Marlborough formal: behind the scenes of “a very special evening”

The biggest night of the high school calendar started from 8am on Saturday for Marlborough Girls’ College year 13 student Te Ao Mārama Nepia.

The 17-year-old head girl was one of the 22 students of the Marlborough Combined College Formal committee to organise the school formal this year.

“We had to organise literally everything that happened from the road closing, the decoration, who we want to do the food, the entertainment, and we have subcommittees that work on their designated area.”

Planned since February and held at the Marlborough Convention Centre, this year’s formal had a Great Gatsby theme with a gold, black and white decoration.

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“We are excited to see the students’ reactions when they get to see all the beautiful decorations tonight.

“We have different things in different areas. So in our dining room, we have big long tables with centrepieces with big feathers and gold vases.

“For our photo booth we have a beautiful old couch with big concrete blocks, and we also have a balloon garland for an informal photo booth.”

After her make-up appointments at 9.30am, Te Ao Mārama came back to the Marlborough Convention Centre “to see if everything was running smoothly”, before rushing to the hairdresser and go back to the venue.

“It’s definitely a big deal, especially when we have all the boys in, acting like gentleman… It’s very exciting!

“It represents the best social night for school, and it’s a time when we can all come together and celebrate, it’s a very special evening.

“After formal, almost everyone is connected again, and ready to smash out our goals for the end of our years at school, which is really exciting.”

Te Ao Mārama was gathering with seven of her friends at her place to take photos and share platters before the big night.

It has been also a very busy for Anna Makeup & Beauty owner Anna Thompson who was fully-booked from 8am until 5.45pm.

“Some bookings have been made a year in advance.

“It is such a big deal for the girls to have their makeup, their nails and their hair done”

“The biggest part for me is to have them sending me what make-up they are after, and what dress they want to match,” Thompson said.

Marlborough Girls’ College year 13 students Morghan Summerscales,17, and Greta Marshall, 18, came together to have their makeup done.

“I got my hair coloured nice and blonde on Wednesday afternoon, and then Thursday morning I got my eyelashes done, Thursday afternoon my eyebrows and nails, and then last night tan.

“On top of all that, I am also on the formal committee, as part of the catering team, so I’ve been at the Convention Centre all day yesterday and this morning,” Summerscales said.

The 17-year-old student didn’t sleep much the night before.

“I was pretty excited.

“I look forward to the dressing up, and to seeing how the boys all look dressed up, because we never really get to see that as often as we should.”

Marlborough Girls’ College principal Mary-Jeanne Lynch said it was really important to have traditions, rites of passage in our lives, and particularly in schools.

“I remember before our formal, everybody in my school has spent a term, at lunchtime, learning ballroom dancing.

“And we learned a series of dances, the Waltz, the Schottische, the military two-step… and it was quite good fun.

“An elderly woman came in and played the piano for all of those dances. So it was like a quite an old traditional formal, and then the rest of the night we had a band.”

Lynch said formal was also a huge community event.

“I’d like to thank the parents and the wider community for supporting the Marlborough combined college formal.

“And I wish the students to have a really fun night with their friends, celebrating.”