Party at the Prom

Wow! I can’t believe that another school year is almost over. In a flower shop, time is measured from holiday to holiday and event to event. We have had an intern from the local high school working at Colony Florist for the past few weeks and the excitement of graduation is exceeded only by the upcoming PROM.

I love it when the kids come into the shop to order their boutonnieres and wristlets (corsages are completely out).  Their preparedness breaks down by gender - the girls usually know exactly what they want and the boys are less sure.  The boys are open to suggestion and welcome our help.  I am happy when they know the color of their date's dress because it is easier to have them make a good choice. They either come to the shop with their date or have their moms call. The moms are sometimes embarrassed by enabling them but would rather there be flowers than nothing.

Ninety percent of the flowers that the kids choose are white. The dresses are shades of blue, white/ivory and black for the most part. Some of the prom-goers opt for red as an accent or a gold or silver wire to coordinate with their jewelry.  In general the choices are very conservative and the kids in Greenwich do not seem to want bling or outrageously decoration. One of the newer trends is to use a fancy bracelet with pearls or rhinestones in a variety of colors. It dresses up the wristlet and acts as a memento when the prom is over.  The couples try to coordinate the boutonniere and wristlet when they can, but since they purchase independently, it doesn’t always work out that way.  To make sure the girls sometimes order both.

I love working with and talking to the students. They are so full of excitement. Prom can be very stressful for the kids and even more so for the parents. The plans are elaborate. For a minute, it makes me want to go back in time. But,  I survived my own prom  and I survived the prom with three of my own kids, as a result, I decided I am much happier on the sidelines.