Whitefield Academy’s 2013 Prom, “A Night in the City,” was held at The Buckhead Theatre, a theatre which originally opened in 1931, and sits at the gateway to the vibrant community of Buckhead. Under the supervision of Advancement Office Manager Stephanie Moseley, six junior girls helped plan and implement the prom’s theme, music, food, and decorations. It was a great opportunity for students to learn event planning, leadership, and teamwork. Here’s the story of planning a prom from one prom committee member's perspective - Hannah Hill.
Planning a Prom
By Hannah Hill (11th)
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I applied for the Prom Committee last summer when my dad heavily encouraged me to do it. Knowing that I am typically a very organized person and enjoy the process of planning, he thought it would be a good experience for me; I agreed.
Prom has always been an event that the junior class takes upon themselves to plan as a gift to the seniors. I was on the committee with five other girls from my grade: Cassie Clementi, Katie Kassis, Ali Matthews, Mary Beth Newkirk, and Annie Sickling. Throughout the process, I found a respect for these girls and I appreciated them so much. They would show up to the meetings with the intention of accomplishing the task; we never had those times where we got nothing done because it was just one of those lazy days (yes, we juniors can be VERY lazy at times). We were all excited about the prom and that gave us the push to plan all the details. We all worked together and listened with respect to each others’ opinions. Personally, I am very proud of the prom we put together and I’m grateful I was able to work with such a great group of girls.
Our meetings were always at lunch in the conference room so we could discuss ideas in private. The first order of business was, of course, the theme. Our advisor, Mrs. Moseley, had already picked the date and place: April 19 at The Buckhead Theatre. After throwing out various ideas, ranging from a masquerade to a Gatsby party, we decided on the most doable choice, “A Night in the City.” The city theme we were going for was New York, to compliment the modern city-like feel that The Buckhead Theatre had. After that huge decision was out of the way, we could focus on smaller details, like party favors, time, ticket sales, invitations, and decorations. We issued a survey to every junior and senior advisee, giving them choices such as formal pictures as opposed to a photo booth, or a DJ as opposed to a band. We continued planning with the budget and the students' thoughts in mind.
Working with Mrs. Moseley was a great experience and we all enjoyed having conversations with her. She was always thinking about what comes next and the little details that we would forget. Part of what made her a great advisor is that she let us have most of the say in what would happen. She stressed to us repeatedly that it was our prom; therefore, it should be us who made the decisions. However, she always added her input, which was much appreciated. She was in charge of the budget, and she would tell us if things were or were not in the budget. Even in the wake of planning her own wedding, which was in March, and the auction, she was still on top of everything. Because of her we were a very organized group. I can’t think of anyone who would have been better suited for the job.
You could feel the excitement in the air as people began asking their dates starting in February. Before we knew it, it was time to sell tickets; they went on sale in late March. Personally, I loved sitting in the lobby and selling tickets because that’s how I found out who was going with whom. We had to hunt down money from a few people but eventually all the money was in and before we knew it, it was Friday morning, the morning of prom.
My fellow committee members and several helpful moms arrived early that morning at the theatre to start setting up. We didn’t have to stay for long because Mrs. Moseley was adamant that we get ample time to get ready, which, let’s be honest, takes five hours at least. However, I loved setting up because you could really see everything coming together—from the dance floor, to the votive candles, to the lights, to the cityscape aspect. When we left to begin our own beautification process, Mrs. Moseley and the moms stayed behind to help.
As I walked into the prom that night, I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was. I felt like I was seeing everything for the first time. I was enchanted with everything, right down to the CamiCake cupcakes (which were delectable…I might have had five). I was so filled with pride that we had organized such a large event, and all the planning certainly paid off. I thoroughly enjoyed myself that night and I was filled with satisfaction when my friends told me they did too. This prom will be hard to top.
Planning a Prom
By Hannah Hill (11th)
I applied for the Prom Committee last summer when my dad heavily encouraged me to do it. Knowing that I am typically a very organized person and enjoy the process of planning, he thought it would be a good experience for me; I agreed.
Prom has always been an event that the junior class takes upon themselves to plan as a gift to the seniors. I was on the committee with five other girls from my grade: Cassie Clementi, Katie Kassis, Ali Matthews, Mary Beth Newkirk, and Annie Sickling. Throughout the process, I found a respect for these girls and I appreciated them so much. They would show up to the meetings with the intention of accomplishing the task; we never had those times where we got nothing done because it was just one of those lazy days (yes, we juniors can be VERY lazy at times). We were all excited about the prom and that gave us the push to plan all the details. We all worked together and listened with respect to each others’ opinions. Personally, I am very proud of the prom we put together and I’m grateful I was able to work with such a great group of girls.
Our meetings were always at lunch in the conference room so we could discuss ideas in private. The first order of business was, of course, the theme. Our advisor, Mrs. Moseley, had already picked the date and place: April 19 at The Buckhead Theatre. After throwing out various ideas, ranging from a masquerade to a Gatsby party, we decided on the most doable choice, “A Night in the City.” The city theme we were going for was New York, to compliment the modern city-like feel that The Buckhead Theatre had. After that huge decision was out of the way, we could focus on smaller details, like party favors, time, ticket sales, invitations, and decorations. We issued a survey to every junior and senior advisee, giving them choices such as formal pictures as opposed to a photo booth, or a DJ as opposed to a band. We continued planning with the budget and the students' thoughts in mind.
Working with Mrs. Moseley was a great experience and we all enjoyed having conversations with her. She was always thinking about what comes next and the little details that we would forget. Part of what made her a great advisor is that she let us have most of the say in what would happen. She stressed to us repeatedly that it was our prom; therefore, it should be us who made the decisions. However, she always added her input, which was much appreciated. She was in charge of the budget, and she would tell us if things were or were not in the budget. Even in the wake of planning her own wedding, which was in March, and the auction, she was still on top of everything. Because of her we were a very organized group. I can’t think of anyone who would have been better suited for the job.
You could feel the excitement in the air as people began asking their dates starting in February. Before we knew it, it was time to sell tickets; they went on sale in late March. Personally, I loved sitting in the lobby and selling tickets because that’s how I found out who was going with whom. We had to hunt down money from a few people but eventually all the money was in and before we knew it, it was Friday morning, the morning of prom.
My fellow committee members and several helpful moms arrived early that morning at the theatre to start setting up. We didn’t have to stay for long because Mrs. Moseley was adamant that we get ample time to get ready, which, let’s be honest, takes five hours at least. However, I loved setting up because you could really see everything coming together—from the dance floor, to the votive candles, to the lights, to the cityscape aspect. When we left to begin our own beautification process, Mrs. Moseley and the moms stayed behind to help.
As I walked into the prom that night, I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was. I felt like I was seeing everything for the first time. I was enchanted with everything, right down to the CamiCake cupcakes (which were delectable…I might have had five). I was so filled with pride that we had organized such a large event, and all the planning certainly paid off. I thoroughly enjoyed myself that night and I was filled with satisfaction when my friends told me they did too. This prom will be hard to top.