With the school year soon coming to an end, this time of year is often full of conversations circling around the topic of prom! Prom is an established tradition that one could argue to be the most popular event of one’s high school career. In more recent years, a major aspect of prom has become just as popular: the promposal.
What was once a simple seven word sentence (Will you go to prom with me?) has now transformed into an elaborate and thought-out surprise. Promposals have become a phenomenon on social media, with some even generating millions of likes and views. The fascination and attention that is put toward promposals poses the question: how has a simple small question evolved into such a pivotal experience of one’s high school career?
The origin of the “promposal” is hard to pinpoint, but it began to gain traction parallel to the rise of social media in the early 2000s. As it became easier to share things on platforms like Instagram, promposals were seen everywhere. Social media has augmented the excitement around promposals. On TikTok, the fastest growing and used app within Gen-Z, promposals can be seen everywhere with the hashtag (#promposal) having over 30,000 posts under it. Whether it be people posting their own promposals or people sharing inspiration for others to use, it has become something that is central to teen culture. It’s a cute way for students to express their creativity while also snapping a cute picture!
Whether elaborate or simple, each promposal is a unique expression of the excitement and anticipation that surrounds the iconic high school tradition of prom. Personally, I’m a big fan of promposals and think the creativity behind each one is adorable and heart-warming.
Now, if you’re reading this because you are going to be promposing to a special someone soon, keep watching!
How to plan the perfect promposal:
A promposal can be subjective to the couple, but here’s a guide on how to help make your promposal as perfect as can be!
Step 1: Start to think about their interests. Whether it be a favorite movie, food, hobby, or inside joke, build your ideas around one of those. For example, if you choose to base the promposal off the person’s favorite food, incorporate it creatively within the poster through a pun or by purchasing the food.
Step 2: Think about the setting and style. If you want it to be romantic, a popular promposal idea would be to set up tea candles in the shape of a heart/spell out the word “PROM?”. This is a classic, and it’s fairly simple to execute as not many items are needed! On the other hand, if you want to be funny, you can wear a costume or use an inside joke. Lastly, if you want the promposal to be more creative, you can make a poster with a phrase or saying as seen below. Rita and her boyfriend Jack often played Fortnite together, so Rita decided to take that interest/hobby and incorporate it into her promposal.
Step 3: Gather all your materials and create your promposal! Depending on what kind of promposal you choose to execute, make a list of the materials you need. You might need anything along the lines of a poster board, markers, flowers, balloons, food, and more. The most important thing to think about while doing all of this is the effort you put into it. If you choose to go with the classic poster board promposal, make sure it looks presentable. If you have bad writing…. Ask someone for help! A friend or family member that would be willing to help you is your best bet!
Step 4: Add the element of surprise! The element of surprise is always fun. Try to coordinate with your date’s friends to find the perfect time and place, and make sure to have someone there to capture the moment. It’ll be a moment you won’t want to forget and something that you definitely want to snap a picture of!
Step 5: Be confident! If you’re promposing to this person, most likely they will not say no. You’ve already coordinated with his/her friends, and they wouldn’t let you prompose if they thought this person was going to say no. Make sure to smile, be confident, and remember that the effort you put in is what counts. The thought is what truly matters!!!
Although this may seem daunting, with the right amount of effort and time, you’ll be able to create an unforgettable moment for both you and your date. GOOD LUCK!
