Big block letters covering posterboards and bouquets of flowers filling hands: this grandiose tradition is known as a “promposal.” Dating back to the year 2000, this gesture is a fun way to get a date to the biggest school dance of the year.
“I think for many people like myself, prom is a very fun event that gives students a break from the multitude of activities happening in the spring…Prom is a way to kind of escape the stress and have something fun to look forward to,” Maris Clifton ‘27 said.
To get a date for every teenager’s “perfect prom night,” timing is key. If you wish to surprise your date with a promposal, be sure to coordinate with close friends or even family of your soon-to-be date.
It’s alright if you feel stumped on what to say. Many people find their ideas for promposals online. Social media outlets like Pinterest and TikTok can offer ideas that fit what idea you want to convey. For some, promposals are more intricate. Movie-worthy scenes like serenading your potential date are rare. It’s more common to see funny jokes or a play on words. The worse the joke, the better.
“I was super excited to give him the proposal,” Clifton said. “I came outside with a homemade sign that read, ‘I couldn’t bear to go without you’ and a teddy bear. It went great and he did say yes which was super exciting.”
It’s also common, but not necessary, to get a gift alongside the posterboard. It’s best to consider what interests or hobbies your date has and build off of that.
“I don’t really think it’s necessary to give a gift with that, but I always think the sign is nice,” Suha Basu ‘26 said. “What matters is the effort.”
Be sure though that what you’re writing stays within the boundaries of your date and sends the right message.
“I feel like there’s some [signs] that are really weird…just [about] sus topics,” Basu said. “I feel like you would want to be able to show your friends…and you don’t want to show them [that].”
Whether you’ve secured a date or not, prom is for dancing and enjoying time with friends. The stress of getting ready and planning every detail of the night can be overwhelming, but the ‘perfect prom night’ is within reach.
“[I’m looking forward to] definitely getting ready and going out to dinner and taking pictures,” Madison Morlan ‘27 said.
A Tutorial for Your Florals
Poster boards and markers can be bought at most stores, but complications arise when it’s time to pick the perfect bouquet. Even with a planned out color scheme, it can be difficult to find the perfect flowers. At lots of supermarkets featuring floral departments, one bundle is too dull and the next is out of any reasonable price range. Not to mention how uninventive the plastic packaging is.
Rather than spending hours upon hours and hundreds of dollars trying to find the best, premade bouquet, just make one yourself. All it takes is a pair of scissors, a trash can, about an hour and a bit of concentration. For affordable flowers, I prefer Trader Joe’s. The floral selection is much wider, much less expensive and much brighter than most other supermarket flowers.
The anatomy of a proper bouquet consists of filler, small flowers, large flowers and greens. With so many moving parts, this can be overwhelming to those new to bouquet construction. I promise, in the end, the fragrant, bright bundle will be worth it.
Let’s begin with filler. Filler flowers help to make the bouquet appear larger, fluffing it out and giving it more body without using tons of large flowers. One of the most common filler flowers is Baby’s Breath. In the same vein of smaller flowers, there are options like mini carnations, daisies and poms. Going up in size, spray roses are a great way to add color and fill space. This specific type of rose comes in many different colors and is much less expensive than the roses which make up whole bouquets.
Next, small flowers. Small flowers differ from filler flowers as they are intended to be a main aspect of the bouquet, while filler flowers are used to fill space and give the illusion of a larger bouquet. A popular small flower to use in bouquets is hydrangeas. Due to the bundled formation of the flowers, these draw attention and add a great focal point to any bouquet. Other popular options include chrysanthemums, germaniums, delphiniums and asters.
Large flowers are the most important part of a bouquet. This is the basis of the color scheme and shape of the bouquet. For a brighter, more summery look, you might choose sunflowers or lilies. For a springtime bouquet, peonies, tulips and hyacinths are all great options. For a more cool-toned bouquet, you might pick white lilies to tie it together. This would also be the space to add larger, hermosa roses to the bouquet.
Finally, every bouquet needs a splash of green. Green accents help to tie in the stems and leaves, while also adding a pop of color. The green can help ground the bouquet in a serene tone or add a cutting edge, all depending on the specific plant chosen. Famous amongst bouquet greens is eucalyptus. This plant works with a myriad of different flowers, blending into the tone of the bouquet rather than standing out. One downside to eucalyptus is its strong scent, so you may want to make sure that the receiver doesn’t have a sensitive nose. For those who aren’t into the look of greens, but still want that added balance, thistles may be a great option. They add visual interest and allure to any bouquet without overwhelming the scheme with green. Other great choices are leather leaf, pennycress, olive greenery and tree fern.
Once you have your flowers, it’s time to build the bouquet. Making bundles is one of the easiest techniques to create a balanced landscape. Starting with a large flower, encase it with alternating small flowers, filler flowers, and greens, making sure to add separation between colors. Do this for all of your large flowers before combining your small bundles to make one large bundle. Once you have the base of your bouquet, add in filler, small flowers, and greens wherever you see fit to balance out the look and create more variety. Finally, in place of a clear plastic wrapping, use wrapping paper and ribbon of coordinating colors to wrap and decorate the stems. If you’re going for a more rustic look, the paper grocery bags from Trader Joes make for a trendy, cost effective and sustainable alternative.
Bouquets are colorful and can be incredibly meaningful gifts, but be careful to avoid plants which may not coincide with the receiver’s lifestyle. Flowers like lilies, azealeas, daffodils and oleanders can be incredibly dangerous and even fatal for cats and dogs. Accidentally poisoning a pet isn’t the best way to get a prom date, so make sure to do your own research before gifting a bouquet.