10 Important Factors to Consider When Planning a Family Reunion

2009 March 4

While there are many things you should take into consideration when planning a family reunion, this is a compilation of the ten most relevant factors that need to be planned and settled in order to have a successful family reunion.

The first and perhaps the most important thing to consider is communication. Make sure that your family knows there will be a reunion. If nobody knows you are having a party, why are they going to show up to participate? While this may seem painfully obvious to some people, believe it or not, it is often overlooked. Whether this is done in the form of invitations, phone calls or simply by word of mouth, your family should be informed.

The second thing to consider is a suitable location for the reunion. This may be as simple as a gathering in the back yard or it may involve renting a large facility. Different factors including the number of people that are expected to participate will be a deciding factor in this.

The third factor to be taken into consideration should be lodging for your guests. Perhaps there are numerous family members locally, but a few will be coming in from a great distance. Arrange for their lodging beforehand. If many people are coming in from out of town and not many family members live in the area of the reunion, then other arrangements may have to be made.

The fourth factor is food. Do any of the family members have special dietary needs or requirements that will require separate efforts? Knowing this in advance can save last minute problems that may hamper their enjoyment of the reunion.

The fifth factor is entertainment. Is there going to be any entertainment available? What types of entertainment will be appropriate for all of the family members who will be attending? Will there be more than one entertainer at the family reunion?

The sixth factor is an appropriate recording of the family reunion. A cameraman can often be hired at a reasonable price in order to record the event. Usually a discount price is available when the cameraman has the option of selling packaged sets to a number of people, such as at a family reunion. By offering this service, you will alleviate the need for people to worry about their own photos and remembrances. While most people will still bring cameras of one sort or another, this is a nice option to provide.

The seventh most important consideration should be weather. While this is not an issue if there will be an indoor venue, an outdoor affair could be made or broken by the appearance of any type of weather.

The eighth factor that should be considered is whether or not there will be any group activities for the family to participate in. Whether as individuals or in a group, during a reunion of any length (Where family members will actually be staying for more than one day) it will be nice to be able to provide them with a list of activities they can participate in locally.

The ninth factor is scheduling. While this can be applied to any individual aspect, the scheduling is very important for the overall event as well. Making sure certain foods are prepared at certain times, certain activities will not conflict with others, and making sure that everything is planned in order to avoid as much conflict as is possible within the realms of planning.

The tenth factor, while last on this list is also very important. Cost is an intimidating factor in any event. In the case of a family reunion, that cost can usually be shared by the individuals participating in the event.

Creating a successful family reunion can be done easily enough. The success of the reunion will depend on your priority in the determining factors. If you plan and coordinate the family reunion carefully, you will be the pride of your family for years to come.

A Guide and Tips for Planning a Successful Family Reunion

2009 March 4

One of the most special and the most memorable events in anyone’s life is the time when they mingle and get together for a family reunion. This great event is the perfect setting to meet seldom seen relatives and re-connect with elders whom the younger generation might have lost touch with. With some careful planning and creativity you could make this family reunion a truly unforgettable experience for all who attend.

Setting up a reunion managing team is the first step. Choose a senior person in charge of the team or the reunion committee. This person will have the task of dividing the work among the other members of the team. The committee itself will be smaller or larger depending on the number of invitees.

Next step is to decide on whom to call. Only close relatives or other relatives as well? once decided, then make a list of relatives several months ahead of the planned event. Track down distant relatives for this momentous occasion; you may take the help of senior members of your family to do this task. Many of your family members will be happy to help out. Use their positive response to generate enthusiasm and motivate your way to planning a great reunion. Collect emails, phone numbers and start corresponding early. You can always follow up with last minute updates and quick reminder calls. Be sure to prepare an agenda for the big day ahead as well. This way no one will miss any of the important activities.

