm a guy and I'm going to my first prom this year. I want to impress my date, but I'm relatively strapped for cash. What am I expected to pay for?

- Money Is Definitely An Object

Dear MIDAO,
I understand the pressure to go all out with the stretch Escalade and the 5-star dinner, yadda yadda yadda. The thing is, none of that stuff is really necessary to have a good time. That having been said, in this age of Super Sweet 16's, more seems to be more. Take a look at the following checklist for guidance:

• Prom tickets - for most schools, these are essential just to get into the front door. If you're trying to impress the girl that you've invited (you're not just friends and you haven't been dating forever and ever), you should go ahead and pay for hers as well as your own. Assuming that your school is not trying to make a profit off of the students, the ticket prices shouldn't be more than $20 per person - $40 total
• Tux Rental - it's the traditional thing to do, you can't go naked and unless you make your outfit out of duct tape, it's probably what you're going to wear. This'll cost you about $90 for a full tux, suit and shoes. You'll pay more for fancier styles, wild colors, etc.

www.tuxrentalonline.com

• Dinner - going to dinner before the big shindig has become a tradition. Some schools host a meal for the students (or have some sort of buffet), but most schools aren't going to fill you up at the dance. (Plus, she's definitely going to want you to show her off somewhere in her big beautiful dress.) To maintain the special feeling of the evening, you'll want to eat somewhere pretty nice (let's go one step above TGI Friday's, shall we?) Let's say that you do what I did and go to Maggiano's with a big group of friends - you're looking at about $45 per person including tip. - $90 total if you pay for your date

www.maggianos.com

• Corsage - you know, the little bouquet of flowers that she wears around her wrist. (Girls used to pin them to their dresses, but that's pretty 80's - get her one that she can just wear like a bracelet). This is pretty much a prerequesite. She's going to want it to match her dress and she probably doesn't want carnations (though, they were making a come back about 4 years ago). You can get the (really cute) one pictured below from FTD for $45 including tax and shipping

http://www.ftd.com/corsages-boutonnieres-ctg/product-corsages

• Limo (optional) - this one is really up to you. Having a limo is nice because it completes the super grown-up, oh-so-luxurious feeling of the evening. It can also be fun if you're planning on doing prom in a big group and you all want to ride around together and be loud. It is, however, completely unneccessary. As a nod to keeping it real, the only reason why I would say that you ought to rent a limo is if you're planning on drinking. (Sidenote: Chances are, if you're going to prom you are under 21 and therefore it is illegal to drink. However, if you do drink, you SHOULD NOT DRIVE. - Think about it, you've had your license for about 2 years and you're drunk... you're going to hit something.) Otherwise, you should either drive yourselves or get an older sibling or cool older cousin to chauffer you around. The least expensive 8 passenger stretch limo that I could find was $65 / hour. Assuming that you use your limo for 4 hours (8pm-12am), three other couples ride and share the cost with you and you decide to pay for your date's portion, add $65 to your total.

www.AmericanLimos.org

Let's throw in another $30 for random miscellaneous things and that comes up to... $360

Start saving now, kids. It costs a lot of money to have a good time! ;)

If you have questions for the prom lady (moi) - feel free to send them my way. I promise to post them and give you the most thorough answers I can come up with.

Story Time!!

The last prom that I went to was 6 years ago (!!) But, I still remember each prom that I went to like they happened yesterday. Out of the four that I went to, my first was definitely the best and still holds the funnest memories. I can remember one thing in particular...

My good friend Linda and I started planning for prom in September. Our prom didn't happen until May, but we didn't care. We were super excited, talked about it nearly every day and didn't want to leave even one thing unplanned. I spent at least one night a week at her house for months just so we could pretend like we were doing homework while we were actually planning minute details for what our collective prom nights would be like.

One of the biggest deals for us was who we were going to take to prom. While she and I both had crushes on a few different guys in the school, we ultimately decided that it would be more fun and make a lot more sense to go with our friends. So, we decided that we would take our "Freshman Friends". She got EM and I got AD.

