Are you ready to turn your family reunion dreams into reality? Whether you’re a seasoned reunion planner or embarking on your inaugural journey, this guide for planning a family reunion is your roadmap to orchestrating a family gathering that will be talked about for years to come.
Getting Started
Every great reunion starts with a spark of inspiration. Inject some creativity into your event with these family reunion ideas that cater to all ages and interests:
🎉 Themed Extravaganza: Transform your reunion into a themed extravaganza! Whether it’s a retro 80s bash, a Hawaiian luau, or a roaring 20s soirée, a themed reunion adds an extra layer of fun and excitement.
🏔️ Outdoor Adventure: Embrace the great outdoors with a camping trip, beach bonfire, or a day filled with exciting outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking, or even a friendly family Olympics.
🍝 Culinary Delights: Host a potluck with a twist by assigning each family member a beloved family recipe to share. From Grandma’s secret pie to Aunt Sally’s famous barbecue ribs, let the flavors of your family’s culinary heritage take center stage.
🌳 Heritage Exploration: Dive into your family’s history with a heritage-themed reunion. Set up a family tree display, share family photos and stories of ancestors, and perhaps even organize a visit to significant family landmarks or historical sites.
🛠️ DIY Workshops: Get hands-on with DIY workshops tailored to all ages. From craft stations for the little ones to cooking classes for the adults, let everyone unleash their inner creativity.
The Basics
Choose a Date
Like any other kind of event, you simply can’t guarantee that the date you choose will work for everyone. But, since the goal of a reunion is to get as many people together as possible, it’s wise to try and choose a date that works for as many people as possible. Use email, social media, or other RSVP methods to survey your family about which dates work or do not work for them. Once you have your responses back, it will be much easier to select a date! It’s ideal to begin planning your reunion an entire year in advance, to ensure that everyone can make arrangements to attend.
Form Committees & Delegate
This step is crucial. Once you’ve figured out who is attending, you can see who is interested in helping plan the reunion. If you haven’t already decided on specific details of your event, do so as a team. Break into groups to make each task easier. Some committees you might consider having include Entertainment, Food/Drink, Venue, Party Favors, and Games/Presentations. Once you’ve divided into committees, allocate funds to each committee as your budget permits and get to planning!
Venue & Set Up
Outdoor venues like parks, lakes, or backyards are popular options for summer family reunions. However, it’s not unheard of to hold your family reunion indoors at ballrooms, conference centers, or other adequate spaces. Regardless of whether you opt for inside or out, you’ll want to make sure that your venue can accommodate your guest list (double-check the RSVP count), entertainment (do you need outlets? a stage?), tables and chairs, and catering/bar space if you decide to go that route. You’ll want to lock down the venue as early as possible so that you can include the date, time, and location on your invitations.
If you’re renting a ballroom, you can probably rent tables and chairs from the venue, if they aren’t already included. But for most outdoor spaces, you’ll need to reach out to a table & chair rental company. They’ll be able to provide enough tables and chairs for all of your guests, and many companies will offer other rentals as well, such as tents, dinnerware, and staging. If possible, rent everything you need through one company. Most companies will offer a discount for package deals.
Food & Drink
While many families choose to host their reunions potluck style, with each member or sect of the family contributing their own dish, this isn’t the only option. If you’d prefer not to ask your guests to contribute, you might consider hiring a caterer to handle the food for you. You can discuss the details of the reunion with your caterer and they’ll come up with a menu that fits the formality, theme, location, and needs of your event. You can also hire a cake decorator to create a beautiful cake to celebrate your family, or perhaps cupcakes. You could even customize them with each family member’s name. (What a cute way to set up seating arrangements!)
Having an open or cash bar available at your reunion is a great addition for the adults. After all, let’s be honest – we can all use a drink around our families now and then. Discuss the details with your bartender. For smaller, more casual events (or just for the sake of keeping it simple), you may want to stick to beer and wine. However, if you’re a cocktail family, go for the full bar! Ask your Bartender to help you create a special menu just for your event, with fun family-themed spins on your favorite cocktails.
Entertainment & Games
Here’s where you get to have some fun. Think about your event and your family. What would make your reunion extra special? How about some family-friendly entertainment? Here are some of our favorite entertainers for family reunions.
For formal events, a string quartet or jazz band are popular options. More casual options include cover bands, rock bands, and karaoke bands. (That’s right! They’ll play the music and you sing the songs. The bar might be necessary for this.) You can also hire a DJ or karaoke DJ to get your party started!
Can’t agree on music? Book a game show instead! Play your own version of Family Feud or The Newlywed Game* (family edition!). This will get every member of the family involved and makes for great bonding. You can also play special family reunion games, like Guess Whose Baby Picture?, Family Trivia, or Tug of War!
Keep the kiddos entertained with an inflatable bounce house or an arts and crafts station.
Oh, and don’t forget to hire a photographer or videographer to catch all of the special moments on camera!
Party Favors
Party favors are a lot of fun for any event, but you can really add a personal touch for a family reunion. Create custom t-shirts, koozies, or other swag with your family name or crest, if you have one. (You probably don’t have one. But, what better time to make a family crest than your reunion?) Sending everyone home with some swag will remind them of what a great time they had, how wonderful their family is, and it will keep them excited about next year!