Planning a family reunion is a fun but important task! It is not only about spending quality time with your family, it is also about planning and organizing your family event in a perfect way. When you plan a family reunion, you need to ensure that it is a memorable event for all the members of your family. So, here are some steps that can help you to how to plan a family reunion successfully.
Decide the venue
If your family loves to travel then you can choose any location — but for most of us a family reunion takes place closest to where most family members live, at someone’s home or a neighborhood park. Here are some ideas for venues:
- Grandparents’ home
- Rented space at a park
- Rental Hall
- Cruise Ship
- Theme Park
- Restaurant
- Beach
- Resort Hotel
Choose the date
You need to decide the date of the family reunion at the beginning. It will help you to plan your event as you know what days are available for you and the rest of the family.
TIP: Avoid major holidays as many people make other plans. Likewise, the middle of winter might make travel difficult. Summertime is a traditional time to host reunions!
Decide the theme
While not totally necessary, adding a theme can make your event more fun and guide your planning. For example, if you have chosen a beach party, then you need to decorate the venue with beach-related items like towels and umbrellas. You can choose balloons, lights, or even streamers to create a festive atmosphere which fits your theme.
Select the food
The food that you serve at the family reunion is also very important. You should include some traditional family dishes to bring back those special memories. To spice things up, consider serving food from all over the world, such as tacos along with pasta and a couple of asian dishes. Of course, hot dogs, hamburgers and BBQ are crowd favorites! Pay attention to food allergies and the vegans in your family as well.
Start your family reunion planning
Start planning for your event early. You can ask your friends who have experienced similar events and they can help you to plan your event. You can also get family reunion ideas from your relatives.
Organization is key! Your family might invest in what is called a family reunion planner organizer and/or keep a spreadsheet. Consider sharing access so family memeber who live far can add information as needed, such as confirmations/declines and number of attendees.
Make a checklist for family reunion planning. Other items to think about when planning a family reunion:
- Leadership committee (who’s in charge of what?)
- Fundraising and accounting
- Timeline (when do things need to happen?)
- Supplies needed
- Email and physical address collection
- Newsletter to keep people informed
- Entertainment, such as bands, DJs and magicians.
- Hosts and ushers
- Setup and cleanup
- Chair and table rental
- Event agenda
- Family history, such as presentations, photos, booklets
- Souvenirs and T-shirts
- Photographer and videographer
- Other volunteers
Conclusion: Planning a family reunion is not only about spending quality time with your family, it is also about planning and organizing your family event in a perfect way.
