How to Plan a Family Reunion

Guide Note

Organize a reunion with a location, food and activities that family members of all ages will enjoy. How to Plan a Family Reunion provides simple guidelines to help you arrange a successful event and stay within budget.

Table of Contents

Reunion Planning Tips

  1. Determine if you'd rather organize one large reunion for your entire extended family or smaller parties for different sides of the family.
  2. Let relatives know you're choosing a date to accommodate the majority of the family to avoid hurt feelings.
  3. Pick a convenient location that also suits the length of the reunion and type of activities you want to include.
  4. Send email or paper invitations well in advance of the reunion to get an accurate head count.
  5. Set a reunion budget based on how much you and your relatives are willing to spend.
  6. Devise engaging activities that relatives of all ages will enjoy.
  7. Decorate the spot where the family will congregate with festive and nostalgic touches.
  8. Consider the crowd size and budget when determining whether to have a potluck meal or a catered affair.
  9. Pass out souvenirs like personalized t-shirts or create online photo albums to commemorate the event.

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Introduction

  • If your family members are losing touch because of distance or busy schedules, organize a family reunion to reconnect.1 Catch up with relatives you haven't seen for ages and introduce the newest family additions to grandparents or great grandparents. After bonding over engaging activities or an enjoyable meal, it will seem like you've never been apart.2 Once the event is over, you'll have stronger relationships and memories to last a lifetime.

Step 1: Compile the Guest List

  • When planning your guest list, consider the purpose of the reunion. Do you want to spend more time with your side of the family, or do you want them to bond with your in-laws' relatives?3 Would you rather contain it to local family members, or do you intend to gather every generation from around the globe?
  1. (Creative Commons photo by dahon)
    (Creative Commons photo by dahon)
    Ask your parents, grandparents and siblings to help you compile the guest list since they may remember relatives you've forgotten.4
  2. In addition to parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, also consider inviting close family friends.
  3. Get names and addresses for the invitations. For instant communication, use phone numbers or email addresses.
  4. Use additional resources to find contact information for family members you've lost touch with.
    1. Ask neighbors or friends for up-to-date details on "missing" family members.
    2. Create an account on a family reunion website that long-lost relatives might see.5
    3. Use a people search website to track them down.6

Step 2: Select the Date

  • All of your planning will be worthless, if the majority of your family members can't attend. Choose a date that's convenient for most of your relatives...and that can help you cut reunion costs.7
  1. Choose dates in the summer when the kids will be out of school and most adults will be scheduling vacation time anyway.8
  2. Wrap three- or four-day reunions around the weekend so even family members who can't take off work can attend some of the festivities.
  3. Determine if your family will be participating in a seasonal activity during the reunion, like skiing or apple picking.9 This can help you narrow the time frame.
  4. Opt for a location's off-peak seasons to save money on accommodations.10
  5. Run possible dates by your family members, but let them know the majority rules so they won't be upset if you choose the one date they've ruled out.

Step 3: Set a Budget

  • If you're organizing the event, you'll probably end up paying for the bulk of the festivities unless you set a reunion budget and require relatives to chip in.11 Consider your family members' financial situations to ensure they'll be able to attend without putting a burden on their pocketbooks.
  1. Ask individual families to cover their own airfare, gas, incidentals and meals they have away from the group.12
  2. Compile a list of possible expenses to plan how much the event might cost.13
  3. Consider holding a smaller reunion to cut food and activity costs if you worry that many of your relatives won't contribute.
  4. Ensure relatives you'll take advantage of cheaper hotel rates and group rates at restaurants or amusement parks whenever possible.14

Gathering Reunion Funds

  1. Determine if you'd rather have relatives chip in for a general fund that you use to pay for activities, or if it's better to keep a running tab and ask for contributions after the event.15
  2. Explain the budget in the invitation so relatives will immediately know how much they'll owe.
  3. Use a checklist to keep track of the money you and other relatives spend on reunion items, no matter how small.16
  4. Consider a fundraiser to generate extra money for the reunion budget.17
  5. Send each family an itemized receipt after the event so they know exactly where their money went.

