Home Advice & How-ToFamily 6 Steps to Planning the Best Family Reunion Ever
Home Advice & How-ToFamily 6 Steps to Planning the Best Family Reunion Ever

6 Steps to Planning the Best Family Reunion Ever

by Spokeo

FamilyReunion

Statistics say that somewhere around 60% of Americans attend a family reunion annually. That’s more than 150,000,000 people! If you’re in charge of planning your family’s reunion this year (or every year) there’s no reason the next one can’t be the best yet. All it takes is a little planning.

Spokeo has a long history helping family members reconnect and we’d love to hear your best family reunion stories in the comments below, too!

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Here are six steps to planning the best family reunion ever…

  1. Solicit some help.

The best thing about family? They have to help! Don’t try to plan a family reunion alone, particularly if you’ve got dozens of people attending – ask other family members for help. Whether it’s your cousins, your parents, your husband, or aunts and uncles, giving people tasks to complete during the planning process helps them feel ownership. They’ll be more invested in the event and you won’t pull your hair out trying to single-handedly organize the reunion!

  1. Choose the right location.

Location is everything when it comes to family reunions. If you’re lucky, much of your family is within close driving distance of one another; if you’re like the average American family, this isn’t the case. If your family’s already spread out it may be a good idea to plan a destination reunion so everyone has to travel: the typical family reunion trip lasts five whole days. Pick a location, select a date, and start spreading the word. And don’t worry, you’re never going to please everyone with your choice!

  1. Invite everyone.

This may seem like the easiest task but in some cases contacting certain family members can be tough. If this is the year you’ve decided to reach out to estranged or long-lost family members be sure to do so early so they have plenty of time to consider attending the reunion. Don’t know how to get in touch with everyone? Use a people search on Spokeo to track down contact information for even the most far-flung family members.

  1. Plan the activities.

Every great family reunion has activities, not just family time. Enlist the help of others to plan group meals, events – going to an amusement park, heading to the beach, an outdoor BBQ – and don’t forget about something for the kids, too. Remember: just because you’re planning doesn’t mean you have to pay for everything so be sure to let family members know they’ll be paying for their own food or contributing something to the ‘party planning fund’ before they get there.

  1. Make a souvenir.

Who doesn’t love a great souvenir? If you’re planning on having t-shirts printed to commemorate the event be sure to do so early…and get everyone’s sizes and payment ahead of time! If shirts aren’t your family’s style consider giveaways like custom photo books, labeled bottles of wine, or some kind of homemade food product.

  1. Select someone to host next year.

While you’ve got everyone gathered at the reunion, pass the planning torch to the next planner. Doing so in front of everyone will ensure you won’t get stuck holding the bag again next year – and it will give the new planner plenty of time to think and gather suggestions! Just be sure to let the next family member know ahead of time and get them to agree to host or plan before you spring it on them.

We want to hear more about your favorite family reunion memories!

Tell us about your craziest, most touching times with family in the comments below.