Patio Prom Date

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At-Home Patio Prom Date for Two

Prom is such a nostalgic part of growing up. 80’s movies made us all believe that our date was our future, just waiting at the end of the aisle. And while that may be true for some – not all of us got to experience those awkward teenage pictures with our one and only! To help curb the “what-ifs” we created a date that will take you and your spouse to the prom of your dreams! You only need a few of the basics: a cute dress and/or a tie, some snacks and bubbly, and of course the top tunes from when you were living that teenage dream… and yeah, the backseat of a car wouldn’t hurt…

Ask your spouse on a Patio Prom Date.

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 There’s always a theme at a prom, so we decided that our Patio Prom would be no different. The tagline: The Stars Shine for Us! Isn’t that the best?! It instantly conjured up a rich navy sky with sparkly stars and our BRILLIANT designer Carisa of Messes to Memories delivered just that!

Patio prom invitation with special hidden note.

She was able to make all my Prom-Posal dreams come true with this interactive invite. It’s a dot-to-dot for your sweetie!! Because the print is that luscious dark navy, you’re going to want to include a white or silver gel pen or paint marker. If you want to go to extremes {we’re thinking sticky notes all over the car, balloons filling the inside, you know, the usual} go for it!! Put that little invite under all the balloons and your spouse will have a true prom-posal experience.

Interactive Patio Prom Date Invitation

I wanted our prom to be a date we could do at home after the kids were in bed.  I didn’t want to pay for a babysitter and I LOVE our back patio and that is how this became a patio prom. We fed the kiddos and put them to bed then got gussied up for our special night to remember.

I didn’t want to have to purchase an actual prom dress or rent a tux for this.  Obviously, that would have blown our budget out of the water.  So I picked one of my favorite dresses to wear and told my husband to match his outfit with mine as best he could.  I think he did a pretty amazing job!

Patio Prom poster for a fun night in.

You could always set the mood with some fun white lights. We love twinkle lights because the bulbs are larger and give off more light.  String them around your yard, your poster, yourself 😉 — make it look official! If you need more décor items simply cut some stars out of navy or silver cardstock.

Enjoy a special patio prom with your spouse!

No prom night would be complete without photos! Grab selfie sticks and go for it OR you could set up the nice camera and a tripod or even ask a neighbor. Whatever you choose – get that awkward prom photo!

A shine list for your spouse at Patio Prom.

Our proms never had food served at them, we usually just had a nice dinner at one of our parents’ houses before the dance. I was always scared I’d spill on my nice dress! Keep it as simple or fancy as you want… but I do not suggest spaghetti ;P While you are eating and chatting, take time to fill out a top ten list for each other. Why do the stars SHINE for them? Why did you fall in love? And no fancy dinner is complete without some bubbly! We included a bottle wrapper with the prom theme so you can ALWAYS remember this fun night! If you want to take it to the next level you could even personalize some His and Hers wine glasses!

Drink Wrapper for Patio Prom

For dinner and dancing, I incorporated music from our graduating class years, our wedding reception, and new releases we love.  I don’t know about all of you, but I LOVE to dance with my hubby.  It is very romantic to me.

Patio Prom Supplies
The next part of the date is one that we can all pretend doesn’t happen on prom night… but we all know that it does.  What prom night doesn’t include a make-out session?! Haha! Maybe guide your sweetie to the car for a little parking action! But be careful… there may be a Diva that set off her car alarm doing this with her husband… just maybe.

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Patio Prom Date

Printables Designed by Carisa @ Messes to Memories Exclusively for The Dating Divas

Shanelle

I am a reading, singing, shopping queen! (I'm very lucky that my handsome hubby likes shopping as much as I do) Married for 9 years and ready for forever, I love spending time with Brigham (my husband) and our 4 kiddos. I teach high school English during the school year and in the summertime, we love to go on adventures in the great outdoors.

Learn more about Shanelle
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Recent Comments

  1. I LOVE this idea!!!! My husband works two jobs right now. With 3 kids and him working, me being a FULL time Mom…time just slips away! We have been married for 18 years 🙂 Seems like after having kids, and jobs, school parties, life etc. We just dont make time for US like we need to! Thank you for this idea and your website…LOVE!!!

