School Summer Ball Ideas

[Dancingdreamer]

Not sure where best to post for this but hoping for some help! I have ended up volunteering to help run the end of term summer ball at my DC’s school. It’s a black tie event and part prom but it’s open to all the 6th form and parents to go too. As some parents have been to several of these events, we are looking for an different and visually impressive theme. All the usual ones seem to have been done to death eg 1920s, Alice in Wonderland, masquerade. I don’t want anything that is inappropriate for 17/18 year olds and don’t want to get roasted for cultural appropriation.

Any good ideas?

The ones I can remember are: Swan Lake (ballet, swans and mirror lakes) Chinese theme with lanterns and food, (sorry if that’s culturally inappropriate now), A Night at the Movies, Bollywood, Caribbean theme (at prep school - both might now be a problem), White Nights, Tickled Pink, The Secret Garden, and A Night at the Opera. Hope that helps.

What about a 1940's wartime theme? A Jitterbug type live band, options of wearing uniform, ration books for getting food & drinks. Depending on the venue, trimming the outside with sandbags & taping the windows, mini searchlights etc. If you are having transport to the venue, hire wartime buses & coaches, it's something that has everything for all ages, give everyone time to scour charity shops & grandparents wardrobes for suitable clothing or hire wartime uniforms from fancy dress shops.

Maybe Hawaiian theme?

Or some kind of sporting theme? Depends how upmarket it is, could do fun silly sports day type games like the three-legged sack race, those rodeo bull things, wheelbarrow race or if its more sophisticated something like Wimbledon.

Maybe rainforest / wildlife or Great Barrier Reef?

Wizard of Oz

Vintage fair or carnival

Festival?

Night at the Movies works well as people can dress in black tie or actually dress as a particular movie star / character/ Oscar statuette! This seemed to be fun but not stressful for those that wanted to keep it simple (Or more specific themes such as Bond / Gatsby).
Also 80s theme good for a party though less "ball" perhaps.

Hollywood
Glamour and glitz
1950s (think mad men)
Medieval
Tropical
Magical (think Harry Potter ball)

Having been to many school balls, people will dress “black tie” but they won’t do fancy dress. It’s way too much hassle. If it’s a ball, stick to black tie. However what the theme means is marquee/hall decoration, table centre pieces, and possibly menu. Most people want to find the venue decorated and sit at a beautiful table but not bother with scouring charity shops or hiring kit. At our school, I think the numbers would have dropped if we had done that. We had hundreds attend and included 6th formers and their guests. Small school though!

Greatest Showman theme? Festival? Black,white and diamonds?

I agree wit Bubbles stick to black tie rather than fancy dress but just use the theme for decor.

What about a murder mystery theme? What is the dress code like?

Fancy dress is generally speaking a lot of effort to make. It’s a shame because I love costume balls but oh well. The retro theme is a good one. How are you going to advertise the event?
Is it a outdoor affair or not? How many are coming?

When I had to plan a ball a few years ago I used this website- www.partypacks.co.uk/mobile/themed-party-supplies-cid11925.html

It was immensely helpful.

Not really what you asked, but at my DD's Sixth Form Ball they had a roulette wheel which was well received. (it was Upper Sixth only, and towards the end of the year, not sure if most of them being 18 already affected this)
Think they also had a magician coming round to the tables, but this is fairly standard?

Thanks for all the ideas. I love the Swan Lake theme and think the girls would love this but not sure how it would go down with the boys. I will test that. I also wondered about a festival theme but it’s a black tie do so wasn’t sure the 2 extremes would match. Could we get away with that?

Leeds2 - I am also interested in all the extras that go down well and make the event especially successful (although needs to work with the budget!) so do welcome these suggestions. I had wondered about a casino table but wasn’t sure if we would get away with it given some students will only be 17.

Any other ideas please bring them on!

BubblesBuddy - sorry forgot to say can you tell me more about your White Nights Theme. I had thought about a Narnia theme but was worried they may think this was too childish but White Nights might be a good twist. I am thinking that perhaps we can do a swan lake type thing and we we can put up white lanterns and not call them Chinese?

Hollow victory - I thought about Harry Potter too but apparently they did that a year or two ago!

Nat6999 - I love the 1940s idea but given the school just made a big focus on the end of the Great War, I am not sure this is the year for a war theme.

Great Gatsby/1920s Flapper Theme

Alice In Wonderland/Madhatters Tea Party

Murder Mystery/Cluedo

I second Hawaiian/Surfer/Beach Theme

Masquerade always goes down well

Festival/Coachella theme.

Mardi Gras/Carnival

80s Theme would be bloody awesome

Black and White Ball

What was the theme of the Prom in Never Been Kissed...something like Made For Each Other, best couples through time? A group went as DNA! So on a similar theme, “Double Acts”?! I’m trying to think outside the box a bit.

Oh just ignore me, I skim read when I should have just called it a night and went to bed - I see I’ve suggesting things you didn’t want. I’m sorry !

I would have thought you could do festivals of the world but keep black tie rather than fancy dress and just have areas like for Chinese New Year, Oktoberfest etc assuming you are allowed beer etc and could co-ordinate food around the different themes too.

It's been a long time since I've been to an education ball - university days as husband says he can't imagine anything worse. At university it was fireworks, lots of alcohol, disco, rodeo bull, formal meal at start, hog roast, photographer, there must have been other things but don't remember what. Work balls have just been fairly formal.

ShadyLady 😀 thank you anyway.

I like the Festivals of the World with themed areas. I am imagining a pale imitation of Epcot World in Florida! We could get a rodeo bull in the US Area with hotdogs and burgers. Not sure how we would decorate the main room and tables though to make it look stunning as a PP suggested.

I would do tables in themes of festivals too so if six festivals one sixth of tables are Oktoberfest, one sixth Chinese New Year and would do a centrepiece in each table on theme of that festival - just like a lantern on Chinese New Year one or similar and giant beer or similar or beer glass etc on German one, could also do menus in that language plus English.

If some of the art students could do oil paintings of festivals those would look lovely on the walls.

For the love of God please do not do anything that requires fancy dress. The students will want to do full Prom glam / tuxedos and the parents seriously cant be arsed to source costumes for themselves and their offspring. Just decorate tables in a classy way, have great music (get kids involved with that!) and great food and drink.

Photo booths are always popular, if you don't have that on your list.

I also remember at my daughter's that they had huge number helium balloons spelling out the year, so 2019, which were very popular for photos but without the queue of the photo booth.

It’s definitely black tie always has been so no costumes!

If you want some fancy dress in it - I hate fancy dress but know some people who love it and have a teenage girl who needs to try on at least 10 outfits per day - would keep black tie but you could have a rail of costumes by photographer so people could try on and be photographed in them.

Just no to fancy dress in any shape or form. You cannot get out of a DJ and evening dress and dress up for a photo! Black tie balls should be smart but fun.

White Nights was a dark lined marquee and above the dance floor there were lots of star lights which shone through so it twinkled. I think there was some additional lighting for the band! Lots of sparkly lights were set above the table areas. White flower arrangements on the tables set on mirrors with moons and stars and a white woodland scene as we entered the marquee (photographers were here) and a white money tree for fund raising. This was a private school and tickets were not cheap! However it looked stunning. White dresses optional!

The girls brought boys as guests and plenty of Dads attend. No one didn’t like Swan Lake. It looked beautiful and classy!