Regardless if you’re expecting a few cousins or a hundred relatives, having to plan a memorable family reunion can be difficult. It takes a lot of time, patience, a sense of humor and organization skills. But don’t worry.
Come Up with a Plan
Start the perilous journey that is planning a reunion by choosing a location and date. It’s highly suggested that you start planning at least 12 months in advance. The first step is to send questionnaires to the family members that will be joining the reunion. Ask them where they would like to go, what they want and where to meet them.
Get Some Help
One person can’t handle all the responsibilities that come with planning a family reunion. Make sure to ask people who are capable and enthusiastic. And as the chairperson, you’ll be looking over the entire event, handle the communications, coordinate the volunteers and be a peacemaker. For events that are going to hold 20 or more people, you’ll need a few volunteers.
Here’s a small list of family reunion jobs:
- Finance director—Their job is to maintain the budget
- Food director—They work to handle the food such as ordering catering from an Asian restaurant for dinner and making sure you have every meal planned and reservations made.
- Entertainment director—They organize the activities that are best suited for all ages.
- Reservations officer—They’re in charge of keeping track of who’s coming to the reunion.
Make a Budget
We’re going to be honest with you; reunions are not cheap. In fact, the cost is considered to be one of the biggest factors when it comes to family reunions. Just remember to keep the costs down or give your family some time to put away money for the reunion. Make sure to give them an estimate of how much they need to save if you decide to go with the latter.
Have an Alternative Plan
Unfortunately, there are times when everything doesn’t go according to plan. Reunions are notorious for being chaotic, so make sure you have backup plan up your sleeve. You never know what can go wrong, especially when it comes to family.
Maintain the Connections
After a successful reunion, make sure that you stay in touch until the next reunion comes along. Write letters, send emails or even shoot them a text every once in a while. Just because you only see them once a year doesn’t mean that you can’t still be a family.
