Ask Someone to Prom

Asking someone to prom, also known as "Promposing", can be both exciting and scary. If you've picked the person you know you want to go to prom with, but have no idea how to ask him or her, don't freak out! wikiHow has got you covered. Get started with Step 1 below to learn some proposing basics, discover some great ways to ask your prospective date, and begin to come up with some ideas of your own. However, if you want specific advice, don't forget to check out the sections listed above!

Steps

Promposing Basics

  1. Find out if your prospective date has already been asked by someone else. It would be a huge bummer to put in a bunch of time and effort into a clever way to ask him/her to prom, only to find out that he/she is going with someone else. To save everyone an awkward couple of minutes, find out if he/she has already been taken.
    • You can ask your prospective date directly if he/she has a date by subtly mentioning prom. Say something like “Are you excited for prom?” Hopefully he/she will allude to having a date or not in his/her answer.
    • Get your friends to do some serious recon. This method works especially well if your friends are also friends with your prospective date. Get them to find out if he/she is going with anyone.
  2. Find out what your prospective date likes. It would be weird to ask your date to prom by serenading him/her with a country song if your date hates country. Also keep in mind that some people don’t want to be asked in an elaborate way, while others hope for the entire school to be in on it.
    • Again, be subtle. When you’re talking to your potential date, say something like “Did you see how Timmy asked Sandy to prom? He had practically the whole school in on it!” If your prospective date says, “Yeah, it was awesome!” he/she would probably be in to getting asked in a creative way. If he/she says, “Yeah, it was a bit much” then you should probably opt for a subtler method with which to ask him/her to prom--potentially even just asking them in a straightforward way.
  3. Be prepared for rejection. This step applies to every method you might use to ask someone to prom. Occasionally, people do reject invitations to prom. There are many reasons why someone might say no, but just stay cheerful. Accept rejection gracefully, even though it sucks. As they say, there are more fish in the sea.
    • Smile and say something like, "Thanks anyway! I hope you have a good time with whomever you go with."
    • If you don’t want to go with anyone else, consider going stag (which means going without a date.) Get a group of your dateless friends and all go to prom together. A lot of the time, dates don’t stick together for the whole prom anyway--there is a good chance you can still dance and hang out with the person you were hoping to go with.

Asking with a Straightforward Question

  1. Go for the straightforward invitation. You don't have to ask someone to prom in an elaborate and creative way. If you know your potential date is a no-frills sort of person, he/she will probably appreciate a kind and sincere direct invitation more than an elaborate one.
  2. Wait for a moment alone with your prospective date. When you two are alone, start out with a normal conversation and try not to be too nervous or act differently than you normally would.
    • This way you don't make the other person feel pressured by yours or their friends.
  3. Tell him or her why you think he/she is incredible. Remind your prospective date of fun times you have had together in the past. After a bit of build up, ask if he or she would like to go to the dance with you.
    • Say something as simple as, “You and I have so much fun together. Would you like to go to prom with me?” or “I don’t know if this prom is going to be fun or not, but I know I would have a good time with you. Would you go to prom with me?”