    1. Whoot!! Congrats, Kathy, on 18 years of marriage!! That is wonderful! I’m so glad that you are making time for the two of you! It IS, SOOO hard to cut out time on a regular basis for each other. It seems like there is always something that needs your attention and it makes it nearly impossible to find the time to dedicate to dating! I’m so glad that you found this date and love it! We had such a fun time, I hope you have so much fun on your version of it! Thanks so much for your comment!

  2. I posted our original prom picture from 1987 and then a picture of the corsage he gave me last year on your FB Page. I think they are only a local Japanese place – there is one in Spartanburg (the one went to) and one in Greenville (I think this is a newer one). He always says he is more comfortable eating there with me now than on the original date – because he was worried about all that taffeta and lace on the dress and the open flames! LOL!!

  3. So excited about planning this date with my husband. Even though we are about to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary, we were prom dates waaaaay back in 1987! He could not have been a better or more fun date then or now (we were apart for 20 years!) and since reuniting we have made it a point to go to our prom date restaurant each year on our prom anniversary to celebrate. Last year he surprised me by having our local florist recreate my prom corsage (a black lily – extra huge like the 80s hair) to wear on our “Promaversary” Date. But, this year I am going to throw in some of the ideas from this date (including the music and “Parking” at the same place…lol). Love your site and all the ideas! We plan to live in the newlywed phase for the rest of our lives to make up for missing the 20 years together.

    1. Wow, Jennifer, this date was meant for you!! You were seriously prom dates!? That is awesome! And I love that you call in a “Promaversary”…too funny! Curious what restaurant you went to…do you still love it all these years later? And did you wear the corsage…’cause that is super sweet that he did that! love this, thanks for sharing!

      1. I was so excited to see this date idea – he will flip!! Yes, we were prom dates! I did feel a bit odd wearing a wrist corsage and not being “dressed up”, but I absolutely wore it. He could not have been more proud of that corsage if he had made it himself, and it was beautiful!! The florist was so sweet to help him order the flower, dye it (a purple-ish black like the original) and to closely match the ribbon and even the spray glitter (it was the 80’s) from our prom pictures. We had dinner on prom night at Kanpai of Tokyo (it was new that year) and yes, we still love it! We rarely eat there outside of that one night a year, it’s too special of a place to us for just any dinner.

        1. Awe, you are such a good wifey! I totally would have worn it too. It’s sounds gorgeous and what an effort he made to have it redone! Did you take any pictures?? if you did and think about it, please send them to us or post them on our fb page. I’m dying to see that corsage! I have never heard of that restaurant, but it sounds sooo good! Those are the kinds of places me and my husband love to eat at.

  4. Okay, I LOVE this idea. New to the site, lovin’ it, etc… but dying to see the little black dress and the link takes me to a PDF of raspberry pork chop recipe… 🙂 Is that on purpose? 🙂

    1. Hi Sarah! I am so sorry! That is just really weird that it did that, but I fixed it! Let me know if it doesn’t work 🙂 and Welcome to our fun site!

  5. I found your site googleing about ideas to do with my boyfriend. We are together for a while ago and sometimes I just want to do some fun with him. Since he is younger than me (pfeh cougars ) we would had the choice to go his senior prom together a couple of years ago but because of several reason (for example that 6000 miles between us) we couldn’t make it and I was so so so upset about it. Which women doesn’t want to show up all nice dressed up with her love? When I started to looking through your date ideas my heart stopped for a beat when I found this one. I LOVE IT!!! Since I have some nice dresses at home from previous events and he has a nice suit we could also do it dressed out and we can finally have our own prom!!! 🙂 I am sooo excited about it!:) Thank you so much, you are awesome!

    a used-to-be LDR girlfriend from TX 🙂

    1. Thank you for sharing!! That is such a sweet and touching story, I SO hope you recreate this date for the two of you!! It sounds like it would be very meaningful for you both. I would LOVE to hear how it went if you decide to do it! Please share!

