5, 10, or maybe even 50 years have passed since your glory days of high school and now it’s time to reconnect with the people who share so many of those wonderful memories. The occasional email or Facebook message simply can’t compare to reminiscing face-to-face with your fellow classmates! So much has happened over the years and whether you’re excited to show everyone how far you’ve come or just can’t wait to see how your classmates have changed, a high school reunion is a unique and fun event for everyone. Putting together an event to honor all the friendships and memories of high school is no easy task, so let’s get started with a few simple tips to help you plan…
Form a Committee
As with any major event, the first step in planning is to form a committee and determine one person to lead. The amount of people you’ll need will depend on the size of your class but will most likely be around 8 to 10. The more people involved, the better, but delegating roles within the group is crucial. Each person’s role should be determined around 12 to 16 months in advance, allowing plenty of time to plan. You’ll need to assign roles for everything from entertainment to ticket sales, so it’s in your best interest to also appoint a facilitator to supervise and act as a liaison between all committee members. S/he will be in charge of coordinating meetings (we recommend meeting monthly), sending committee emails, and keeping track of your checklist to make sure everything gets done (no simple task!). Once you’ve gathered your crack team of high school reunion planners, it’s time to set a date and get to work!
Set a Budget
Yes, the dreaded budget. As tough as it can be to set, a budget is one of the most important aspects of planning any event and especially one as large as a reunion. Your school may be funding the event (lucky you!) but if not, you’ll need raise money so you can make it the rockin’ reunion you know it can be. Charging a certain amount per guest is a smart way to go, as you can ask classmates to send payments along with their RSVP to simultaneously collect a head count and funds.
Get the Word Out
Now that you’ve laid the foundation for an amazing reunion, it’s time to get the word out! Your school will most likely have an alumni list with contact information but social networking sites like Facebook are a great way to reach those hard-to-find class mates. Ideally, invitations should be mailed about 6-8 months in advance to give everyone a chance to make arrangements to attend. Starting a group on Facebook to invite all of your socially networked classmates is also a great way to initially notify guests. Plus, it can also be used as a platform to make future announcements like directions or hotel information. As you get closer to the event (usually about 4-6 months out), registration packets should be sent out to get an official head count. Then you can start securing the major aspects of the reunion, like the venue and catering.
Theme & Venue
Ideally, the venue for your reunion would be an appropriately sized room in your old school, but if that’s not an option, find an alternative suitable venue in the area. Once you’ve determined the location of your reunion, it’s time to decide whether it’s best to have a specific theme or a more traditional atmosphere. Whether you opt for a laid back or formal take on your reunion, ask classmates to send in old pictures and memorabilia to help decorate. In addition to setting the scene, the old memories make for great icebreakers. I mean hey, nobody regrets those high school hairstyles… right?
Entertainment & Food
Catching up with your old high school crush is fun for a while. But for a full night of fun, you’ll need to hire some sort of entertainment. Booking a Comedian to liven the mood or a Cover Band to play your high school favorites is a great way to get your party started! Of course, after all of the laughing and/or dancing, your guests will be ready for some food. Hiring a caterer is a great way to feed a large group with minimal stress, and – depending on your budget – you may even want to have a custom cake made of your school mascot! Reminiscing on the good old days with your classmates is sure to create new memories and hiring a Photographer to capture them is always a great addition to a reunion. Whatever entertainment options you choose, make sure to keep the number of guests and venue in mind!
Take Home the Fun
This is going to be one awesome reunion! Sending your classmates home with party favors is a fun way to help them remember what a blast they had (you know, so they can start getting excited for the next one). Booking a photo booth for your reunion will make the memories last with individual photo strips for everyone to take home. (If cramming into a photo booth with your high school sweetheart isn’t an icebreaker, we don’t know what is!) Hit up your school’s bookstore for items specifically associated with your high school or, for more personalized favors, there’s no better time to re-do those senior superlatives! (Who’s the cutest couple now, am I right?!)
Whether your reunion is larger than life or low key, it’s going to take some serious planning and hard work. Good thing there are alumni like you who are up to the task! Plus, you’ve got the whole GigSalad team on your side for all your party planning needs, so you can pull off the best reunion ever with confidence!