It’s eight o’clock in the evening, and you and your date finally walk into the building. This is one of the best nights of your high school career. You first stop at the coat check, and then start to head toward the dance floor. You can hear the beat of the music from down the hall, and it sounds pretty good. Then everything goes downhill.
Once you actually are on the dance floor, the music is just bad, and hard to dance to. It doesn’t go at all with the theme chosen for the night, not that that was all that exciting either. After about an hour, you and your date decide to grab some snacks and relax for a few minutes. You get to the food, but it is sub par. On top of that, you can’t find anywhere to sit, so you are forced to uncomfortably stand on your already tired legs. When the dance finally ends, neither you nor your date have had a good night. You were looking forward to your senior prom since elementary school, and it turned out to be really bad.
Prom is an American staple. The whole high school experience is just not complete without going. When people think of high school in America, they think of lockers, buses, and school dances. It is one of the most important days of a high schooler’s life, and it has to be wonderful. Here are five essential elements to make prom great.
- Grand Location
Having prom at an outstanding location isn’t necessarily a staple, but it certainly amps it up a notch. The location has got to be beautiful and really cool. It has to be an elegant area to take pictures at with gold decorations and perfect lighting, a massive dance floor, lit with beams of colored lights, and a tasteful area to sit and snack, right by the food is what can really enchant the night.
2. Cool Theme
An exceptional and creative theme can add a little extra substance to a great night. It helps to get people excited for prom. Having a good theme lets people know that it’s not just Homecoming or Snowball; it’s a high school milestone. The theme can’t be something cheesy, like the Black Hole themes for sports. The theme dictates what the decorations are going to look like, so it’s important that it can be turned into something that is eye catching and photo op ready. Some of West Ottawa’s themes in past years have been great, like the Great Gatsby theme or the masquerade theme.
3.Lounge Area
A place to relax is essential for a long dance. prom starts at 8 and goes until 11. That’s three hours of dancing in dress shoes. Fancy shoes are not comfortable! If someone is able to find comfortable shoes that they think look dressy enough to wear to prom, they aren’t dressy enough. Therefore, a place to sit down and talk easily with friends is imperative. Most years, there are tables set up with chairs around them, and that is where most people sit and talk. However, it could be so much better if there were a couple really nice couches and a whole separate room to sit back in. The music wouldn’t be as loud, the temperature would be just right, the lighting would be right between too bright and too dim. A nice lounge area would be the perfect place to have at a prom where everyone can be comfortable.
4. Good Music
Probably the most important part of any prom is a good playlist. A bad DJ, one who plays songs nobody can dance to or songs that nobody knows, can ruin the entire mood of the night. There have been questionable music choices in recent years that have put a stain on the night for many students. Most people that go to a dance, want to dance to good music. The best way to get a mix of the songs that people going to prom would want to listen to is to send out a mass email asking what songs people would like to hear, then make a playlist of all of those songs and songs like them.
- Good Food
Even if most people have grabbed a bite to eat before the dance, they will be hungry after an hour or two. Eating tasteless or gross food will taint the evening, even if just a little bit. Great food to eat while relaxing can greatly improve the night. For those who do need a break and want to sit, eat, and talk with their friends will have a much better time if they do so with scrumptious and flavorful food. Finger food that goes along with the theme is always a cute idea. For example, with a Beauty and the Beast theme, it would be cool to have some macarons or something else French, considering it takes place in France.