Welcome to the new world of the prom “ask.” Forget about sticky notes on lockers or spray-painted car windows (and don’t even consider the classic telephone call). Today’s students are scrambling to devise increasingly clever and creative invitations. From scavenger hunts, to skywritten messages, to fortune cookies, prom asks have become a major production.

Prom is one of the final rites of passage in high school. Teen girls daydream about the dress, shoes, jewelry and hair, all in hopes of the perfect night. But the first step is always securing a date. That means waiting for a prom proposal, or promposal; often an elaborate plan to make sure your dream date doesn’t say no.

Long gone are the days of simply asking someone to prom in the hallway before class, or the days of checking the box next to yes, no or maybe on an elaborately folded piece of loose-leaf paper; or spelling out the word “Prom” in balloons, snow or even pepperoni.

Last year Kenzie Karnes was standing by her car when school resource officer Mark Mitchell came up to her. He made her believe that she was getting a ticket, but instead on the ticket was the question “Prom?” signed by Sam Victor.

Pressed for time or inspiration, some teenagers are turning to professionals for help. The Heart Bandits, a “romantic events” company that handles marriage proposals, recently started receiving prom requests. For one client, in California, the firm created a scavenger hunt; for another, in Michigan, the firm designed a series of signs along a roadway, ending with an invitation. Marvin Velazquez owns the Los Angeles-based business and charges $400 for orchestrating promposals and offers suggestions on his Web site like: “Hire the high school band to ask your girl to the prom. The result will be epic and you will go down as a legend.”

I’m not quite sure when it began, but I’m sure most of the teenage boys in America want to beat up whomever started it, because now a prom proposal makes a marriage proposal at a sporting event look small.

It will be interesting to see how over the top marriage proposals will be in the next 10 years, when these students come of age. Already, the current generation is making prom proposals a much, much bigger production than ever before, but whether you’re a fan of these elaborate promposals or not, you have to admit, they can be adorable to watch.