Corsage Project Guidelines

Thank you so much for volunteering your time to help us bring our Boutique Ball to life and for making such a difference for our Corsage Girls. Below you will find general to-do’s as well as specific guidelines for each of our volunteer positions. Don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions about any of the information or your role.

Have a great day! ☺︎

General To-Do’s

Tips:

DO keep a positive attitude.
DO be respectful and inclusive; people present themselves in many ways.
DO keep the participants’ desires top of mind (DO NOT override their desires with your personal taste/opinion).
DO NOT take photos of participants (Corsage Project will only take photos of participants who have given their permission to have their photos taken and are 18+).
For Personal Shoppers, DO NOT leave your participant until they have completed the entire process (dress, accessories and shoes) and take them to the exit for their swag bag.
Participants are at the Boutique Ball for many different reasons, DO NOT generalize their situation or make assumptions.

Important Info:

Participants have 45 minutes to complete their boutique experience (10:00-10:45; 11:00- 11:45; 12:00-12:45).
Each participant is allowed:
- one dress,
- one pair of shoes,
- one of each type of accessory (if they want).
Pizza lunch will be served after the last shift of participants around 1:00 pm.
If you require a break, please make sure there is coverage in your area/you have finished supporting your participant.
Bathroom location is by the main office – down the hall past the volunteer and Corsage participant registration tables.

Dress Runners

Collecting all undesired dresses from the dressing area and returning these to their appropriate rack (sorted by size and colour).

Ensure inventory racks are well maintained throughout the Boutique Ball and easy to sort through.
Ensure all dresses are hung appropriately and easy to try-on.
Should you find any damaged dresses, these are kept aside to be reviewed at the end of the event.

While you will be circling the entire event and running dresses to/from racks and not partnered with any Corsage participants specifically, you will be engaging with our participants and volunteers to assist in the return or retrieval of any desired dresses.

You are encouraged to provide any suggestions and/or help Personal Shoppers find any desired sizing/colour/style.

Personal Shoppers

Connecting, supporting, and guiding our Corsage participants in finding their dream prom attire!

You will be partnered with a specific participant with the effort of providing them with a very personalized, special, and memorable experience. You will do this by asking the participant about their desired prom look (style, colour, length, etc) and approximate size.

Work through the dress inventory racks with your Corsage participant and offer suggestions for dresses for them to try on (3-5 dresses at a time).
Work with Dress Runners to provide guidance on dresses that can be returned to racks or those that are being considered and held onto.
As you work through the racks with your Corsage participant, you may need to return any undesirable dresses back to their appropriate place and set aside any of interest. Please make sure that you aren’t leaving your Corsage participant alone for very long. If you need to return a dress to the rack, you can bring the participant with you.
Assist the Corsage participant in trying on the selected dresses (pull-up zippers, snap any clips, etc).
Once your Corsage participant has selected their dress, it is your responsibility to bring them to our Shoe/Jewellery/Accessories Stations where the participants will be supported by the rest of our volunteers in selecting everything needed to complete their look!

This role is most closely connected to our Corsage participants. As a Personal Shopper, you must exemplify patience, understanding, and honesty.

The Corsage participants are attending the Boutique Ball on their own, so you will be their support system through this journey. You will work closely with all volunteer functions in this capacity.

Station Attendants

Organizing, replenishing, and maintaining your respective Accessory Stations (Shoes, Jewellery, Handbags/Pashminas)

You will be connecting with the Corsage participants to see their outfit selections and offer suggestions on coordinating accessories. You will ask the participants about their desired prom look, desired colour/style, and size (if applicable) to help find the perfect accessories to complete their look.

As you work this station, you will be interacting with all Corsage participants throughout the day! As opposed to working with one participant (as a Personal Shopper would), you will be supporting multiple people at once in trying to find the most suitable accessory.
Ensure all accessories are sorted and displayed appropriately and easy for try-on throughout the Boutique Ball Should you find any damaged accessories, these are kept aside to be reviewed at the end of the event.
As we wrap up the Boutique Ball, you will be asked to count and remaining Accessories within your Station (Shoes, Jewellery, Handbags/Pashminas) for reference for next year.
As a volunteer that will be connecting with all of our Corsage participants, we ask you to help support each person to find Accessories to suit their needs and desires!

It will take some organization skill to sort through and manage the Station(s) and a good eye for style to suggest some great items to complete an amazing prom look!