Have you been charged with organizing a family reunion? The thought of reconnecting with distant relatives is no doubt appealing. The responsibility of planning such a large event may well evoke stress and unsettled nerves. The success of every large event can be attributed to systematic advanced planning. Follow these recommendations from the professional event planner to ensure your family reunion is a huge success.
If you’re anticipating a very large number of family members to participate, one option is to recruit several co-hosts to spread out the work of planning the event. After the hosts have been identified, the first steps are to set a budget and confirm a date. Large family reunions can take place in the afternoon, evening, or even span an entire weekend. When family members are travelling in from out of town, take advantage of the group rates many hotels offer. One simple option is to create a social media page with updates on transportation, times, locations and costs of events.
Once the hosts, dates and budget have been defined, send out save the date eVites to the attendees. Many websites offer free eVites with a dashboard that will keep track of responses. The next step is to secure a venue. Options will be dictated by your budget. If your guests are predominantly local, a pot luck, where everyone brings a dish, will keep costs relatively low.
Consider entertainment options for the event. There are several inexpensive ways to commemorate the occasion. One option is to have t-shirts printed for all family members to wear at the event. Another option is to take advantage of the awesome deals offered by Groupon coupons and snag a Vimeo coupon. A commemorative video of the event is a keepsake that can be enjoyed by all members for generations to come. Because there will no doubt be several generations in attendance, be sure to have a variety of activities planned that are appropriate for multiple age groups.
Once the venue, date and costs have been identified, send out final eVites. In addition, create a social media page that can provide updates and options for group rates on lodgings and transportation. Be sure to take plenty of photos to commemorate the occasion for generations to come!