This year I threw our department’s Christmas party—something that isn’t technically part of my job, but honestly, I truly enjoy doing it.
I had all these ideas about what kind of décor I was going to do, and at the time they all seemed like very realistic, doable possibilities. And some were. But one thing you have to remember about being an event planner—official or not—is that you must know how to pivot at the last minute if an idea turns out to be a little unrealistic.
Originally, I had planned to repurpose some tiki huts I kept from a tropical event I threw years back for a barbecue. The plan was to transform them into a Christmas-themed hot chocolate bar. In my mind, I would add fake snow, dress them up, and create this charming little holiday moment. And yes, that all sounds fine… but when you have a limited amount of time and a limited budget—because I work in the public sector and everything is publicly funded—the reality hits fast.
What I had planned for these tiki huts and what was starting to materialize the day before the event were two very different things. Let’s just say it was beginning to look a lot like… crap.
So, using what resources I had on hand—and digging into the décor I keep at home—I had to pivot. The hot chocolate bar stayed, because I had already purchased everything for it. But the look had to change. I still needed to deliver an event that was both beautiful and financially responsible.
And honestly, I think that’s the real takeaway: sometimes things don’t go as planned.
There are a couple of things we all need to keep in mind when it comes to event planning (or really, anything in life):
Do you have a backup plan if things go sideways? At what point are you willing to throw in the towel on the idea that isn’t working and bring in a fresh one?
We try to do as much as we can ahead of time, especially when we’re not sure if something will work. Always test the day before if you can. I’m grateful I had the benefit of time, because I was able to keep my concept without failing on appearance. And honestly? The only people who knew anything went wrong were the ones I told.
Lesson for myself: keep your mouth shut until you’re sure something is actually going to work.
So yes—lessons learned:
Try to prep or test ideas ahead of time. Know when to throw in the towel and start fresh. Don’t stress too much. Things go sideways—that’s life. There will always be oopsies, and you just have to roll with the punches.
At the end of the day, I still created an elevated experience for our department with the resources I had. It wasn’t what I originally planned. But to be honest? It turned out even better.
