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Senior Luke Parrott asked senior Annsleigh McCraw to prom outside the school early in the morning with a Beauty and Beast promposal sign. "He's horrible at keeping secrets, but nonetheless I was excited to see what he put together," McCraw said. "His promposal was so thoughtful."

It is the biggest night of the year. Girls come in with the most glamorous dresses, hair and makeup done to perfection and nails painted flawlessly. The boys walk in wearing their sharp tuxedos with their hair slicked back. This coming-of-age experience will soon come to end, but the memories will live on forever.

Prom is right around the corner and many students are discovering creative ways to prompose to their dates. Promposals have played a huge role in high school cultures and have become an ongoing tradition. Whether it’s bringing them gifts, a big poster with clever play-on words or creating an elaborate stunt, promposals add to the unforgettable prom experience.

“It’s necessary to show silly acts of intimacy in today’s society,” senior Luke Parrott said. “We tend to constantly push people away from us and promposals are a great way to show someone you love them.”

Parrott asked his date senior Annsleigh McCraw by texting her the morning before to meet him outside the school. McCraw saw Parrott and walked towards him holding a Beauty and the Beast promposal.

“He’s horrible about keeping secrets, but nonetheless I was excited to see what he put together,” McCraw said. “His promposal was so thoughtful. Even though we are dating, I still felt appreciated and I loved the quirky gesture. He makes me feel like a true princess.”

Like Parrotts’ promposal, brainstorming ideas requires acknowledging your date’s interests. Senior Lane Miller asked senior Debany Arciniega-Saenz with a couple of her favorite things.

“We were at One-Act rehearsal and I decided to ask her with chicken nuggets and her favorite drink from Palace,” Miller said. “I had all my stuff ready to ask her, but she wanted to fix her makeup. I waited for her to get her makeup ready, and then I told her to close her eyes. She opened her eyes and read my sign and said yes. She didn’t really give me time to actually ask her, but it was pretty funny.”

Miller wanted to make the promposal funny because they planned on going together as friends. Although Arciniega knew he was going to prompose to her, she didn’t know what the theme of the promposal would be, which added a little excitement.

“The real requirement for a good promposal is that it is lighthearted and heartfelt,” Miller said. “Promposals really make girls feel important and loved, and I think that is needed in today’s society.”

While some promposals are simpler than others, some will plan an elaborate scene for their dates. Senior Josh Moreno asked his date sophomore Hannah Lannou by creating a “crime scene” theme promposal.

“A bunch of girls were asking me to help them get out of costume, so I was in there [the school] for a little bit.” Lannou said. “Then my friend Sierra asked if I would go with her to someone’s car to grab something, and all of sudden there was a huge group of us going outside. He [Moreno] had set up a crime scene, and he was laying down, and there was white tape around him and yellow tape around all of the cars. I ran inside the yellow tape, and that’s when he said he “was dying to go to prom with me” and then he picked me up and spun me around.”

Many promposals do not go without intricate planning and teamwork. Moreno said he got the help of his cast in order make his promposal special.

“It was truly a group effort,” Moreno said. “I had people distracting Hannah inside the school so she wouldn’t come outside too early, and I had some of the guys help set up the scene. You have to know if your date is okay with you asking them in front of a ton of people, or if they would prefer something small between the two of you.”

Promposals can be wholesome and fun, with clever puns. Senior Ethan Evers asked senior Macie Lipkke to prom by covering her car with sticky notes.

“I had about six people help me cover her car in sticky notes,” Evers said. “We finished in about 10 minutes, and then I climbed into the back of my friend’s truck. Macie walked out thinking her car had been hit by someone, and then the truck pulled forward revealing the car, and I popped out of the back of the truck.”

While promposals are a modern and exciting tradition, it’s also an important way to show someone how much you truly care.

“Promposals in general are special because it shows they care and want to do something nice for you,” Evers said. “It’s a really fun thing to do, regardless of how large of an idea you try to do.”