Is this normal for prom?

[elliejjtiny]

Dc1 has his prom somewhere fairly remote. To try and avoid congestion on the country lanes around the venue we have been given time slots to arrive (ds has 6:30) and given maps with a complicated 1 way route labelled which will take us 30 minutes each way to get to the venue. If parents want to come and see the children arrive and take photos of them with their friends in their prom outfits (which judging by previous photos on facebook most parents do) we must arrive at 6pm and stay until 7:45. We have to arrive and leave via this one way system.

I thought I would turn up at 6:30 with ds, take a few photos and go. Now I've been told I have to arrive at 6, hang around for 30 minutes, take my photos and then hang around again for 45ish minutes before I'm allowed out. Meanwhile if DH is dropping DS off he needs to drive round in a massive circle in between dropping me off and dropping ds off. Then he will have to drive around the circle again before picking me up.

Cars stopping at the venue isn't allowed. Drop offs and pick ups go in gate 1 and out of gate 2, following the one way system.
"Spectating parents" have to go in and out at gate 3 which will be locked between 6:20 and 7:45. It seems very complicated so I was wondering if that was normal.

Our school laid on a bus and they left from school and were dropped off at school after. I never even got out of the car 🤣

The kids took their own photos and there was a photographer there if anyone wanted posed photos.

Take pictures at home and let him take his own photos at the venue.

Take photos before they go.

If they have traffic issues at the venue, I can sympathise with the system. I was amazed at the huge extended families turning up to watch the prom arrivers at ds's prom last week, and the traffic combined with carriages, tractors, traction engines (not joking) and cars was a complete mess.
We did photos of ds and his girlfriend at home before they left, and those are lovely as they are relaxed. They took pictures on their phones of their friends

I don't know anyone who took photos at the events (3 DCs). Our school refused to have anything at all to do with the prom, other than sending along a few teachers because the venue insisted.

Thankyou. We had to fill in a form a few weeks ago to say what mode of transport we would be using. We are fairly rural so tractors are quite common.

I think I'll ask around to see how many parents are going to watch. I don't want ds to be the only one without someone. From what I can gather I think the school are expecting most of the year 11's to come with both parents and siblings as well.