Planning a family reunion is excellent for a few reasons. First, a reunion will give you a chance to connect with family members. If you have a family that lives in different parts of the country or various parts of the world, a family reunion is a great way to bring everyone together. Family reunions are also a great way to embrace your heritage and have fun together. You can have a family reunion to celebrate an event such as a birthday or anniversary, or you can have an annual family reunion just to get everyone together.
If you are in charge of planning this year’s family reunion, there are a few tips that you should follow to ensure that it is a success.
#1 Contact the Family
Before scheduling the family reunion, you should reach out to everyone on the guest list to find out if there are any days that they won’t be available. If a family member is attending a wedding, graduation, or another party, you should avoid scheduling the family reunion on these days. Make a note of the days that family members can and can’t attend, so you can choose a date that works for everyone.
#2 Plan a Summer Reunion
It is best to plan your family reunion during the summer. Children aren’t in school during the summer, which will allow them to attend. Also, there are plenty of outdoor venues and fun things to do during the summer.
If you are planning your family reunion on a budget, you can save money by planning it during the off-season. If this is the case, you should try to do it during a long weekend or during one of the schools’ week-long vacation.
#3 Create a Budget
To properly plan the family reunion, you will need to create a budget. First, find out how much each family member will be putting toward the reunion. This will let you know how much money you are working with. Next, make a list of all expenses. This will let you know what you can afford and what you can’t.
#4 Select a Location
Now that you know your budget, you can start thinking about where to hold the reunion. You want to choose a location that fits in your budget and also choose a place where there are fun things to do. A few great options include:
Best Places to Visit in India- A campground: A campground can be an excellent place for a family reunion. You can book side-by-side sites for each individual family, which will give everyone the space they need, but you will still be close enough to enjoy each other’s company. Also, there are plenty of things for you to do as a family on a campground such as swimming, hiking, fishing, and sitting around the campfire.
- A backyard: If a family member has a large backyard and you’re planning a one-day reunion, it could be a great venue. You can spend the family’s budget on food, drinks, entertainment, and party rentals, but won’t need to worry about paying for a venue. This will also allow each individual family that has to travel to attend to choose their own lodging.
- A destination reunion: If it fits within your family’s budget, you can plan a destination reunion. You can book your whole family into an all-inclusive resort, which will make your family reunion vacation.
#5 Send Out Invitations
As soon as you select a venue and a date, it is time to send out invitations. You want to send them out as soon as possible so that family members can make the necessary arrangements. Many of your family members will need to take time off work, and they will need adequate notice to do this. Some will need to make travel arrangements, which are cheaper when not done at the last minute.
#6 Delegate Responsibilities
If you have a large family, it can be challenging to handle everything yourself. To make things easier and less stressful, you should delegate jobs to family members on the day of the reunion. When everyone pitches in, nobody will feel overwhelmed.
#7 Plan Activities and Entertainment
It’s a good idea to plan the activities and the entertainment ahead of time and create an itinerary for each family member. This will prevent hour-long discussions about what the family should do each day. Trying to figure out what to do all the time will only waste the little time that your family has to spend together. When everything is planned out and written down, everyone will know what to expect ahead of time. It is best to send the itinerary to each family ahead of time. This will let everyone know what to pack like swimsuits, shorts, warm clothes, etc.
#8 Have Fun
Just because you are organizing the event, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun. If you have everything planned ahead of time, there is no reason that you can’t let loose and enjoy yourself. Most family reunions happen just once a year, and some less frequently than that. When you have the time to spend with your family, you need to take advantage of it. Do your best to have fun and relax. You will be mad at yourself if you don’t.
Planning a family reunion is a lot of work, especially if you have a very large family. If you follow the tips listed above, you should be able to throw a fun and exciting family reunion.