Family reunions can be anything from an afternoon barbecue in the garden or a leisurely affair spread across an extended weekend lasting for full 3 days. So after determining the duration of your celebration, choose the final date or dates accordingly. Keep in mind the choice of majority of your invitees. Selecting a comfortable location is important but at the same time it must be agreeable and convenient for most of your family members and relatives to attend.  Have a tight control on budgets to avoid last minute surprises.  And make sure that the fiancés are in the hands of someone who will be able to see them through the right way. They need to be able to keep tab on the expenses and plan accordingly.

Choose games, icebreakers and other activities that will make your reunion sessions lively and interactive. Do a thorough analysis of members’ interests, as per their age and arrange relaxing fun activity with more stress on spending time together and enjoying each other’s company. We are not conducting any competition here so the emphasis should be on participating rather than on winning.

You should also make a simple checklist and include everything from venue, food, transportation to and from the reunion, budget, a list of members to be invited, among other things.

Make sure to get feedback from all the members who attend, and use this to improve your next family reunion. If you take the time to get good ideas and suggestions you will be able to make this reunion one that people talk about for generation to come!

Reaching out and keeping in touch with the relatives with whom you reconnect at the reunion will help you to plan a bigger and better reunion the next year and every year after that so make sure that you are always thinking ahead. The fellowship and warmth that you helped generate through this carefully planned family reunion will linger in the memories of several generations.

Family Reunion Newsletter. How and why to create one.

2009 March 4

If your family is like mine, they hold annual family reunions. We have adapted a system to better get everyone involved in attending each reunion by sending out a family reunion newsletter. This is a simple newsletter; it doesn’t have to be very long, but should provide the family information of course, a list of activities planned, current announcements such as new marriages, divorces, or births are a fun thing to list in the newsletter to get everyone acquainted with the current goings on in the lives of their family members. Listing the location the reunion will take place, if it has been chosen already, would be good, giving an address, directions and maybe even a small map could be helpful. If the location has yet to be determined, it might be a good idea to include a poll, that way your family members can vote on where they’d like to reunite. Make sure you provide your contact information so relatives can cast his or her votes or RSVP. It is like a formal but fun invitation to the family reunion.

There are many resources on the Internet on family reunion newsletters. You can get ideas for your next family reunion newsletter as well as newsletter publishing ideas at Great Family Newsletters Here you will find a mailing list and a link to their E-book “Absolutely Family!” which can be read online or purchased through Barnes & Nobles. Sites like this are very informative and provide a sense of community amongst genealogy and family reunion enthusiasts alike. This would be a good starting point for any person interested in creating a family reunion Newsletter to announce their next family gathering. You may find fun, creative ways to format a newsletter for your very own family reunion. This site includes things such as the E-book, mailing lists, and a bulletin board for people to talk to one another as well as links to other informative newsletter sites.

If you are more internet savvy or the only way you can reach your distant cousin is via the internet, you may be more interested in starting up a family reunion website. There are many resources and free family reunion website hosting sites on the Internet today. FamilyReunion.com is a very large popular website, providing a person all of the tools necessary to start up their very own family reunion website. Creating family reunion website is a good, fast way to keep everyone up to date on the coming events. You can create polls and mailing lists so that everyone you need to contact about the family reunion that has Internet access, can be reached with a simple point and click of an email. Hosting bulleting boards for family to discuss their next family reunion is a fun way to allow your family to interact in the family reunion planning process. These are just a few ways you can keep people aware of your upcoming family reunion.

Family Reunion Invitations Ideas

2009 March 4

Ideas, Samples and Wording of a perfect invitation

Family reunions are a fantastic way to continue and reinvigorate your family contacts and relations. Inviting distant aunts and cousins and getting to know unknown descendants of your family tree is really very interesting. If you are planning for a family reunion this summer then your first goal is to make the reunion fun and enjoyable for people of all ages. Just getting all the relatives together over a meal may be boring to some people, especially to the younger crowd and you want your family reunion to be a memorable occasion. Therefore, you have to take the initiative to make it different than any other family gathering they have been to over the years.