  6. Haha! This was SO cute! I loved the idea! I love how you asked him all cute and I enjoyed your writing, it was fun and cute to read. What a creative, memorable date! I wanna do that with my hubby now!

  7. The Dating Divas showed me how to ROCK the Prom……W…ho ever said that you have to attend High School to do it!" 🙂

  8. OHHH such a great idea.. My husband and I both had bad prom experiences and Im so excited to create this date!!

    Oh and I have been a public follower for a while now 🙂 love love love you guys and your dates!

  9. Oh such a great idea! My husband is out of town this week, so this might be a great way to welcome him home!

    Oh, and I'm following you from Tag Along Tuesday 🙂

  10. I just became a follower! I think this is such a fun idea, I went to a high school dance with my husband so this would bring back so many great memories of it! I also love the idea of dancing because I love dancing with my hubby. Plus we have the perfect patio for it with lights already hung up!

  11. I'm a public follower and a facebook fan! I love this date. I didn't get to attend my high school prom but now I really want to create my own prom with my hubs. I think it would be fun to create a version of this with several friends as well. Although the little dress and make out session would then be a no go so maybe not…

  12. First off I just have to say I came across your blog from Howdoesshe. I love it! :)The 1st year my husband and I were married I did stuff like this all the time! 3 daughters later and 11 years passed I'm ashamed to say I haven't done anything like this since then. Thanks for the inspiration to pick it up or "heat" it up again 🙂

    My favorite part is the simple hors d’oeuvre menu for the evening! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

  13. I am a public follower (of course)! And I love the idea of getting to go to prom with my hubby. We met right before I graduated college so we never got to go to a school dance together. Thanks for all the fabulous ideas! 🙂

  14. I LOVE your creative mind and sense of humor!! You are the best wife ever!!!!!:) What a fun night of memories you created with your sweetheartt! I am a follower!

  15. I love your fun idea of asking him to prom and all the cute inexpensive decor! You guys have fabulous ideas! I am a follower

  16. I'm a follower! AND my favorite part of the date was the idea to wear your "2nd dress" for the end of the date … and DANCING in it, too!!! TOO cute!!!

  17. I love this idea!! We have an awesome patio and I am always trying to come up with "date" ideas that involve being outside. It looks like it was a great patio prom, thanks for sharing.
    *I follow this blog publicly*

  18. I'm a public follower!
    This date idea is soo cute! My husband and I actually dated our senior year of high school but we "skipped" prom due to schedule conflicts. I will be doing this date night idea for sure to make up for our "prom". I loved everything about this date, but if I had to pick one..it would be the "asking" part. Since being married, I just assume my husband will go to things with me- which is so unlike when we were dating! I remember the excitement and butterflies of planning how I would ask him out on a date. It was such a fun part of dating and I think its great you've included that into this date idea. Its already giving me ideas on how to ask my husband to several dates I have planned this year. Thanks for the reminder!

  19. I'm always amazed at how great each date idea is! This one was soooo cute! I love how you posed for pictures and better yet made an excuse to dance! Love it!

  20. I am a public follower and I love your site!! What I love about this date is how easy it is to recreate on a budget at home. PLUS, I am so excited about the prom theme. I went to the prom twice with my now husband, so this date will be a lot of fun to relive again! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  21. Totally a Public FOLLOWER! =D The reason I LOVE this date is I never got to go to my Junior or Senior Prom in High School. I have always dreamed of it and always wondered if I could somehow do something to give me a small taste of Prom. This is definitely something I would love to do with my Husband. We live in an apartment on the top floor so to do this idea on our Patio would be so much fun!! Thank you Kari for such a GREAT idea!! I'm going to try this out some time in the future. =D

  22. I am a public follower! And I absolutely LOVE that you "trashed" your hubby's car old school prom style!! And especially the reaction from his coworkers, that was great!

  23. I am a follower. I love the dancing part of the date. What a great excuse to dance. Your right dancing is very romantic.

  24. I'm a follower and I love this date idea because my husband and I had our first date at a dance! I need to do a date night like this soon.

  25. I am a follower. I would love to decorate my husbands car at work – after I move it into a more public location! I love that we could go to prom without any of the high school awkwardness!

