WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, HOW

WHO PLANS THE REUNION

Any  interested family member, (young, old or in-between), with  knowledgeable not just about your family members and how to locate them,  but also some event planning knowledge. This does not have to be a  professional. If your Aunt Edith and cousin Johnny throw great family  birthday parties and barbecues, they're good candidates. Try to get 2,  3, or more people involved in the planning.

WHO CAN HELP

Convention  and visitors bureaus, state and city tourism offices, extended family  members and friends who have held reunions, local companies (for  give-aways), The Family Reunion Institute and Reunions Magazine.

WHO SHOULD BE INVITED

ALL  of your family members (and family friends). What's needed is contact  information (phone number, home address, email), and invitations (can be  formal or informal).

WHAT DOES IT COST

All  reunions cost money. How much depends on the type of reunion and where  you have it. It could be a one-day event, picnic, dinner dance, or  banquet, or an entire weekend with two to three days of planned  activities. Some reunions last four days to a week.

WHEN SHOULD YOU HAVE IT

Reunions are good any time of the year—although most people have them during the summer months.

Summer:  Weather is great, school is out, family members are looking for (or wanting to add to)

                 summer vacation
Fall:          Weather is good, hotel rates are cheaper
Winter:     Winter holidays add a joyous element/atmosphere to the reunion
Spring:     Weather is good, everyone’s ready to get active and outdoors

WHEN TO BEGIN PLANNING

Allow yourself enough time to properly plan a reunion.  If more than a one-day picnic, you’ll need approximately 18-24 months.

WHERE TO HAVE IT

Depending  on the size of the family you can have a picnic in a park or family  member’s back yard; go to an amusement park, hotel, resort, cruise ship,  banquet hall, military base, or school dorms.

WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM

Family  members paying per person, wealthy relatives with good hearts, and  family fundraisers. Fundraisers not only raise money, but can be fun and  help family members get to know each other better.

HOW TO GET STARTED

Your  first step will be pulling together a planning team and getting  feedback from the family. At minimum, your first planning meeting should  include the following discussions:

- Securing contact information for all family members

- Reunion length

- Date suggestions

- Activity suggestions (should include something for all ages)

- Possible locations

- Payment options

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Click below for more planning information.

• GET ORGANIZED
• COUNTDOWN / TIMELINE
• REUNION ACTIVITIES
• SUZANNE  & DOUG'S FIX FOR 1ST TIME PLANNERS
• SWEET TIPS FOR FAMILY REUNION PLANNERS