Plan the Perfect Family Reunion

Jun 27, 2011

Family reunions are fun to plan but require a bit of preparation. To help, here are a couple of rules to assist with the planning process:

• Bear in mind that the more people you'll be inviting, the longer lead time you'll need. So plan ahead!
• If there's a large group of children attending, it'll be helpful to have activities planned to keep them occupied, allowing time for the adults to relax and socialize. Therefore, you'll want to consider venues that have built-in, kid-friendly distractions like a lake, seashore, swimming pool or amusement park. You can divvy up the stints of supervision or game-leading amongst the parents in your group so that all the others can enjoy a break.
• Determine your budget. There's no need for exotic venues if one of your family members has a big enough home and a fairly central location. Or you can find a campsite with a near proximity to higher-end hotels if you're trying to please a crowd of mixed incomes and tastes.
• Keep the food simple. The easiest plan of all is to allow each family to bring their own food. That means you'll spend less time plotting out who's got the salad and who's got the dessert, and you won't have to worry about having enough food for everyone.
• Trace your roots. Maybe there's a venue that has special significance for your family's heritage near a battlefield, historic site or a certain city. If so, you might consider a themed reunion to help even the youngsters in your group develop a sense of connection. Or ask each family or family member to bring along old photos, memorabilia or a special story to build a temporary "exhibit" of your collective past.

In the end, though, each reunion is as unique as the family that attends it. The main thing is to have fun, relax, and allow plenty of time for people to renew their relationships.