How to Start a Family Reunion
Holding a family reunion is a great way to reconnect with special family members, particularly when your family is scattered across the country. If you've decided to start your own family reunion, you're going to need an aptitude for planning and maybe even some detective skills, as long-lost relatives can be difficult to find. While organizing a reunion is a big job, you'll find it very rewarding and will be able to make the process a little easier by developing your own plan. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Planning committee
- Addresses of family members
- Venue
- Save-the-date card
- Invitations
- Budget
- Food
- Name tags
- Sign-in sheet
- Activity schedule
Instructions
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1
Select a planning committee. Choose other family members interested in the reunion who you know are hard workers. While you can organize a reunion by yourself, it is much easier when you can rely on other family members to assist in the planning process.
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2
Decide what type of family reunion would best suit your family. If you hold the reunion in the summer, perhaps an afternoon barbecue at a family member's home or a long weekend at the beach might be appropriate. If you've been thinking of a more formal reunion, get quotes from restaurants and other potential venues.
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3
Appoint one committee member to be in charge of gathering addresses for family members. This is a tedious job that usually involves making many telephone calls, but it is a particularly important step if you want to have a good turnout for your reunion.
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4
Select a date and time for the reunion. Once you have confirmed the date, time and location, send save-the-date cards to give attendees time to arrange their schedules.
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Prepare a budget for the reunion and decide how you will fund the reunion. You will need to cover the costs for the venue, food, drinks, activities and other items. Decide if you will require each family to send a payment to you prior to the reunion or if you will collect money on the day of the reunion.
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Consider how you will handle food for the event. If it is an informal family reunion, you might want to ask family members to contribute to a potluck dinner. If you're holding the reunion in a restaurant, choose several options to offer attendees.
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Send invitations to family members. Include the date, time and location of the reunion as well as the list of activities you have planned for the day or weekend. Include a response card and indicate how much you will be charging per person or family.
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Prepare name tags, a sign-in sheet and an activity schedule for the day of the reunion. Assign committee members to oversee specific parts of the reunion, such as food setup, activities or clean up.
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Tips & Warnings
When family members sign in, ask them to include their email addresses. This will make it easier to reach them when planning the next reunion. Have an alternate plan if most of your reunion will take place outdoors. Make sure there is an inside space nearby that can accommodate all of the attendees should bad weather strike.
Resources
- Photo Credit Wildfeuer