Step 4: Choose a Location

  • Brainstorm reunion locations that are not only convenient for the majority of your relatives, but also conducive for the type of activities you know they'll like.18
  1. Hotel: Find an affordable resort if the reunion will take place over several days.
    1. Inquire about group rates when reserving a block of rooms.19
    2. Consider a resort with activities, like golf, tennis or water sports, that family members can enjoy.
    3. Determine if the hotel has a banquet room you can rent for opening night festivities and a selection of restaurants where you can have additional meals.
  2. Relative's home: Hold a small reunion at someone's house for a more personal setting.
    1. Ensure there's enough space for everyone to mingle and possibly put up some relatives for the night.
    2. Confirm that there's enough refrigerated storage space if you're planning a potluck dinner.20 Consider renting refrigeration units if you need to store food in bulk.
    3. Rent extra tables, chairs and tableware if you'll be dining in the backyard.21
  3. Outdoors: When the weather allows, choose an outdoor setting for a reunion that will only last a few hours.
    1. Reserve a shady spot with picnic benches at a local park. Send someone early and take your rental permit in case another party tries to set up in your area.22
    2. Stake out an area at the beach by placing small flags in the sand or building canopies to secure a large enough area for your group.23
  4. Amusement Park: Consider buying group tickets to a theme park that your family can explore as a group.24
    1. Ensure there are enough rides and attractions for the children, as well as areas where older relatives can rest throughout the day.
    2. Reserve a picnic area or restaurant where your family can share a meal and reacquaint themselves before heading into the theme park.
  5. Restaurant: Rent a banquet room where your family can bond over lunch or dinner.25
    1. Consider a restaurant that specializes in the world or regional cuisine native to your family ancestry.26
    2. Ask if there's an hourly room rental fee in addition to the food and beverage costs.
    3. Determine if there's a lounge, relative's home or other facility nearby where family members can go to continue the reunion when the restaurant closes.

Step 5: Schedule the Activities

  • If your reunion will last longer than a few hours, plan some family friendly activities that everyone from the toddlers to the elders can appreciate.27
  1. (Creative Commons photo by Jason Trommetter)
    (Creative Commons photo by Jason Trommetter)
    Ice Breakers: Devise several events to help everyone get to know one another better and feel more at ease.
    1. Create name tags for everyone and organize a game they can play to meet and greet one another.28
    2. Have guests pin one of their baby photos to their shirt and instruct them to find their look alikes in the crowd.
    3. Take a family portrait as soon as everyone arrives since some relatives may have to leave early.29
  2. Games: Set up diversions to give family members some exercise, laughs and a chance to bond.
    1. Design a funny obstacle course, or a croquet, horseshoe or volleyball tournament where family members can compete against one another.30
    2. Involve everyone in a game of Simon says.31
    3. Set up a kids' area where they can color, watch age-appropriate DVDs or play board games.
  3. Family Time: Discuss family traditions or start new ones with activities that reveal your family stories.
    1. Ask relatives to bring photos of family heirlooms and discuss their origins and significance with the group.
    2. Exchange treasured family recipes. If you're holding the event at someone's house, you can even gather the ingredients to make a few.
    3. Ask older relatives to share tales of your ancestors or "the good old days."
  4. Local Fun: Arrange excursions to show family members more of the reunion's locale.
    1. Have local relatives take small groups on sightseeing expeditions to monuments, historical sites or museums.32
    2. Participate in local sports and activities like skiing, swimming or hiking.
    3. Visit an amusement park, county fair or outdoor mall for a day of fun.33

Step 6: Send Invitations and Requests

  • Once you've got the location secured and potential agenda planned, you're ready to make and mail the invitations. Be sure to include a firm RSVP date since you'll need a headcount when calculating the amount of food and souvenirs.34

Make and Mail Invitations

  1. Email Invitations: Save time and money by emailing invitations if your relatives are Internet savvy.
    1. Pick a website, like evite.com, to email your invitations.35
    2. Choose a template design, fill in the details and add your relative's email addresses to the address book to send the invitations.36
    • You may still need to call or send paper invitations to relatives who don't own computers or check their email frequently.
  2. Store-bought Invitations: Select pre-printed cards with a family reunion theme so you'll only need to add the details, address the envelopes and mail them.37
    1. Consider printing the details on self-adhesive labels to attach to the invitations so you won't have to write everything out by hand.
    2. If there's a lot of information about the reunion (such as a map, possible flights or hotel reservation details), simply print them on a separate piece of paper to include inside the invitation.
  3. Handmade Invitations: If you make your own greeting cards or scrapbook as a hobby, design your own invitations as a creative touch.38
    1. Buy supplies like cardstock in bulk to cut costs.39
    2. Mass produce the cards, assembly line-style, to speed the process. For example, fold all the cardstock, then trim the pieces into cards, then add the embellishments and so on.
    3. Ask your immediate family to help. Even young kids can fold the card bases, attach stickers or place cards in envelopes.40

