In this Family Reunion How-To article, are five steps to successfully plan a family reunion for your large family.
The world is moving fast and technology makes it easy to be more productive than ever before. Even connecting with loved ones who are far away is easy through the technology of Zoom and FaceTime. We no longer have to write letters, but can call someone on a whim and catch up in a few minutes. But as productive and fast paced as we are, the most important things can be neglected. There is nothing better than actual face time with family and those we cannot see often and it is actually quite easy to plan a reunion if you have the right guide and the right location. If you want to get the whole family together, but don’t know where to start, here is a guide to get the planning started and then you can fill in the fun details.
Step 1: Communication – Headcount, Location, Budget, Point Person
Talk with your family and get a feel for who wants to come so you can get a ballpark headcount and possible locations. If you have many family members from different areas, ask who would be willing to travel and how far. It is also important to discuss a budget if venues need to be rented and food needs to be ordered. A point person or people are essential when making decisions and dividing up tasks.
Step 2: Set a Date and a City
A date and a location are key to everything. When this is set, then everyone can plan travel arrangements, days off work, etc. After a date and location are set, get a guest list set so that other arrangements can be made. Set a deadline of when they can decide so that you are not stuck with a bill if people say they are coming but cancel later on.
Set 3: Set a Budget
Once you have a guest list, talk to people about what they want to do in regards to a budget. If you seem to have a larger budget, then you can plan for catering, venues, rental stuff, etc. If people seem to be on a tighter budget, then plan for more public spaces and people paying for their own family based on consumption, etc.
Set 4: Location, Location, Location
This step is key as a location can make or break an event. If you are banking on an outside space, make sure there is a backup if there is bad weather. Renting a venue with an indoor and outdoor space where people can move around and mingle is ideal. A venue will often have caterers they work with and provide entertainment. One such location is Church Ranch Event Center in Westminster, Colorado. They have preferred partners who can make an event flawless as well as provide a variety of entertainment ideas such as yard games, s’mores pit, photo booth, and much more. They also have space and equipment for any fun activities you may want to plan such as tug-of-war, family trivia, or speeches.
Other Events – Consider setting up smaller events for different days. These may include stuff in the area such as a brewery tour, a local hike, a breakfast at a restaurant, a ball game, golf outing, pool party, etc.
Set 5: Delegate
At this point, you can start delegating different tasks. But remember who the point person is because everything must go through them so as to not miss anything.
Things to delegate include:
- Catering
- Games, entertainment
- Decorations / Theme
- Invitations or communications
- Travel arrangements
- Fun activities surrounding the main event
- Cleanup
- Photography
A family reunion is something that will be remembered forever and many great memories can come out of it. It may seem overwhelming, but the hard work will pay off in the end and if you are well organized, everything will go smoothly. It will be a weekend that everyone is glad they attended and it will bring the family closer together.
Happy planning!