  26. I love your husband's co-workers' reactions, as well as his response to them! Oh, and his red face!~that was a priceless detail!

    I'm a public follower. : )

  27. I love the idea of trashing his car and making him embarrassed, also I love, love, love the star dish and the idea of making out in the car! Cute!

  28. I am a follower and I love the DOT.DOT.DOT at the end LOL. Ok really, I love that it can be done at home after kids are in bed. I find myself slacking in the dating department sometimes because I cannot think of who to have sit this time…and this you don't have to. Super cute!

  29. I love the whole prom theme of this date…especially because I never got to go on an official prom seeing as I moved out of the country right when I turned 16! This would be so fun to do with my husband!!! I can't wait to try it!!

    fragrantblissoils@gmail.com

    P.S. I'm your follower

  30. I've been a public follower for quite a while. I love this date for all the flexibility that is involved. You could make it very formal or you could make it very informal depending on your budget, time, and wishes. I also loved that you had it in your back yard. My most favorite was how you asked him. Maby of us either didn't go to our high school proms or at least not with our husbands so, that would be a great memory to make with your husband. I can't wait to do this date with my hubby. Thank you for doing the give away I would love those his & hers glasses.

    Joy

    jjw258@yahoo.com

  31. I am now a public follower, you have been in my google reader though for quite some time! I absolutely love this date! It is so creative! I love how you asked him to prom in a creative way. I am sure that just built the suspense of the date more. Love you girls!

  32. So Cute! I'm a follower, and I just love the picture idea and the "parking" idea. Super fun details that I never would've thought of! You're so very creative-thanks for sharing!

  33. With working multiple jobs, my husband and I just don't have the time to get out so the idea of being able to do this on our back patio is perfect! I have been following this blog for some time and this is definitely one of my favorite ideas!

  34. What a cute idea!!! My husband and I went to our high school prom together and this would be an amazing blast from the past date for us! Thanks for the idea! I became a follower a few months ago and I love all the great ideas! ~Rebecca

  35. I love this date idea! I never got to go to prom when I was in high school and the college one that I went to had a horrible memory attached to it. I think this would be great fun! I love the fact that you went and changed into your "little, little black dress"!!!! That is SO something that I would do! I LOVE dancing with my husband! He loves to sneak up behind me while I am working in the kitchen and take me in his arms and start dancing with me. Sigh….so romantic!!! I am seriously considering trying this date out! And I have been a public follower for a long time.

  36. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS DATE!!! But I would say my favorite part(s) are that your ALONE with NO KIDS!!! And the dancing! I love to Dance and it doesn't happen very often :)Thanks for such an AWESOME idea!!

  37. I just became a follower of this blog, and I LOVE this idea! What a way for both of you to feel special and have a date you'll never forget!

  38. Wow! So fun! I love the fact that you trashed his car at work, and his reaction was so great! I've been trying to think of how my hubs would react, I guess I'm just going to have to try it and see!

  39. I'm a public follower, and I just LOVE the idea of this date. I also love that it could easily be turned into a group date too! SO much fun!

  40. I totally follow your blog…got a button on my blog. I'm totally loving the "parking" in the garage. That cracks me up! That's probably the only place I'd be brave enough to "park" anyway!

  41. So fun. I am a follower of your blog- I just love it. My husband and I actually went to prom together in high school. This would be such a fun memory to recreate.

  42. I just signed up to follow publicly. My favorite part was getting the dinner at a grocery store deli. I've never done it before, but will now.

  43. So fun! I only went to one prom in high school and it definitely wasn't the greatest. I'd love to have a private prom with my husband!!

    P.S. I am a follower 🙂

  44. I love the aspect of going back in time to recreate another memory with your hubby. High school sometimes isn't the easiest time, so why not have some awesome memories associated with high school instead of dreadful ones? Prom was fun back then, but to have "prom" with the one you're really going to be with for the rest of your life is magical. Besides, it's a great idea with a small price tag! Who could pass it up? Not me!

  45. I'm a public follower, and love this date because its something that can be done at home, after kids are in bed. I like the inexpensive aspect of it. For us with little budgets left for "play" this is a BIG plus