Family reunion invitations are one of the great ideas to impress your relations. First impressions are everything so go for the best designer card that you can find. Choose the one that stands out and practically jumps off the rack or screen at you. Thousands of online shops, and offline shops are available that would help you to find the perfect design for the invites. You may want to consider selecting family reunion invitations based on the decided theme. Other than themes you could also send invitations based on one special family member who is known and cherished by the majority of your relatives.

Online purchase of family reunion invitations would help you to browse through the various collections of family reunion cards and select the best much faster than any other way. There are also many free cards available online which is also a cost effective choice that you can use to save money.

Considering the pleasant design that would attract most of the attendees is very important. Before planning to buy family reunion invitation cards, ask for suggestions from a few choice relatives, that will help you to pick the best one out from the masses.

Here is a list of the more popular reunion invitation cards:

  • Stained glass floral
  • Vines
  • Yellow floral
  • Blue floral
  • Pink floral
  • Leaves 01 to 09
  • Humor
  • Meaningful and Sentimental

The different types of family reunion announcement cards include the following:

  • Packages
  • Slim invitations
  • Jacket invitations
  • Translucent flat cards
  • Overlay flat cards
  • Overlay flat cards with ribbon
  • Flat cards
  • Flat cards wit ribbon
  • Square flat cards and fold over
  • Do it yourself cards

The types of cards vary from company to company based on their creativity and experience. The above listed family reunion invitation card types are just the basics and there are many types and designs not listed in this article. Take the time to shop for a great invite, it can make all the difference when it comes to who come sot the reunion and who stays home.

In general, First impressions do matter: Give your relatives something to talk about by sending save-the-date family reunion notices that pop up off the page! This doesn’t mean your note cards can’t be simple and sophisticated, but they should have an added touch of something uniquely you, something seasonal, or something off-the-cuff that makes the card so remarkable and memorable that your guests cannot possibly forget to save that date.

Family Reunion Gifts, Favors, Souvenirs, and Welcome bag Ideas

2009 March 4

Family reunion Welcome bags are a must:

The family reunion gifts consist of fun, festive, and affordable items that are sure to enhance the event. Make a great first impression by handing your guests some amazing welcome bags or gift packets as they arrive at the reunion location. Being greeted with a big smile and a token of appreciation will make your guests feel especially welcomed. These bags can be chockablock with helpful information, useful things, and fun stuff, too.

If your reunion has a theme, the contents of your welcome packet will then be an introduction. They set the tone for the event. Include an item or two that expresses your subject. For instance, if you were doing a luau theme, a plastic lei would be perfect. In this article you will learn more about the various family reunion gifts available on today’s market that will help you to buy the best gifts, the ones that your relatives will enjoy and treasure for years to come.

Family reunion gifts, souvenirs and favor ideas:

There are many different kinds of reunion gifts to give and choosing can be difficult. Some of the most popular of them are listed below:

Anniversary gifts
Wedding day gifts
Birthday gifts
Bridal gifts
Family and children gifts
Love poems
Occupation gifts
Godparents and children gifts

Take a look at sites that offer these kinds of gifts and you will get a good idea of what to give for the reunion.

You can select Family Reunion T-Shirts, event souvenirs and gifts personalized with family names, the reunion location, the event date or any other reunion information of your choice. Your favorite designs can be printed on shirts, tote bags, magnets, buttons, mugs, clothing or other products.

You may also want to create your own art using your own family reunion ideas! Make effective use of the free custom art available in the market to design neat and original ideas. You could also select designer t-shirts on which any design can be printed as a front or back imprint. You may also make multiple imprints on most items. Tons of shops are offering many designs that look great on the sleeve or chest of any shirt style at affordable rates.

Make your own family reunion t-shirt with the help of a creative family member to create a design for the reunion t-shirts.  Many office supply or hobby stores sell thermal transfer paper, which you can print designs on, and then iron onto a t-shirt.  You can find out when you send the invitations how many people want to buy a family reunion t-shirt, and collect the funds with the ticket price.  If you have the design already done, send a copy of that design to help them make up their mind.   Buy plain white cotton t-shirts in bulk and figure their cost and the cost of the transfer paper. These shirts make fantastic reunion gifts or souvenirs!

