How to rule your prom after-party

When done right, the prom after-party might be even more memorable than prom itself.

MANILA, Philippines - Spoiler alert: we didn’t have a great prom. At best we spent that night awkwardly making small talk and at worst we went home before midnight. But what we lack in success, we more than make up for in hindsight. After much thought and deliberation, here now are ideas on how you can make your prom night better by making sure you have a great post-prom party that’s worth immortalizing in social media. 

Pool Party

The goal of the post-prom party is to let loose and shake off all that school-approved song and dance. We’ve always thought that events like these should resemble scenes from a teen rom-com or some music video from that really, really good ‘90s band. A pool party is the best way to do that. It’s a great way to let go of all the inhibitions and literally dive into whatever the night will bring. Important note, though: you have to be wearing your suits and dresses for this pool party. It won’t work if you bring swimsuits. Just think of how many jump shots and underwater selfies you can upload the morning after. Your Instagram will never be cooler. Suits soaking wet, mascara all over your chlorine-drenched faces; it’s like you’re living a high-end fashion editorial!

Spend the rest of your night in Burgos Street

If you ever wanted your prom night to even remotely resemble a Wong Kar-Wai film, this is what you need to do. To those of you who aren’t fans of all the glitz and glam that oozes from your prom night, there’s no better place to feel just the right amount of grunge and danger than going to Burgos Street right after. Head straight to The Filling Station and be the best-dressed (and also underage) kids there. Go and eat cheeseburgers, drink milkshakes, and when you’re all full, walk around Burgos and just take in everything that area gives you. Let the neon lights all around be the perfect filter for your Instagrammable night. Wander the streets and enjoy whatever lies ahead at the next corner. You spent a lot on your outfits, so might as well take it out for a night on the town.

Karaoke

If you find that your friends are just as cool as your date, then there’s no better way to end the night than with all of you together. Round up your barkada and their respective others and book a karaoke room. Doesn’t matter whether it’s a dingy one on a bustling street or a classy one in the business district. A list of your best karaoke go-to songs and the perfect fun friends are all you need to remember this night. You shouldn’t just sing to a song, you should belt it. Do an all-girl rendition of Since You’ve been Gone or an all-boy number of a Backstreet Boys hit. If it doesn’t scare your dates away, then you’ve found a keeper.

Go to a gig

Because your date is cool, and this is the place where you’d both like to kick it. Maybe the music at the prom wasn’t to your liking. But everything about this underground music bar just strikes as the perfect place to end a night: having a casual conversation while a live band plays in the background. This works best if you and your date actually listen to the same music. But if you don’t, having a moment where someone experiences something new on prom night can be quite magical too. Plus, you’ll both look overdressed for a gig, which kind of makes a statement in itself. And during the night, we’re sure you wouldn’t mind the extra attention.

Midnight picnic

Now, Casanova, if you are madly in love with your date (which at that age is most likely just a cluster of hormones) and you want this to be remembered as the most romantic prom date ever, then a picnic under the stars will probably take the cake. Albeit the cheese potential, the rewards will probably be more than 50 likes on her Instagram, if you pull it off right. It takes a little bit of preparation, though, and a lot of resourcing. Let it be an actual picnic complete with a mat and a basket full of her favorite goodies, but try to be a little bit more creative location-wise. If you’re ambitious and you have a car, take her to Tagaytay for the full-blown postcard experience. But less predictable: work your magic to get access to a helipad, and you will give her both the best view of the city and the stars in one go. Plus points for sure.