Asking with a Note or Sign

  1. Leave a clever note or sign for your date. Planning out where to place a sign or deliver a note may take some planning, but you’ll most likely enjoy yourself and your date will have a cute memento after prom is over.[1]
    • Keep in mind that asking with a note or sign means that you most likely won’t be there when your prospective date gets your invitation. You will have to wait to find out what his/her answer is when asking with a note or sign, so be prepared for a bit of anticipation.
  2. Use a standard sign or giant note. Make a sign that says “-Name of the person you are asking-, Will you go to prom with me?” and then below the words, make three check boxes with Yes, No, and Maybe written next to each box. Have him/her check which box represents the answer.
    • To make this option more elaborate, make a small version of the above sign on a piece of paper and put it in an envelope. On the envelope, write To:-his/her name- and From:-your name-. Have a friend hand deliver it to your prospective date and wait until he/she opens it and marks one of the boxes. Then send him/her send it back to you via your “mail carrier.”
  3. Make a cute pun. Puns, while cheesy, are often a cute way to ask someone to prom. Everything about prom is a little cheesy anyway right? So do it up and get down with the puns.
    • Candy puns: Leave a trail of some kind of candy that ends in a sign with a clever candy-pun on it. Example: Leave a trail of Hershey’s Kisses for your prospective date to find (somewhere like at his/her house or yard might be good so that random people don’t pick them up and eat them. Not that most people eat candy off the ground, but still, it could happen.) Place a sign at the end of the trail that says something like "Now that I've kissed the ground you walk on, will you go to Prom with me?"
    • Food puns: Fruit can be good for more than just an addition to your parfait. Example: Place a cantaloupe and a honeydew melon on your prospective date’s doorstep. On the cantaloupe, write (either with permanent marker or by taping a sign on) “I know we cantaloupe…” On the honeydew, write or tape a sign that says “...But honeydew you want to go to prom with me?” Example 2: If you’re more a veggie person, buy 9 large peas (sugar or snap peas are best.) Using permanent marker write one word on each pea from the following sentence: “Pretty peas will you go to prom with me?”
    • Crime scene pun: If you are both really into CSI, try out this prom pun. Lie down in front of the person's house. Have a friend trace the outline of your body with chalk. In your chalk outline, write (with chalk) "I'd DIE to go to prom with you" or "My attraction to you is FATAL. Will you come to prom with me?" and then write From: -your name- underneath your chalk outline. With this method, make sure you get his/her parents' permission, or else even a "yes" from your date might get overridden by a "no" from a parent who doesn't appreciate chalk graffiti on their property.
  4. Employ the use of a t-shirt. Purchase a plain white cotton t-shirt and write prom on the top of the t-shirt in permanent marker. Write your name on it in permanent marker somewhere on the t-shirt. Then write 10 other names on it (of your gender) with washable marker. Wrap the t-shirt up, (or put it on a giant teddy bear!) and leave it on your prospective date’s doorstep. Leave it with a note that says to wash the shirt to find out who is asking him/her to prom. Make sure to tell them not to wash the shirt with any other clothes, as the whole point of this is that the washable marker names will wash away, but they could seriously stain other clothes.
    • To find out your date’s answer you can either write your phone number on the back of the t-shirt in permanent marker and tell them to call you, OR you can add in the note that he/she should wear the shirt to school tomorrow if the answer is yes.
  5. Use balloons. Everyone likes balloons--they’re bright, cheerful and easy to write on. Buy five balloons and write a P R O M ? on each balloon. If you have a class with your date, go into class early and ask your teacher if you can leave the balloons are your prospective date’s seat. When your date comes in and sees the balloons, wave at him/her or walk up with a rose and ask something like, “well what do you think?”
    • Alternatively, if you don’t have class with your prospective date, buy a sixth balloon and write “From, -your name-” You can also do this even if you do have class with him/her just to make sure he/she knows who is doing the asking.

Promposing During an Event

  1. Ask your date during a public event. An invitation issued during a large event will always stick out in your date's memory and--if you play it right--can be done for free. Think about potential venues for you to do this: during a football game, the intermission of the school play, at a spirit rally, or during another event where a lot of people you both know will be present.
    • Keep in mind that the downside of asking your prospective date in front of an audience is that if you get rejected, your whole audience will know. If you feel confident that your prospective date will say yes, or if you just don’t care what your audience thinks, than by all means bring in the public--and more power to you!
  2. Get sporty. There are many ways you can tie sports into your prom question. If you both play the same sport, you might want to do something that involves that specific sport. If you are considering doing something at a school sporting event where you will get the announcer in on the question, make absolutely sure that your prospective date will be at the game.
    • If you know your date will be at a game you are playing in, get your teammates to help you out. Before the game starts, or at halftime, get your teammates to grab cones and spell out ‘Prom?’ with them (you could also get them to lie down on the field and form ‘Prom?’ with their bodies but that would take a lot of coordination.) Get the announcer to say “-Your name- would like to know if you will go to prom with him/her, -Name of your date-.”
  3. Ask during intermission. If you are in the school play, or even if you’re not and have friends that are in the play, get permission to go up on stage during intermission. Again, make sure your prospective date is in the audience. Either ask the question out loud (perhaps dramatically, you’re on stage after all) or with a sign. As an extra step, get the lighting crew to find your prospective date in the audience and put the spotlight on him/her.
  4. Ask at a school rally. You could also walk out into the middle of the field or room with a bunch of roses or balloons and have the announcer announce, “-Your name- would like to know if you will go to prom with him/her, -Name of your date-” while the spotlight is on you. Again, for an added bonus, try to single out your date but putting the spotlight on him/her as well.
  5. Ask during lunch. While it might not seem like lunch is a big event, all of your friends and peers are there. If you want to make asking your date a big production, ask him/her at lunch. You could ask him/her in any number of ways, like with balloons as mentioned above, but adding an audience will make your question even more exciting.

