Master Family Reunion Checklist

Step 1a. Start with the Basics

• What Do You Want to Accomplish?

Take a moment to set your goals for this particular reunion. It will make sure you accomplish what you set out to do.

• Who Are You Inviting?

You don't want to invite the whole world, so who exactly do you want at your family reunion?

• Put Together a Guest List

Use a guest list to make it easier to invite family members.

• How Many People Do You Expect?

There's a lot of difference betweeen a group of fifteen and a group of 150.

• What Type of Reunion is This?

Do you want a backyard barbecue Saturday afternoon, a two-week vacation or something in between?

• When Can People Get Together?

When will you hold your reunion? There are better times and worse ones for many family members.

• Where Will You Hold Your Family Reunion?

You can choose the old homestead, someone's backyard, a church or a park or an island in the Caribbean. What do you have in mind?

• Are the Facilities Right for Everyone?

Are the facilities you're considering right for your family reunion? Use this checklist to make sure it meets your family's needs.

Step 1b. Make It Fun!

• Choose a Theme

Make the planning process easier and the family reunion more memorable by choosing a theme.

• Select a Color Scheme

A simple color scheme can unify your reunion and make it more memorable.

• Use Clothing to Create a Sense of Belonging

Make your family members believe they belong together by using clothing to bond you into a group.

• Plan Plenty of (the Right) Activities

Make sure you have the right activities to make your family reunion a success without being overwhelming.

• Find Games

Games are an activity that can create a lot of fun and family interaction.

• Plan for Delectable Food

For many at your family reunion, the food will be the main attraction. Make sure it's great!

Step 1c. Make the Arrangements

• Schedule Everything

There's lots to do to prepare for and hold your family reunion so write the key deadlines on your calendar to make sure everything is ready for the big day.

• Figure Out Lodging

If any family members have to travel to attend your family reunion, you'll want to make sure they have someplace to stay.

• Arrange Transportation

If several family members are traveling from farther away, you may be able to save them money by arranging group fares.

• Plan Signage

Decide what signs you'll need to help people find their way.

• Prepare a Budget

How much will the family reunion cost?

• Make Reservations

Reserve the facilities, furnishings, travel and lodging you'll need for the reunion.

• Raise Funds

There are several ways to raise the money to pay for your family reunion.

Step 2. Invite Your Family

Once you've planned the reunion, it's time to let everyone know about it. There are many ways to invite the family. Be sure everyone finds out and puts it on their calendar as soon as possible.

• Create a Family Reunion Logo

Every important product and occasion has a logo to help people identify it and to make it stand out in their minds. Get one or make one for your family reunion.

• Make an Invitation

Written invitations let you share your excitement with family members while providing them with all the essential information.

• Send Your Invitations

Deliver your invitation in a timely fashion so family members can plan for your reunion.

• Announce Your Reunion

If you can't reach all your family members personally, consider announcing your reunion publicly to get the word out.

Step 3. Prepare in Advance

On your marks! Get Ready!

While you wait for the date to get here, gather all the things you'll need for your family reunion: the supplies, the food, the furnishings, the items to strengthen your family ties. Confirm your reservations, too. Then you'll have everything ready when the big day arrives.

• Order T-Shirts or Other Identity Gear

Order the clothing or other items you'll need to help family members realize they are truly part of your family.

• Reserve Furnishings

Whether you need a few tables and chairs or a giant tent, now's the time to make sure you'll have everything you want to rent or borrow.

• Prepare Your Theme and Color Scheme

Get out the crepe paper, the photos, or whatever you have in mind to set the theme and the mood for your reunion.

• Prepare Signage

Order or prepare the signs to help people find where they need to go and make the reunion seem well-planned.

• Prepare Electronics

You may or may not like computers, camcorders, digital cameras, microphones or loudspeakers, but they are important for preserving and enhancing your family reunion.

• Buy Food and Supplies

Unless you're having your family reunion catered or holding it at a restaurant or resort, you'll want to get food and other supplies ready.

