Perfect Prom Resource

Prom Fundraising Ideas for 2011

Top 10 List of Prom Fundraisers for 2011!

1. Sell Candy Bars
2. Car wash
   
3. Bake Sale
4. Flower Sale
5. Magazine Subscriptions
   
6. Raffles
7. Tricky Tray Auction
8. Discount Cards for local Businesses
9. Donations from local businesses during a set time & sale
10. Prom Fashion Show (local businesses) can showcase their prom dresses, shoes, tuxedos, djs etc

BONUS: Saving the best for last !  Do an Amazing School Dance, not a budgeted one!

Why? well think about what you are raising money for (Prom) which is a Formal School Dance.  So if you have a poorly planned school dance fundraiser for your prom, it may actually hurt your attendance. 

Why? Well Students may think you hired the same bad DJ for Prom and decide to save their money, may just think they wasted $5-$25 bucks and get mad or annoyed, or will lose confidence in your committee and decline from attending the Prom

There are many other Fund-raising ideas keep an eye out here for new ideas, and if your school tried something different, new or amazing post a comment here so others can benefit from your experience!

Cher!

For Prom Ideas Click here!

Prom Photographer Choices!

Differences in Today's Prom Photography

Your Prom Committee's Choice of Photographer is not always an easy decision. 

You have the guy that keeps annoying you because he did last years Prom.  You know that he just expects to book it because he did it in 2009, But maybe he isn't right for your Prom!  

Here are the "newer" cooler options:  Semi-Pro Photographer, Candid Photographer, Red Carpet Photographer, & On-Site printing for your Guests. I will give you a brief Description and a few Benefits below!

Semi-Pro Photographer - Will Shoot your Event Usually without the use of Lights, or Backdrop and will  use a "Natural Backdrop" Such as a Foyer, outdoor area or Fountain in you Venue.  The use ALL Digital and can post photos online for Purchase or add on Site Printing. Benefits: Usually Younger Photographer, less stress, fun Photos, usually not standing in long lines, less cost for prints after online! Look Here

Candid Photographer - Is exactly that will shoot Buddy & Group Photos in the Party again without a Backdrop usually with just on-camera Flash.  They will blend in the party and stay out of the way!  They also will get awesome crowd shots and show you how much fun you had dancing! Benefits: They are Spontaneous & catch the moments any portrait will miss! No lines, less cost for prints after online!

Red Carpet Photographer - This is similar to a Semi-Pro Photographer but adds a Hollywood Backdrop (which may also be customized) A Red Carpet, Small Strobes for Red Carpet Feel, & Stations with Velvet Rope!  Benefits: Hollywood Feel, Different, Customized, Very Fun!, Less Cost for Prints online! RED Carpet Prom

On-Site Photo Printing - This can be used with any of the above Photography Services and can also be customized to have a Border with your Prom Theme, Year & Prom Colors Printed on each Photo!  Benefits: School can Pay upfront for Prints, OR Students can pay for Prints (if you choose), Students get print at event - no waiting, Online as well to order more prints for a fraction of the cost of a Pro! Link

Professional Prom Portraits - Traditional Prom Photos includes Lights or Photo Strobes, Backdrop, Props to fit theme, only for couples, Photos MUST be purchased by students for an additional fee to Prom and mailed to them later.  Benefits: Traditional Style since Grandmas Prom, Formal Poses, Students Pay direct to Photographer.

**Remember to ask questions because Professional Photographers are usually not contracted until the end of your event and will leave when the Portraits are finished (including the candid if hired with the same company)

Some if not most Proms have a Combination of the the above Photographers & Services ... Most Commonly A Portrait & Candid Photographer.  Check out this Link for all above Services! 

Good Luck & Remember this is a once in a lifetime event do NOT trust a parent or yearbook committee student/adviser to do the job, use a Pro or Semi-Pro to make sure they capture your moment!

Cher!

Awesome Prom Photography!!

How to Pick Your Perfect Prom Dress!

How to Pick the Perfect Prom Dress & Coordinate! 

Prom is one of the most important nights of your life.  So of course, you want to look as fabulous as you can!  Here are some tips to make sure you are at your most beautiful.... 

1. Search early –  start looking for a prom dress at least 4-6 weeks before your prom. You may want to start by searching the internet to get an idea of available styles, price ranges and colors.  This will help ensure that you get a chance to browse, see everything that's available and will help in the event that your dress has to be ordered and/or altered.  That said, don't have your dress altered too far in advance in case your weight fluctuates.

 

2. Budget –  Figure out how much you (or your parents) are willing to pay for a prom dress so that you can shop accordingly.  If necessary, check with the store at which you're shopping to see if they do an installment or layaway plan.

 

3. Hair & Makeup - When you're out looking, wear your hair and makeup similar to what you're planning on for prom so that you can get an idea of how the whole look is going to come together.  As well, you may find a dress that just begs for an up-do when you had planned on wearing your hair down.. so keep an open mind!

 

4. Under Where? - Wear the proper undergarments – make sure you're wearing the bra, underwear and hosiery you're thinking about wearing so that you can see how the dress is going to fit.  If you're really not positive what style you're looking for, you may want to wear a bra that's adjustable from strappy to strapless. 

