Contributed by Marnely Rodriguez, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru

Proms are made to be enjoyed and are a good place to be extremely creative, especially since the crowds are typically young school students that love colors and themes.

If your prom is just around the corner, it’s not too early to start thinking about NEXT year’s big event. Explore different themes, ask your teens what they want to see and help tailor their prom to fit their class style!

Here is our take on the top ten prom themes:

10. Italian mobster

A fun night pretending to be the Italian Mafia is always a great way to start the night! Have both “good” and “bad” mobsters, as well as a huge Italian spread of simple foods such as pasta and meatballs to get the appetites running. For an extra touch, have classic gangster films from the 1940’s and 50’s running on a big screen TV or projector on one wall. Leave the sound off…the images are enough.

9. Carnival

Carnivals are always great fun and you don’t need to be in Brazil to enjoy one! Have face and body painters at the prom, encourage fun, bright makeup and provide a setup of crafts to make your own masks or headpieces. Play Samba and learn a few new dance steps!

8. Gourmet prom

Go gourmet! Ask the students what their top 3 favorite countries are and cater to those countries’ foods. Do they love Hawaii? Serve fresh fruit such as mangoes and pineapples. Do they love Mexican? Have a taco booth ready to dispense tacos all night. Do they just love sweets? Order tasty treats from a bakery to bake up a storm for them. Don’t forget the chocolate fountain!

7. White party

A simple decoration, when executed correctly, looks perfect. The invitations are to specify they MUST come dressed in full white, from the ladies’ gowns to the gentlemen’s tuxes. Decorate with white roses, clothes, and mostly anything white. Have a snow making machine just for fun!

6. In the jungle

Jane and Tarzan sure did have fun in the jungle, so bring the jungle theme to your school! Decorate with live (or fake) plants, jungle animal prints on the wall and play jungle sounds and serve foods to eat with your hands. Of course, you need to have bunches of bananas, just hanging out everywhere!

5. Holiday (Christmas Wonderland/Valentine’s/Saint Patrick’s)

If your prom date falls in or around a specific holiday, make it easier on the decorating committee and decorate with the holiday theme. There are great selections of decorations for Halloween themes, with pumpkins, harvest props and haunted house entrances. In season decorations are bound to be cheaper than other out of season ones.

4. Candy Land

Teens are by default eternal sweet lovers, so stock the tables with retro candy to give them some energy! Decorate with bright colors such as green apple, aqua, hot pink, yellow and bright blue! Bring in clowns or magicians to stir up some fun!

3. Masquerade ball

An elegant event, sophisticated décor, and stressing the need for the students to really dress up, are the key to a masquerade ball. Masks can be distributed at the door, but suits and dresses must come from them. Have a live band playing soft dance music. Make the night as classy as can be and it’s sure to be a night to remember!

2. Night in Paris

If your students are learning French in school, bring in the culture with a French Prom! Play French music, serve a buffet including baguettes, French cheeses, fresh fruit and non-alcoholic wines. Have a backdrop of the Eiffel Tower they can take a picture in front of to remember their night in Paris.

1. Hawaiian

A fun night of tropical weather! Costumes are a must, as well as Hawaiian decor, leis and tropical flowers all over! Hire a local band to play some Hawaii tunes and if they play the ukulele, even better. If your budget permits, have a big luau with pig roast included!

If you are the parent-teacher group that will decorate for the prom, make sure to take your teens preferences into account. This is a special night for them and they should be included all throughout the process!