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food and drink
To be honest, prom is one of the few parties for which I have few food associations. I remember the dresses (shudder), the limo (overrated), and the dates (actually, quite nice), but when it comes to the edibles, I draw a complete blank. My boy, on the other hand, is still reliving the nightmare of mistaking a platter of horseradish on the buffet table for mashed potatoes, and nearly hurling all over his rented tux after ingesting a fat forkful.

Basically, just about any assortment of finger foods you like will do when it comes to organizing eats for your fete. Boil up a couple of pounds of shrimp with a splash of wine and a bay leaf, then serve it up with cocktail sauce. Create a cheese and crackers plate, and a raw veggies and dip platter. Roll-ups and finger sandwiches are also good, as are chippy and dippy-type things. For sweets, keep it simple with chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and fruit. There's no need to get overly complicated or spendy with your offerings; this is a prom, after all, so no one's going to be expecting caviar.

In addition to your basic bar, you'll need the requisite big bowl of punch. This, of course, should be generously spiked. You can use any pre-made punch you like, and spike it with vodka; alternatively, concoct your own special house blend. I made a punch by dumping a can of pineapple concentrate, a can of lemonade concentrate, and two cans of orange concentrate into a bowl, adding water as instructed on the cans, then rounding out the flavors with cranberry juice poured in to taste. A heap of rum was then added to give it the necessary kick, and sliced oranges and lemons provided the floating garnish.

ambience etc
Once the prom portraits have been snapped, and folks have sufficiently oohed and aahed over each other's prom get-ups, it's time to get the dancing going. Naturally, you'll have cleared out a big space for the dance floor, pushing furniture to the walls or into other rooms as necessary. Designate a friend whose musical taste you can trust to be in charge of the music. It's best to have plenty of mixes made up ahead of time, but at the very least, pull out your best danceable CDs from the collection, and leave them in a handy place by the stereo. Start in with some 80s tunes, but make sure your DJ knows to keep an eye on the crowd. There is such a thing as 80s overkill, and when the dance floor starts thinning out, it's time to try a different genre -- move into the electronica, give the hip-hop a whirl, find whatever it is that gets people grooving. And every once in awhile, throw on a classic cheesy slow prom song -- Lady in Red, Wonderful Tonight, In Your Eyes, maybe a little Stairway to Heaven.

Add a little visual to go along with audio by popping your favorite teen movies that feature prom scenes into the VCR; play them on mute as a background. Pretty in Pink is, of course, the quintessential 80s prom flick; for a taste of prom 90s-style, try 10 Things I Hate About You, She's All That, or American Pie.

The crowning moment of the evening, natch, will be the announcement of the king and queen. If you're throwing the party in honor of someone, the choice will be simple: the title goes to the guest of honor. For a more democratic mode of election, however, you can always hand out ballots throughout the course of the evening. Whatever your method, gather the crowd together sometime around a midnight, with crowns (courtesy of any party store) and sashes (make your own with satin and fabric pens) ready to go.

And who knows, this time around, the lucky one wearing the crown? It might even be you.

o

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