For your reunion you can offer unique personalized gifts for husbands, wives, parents, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, boyfriends, girlfriends, aunts, Godparents, babies, grandparents, mothers, fathers and more that will be remembered for years to come. Show how much you love your family through your choice of the family reunion Welcome bags, gifts, souvenirs, and even your favor ideas.

Genealogy Tips, Tricks and Ideas For Your Next Family Reunion

2009 March 4

The genealogy and history of a family can be a very important part of the family reunion. Whether it is a simple family tree related only to the generations of the family which are represented at the reunion or a complete history of the whole family dating back to the early times, it can be a multi-faceted add on and benefit to the complete family reunion experience.

A very unique gift idea is a general family tree, usually only inclusive of three or four generations for the different families that have combined to form the gathering at the family reunion. While this will often consider one paternal/maternal source and branch out from there to include specifics for the family on hand, it can include substantially more information as well.

A family reunion is usually centered on the offspring of one general set of grandparents or occasionally great-grandparents. By using them as the top of the tree, it can easily be branched out and include all of the family members who will be in attendance at the family reunion. This also makes a nice remembrance to give to the people that are present.

The genealogy tree is called that because it resembles a tree. The paternal group is at the top of the tree. It then branches out to include their children. These will further branch out to include their spouses if they have them, and any children that they have conceived. This process is continued until even the youngest participants of the family reunion are represented on the genealogical record. While it is obvious how this will grow exponentially and easily expand beyond the boundaries of a single page, it can still be within reason to complete for the family reunion.

The research for this group can usually be accomplished mostly by phone. If certain dates or events are not known by any direct members of the family, facts can usually be found in county clerks offices in the county of record for the given event, such as a birth certificate, death certificate or even a marriage certificate.

Depending who is completing the chart, they will likely have a good idea of exactly who is in the first couple of groups. A little bit of time on the phone and a few searches into records can easily complete the process. While it is often viewed by people as a positive thing, care should be taken to let everyone who will be on the family tree know what you are doing. There is always the rare occasion when somebody will not want to be included for whatever reason.

In some instances, a complete volume or tome will be created to include more detailed information. Many people and even families have started projects like this for a hobby which quickly grew beyond their expectations. If this is the case for anyone in the family at the reunion, the family reunion can be a good prospect for finding interested members to contribute material, or in some instances to purchase copies of the completed work. Whether the genealogy and the family tree is a single page reflecting only the group on hand at the family reunion, or a massive volume that goes back to generations throughout history, this can be a good remembrance and keepsake for a family reunion.

Cool Ideas for Family Reunion Games, Activities, and Presentations

2009 March 4

When planning a family reunion, you will want to make sure that you have sufficient entertainment to keep the family busy and having fun. What kinds of things would your family be interested in doing during the family reunion, what are some ideas for family reunion activities, games, and presentations?  Whatever you choose you have to make sure to include every age range in your planning. You want everyone to be entertained, not just the people you see regularly. Some family members may be people you have not seen in a long time, or may not have even met them yet. Keep that in mind when planning the available entertainments for your reunion.

Family reunion activities can include burlap sack races, 3-legged relay races, and many other group activities that have both competitive and teamwork necessary for participation. You may invest in “door prizes” and little trophies commemorating the events with the date on them and something like “Smith family reunion relay race winner” printed on them. You can get these relatively cheap at any trophy store. Ribbons are another good, cheap way of commemorating each event. You can have them printed up relatively cheap as well, and they can say things like “First place winner” on the button portion and then have “Smith family reunion 2006” on the ribbon portions. Fun things like this will not only make participants want to participate, but it will also give them a keepsake to commemorate the event.

Games are always a fun family reunion activity. You can place a game of “guess that baby” where you ask each member to bring a current picture, as well as a baby picture of themselves, or various deceased family members to the event. And you can have a bulletin board where you must match the modern picture with the baby picture of the same person. This can be fun as a getting to know you type game, for those family members which may not be familiar with each other, or who could be extended family or members that have been adopted or married into the family. This will allow people to reminisce and create relationships amongst their kin.