Using a Scavenger Hunt

  1. Send your date on a scavenger or treasure hunt. Of any of the ways to ask a date to prom, a scavenger hunt may be the most time consuming, but it is also a super cute way to do it (and is fun for both you and your prospective date.)
  2. Buy a dozen roses. Thornless roses are best for this method because your prospective date will be gathering the roses and holding them in his/her hands.
    • You do not necessarily need to use roses-- you can really choose any object so long as you buy a dozen of them. For instance, you could use a dozen footballs, a dozen wrapped cupcakes, a dozen skateboards...you get the picture.
  3. Write 11 clues on slips of paper. Tie a clue to 11 of the roses (or whatever object you have chosen to use.) Don’t make the clues too hard or your date may never find you. To make it easier, place the roses within walking distance (around your school perhaps?) so that your prospective date can get to them easily.
  4. Place the roses in each of the hiding spots you have chosen. Place yourself in the last spot, holding the last rose (or other object.) If possible, have a friend go with your prospective date on the scavenger hunt--that way your friend can text you when your date is getting close so you don’t just have to sit in the same spot for an hour.
    • If you want, along with the rose you can also hold a sign that says ‘Prom?’ just to make it really clear as to what this scavenger hunt is all about.

Using Other Creative Methods

  1. Write a song. Who doesn’t love to be serenaded? If you are musically inclined, pick up a guitar (or banjo, or mandolin..etc.) and create a short song that ties in your prospective dates name and the big prom question.[2]
    • Get a band involved. If you’re in a band, even better. You can write a song together to serenade your prospective date with. Another option is to bring your band mates to your prospective date’s house. Have each band mate hide behind a tree. Ring the doorbell and make sure your prospective date is the one standing at the door. If you play an instrument, begin playing and singing your song. One by one, have each band member step out of their hiding places so that eventually your prospective date has an entire band on his/her doorstep.
  2. Enlist the help of your animal friends. Animals are cute and make every situation more awesome. If you have a pet that will let you do this, tie a sign around his/her neck with the word ‘Prom?’ written on it. You can take your pet to your prospective date’s house and stand on the doorstep with a bunch of roses/chocolates etc. beside your pet. Your date will be so overloaded with cuteness she/he will have to say yes.
    • Another option is to take a picture of your pet wearing the sign and email/text/Facebook the picture to your prospective date. This method is best if your prospective date is super allergic to animals.
  3. Use a pizza. Over a pizza with pepperoni on it. Move the pepperonis around so that they spell out the word ‘Prom?’ If you don’t have enough pepperonis, buy a separate pack and add as many as you need. Double check that your prospective date is home, either by calling the home phone or getting a friend to text your date, asking what he/she is up to. Go to your prospective date’s house, ring the doorbell, and pretend that you work at the pizza delivery place. When your date says that he/she didn’t order anything, say something like, “oh let me just check…” open up the pizza and show him/her the pizza (with the words.)[3]
  4. Make a prom puzzle. Buy a piece of cardstock (colorful cardstock is a nice touch.) Write “Dear -date’s name-, will you go to prom with me? From, -your name-” on the cardstock. Cut the cardstock up into puzzle pieces. Put the pieces in a box and give the box to your prospective date.[4]

Tips

  • Don't procrastinate. The early bird usually gets the date!
  • If you're using a big sign, make sure to have your name somewhere on it. Especially if you won't be there at the time.
  • If you don't get an immediate answer, you might be on standby. It's likely that they're hoping their own special someone will ask, and you're Plan B. If you suspect this is the case, tell them to let you know within a few days or you'll assume the answer is "no."

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.seventeen.com/parties/prom/cute-ways-to-ask-guy-to-prom#slide-1
  2. ↑ http://www.teen.com/2012/03/21/countdown-to-prom/fun-prom-stuff/best-senior-prom-proposals-videos/
  3. ↑ http://www.buzzfeed.com/alannaokun/creative-ways-to-prompose
  4. ↑ http://teens.lovetoknow.com/Creative_Ways_to_Ask_a_Girl_to_Prom
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