Event hosting should take months of detailed planning, designing, and organizing. When given advanced notice, holding an event is fun and exciting, but what about when you only have a few weeks? Guess what? It can still be an enjoyable experience! If you’re type A like me, you might wonder, ‘How on Earth could anyone let an occasion sneak up on them?’ You’d be surprised!

A groom-to-be attempting to pull off a jaw-dropping proposal or engagement party is one of our favorite buzzer-beater perfections. To a well-meaning, sweetheart of a groom who’s only attended events and never planned them, three weeks sounds like plenty of time.

How about this one: Have you ever had a gloomy best friend, who wanted nothing less than to celebrate her milestone birthday after a breakup? But after two weeks of sulking, she’s had a sudden epiphany and wants to usher in her new year of life with a bang.

Neither of the above scenarios is impossible, but it can be stressful if you don’t know what to do. Don’t panic. If you’re short on time, we’ll show you how answering these five questions will ensure you use the short time you have wisely and efficiently. Stick with us and you’ll pull off a fabulous, quickly-approaching event that will have your guests believing you’ve been planning for months.

1. Where Are We Going?

Let’s begin with the most practical advice. You need a date and a venue. Depending on the type of event, your home or backyard may suffice. But for those events that require more space or flair, you’ll need to reserve a venue fast.

Just because you’re short on time doesn’t mean it’s impossible to land your ideal venue, just be prepared with a list of potential places to check out in case your top choice is booked. If you run into a situation where all your choice venues are reserved, you may want to think outside the box. Check places like:

Reception halls
Parks
A nightclub for daytime use
Hotels
Rooftops
Beaches
Restaurant spaces

Keep in mind, the less time you have, the fewer decisions you’ll have time to make. That may mean opting for a reception hall or hotel space that can offer packages that include tables, chairs, and linens over a park or rooftop location. These types of spaces require you to find time to order rentals, set them up, break them down, and return items. If you have help it may be feasible, just something to keep in mind.

Pro Tip: Consider booking a full-service venue. They will handle catering, tables, chairs, linens, and basic decor. If you can find one available that fits your budget and style, it will save you the time and effort of coordinating with several vendors.

2. What’s For Dinner?

Or lunch? Or brunch? Your guests will expect to be fed, so what’s on the menu? First, decide if you’ll be enlisting the best cooks in your family to throw down in the kitchen, or if you want your event catered. If you decide on catering, you’ll need to think through what type of service fits your event best: plated, stations, or buffet style. Once you’ve made it this far, things start to get much easier!

But don’t forget dessert! If you’re planning a celebration, it won’t be complete without something sweet. Serving a specialty cake or dessert, may require another vendor, so keep that in mind. It’s also your opportunity to make things easier on yourself and call in an order at your local bakery. Be advised, even the most laid-back bakery will require at least a few day's notice for larger orders, and some need a week or more.

3. Who’s Coming?

No one wants to go through all the effort of planning an event only to have a poor turnout. That means you’ll need to whip up a guest list and get invites out quickly. When you’re short on time, stationery and snail mail are out of the question. I also wouldn’t recommend opting for the ever-tempting group chat invitation. Don’t be that person. Utilizing social media platforms is an option, especially if the event is informal, but you risk using a platform your guests don’t frequent. (I check my Facebook messages about twice a year.)

Sending electronic invitations is your best option. There’s very little downside to using services such as Greenvelope, Paperless Post, or Evites. Not only do services like these allow you to design your invitations, but you can also send them via text or email, manage RSVPs, and send out reminders to your guests.

Getting these invites out as soon as you have a date and location is important. People’s calendars fill up quickly, especially in the warmer months. You’ll also need to provide a headcount to your caterer and finalize the number of tables and chairs you’ll need with your venue and/or rental company.

4. Is It Fun?

It will be as soon as you book the entertainment! We’re hard-pressed to think of an event that isn’t enhanced by music. Decide whether you want live music, a DJ, or a playlist. If the event has more of a background music vibe, make sure you have adequate audio equipment to accommodate the size of your space, and think about adding other interactive elements. If you decide to go the live music route, you’ve just solved the music and entertainment puzzle in a single decision.

Some events work best when entertainment is passive. Set up a few lawn games, rent an inflatable, hold a raffle or silent auction, rent a photo booth, or all of the above. Photobooths are a great way to capture the day’s events without resorting to hiring an expensive professional photographer last minute, and they’re fun for your guests.

5. Can We Do That Again?

Now that you’ve confirmed the essentials, let’s take it up a notch and make a great event unforgettable. This last step is your chance to have fun and create an experience that reflects the spirit of the occasion.

Depending on the type of venue you’ve booked and what they offer, this step might be essential or completely optional. If you opted for a venue that offers a great space and location, but not much else, you’ll need to rent chairs, tables, linens, tableware, etc. If you were able to score a place that includes all those things, you have one less thing to worry about and it provides you with more time to get creative.

Use this opportunity to have fun with decor by adding things like marquee letters, balloons, florals, signage, backdrops, and other unique rental items. Rentals are a great way to create a fun and engaging experience for your guests.

If you’re going to serve dessert, you could arrange it nicely on a table, or you could rent cake stands, decorative trays, and a dessert cart that makes getting dessert a fun and enchanting experience.

If you’re going to rent a photo booth you could put it in front of a solid wall, or you could rent a trendy backdrop and throw in a marquee letter or number and some props to make taking photos fun and special.

If you’re going to toast to the occasion, you could provide champagne flutes at each place setting along with a bottle of bubbly at each table, or you could rent a champagne wall and create another photo op.

Do you see where I’m going with this? Every element of your event can be something you do or something you experience. Think like a guest and you should have no trouble coming up with ways to enhance the event at hand.

This question is intentionally last because it’s the least essential. Don’t get so caught up on the details, that you fail to secure the non-negotiables like a venue and food. But once those things are set, you can add as many rentals as your mind and budget can accommodate.

If any of this sounds excruciating to you, don’t worry. At Enchanted Events, we specialize in creating picture-perfect, memorable experiences that capture your vision, personality, and budget. Contact us with questions and afford us the honor and pleasure of practicing what we’ve just preached above. We not only know how to throw an event under pressure, but it’s fun to pleasantly surprise our clients by surpassing their expectations.