Ask Acronym: Prom Edition

Ask Acronym is back with a Prom Edition! We will focus on questions pertaining to prom and anything related to it. So if you have some questions about Prom, keep reading to find out if any of your questions were answered!

1. What do you do if you hate your date? 

I would honestly say to take comfort in your table. You are not restricted to just socializing with your date; you have 8 other people at your table that you can take refuge in for the whole night, and when you’re on the dance floor, you can go and be off with anyone. When I went last year, some people stayed with their date, but others chose to wander between their different friend groups, so you can do just about anything you want. Optimally, you could try to make up with your date prior to prom or to even be on neutral terms, just to make the picture taking slightly less awkward – but trust me, it’s not the worst thing. You may have to deal with a half hour max of alone time with your date, which is pretty decent for a 12 hour ordeal. Good luck!

2. What do you do if your date is taller than you?

Hm. You’ve gotten yourself into a sticky situation, but honestly, it’s okay! I’m assuming that you are a guy, because normally guys get worried about having a taller date. If that is you, I recommend you wear slightly taller dress shoes (the one with wedges). But in all honesty, as long as you look dapper in your suit and tie, height won’t really make a difference. It’s the way you make your date feel that night that really matters, and that’s not related to how tall you are, right? If it does bother you though, go for those shoes, or ask your date to tone down on the heels! I’m sure they’ll be understanding of how you feel. It’s going to be okay, just make sure you make up for the height difference by the dazzling way you make your date feel ;) If you’re not a guy, but you’re still wondering about having a taller date, don’t mind it that much! Maybe you’ll feel enveloped in their arms or maybe not – we’ll never know.

3. I am a shy person, so how can I ask someone to prom?

Make sure you get to know this person first. With prom being right around the corner, it is hard to develop a full-blown serious friendship with someone, but it’s important to get to know who you want to ask out. Just shoot them a message, or find mutual friends to bring you guys together! If you’ve already gone past this stage, think about how you want to ask this person to prom. Do you want to have a poster? Do you want to ask them casually over a conversation? It’s all up to you, my friend. But since you say you’re shy, I think the easiest way would be to bring it up casually over a conversation, or if you’re really shy, hint at it in a text conversation. Ask if they have a date casually over a comfortable conversation and as they answer that they do not, you can follow up with “Oh, do you just wanna go with me?” which does not put pressure or obligation on the other person. Or do this over text if you’re really, really shy! As you’re texting them, just shoot a message “Would you be up for going to prom with me? It’s okay if you can’t!” You’ll definitely get a reply, so this would be ideal for an extremely shy person. However, if you can get your friends to help, why not do an ask with a poster? It may be the most nerve-wracking of all, but it’s so worth it in the end – take a step outside your comfort zone!

4. So someone did a really big ask in front of a lot of people, and I felt pressured to say yes…but I don’t actually like my date very much, or really know them at all. How can I make prom as painless as possible or maybe even get to know them?

I would say that the best thing would be to do a lot of “prom table bonding” and take that time to get to know each other more—it won’t be seem obvious what you’re trying to do at all. Another thing to keep in mind is that prom is not all about your date. Your date can play as big or small of a role you want in your prom experience, and you do not need to feel pressured to spend more or less time with them than you would like. It is your night. You should have fun. Optimally, you would have fun with your date by getting to know them earlier (by using the prom table bonding trick !!), but it’s not the worst thing if you don’t think you’re close enough. You’ll have 8 other people at the table that you can take refuge in, and you’ll get to be with all of your friends once you’re at Main Event or on the dance floor! Good luck, and I hope you have a great prom!

5. What do I order for food?

I’m not sure if this is during prom at the building, or before prom as you are getting ready. Either circumstance, order what you want to eat! If you’re looking to eat something before prom, make sure you order something with the least mess—sandwiches, sushi, pizza, etc. If you’re looking to order inside, order something you’ve never tried before! When are you ever going to get a chance to go your prom again with those same people? Make memories that will stick with you forever, and experiences that you’ve never had.

6. So I’m going with a friend, and I know people usually do the corsage and boutonnière stuff…but I don’t know if I should even do it, I’m just going with a friend, and who would buy it if we did?

It all depends on you! If you like the way they look, then go for it! My prom date and I were just friends and everyone at the table was just friends with their prom date and yet we choose to go with corsages and boutonnières because we liked the aesthetic so it completely depends on you. If you do plan on going down this route, I’d suggest that each person pays for what they would be putting on their date. For example, in a female-male prom date situation, it is customary for the female to put the boutonnière on the male, and the male to put the corsage on the female. I would suggest that in this case, the female pay for the boutonnière and the male pay for the corsage, but this just depends on what someone can financially afford. (Also, no one will judge you for not having a corsage and boutonnière! We understand that college is expensive, so we have to count those pennies & the aesthetic isn’t for everyone.)

That’s it for our Prom Edition questions! Please submit more questions, because we’re always ready to answer them! Thanks for tuning in ;)