Presentations may follow along the same lines as the games. Family reunion presentations could consist of a video or slide show family tree. If you have video footage, or slides of family members, you can present that for people to remember the good old times. You may also want to consider purchasing disposable cameras to pass out to family members so they can capture the reunion on film. Video cameras are also a good thing to think about, you can tape the reunion and show the videos at future get-togethers. Memories remembered and memories created are the most important things about holding family reunions, activities games and presentations will help achieve this. Give your family a reunion they will never forget. A guest book would also be a wise investment, you can make photocopies and send it to the people who attended, with family members current addresses and phone numbers included in the guest book signing that way you never lose contact and you know how to get a hold of the family members for the next reunion.

Tips for Planning the Perfect Family Reunion Meal

2009 March 4

While we do not often think about it in the course of our everyday life, food is a very important consideration when planning a family reunion. The family reunion meals can effectively make or break the success of an event. The culinary experience at a family reunion should be planned with all of the guests in mind. Proper planning can avoid many unpleasant affairs at the family reunion and make it truly an affair to remember for years to come.

Time of day is a major factor in deciding which meals to serve at a reunion. If the reunion is among local family members, and it will be a relatively short event, than usually only one meal is needed, with some snacks added in for good measure as well.

Usually a family can trace its genealogy back to a certain ethnic group. While the traditional foods of their ethnicity may or may not be acceptable as culinary fare for the reunion, it is something that should be considered. Could you imagine the traditional Italian family sitting down for corn grits and pone? It hardly seems likely. While this may not be appropriate for all family reunions, it is something that can be considered. A major consideration is what percentage of the family attending the reunion is still actively involved in any celebration of their ethnicity and diversity or if they are more open to the culture that they are living in.

More often than not the family reunion is a long day of events at least. If this is the case, careful planning should be made in regards to the food that will be served. Cold cuts are a great idea for lunches and snacks. They can be easily prepared in advance of the event and stored easily without the need for anything more than a little wrapping and some refrigeration. During the family reunion, the cold cuts can be set out on the table with cheeses, spreads and bread for sandwiches that everyone can make individually. This alleviates the need for spending vast amounts of time in the kitchen for food that people may or may not eat, and will ultimately detract from the traditional family reunion evening meal that everyone usually partakes in.

The big meal is usually one of the culminating events at a family reunion and its grandeur should be reflected in the dining atmosphere. Quite frequently there will be a theme style meal for the family reunion. Whether this is geared towards a specific ethnic background of the family or towards a more general family reunion theme, it is an important factor in deciding what foods to serve at the reunion.

Maybe you have a very ethnic family, but many of them have married outside of that one particular group of people. One option is to serve a variety type meal for the actual dinner, while supplying an ample supply of snack foods or side order items that are unique to the culture of the family as a whole. Having a more generalized main course will prevent anybody from feeling nervous about sitting down at the table, and perhaps even feeling ostracized simply because they do not enjoy the taste of something new.

A selection of foods could be offered for the actual main courses that reflected the diversity of the family at the reunion. This is quite frequently beneficial in that it offers everybody there a personal selection for the foods that they are comfortable with and gives them the option to try new and exciting culinary adventures. This will also prevent anybody who is not familiar with the foods of any particular culture the opportunity to try something new and find out more about their new family as a whole.

A traditional main course serving served with a selection of cultural side dishes is also a popular option at many family reunions. If there is a large and diverse cultural representation at your family reunion, the simple act of offering a more traditional main course will allow everyone there to eat freely. By adding a number of more ethnically specific side dishes, the guests at the family reunion have the option to partake of many foods that may not otherwise be generally available to them.

Whatever is being planned for the family reunion, the food and culinary selections should be a very important part of the whole family reunion experience. Whether it is for a relatively small affair or an extremely large gathering, the family reunion should be enhanced by and remembered for the culinary expertise and dining experience of the family reunion.

