Behind the scenes of prom

Glitter filled the room as rays of sunlight reflected brightly onto the multi-colored prom dresses, creating a mini-rainbow inside the room. All around, a buzz of excitement filled the air as students were greeted with non-alcoholic beverages in margarita glasses, each with their own tropical color and flavoring, to kick off the night many been looking forward to ever since their childhoods — prom.

During prom season, students immerse themselves in preparation for the big night. But beyond the glamorous dresses and creative askings, what kind of planning, or “behind the scenes” work, must be done by the class officers for the highly anticipated event?

This past summer, the junior class officers visited multiple  local venues that were within their budget. With the help of class advisers Julia Peck and Amy Obenour, they were able to narrow the choices based on the following criteria: location, price and services.

“We just picked the prom venue on what we thought people would like the most,” said junior class president Adrienne Kim. “We also looked into what would be the most amount of fun and excitement for hosting a junior prom.”

The class officers ultimately chose to host prom at the Bay Club in Santa Clara due to its architecture and landscape. The venue offered a large amount of space for the event, but did not fit to the stereotypical ballroom. This extra space could accommodate not only dancing, but also offers other activities such as gaming and a photobooth for those who seek other forms of entertainment.

After deciding on the Bay Club, the officers then worked on the smaller details, including the theme, photo backdrop, food, DJ and decorations. Planning went into full force after they decided on the theme for the event,

“Escape to Paradise.” Details such as the decorations and photo backdrop were able to be planned at a much faster and smoother rate.     

In order to make things easier for the officers, Peck was in charge of the decorations, which tied into the finishing touches to the night. In coordination with the theme, the decorations were mainly colored blue and white, letting students feel as if they were truly whisked away to a real-life vacation for their prom.

Accompanying each dinner table for the night were different hues of blue mason jars with candles, along with an array of sea shells and a brown mesh net similar to that found on a beach. Each student also had the chance to go visit the coveted candy table and chocolate fondue fountain located near the dance floor. This candy table — filled with a wide array of blue and white candies — was a huge hit to students, stocked with a long line the whole night.

Prom bid prices were also based on two different factors: the total cost of prom and the amount of money the junior class had fundraised throughout the year.  Also, all students are now required to go on a bus to prom. This added a significant extra cost to ticket prices.

Starting eight months ago, the officers began to plan all the details of prom, although most final decisions were made in the last few months. 

All officers, teachers and administration were extremely pleased at the outcome of this year’s Junior Prom.

“I thought everything was very appropriate for the evening and went along with the theme very well. The administration agreed that this was the best prom in years,” said class adviser Peck.