By Andrew DeCredico
It was a night to remember.
Ocean City High School held its prom Saturday night at the Flanders Hotel, and with clear skies and warmer temperatures than in recent days, the pre-prom photo ops and logistics of getting there went off with nary a hitch.
The traditional red carpet entrance awaited the attendees, as did the “oohs” and “ahhs” from the parents, family members, friends, paparazzi and other appreciative spectators.
Prom-goers wore huge smiles to go with their formal attire. The majority arrived in couples, but there were also single young men and women, as well as groups of friends who arrived for their entrance.
Once inside, the attendees were whisked to the elegant setting of the Flanders Ballroom for a sumptuous meal, followed by dancing.
OCNJDaily’s photographer had a front-row view to record the students as they arrived for the big night. The more than 500 attendees stretched the red carpet line, full of eager faces, around the parking lot.
Many of the men featured the time-tested, classic black tuxedo, with white shirt and vest to match their date. Others decided to go with a more unique approach.
As for the ladies, many of them went with the timeless long ballroom gowns that have become tradition in prom fashion. Other girls were attired in beautiful outfits that strayed away from tradition. A pink and white dress and a man in military uniform were just a few of the standout ensembles on the red carpet.
In past years, Ocean City High School has held its Junior/Senior Prom at the historic Flanders Hotel located not far from the high school. This year kept up the tradition of a full dinner provided by the Flanders. In addition, the hotel upheld its own tradition of dedicating an entire room to dancing, a live DJ and a laser light show.
When someone thinks of their prom, the venue is not the only thing that comes to mind. The Flanders made all of the special memories possible, but no prom would be complete without crowning the Prom King and Prom Queen. This year, the titles of Prom King and Prom Queen were given to Rocco Cisternino and Ashley Liguori. These prestigious titles came with golden sashes, as well as a fancier crown and tiara befitting of royalty.
This year’s Prom Prince and Prom Princess were Noam Levy-Smith and Ava Auwarter, respectively. Besides a sash with their title on it, the prince and princess were given a crown and tiara to show off their honor.
After the ceremony, the students anxiously lined up to catch the first bus so that they could be the first to see all of the amazing decorations at the After Prom gala that the parents and volunteers had worked so tirelessly on.
For more photos of the prom and coverage of the After Prom, check out OCNJDaily.com on Sunday and our Facebook page.