Ask for Assistance

  1. Use the invitations to ask family members closest to the reunion location to help you with the planning. They can assist by:
    1. Picking up balloons, party rentals or food items.
    2. Arriving at the venue early to ensure it's set up the way you'd planned.
    3. Decorating the site and setting up games before the other guests arrive.
    4. Meeting the caterer or people delivering the rental tables and chairs.
  2. If family members can't help or if the event is too big for you to handle, recruit an event planner that can assist with everything from securing a location to arranging the decorations and food.41

Step 7: Create the Decorations

  • Design an inviting atmosphere when decorating the banquet room, private home or outdoor location.
  1. Choose a festive color scheme and motif.42
    • -You can even decorate in a theme, like luau or Wild West.42
  2. Have banners printed, or draw your own, to welcome family members to the reunion.43
    • -Have them sign the banner, too, as a fun souvenir from the event.
  3. Tie themed Mylar balloons to trees, banisters or chairs.
    • -Although they're more expensive than latex balloons, they're also safer and last longer.44
  4. Design family photo collages to display in the home or banquet room.45
  5. Set up a large bulletin board where family members can pin photos and notes throughout the event.

Step 8: Plan the Meals

  • Let the location, number of attendees and budget determine the type of food you'll serve and who will prepare it. For multi-day reunions, simply schedule a few main meals for the group and let individual families eat the rest on their own.
  1. (Creative Commons photo by cilesfineline)
    (Creative Commons photo by cilesfineline)
    Potluck: Ask relatives closest to the reunion to contribute dishes to the buffet.47
    1. Assign each person a category like appetizer, salad, chicken dish, beef dish, side dish or dessert so you won't end up with several similar items.
    2. Rent warming dishes or coolers to keep the food at safe temperatures throughout the meal.48
    3. Create ingredient tags for each dish in case some family members have food allergies.
    4. Consider stocking up on several ready made items from the supermarket (like lasagna, fried chicken and salads) so you'll have back ups in case someone forgets their dish.
  2. Catered Meals: Hiring a caterer can free you up to enjoy the party, too.49
    1. Choose a variety of dishes that keep you within budget.
    2. Ask the relative closest to the caterer to taste sample dishes. You can also ask for client referrals and photos of favorite dishes that you can check out yourself.
    3. Spring for a few servers who can keep dishes full, work the buffet line and give details about the ingredients.
  3. Restaurant Dining: Reserve tables at a local restaurant for one or two large meals.50
    1. Determine if you should request a limited menu so relatives can pay a flat rate per person or if everyone will order off the regular menu and calculate what they owe later.51
    2. Simplify by having beverages like coffee, tea, milk and soda included with the meal and ask relatives to pay for additional drinks at the bar.
    3. Ask if you can supply your own cake and desserts to cut costs.

Step 9: Capture the Memories

  • Give your relatives a way to show family unity during the reunion and remember the festivities after they're over. Create souvenirs that everyone can wear, use or peruse to commemorate the event.
  1. T-shirts: Order personalized shirts featuring a logo for the reunion and names on the back.52 Shirts are a great way to spot one another if you're holding the event at an amusement park, for example.
  2. Picture Frames: Pass out customized picture frames that relatives can use to display a group photo from the event.53
  3. Videos: Consider hiring a videographer to capture memorable moments, activities and quotes. Instruct him to pass out order forms so relatives can order copies once the video is complete.
  4. Online Scrapbooks: Ask family members to upload their photos from the reunion to an online photo service like Shutterfly or Snapfish.
    1. Create an email list so relatives can share the names and passwords of their photo accounts so everyone can view their images.54 55
    2. Provide instructions and even gift certificates that will allow families to print copies of the snapshots or create an online album.56 57
    3. Design a reunion photo album yourself that your relatives can simply order and have shipped to their home.58

Conclusion

  • Thorough preparation is the key to pulling off a disaster-free family reunion.59 By recruiting reliable helpers to share the party planning duties and developing a back up plan to deal with last-minute emergencies, you'll be able to enjoy the festivities right along with the other guests when the reunion date arrives. 60