• Print Needed Materials

You may want name tags, forms for collecting information, genealogies and so on. Now's the time to print them.

• Prepare for Emergencies

Whether a child gets a scraped knee or an adult suffers an upset stomach, it's good to be prepared for emergencies. Be sure to have a plan, supplies and phone numbers.

• Check Reservations

They may blame it on computers but human error is the reason reservations get canceled or never made. Avoid embarrassment and chaos by checking once again that all your reservations are in order.

• Send Follow-Up Invitations

Let people know your family reunion is still on schedule and that you hope they'll be there.

Step 4. Set Up

Your family reunion is finally happening. It's time to get out all the food, signs, furniture, decorations, identity gear, electronics and everything else. If you're prepared, it won't take long.

• Set up Furniture

Set up chairs and tables, a podium, the grill and everything else you need.

• Set Up a Registration Area

Make it clear where family members should go when they first arrive at the reunion.

• Decorate with Your Theme and Color Scheme

Break out the photos, streamers or other decorations you need to achieve the look you're after.

• Put Up Signs

Pull out your signs and put them in the right places.

• Set Out Eating Gear

If you're eating potluck or barbecue, get out the silverware, napkins, condiments and centerpieces.

• Add Conveniently Located Trash Cans

No matter how much you try, your family reunion will generate some trash. Be ready for it.

• Prepare a Place for Coats and Shoes

If your family is coming in the cold season, be sure you have a place to put coats and hats and gloves and boots.

• Set Up Gear for Sharing and Communicating

Pull out computers and cameras and microphones and everything else electronic. Remember the extension cords!

Step 5. Hold Your Family Reunion!

You've done everything you can to plan and prepare for your family reunion. Now your efforts will pay off with a reunion that family members will enjoy and remember.

• A Good Luck Wish

As you start your family reunion, take with you our wishes for good luck along with some tips to get your going.

• Welcome Family Members

Give family members a hearty welcome as they arrive, and take care of registering them for the reunion.

• Break the Ice with Games

Start teens and younger family members on games right away. Adults can join in if they like.

• Eat Together

Since ancient times, eating together has had special meaning. Enjoy the occasion with your family.

• Present a Program

A program, preferably about your theme, can create long-lasting memories and focus the attention of family members on their shared heritage.

• Show Off Heirlooms

Heirlooms are the physical reminders of our ancestors. Showing them to each other helps family members understand their history.

• Record the Reunion

In twenty years, this family reunion will look like ancient history to a new generation. It will be a source of interest to future generations as well as those who attend.

• Do Genealogy

Knowing who ancestors and descendants are gives us roots. Spend some time on sharing this information at the reunion.

• Take Care of Trouble Makers

If your reunion is large enough, you'll probably have someone there who causes trouble.

• Clean Up

Sure you have to clean up the trash and return anything you borrowed or rented. But you need to save the memories, too.

Step 6. Follow Up for Extra Impact

Just because your family reunion is over doesn't mean it's over. With a little effort (and a little fun) you can make the reunion bind your family together even more tightly after its over.

• Evaluate the Reunion

Take five minutes and jot down what went right with the reunion and what you wish had gone better. It will help you or some other family member in the future.

• Update Your Family Records

Update your family directory, your genealogy and other family records using what you learned at the family reunion.

• Keep Your Promises

You likely promised to do something for one or two (or more) family members. It was kind of you to do, and now you need to keep those promises even though you wonder where you'll find the time.

• Share Your Family Reunion Photos

Email copies of your best photos to family members or post them on your blog or someplace where everyone can find them. If you're old-fashioned, print copies and send them to special people.

• Make a Memory Book

Put photos in an album. Add some text and maybe a bit of video or audio. It will make a long-lasting record of your family.

• Involve Those Who Didn't Attend

Just because some people didn't attend the reunion doesn't mean they aren't part of the family. Make them part of the reunion.

• Start Planning for the Next Reunion

As soon as you've recuperated from the last reunion it's not too early to start planning for the next one.