A prom is often the most important social event in the school years’ calendar for older students, with preparations for the event beginning months in advance. But what is a prom, and why do we arrange them? Historically in the UK, formal events such as balls have been held for centuries. The direct ancestor of the ‘prom’ event is the promenade, an event that started as a way of promoting formal etiquette at American universities by holding formal events. The idea caught on and found its way around the world – after all who doesn’t like a party? While prom events aren’t as entrenched in British culture as they are in America, they are a lot of fun and offer an opportunity for the schoolmates of that year to have a good time as a group outside of a school environment – something that doesn’t occur often.
Prom has evolved past these beginnings and now provides a way for students to have fun together. Prom is a formal event held in the evening and the dress code is formal, with many pulling out all the stops on their outfit. While some schools use a school building for the prom to keep the costs lower for the students, most will hold the prom event at a venue, with catering options offered. For many students, their prom will be the first formal event they attend, and the experience is one students will look forward to as a reward for hard work in their studies. Here at Salomons Estate we offer an incredible Tunbridge Wells prom venue for events, perfectly situated in large gardens with beautiful function rooms – perfect for a fun prom night.
Experience
Prom offers not only the experience of attending a formal event for students, but also gives the students who have been tasked with organising the event valuable planning experience. Organising a large-scale event such as your school prom can impart important skills to those on the planning team.
When planning a prom event, the students arranging the event will need to keep in mind the budget allocated to them as well as any extras they may need to consider, such as a separate vegan menu for students with special dietary needs. For many students who do not have experience of working or living independently from their parents, learning budgeting skills can be very useful.
Memories
When we look back, our memories of our school years are often the most treasured. While exam stress and pressure can be a dark spot in your school experience, once the exams are over there is no reason for students not to have fun. Prom acts as a way to refresh after exams have taken place, and for students to enjoy each other’s company.
The prom is often held after the GCSE year in schools, as after this year many students may leave the school to go on to sixth form colleges, other schools or apprenticeships. With many students leaving, the prom can act as a final get together before they all head off in different directions. Whether by organising a photo booth for the students attending the prom or arranging for a photographer to take pictures of the night, photos can make the prom a wonderful memory for students to treasure.
Build Friendships
While in school, year groups are often separated out into form groups and classes. This means that many students from the same year group, especially students attending larger schools, will not have spent much time with many of their year group. Events like prom give students a chance to mingle and spend time with people who they might not have spent time with outside of school.
After spending most of their time revising, many students won’t have had time to have fun outside of school for a while
Reward For Good Work
Prom is an exciting night for students, with many renting limos, buying corsages and getting dressed up for the prom event. Prom night is often considered a reward for the students’ hard work after the exam season, giving them an opportunity to let their hair down and enjoy themselves.
- Menu – Most prom events will have a few options on the menu for the guests to choose from, and most venues will have a dedicated catering team that will have a function menu for you to consider. Remember to ask for any allergies or dietary requirements of those who will be attending the prom, so you can ensure that there is a menu item that suits them.
- Drinks – Proms are generally for those under the age of 18, so serving soft drinks is a must. Asking the bar staff if they can make mocktails or serve different juice smoothies for the guests can keep things interesting.
- Dance floor – What prom would be complete without a dance floor? Finding a DJ or band to perform at your event can keep the mood high; an experienced performer will be able to create a lot of energy in the room that can take your prom event to the next level.
- Photos – Hiring a photographer for the prom is a must – or even just inviting a parent or teacher with a good camera to come and take a few snaps of the night. Another great way to create memories for those attending is to hand out disposable cameras to each table and have the photos developed and made available to those that attended the event.
- Entertainment – Setting up a prom king and queen vote is not really something that we tend to do in the UK, but arranging a vote on a range of different awards – such as most likely to become a sports star, best musician or most likely to become a millionaire – can provide a lot of fun and enjoyment.
At its heart, prom is all about having fun. Giving all your guests the opportunity to enjoy themselves in a fantastic Tunbridge Wells prom venue will help create new friendships and strengthen old ones. If you are considering Salomons Estate as a venue for your prom event, then please contact us here. Our staff will be able to discuss our availability as well as what we can do for your prom event.