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References for How to Plan a Family Reunion

  1. ↑ Family Reunion Tips: Tips for Organizing Your Reunion
  2. ↑ Ancestry.com: 25 Family Reunion Activities
  3. ↑ Authors Den: Little Ways to Bond with Family  WARNING: Ad-Heavy
  4. ↑ Family-Reunion.com: Compiling a Guest List
  5. ↑ FamilyReunion.com: Design a Reunion Website.  WARNING: Ad-Heavy
  6. ↑ People Search Review: People Search Website Reviews
  7. ↑ Genealogy.com: Tips for Picking a Reunion Date
  8. ↑ Career Builder: Taking Vacation Time from Work
  9. ↑ Apple Journal: Orchard Locations
  10. ↑ MSNBC: Off-season Vacation Rental Deals (August 2, 2007)
  11. ↑ Meetings.net: Planning a Reunion Budget
  12. ↑ Airport Explorer: Finding Cheap Flights
  13. ↑ Family-Reunion.com: Possible Reunion Expenses
  14. ↑ Travelman: Ways to Get Cheaper Hotel Rates
  15. ↑ Family-Reunion.com: Collecting Money
  16. ↑ Fimark: Reunion Budget Calculator
  17. ↑ Genealogy.com: Genealogy Family Reunion Fundraising
  18. ↑ About.com: Where Should We Hold Our FamilyReunion?  WARNING: Pop-ups
  19. ↑ Hotel Planner: Reunion Hotel Arrangements
  20. ↑ Practically Edible: Potluck Suppers
  21. ↑ Angie's List: Tips for Renting Party Equipment
  22. ↑ Davis, California: Tips for Reserving City Facilities
  23. ↑ Tents And More: Types of Party Tents
  24. ↑ About.com: National Theme Park Search  WARNING: Pop-ups
  25. ↑ Family-Reunion.com: Restaurant Tips
  26. ↑ Cuisine Digest: Types of Cuisine
  27. ↑ Stretcher.com: Frugal Family Reunion Activities
  28. ↑ About.com: Nametag Ice Breakers  WARNING: Pop-ups
  29. ↑ Digital Photography School: Setting Up Large Group Photos
  30. ↑ How Stuff Works: Creating a Backyard Obstacle Course
  31. ↑ iVillage: How to Play Simon Says
  32. ↑ Landmark United States: Museum and Gallery Locations
  33. ↑ Weekend Event: State Fair Listings
  34. ↑ About.com: Tip for Getting Prompt Responses  WARNING: Pop-ups
  35. ↑ Evite.com: Homepage
  36. ↑ Evite.com: Email Invitations
  37. ↑ Birthday-Reminders.com: Family Reunion Invitations
  38. ↑ Do It Yourself Invitations: How to Make a Handmade Invitation
  39. ↑ Paperworks: Bulk Cardstock
  40. ↑ Create For Less: Family Reunion Stickers
  41. ↑ DMOZ.com: Directory of Reunion Consultants
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 Custom Reunion: Reunion Theme Ideas
  43. ↑ Bannerz: Family Reunion Banners
  44. ↑ Family Education: Watch the Balloons
  45. ↑ Lifehacker.com: Making a Poster-size Photo Collage
  46. ↑ Quote Garden: Family Quotes
  47. ↑ Dummies.com: Planning for Potlucks
  48. ↑ Recipe Tips: Potluck Food Safety Tips
  49. ↑ PartyOnGuide.com: How to Hire a Caterer
  50. ↑ OpenTable.com: Book Restaurant Reservations Online
  51. ↑ GuideLive.com: Choosing Food for a Large Party
  52. ↑ Design a Shirt: Create a Reunion T-shirt
  53. ↑ RKeepsakes.com: Family Reunion Picture Frame
  54. ↑ Shutterfly.com: Online Photo Developing
  55. ↑ Snapfish.com: Online Photo Services
  56. ↑ Snapfish.com: Ordering Gift Certificates
  57. ↑ Shutterfly.com: Creating Photo Books
  58. ↑ Shutterfly.com: Share Photos and Photo Books
  59. ↑ Family Details: Reunion Countdown
  60. ↑ Family-Reunion.com: Ensuring The Reunion Runs Smoothly


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