Will You Go to Prom with Me?

As the prom season draws near, it’s not just about the gowns or suits. For many New Lifers, especially the Patmos students who will be experiencing their first prom, one of the most gushed-about parts is the dates. The question of who’s going with whom is met with anticipation and creativity from students, and central to all this excitement are the memorable “promposals”. Promposing is the act of asking someone to prom in a creative, memorable way and going beyond the casual “Will you go to prom with me?” It’s all about making a special moment for both the promposer and the promposee, whether platonically or romantically. To get a sense of what goes into these moments, a few Patmos students voluntarily shared their promposal stories. 

A Scavenger Hunt 

One student who promposed to his best friend explained why he ended up doing so: "I was mainly inspired by the encouragement of my friends, and I also wanted to make my promposal special." His process began with a suggestion from one of his friends, proposing the idea of a scavenger hunt. “I decided to write riddles for her to answer that would lead to the ‘meeting place,’ since it seemed like it would be easy enough for her to do while still being quite an enjoyable experience,” he continued.

At the end of the scavenger hunt, he delivered a heartfelt poem to present his promposal, sharing, “I decided that the best way to tell [her] would be through a simple poem because I felt that she would enjoy a more poetic promposal instead of just ‘Will you be my prom date?’” 

When he recited his poem and asked the big question, her initial reaction was a mix of confusion and surprise. “I was initially confused and bewildered since I was doing a treasure hunt,” she said, noting that she hadn’t fully processed the significance of the poem. “Then I got very, very, VERY shocked,” she added. The surprise came from the fact that, while they had already agreed to go to prom together, she wasn’t expecting such a complex and public promposal. "It was a complete surprise," she confessed, and reflecting on the creativity of the moment, she didn’t hesitate in saying yes.

An Early Morning Surprise

For another student who promposed to his classmate, the approach was refreshingly personal. He went for a different approach: waiting in the classroom with a bouquet of flowers, ready to surprise her when she arrived.

Of course, the process wasn't without its hurdles. "Buying the flowers was probably the hardest part," he admitted. "I wanted to pick the perfect ones." Luckily, with a little help from his friends, he was able to pull off the plan. "If she says yes, I’ll be more than happy," he smiled. To make sure everything went smoothly, he arrived at school extra early, knowing the girl he was planning to prompose to typically gets there early as well. "I just needed to lock in, stay clear with my words, and not overthink," he shared.

Then came the moment of truth. As the door swung open, he felt a rush of nerves, but with all the confidence he could muster, he asked, "Would you go to prom with me?" The girl, taken aback, grinned, and with a thankful nod, accepted, making his day better than it already was. “The setup and the people watching caught me off guard, so I was wide-eyed and my jaw literally dropped,” she commented on the situation she found herself in. His efforts of choosing the perfect bouquet did not go to waste as she had expressed, “The most surprising and unforgettable part of the promposal was the beautiful large bouquet of purple flowers—my favorite color. I was so mesmerized by it that it took me a moment to respond, too caught up in admiring the flowers.”

A Served-Up Surprise 

For a different set of students, the guy’s promposal was with a touch of sportiness, set in the gym. “Since we only have two proms, I decided to make it creative so that it could be memorable not only for me but also for the person that I wanted to ask,” he explained. He added that the key to doing that was “by taking into account what she likes and what her hobbies are.” In this case, it was her love for volleyball. Thus, with the help of his friends, he planned to throw a volleyball in her direction with a pun written on it, asking her to the prom. To make it even more personal, he also surprised her with flowers and a basket full of ramen packs knowing how much she loves instant noodles. 

Her reaction was full of appreciation and surprise. “The fact that it came from someone I’ve been friends with for so long made it especially meaningful. I never expected a promposal from a friend to be so personal and thoughtful. It definitely made the moment unforgettable.” She was grateful for how he considered her interests, saying, “I was also really touched that they took the time to think about what I liked and incorporated that into the promposal.” In the end, she wasn’t the only one who found it all worth it as he said, “My favorite part was the result of the promposal because she said yes.”

Promposals don't need to be grand or elaborate to be meaningful. It's not about the size of the gesture, but the thought behind it. Whether it's a simple poem, a surprise with flowers, a volleyball with a special message, or a heartfelt ask, what matters is the sincerity and personal touch. As much as possible, avoid asking casually online through text and instead opt for other more meaningful ways to make it special—whether as friends or something more—because the best promposals are those that show you care, no matter how big or small the gesture. As one student puts it, “It’s definitely one of those unforgettable high school experiences to cherish.”