Me and AD, Kickin' It - Old School Style

Now that we knew who we were going to take, we began devising a thoroughly overwrought and hyper- complicated plan for how we were going to ask them. We decided that since they were only Freshmen and we were big cool Juniors and they wouldn't have been able to go unless super cool Upperclassmen asked them, we would make it even more special by making them go on a scavenger hunt in order to find a video tape that we had made asking them to the prom.

The tape was awesome. It included a dance that we choreographed to some song that I can't remember, copious references to broccoli florets (because my date was raised vegetarian) and tight outfits that were meant to resemble what they wore in The Matrix. I really wish that I still had that tape, but at the time, I found it so embarrassing that I decided that it needed to be destroyed. Alas...

Anyhow - both guys completed the scavenger hunt, watched the tape, eagerly accepted our invitations to the prom and we immediately began to instruct them on what they had to do in order to be our prom dates. Everything was going extremely well until about three weeks before prom... My date, AD, got caught with pot (aka marijuana) in his room. His mom told him that he couldn't go to prom and I ended up having to take LB - a really nice guy who I just wasn't that into - instead. Prom was still fun because I was with my friends and in the end I got to go to LB's prom as well (which would make 2 in one year), but it just wasn't the same...

So, the moral of this story is - don't do drugs (because at 17 and 18, you're going to get caught), and if things don't go exactly according to plan - don't sweat it, you can still have a good time.

Do you have any funny, embarrassing, romantic or crazy prom stories? Let me know, I'll post them. Also, don't be sad, pictures are coming - I just have to find a scanner (we're going old school, ladies and gentleman.)




Me and LB off to the prom

That's Linda, Top Left - Always Laughing

Tie a Bow on It

As promised, in this episode we will discuss the all important component of prom planning, decorations! In my opinion, this is the fun part. You can be as subtle or over-the-top as you (and your budget) can handle, but no matter what you do, this is what will set the mood, drive home your theme and really get people into the spirit of the party.

• Lighting - This is going to be the most important element of your decor. Use color, shapes and different light sizes to create a mood. Doing a Spicy Salsa theme? Use reds to crank up the excitement. Is your prom going to be a Midsummer Night's Dream? Blues and purples will create an ethereal landscape. Raid the drama department and set up spotlights with different colored gels (colored sheets of plastic that change the tone of the lights) and gobos (flat sheets of metal cut into different shapes) to create the backdrop for your event. Also, spend the majority of your decor budget on lighting and anything that you buy this year can most likely be saved for next year.
  

http://www.luminousld.com - Farmingdale, NY - Professional Lighting Design

• Backdrops, cut-outs, build-outs - If you're trying to drive home a specific theme or cover up a less-than-pretty space (ahem... ugly gym), you may want to include some larger-than-life "set pieces" that will draw the eye away from, say, a basketball hoop. While there are companies from whom you can buy this stuff pre-made, you will cut down dramatically on cost, cheeseball factor and generic-prom-itis by getting a group of volunteers together to make this type of stuff yourself. Using a little bit of time, creativity and local talent, create an Arabian sunset, a lush tropical garden or the Hollywood hills.

• Details, centerpieces & accesories - Use the little things to pull it all together. People will need somewhere to sit, so why not toss colorful, flowery lais on the table for a luau theme? Having a star-studded event? Then include a red carpet. Or, get a group of freshman and sophomores to be paparazzi by taking pictures of and interviewing the superstar couples. If you're offering favors, make them match your theme. Display a brightly colored candy bar for a Willy Wonka Wonderland or create a centerpiece of stacked vases with real or silk flowers (maybe toss in some key chains or money clips for the guys) for a Secret Garden theme.

www.partyspot.com - Party Planning by The Knot

As always, have fun, be creative, go wild. The only things that I would advise against are balloons and streamers. They're bad for the environment, can't be reused and scream 5-year-old birthday party!! You don't want someone to show up to the prom and immediately wonder where the clown is. Either way, two heads are better than one... feel free to write me with all of your trickiest decorating conundrums.

