AL family throws “stay at home” prom for young couple

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - With schools shut down across the country, proms are another tradition that’s been canceled due to COVID-19. But that didn’t stop one young Alabama couple from celebrating prom with a “stay at home” theme.

UAB student Aly Brown was determined that her younger brother Peyton would still get to enjoy prom with his girlfriend Autumn, who he’s been dating for over a year. The juniors are both in the band, with Autumn in the color guard and Peyton on the drum line.

Before the virus shut down schools, Peyton had already asked Autumn if she was “Up for prom,” referencing the Pixar movie Up by coming to her house with a huge bunch of helium balloons.

“They didn’t expect or ask us to do this prom for them. My mom kinda suggested it and I kinda ran with it,” Aly explained.

Both of the couple’s families have been taking the stay at home orders seriously, so they felt safe about planning a makeshift prom in the Brown family’s carport for just the couple and a few family members, with less than 10 people there. Alabama and CDC guidelines still allow social gatherings of up to 10 people.

“We started planning on Monday and had it on Friday. We asked both of them first and they said yes,” Aly said.

Aly said her brother was “kinda iffy until we said we’ll get Texas Roadhouse and y’all can eat it,” she added, laughing.

The couple dressed up, took prom photos, and enjoyed their Texas Roadhouse takeout in a private dining area on the back porch.

The prom decorations came from things that were leftover from Aly’s 16th birthday party and other parties her parents have hosted over the years as youth pastors. They even managed to find crowns to coronate Peyton and Autumn as Prom King and Prom Queen.

“They were both excited all week. He helped us decorate but she didn’t, so it was a surprise” for Autumn, who had already bought her dress before prom was canceled, Aly said.

Aly and her friend Drew pulled out their old prom dresses and joined in the fun. She said everyone danced and had a fun time, and she recorded a video to commemorate their celebration.

The big sister is happy about how the night turned out.

“I felt really good. I like to do stuff like that for other people, to go out of my way to give people what they deserve or should have had. I think they had a good time,” she said.

Many other high school juniors and seniors around the country held their own proms at home on Friday night as part of celebrity John Krasinski’s “Some Good News” virtual prom, which you can watch here.