Event brief and decision log
The one-page brief every other choice is tested against, and a log of the decisions still open. Seeded from your setup; everything you type stays in this browser.
For a first pass, the brief is essential: its first five lines (occasion, guests, date, place and ceiling) are the Start here result of The event brief, and other chapters copy from them. The decision log is optional; it earns its place when more than one person decides.
The brief
One line per heading is enough. The first five (occasion, guests, date, place and ceiling) are the Start here brief; the rest can wait until a choice depends on them.
Decision log
One row per open question. Write who decides and by when; when it is settled, write what was decided so it is not reopened.
How to use these sheets
- One line per heading. Short is fine. A brief is something you can read in a minute when a choice comes up.
- Facts in the brief, open questions in the log. When a line says "not sure", move it to the decision log with who decides and by when.
- Write the outcome so you can check it. "Carmen talks to every grandchild" can be checked afterward; "a great party" cannot.
The decision log's example row is from the Ortiz case (fictional): Elena and her brothers decided the rain plan together, wrote what they chose, and named the garage as the lightning shelter because a tent is not one. It shows a decision written down with who made it, so it does not get reopened the week of the party.
The brief records what the hosts decided; it does not make the event succeed, and the outcome line is your own test, not a forecast. Who is responsible for a group's contracts or money is a question for the group's officers or an attorney.