Location, Location, Location

A lot of you will be having your prom somewhere on campus - whether that's the school gym, maybe on a soccer field (if your school is really rad and lets you take advantage of the spring weather to do a pretty outdoor thing), or some other large gathering place inside of your school. If that's the case - don't worry, the upcoming episode on decor will help you make the most of your space. But, if you get to spend a little money and explore places off campus, here are some suggestions for you to consider:

Hotel Ballrooms - This is a classic choice. Hotels are extremely well equipped for large gatherings like this, can usually help with your lighting and sound, and if you're serving food (which you should to soak up the alcohol... we'll revisit this in later episodes) - they're really good at that stuff, too. A few drawbacks are that hotels can get expensive and oftentimes they are a little impersonal and cheesy which means - lots of decorating necessary.

Huntington Ballroom at Colonnade Boston Hotel - Boston, MA - www.colonnadehotel.com

Local Theaters - I think this is often an overlooked option, but big old theaters in your town will most likely have a ballroom space or even a very large stage that would work for your gathering (if your school is very big - this may not work out). This is a good potential option because a theater usually has a lot more character than a hotel ballroom, they're less likely to be booked during your weekend and because they probably don't get as much event business as hotels are used to, they may be willing to cut you a deal.

Fox Theatre - Atlanta, GA - www.foxtheatre.org

Fraternal Organizations, Women's Leagues, Etc. - Almost every town in the U.S. has a Mason's Group, Junior League, Women's Federation or something similar. And most of these groups have some sort of headquarters with large beautiful spaces that are perfect for big events. The other great thing about these guys is that, since they're non-profit, charitable organizations, they're probably willing to give a deal to their local high school for its prom. It'll most likely take a bit more research to get in touch with these groups, but it's definitely worth looking into.

The Mansion - The Texas Federation of Women's Clubs State Headquarters - Austin, TX - www.themansion.info

Event Halls - Traditional event halls are exactly what they sound like. They are businesses that have bought buildings and outfitted them specifically for holding big events. Therefore, they should have anything that you could possibly need for your prom. They should also be able to help you find local vendors to provide things like DJs or Bands, food and other services. The downside to this option is that because they're in the specific business of providing event services, they're less likely to cut you a break. Also, they may have certain vendors that you have to use in order to hold your event with them. Be sure to read all of the fine print before you sign on or you might end up with something you don't want and spending way more money than you expected.

Silver Star Hall - San Diego, CA - www.silverstarhall.com

Public Outdoor Spaces (parks, beaches, etc.) - In most areas, prom season = gorgeous weather which should definitely be taken advantage of. By holding your prom in some outdoor area, you can take advantage of the warmer temperatures, the romance of having a canopy of stars above you and you're pretty much guaranteed to have enough space to spread out and really enjoy the dancing without having hot, sweaty bodies crammed onto a tiny dancefloor. That having been said, there are a lot of questions to ask when considering an outdoor space. Especially if it's a public space. Do you need a permit to be there? Is there a certain time at night that the music has to go off? Are there rules regarding food handling, number of people that can be in the area, or security that must be present? And most importantly, what about port-a-potties?

AA Tent Company, Inc. - Salem, OR - www.aatentcompany.com

If you're still looking for ideas, there are plenty of other miscellaneous options that you should feel free to explore (be creative - you would be surprised by what's in your town). But, hopefully this list has given you some initial inspiration. Check out the links below for more information and ideas.

• http://www.gatheringguide.com/
• http://www.eventective.com/
• http://venuechooser.com/
• http://www.cvent.com
• http://www.local.com

Need more ideas or more places to look? Did I forget anything? Do you have an Event Space that I ought to mention? Let me know!