Los Angeles - June 20, 2002

Prom Night

Host a Prom Party

Pool party.
Pajama party.
Ping-Pong party.
Nope.

Prom party. Party of the season.

It’s like going back to high school — but knowing what you do now. (Some important lessons: It’s best not to do six shots of schnapps before leaving the house. It’s impossible to dance to Prince’s “Erotic City” and look cool.) Do it right this time.

How to throw Prom:

Send cheap litho invites to announce your event properly. Get them at L.A. Express Printing (1259 South La Brea Avenue, 323-857-1763).

Rent a gymnasium or hotel ballroom.

Wear gaudy, froofy or ugly-retro black-tie attire (a must!). And no, your old prom dress is probably not gaudy, froufy or retro enough. Hit downtown’s prom row between 9th and Olympic on Santee Street. A killer resource: Fenucci Design (934 Santee Street, 213-622-7602) — dresses for days and an in-house miracle-working tailor. Or online try nydressco.com, buy-prom-dresses.com, or timeforprom.com.

Boys, go around the corner to Marcel Ties (221 East 9th Street, 213-622-7602). Bring in “the dress,” and they’ll custom-make a tie and cummerbund, so you and your date can be matchy-matchy.

Hire an event photographer who takes orders for prints on the spot (or call a local high school, and find out who does class pictures). Set up a fake ivy-and-floral arch under which couples can be photographed. Check out www.partypics.com and enter password “promparty” to see the shots from a recent entertainment industry exec’s prom party in Bel Air.

For flora, hit the downtown Flowermart (754 Wall Street, between 7th and 8th Streets, 213-627-3696) early Saturday morning.

Hire a kick-ass DJ. (Some good ones: DJ Angelique, djangelique.com, 323-468-8084; and DJ Loczi, djloczi.com, 714-715-9095). (Easy on the 80s tunes, tiger—No one wants to relive that much of their high-school experience.) You’ll need a few slow songs, so make sure to warn aforementioned DJ (and bring a lighter for “Free Bird”).

Decorations: crepe streamers, disco ball, bubble machine…You get the idea. Decide on a theme (oh, a theme party within a theme party!), and knock yourself out. For inspiration check out www.plumparty.com.

Set up a proper bar: Don’t make your guests suffer through the spiked punch bowl and paper cup routine. (Though flasks are allowed, heck, encouraged.)

As for finding a date, that’s up to you. But here’s a hint: No one will be impressed if you bring a college boy to this one.