 

5. Style – Assess which styles are most flattering to your body type, and determine which colors are most flattering to your skin tone. Take a trusted friend to get an honest opinion.  

 

6. Variety –  Even if you have a really definite idea of your dream dress, try on a variety of dresses to compare. Don't just stand in front of the mirror.... sit in the dress, try a few dance moves.. make sure that the dress is going to be comfortable for you as well as make you look smokin' hot!  Check out the fabric to make sure that it flows, looks good on you and that it doesn't turn into one giant wrinkle the first time you sit down!

 

7. Accessorize! - If you have certain accessories that you just MUST wear, bring them with you. If you buy your shoes and accessories after the fact, try on the whole ensemble to make sure it “works” well in advance of your big night. Make sure that your shoes, earrings and other accessories are going to be comfortable all night and that they look great with your dress!

 

8. Getting ready –  Depending on the dress you've chosen and how you're planning on wearing your hair, determine whether you should do your hair and makeup first, THEN put on your dress.. or put on the dress (making sure to cover up with a sheet or smock) and then do hair and makeup.  Nothing worse than putting on your dress and discovering you smeared makeup on it! Yikes! (Also note.. test out your deodorant in advance by wearing it with a black top or tee if you're wearing something sleeveless or strapless. Big white marks.. not so hot!)

 

9. Have a Great Prom Night!

 

Joli Prom dresses start with a brilliant design, born from leading designers who understand what it takes to bring a dress to life, to bring out the flirty, elegant, classy and energetic you!   Please visit our website at www.yourjoliprom.com for our complete collection, prom tips and more.. and follow us on Twitter @joliprom to find out all the latest!

Written by our Guest Author Beth from JoliProm!  She is willing to give away Joli Bags (pictured) to the person that can RT this the Most!

Cher!

Club Prom Experiences & Super Sweet 16's!

Prom Advertising & Promotions

Advertising your Prom in 2010 & beyond is different than before, because you have many new tools at your fingertips! 

A few of those are the MySpace, Flickr, Google Images, Facebook, Bing, Google, Blogs, & Twitter!  Below I will explain how you should use all of these plus other new tools to advertise, promote and drive up ticket sales to your next event or Prom!

Facebook Create a Facebook group for your Prom & use it to hype up the Prom and get your class excited about attending! You can even use it to find new members that want to be on the Prom Committee!  Remember to post important photos, themes, & dates for your class to remember such as fun-raisers and when tickets go on sale! 

AwesomePromAdvice has a Prom Planning Blog where you can chat with our prom experts for ideas &  Advice.  Our Prom blog has lots of articles for creating your amazing prom. Besides that if you have a question that has not been answered by one of our articles you can email Cher 24/7 at Cher@AskCher.com !

Search Engines Use the search engines like Bing, Yahoo & Google to come up with prom ideas.  Search prom sites for exactly the ideas you need. You can even search Flickr or Google Images for Photos of other Proms to see what you like & want to avoid!

Blogs & Twitter Create your own Prom blog to keep your class posted on Prom & Upcoming Fund-Raisers they should attend. This constant hype will keep the vibe good & also in the forefront of their minds!  It also is a great way to make everyone feel involved in the planning of the Prom because they can Post Ideas as well! Use a Twitter page to tweet important stuff quickly & advertise your Blog & Facebook pages! Follow AskCher on Twitter.

Future Tools There are always new tools being developed that can make your Prom Promotion more in front of your class, the ones mentioned here are just the most widely used.  Remember if no one uses it in your school then you will be promoting to yourself! Tell us what has worked for your school!  Also remember to keep everything similar (If you name your Blog CHSProm 2010 make sure your Facebook, MySpace, & Twitter all have the same name!)

Use these Social Networking tools to help - NOT replace traditional advertising such as fliers, posters & announcements in homeroom. Teens are already using social networking even on their phones!—think how you can use these skills to your advantage when promoting your Prom.

Cher!

Glowing Club Decor Columns

The newest hottest Trends at Sweet 16's & Proms are Decor Lighting! 

This ranges from Up-Lighting a wall to an entire room, & can combine glowing columns around your virtual night club.

To see an entire article just on uplighting click here

The best way to write this article is to show you how cool some of the effects can be with photos!  All the Effects are lit with safe LED lights that can be set to 1 color or to scroll through 10 colors depending on your style & theme.

Most Rental Companies that have these rent out no larger than 8 foot because of ceiling restrictions & stability.  Over 8 foot requires them to be weighted down with sandbags plus other safety precautions.

These Columns will not only make your Prom or Sweet Sixteen Unique but will set the mood as clubby as you can get!  The decor (and Photos) speak for themselves.

This combined with use of standard up-lighting will transform your plain dark room into a lounge  atmosphere like no other! 

Smaller cubes like in the photo to the right are custom per event & the light fixtures as well, most companies will not have these but the photo shows you what is possible with a little light and creativity. 

Most companies will rent these columns for a few hundred dollars including the LED light fixture! They setup in minutes but the memories & photos last a lifetime!

 

Good luck & Have fun!

Cher!

For a Rental Company that has Up-Lights & Columns click here!