10 Steps to Help You Build the Perfect Family Reunion

2009 March 4

A family reunion helps you to get back in touch with members of one’s family after a long period of time. While reunions are buckets of fun, planning a family reunion is hard work. However you will end up with an extremely pleasant experience as the rewards are worth any and all of the trouble. The reunion can be easily organized with the help of other family members. You can allocate the work among the group as per their interests and abilities.

Let’s get down to it: How to plan a family reunion?

1) Build a guest list. The first step in planning a family reunion is to make a list of family members and decide which should be called and invited. Do you want only close relatives, direct-line relatives or all relatives including first and second cousins? Call around all the people in the list and check to see if they are interested in the idea of a reunion.

2) Survey family. Try to take the time to talk to as many family members as possible to see how many are interested in your reunion plan. You should also do the rounds and find out what kinds of things your relatives would like to see at the family reunion. And make sure you find out the biggest likes and dislikes, this is key to throwing a fun bash that everyone will have a ball at.  You can choose to send out a formal survey on paper or you can simply call around and take notes, it is up to you!

3) Choose a date. Summer holidays are the best bet especially since the children are all out of school. Choose the date in advance so that others can accommodate and re-schedule their work if needed. What kind of reunion should already be decided, whether a weekend plan at a resort, or a meal at a restaurant or a picnic or BBQ at a park.

4) Choose a Location. The location and length of the event needs to be considered. It can be one-day party at someone’s house or a weekend at an inn or hotel. There are lot of outdoor places like national parks, church camps and fairgrounds but choosing a place that suits all is difficult. So, consider the view of the entire family. You may want to take a survey of the family to see what idea is the most popular. Just remember that whatever you decide on you need to make the reservation well in advance, I am talking months.

5) Create a reunion committee – Forming a reunion committee is a great idea for a smooth and successful family reunion. Select the team head or captain to split up the responsibilities of planning the family reunion. Arrange a group of people for finance, reserving tickets, printing invitations and sending them out, record keeping, arranging food etc. It has to be planned at least 6 months to one year in advance if you want everyone to be able to come. Even then be prepared for the odd no show.

6) Determine a Budget - Decide the budget and decide how much each family has to contribute to it. If some family members live far away and traveling involves airfare this can be shared among all family members. High budgets can be avoided. Deposit can be collected for each member of the family before the date of the family reunion.

7) Choose a Theme. The theme of your family reunion is going to be the thing that sets it apart from any other party you have ever thrown. There are literally hundreds of themes out there for you to choose from and all you have to do is use your imagination. You can go with a Star Trek theme, or a Hawaiian theme or even a western theme. If you want to get really creative why not have everyone dress up as their favorite actor or actress? This is a ton of fun, everyone can spend the day guessing who everyone else is supposed to be.

8.) Plan social activities. No family reunion is complete without a ton of family photos. You need to have plenty of disposable cameras on hand so that everyone can take a slew of pictures. You can also plan some swimming at the beach or the lake (depending on where you are having the reunion), as well as games. Some fun games are the traditional ones like the three legged race and the balance a spoon on your nose game or even the potato sack race. There are many of these kinds of games that will keep everyone in stitches all day long and well into the night.

9) Invite the guests. You simply cannot throw a family reunion without first inviting the family! You can find all kinds of great invitations online that you can use for free or you can buy them at your local card store. Many people are turning to ecards but I would not recommend this, as there are many people in the older generation who don’t have computers and who will not be able to get the invites this way. There is also a good chance that these cards will be marked as span and not seen even by those who have computers.

10) Fun Extras: If you want to add some real thoughtfulness to the family reunion you can do some research into your family history. There is no better time to pull out the trusty family tree than at a family reunion. Learn some about the genealogy of your family and you can share it with everyone at the reunion.

Another fun idea is to have special family reunion t-shirts made for the entire family to wear at the reunion. This is a great way for everyone to feel like one of the group, you will all be like one great big club!

You may even want to collect some photos from everyone before the reunions starts, weeks in advance, so that you have time to put together a great video presentation of them all. They can be sweet and cute photos or funny photos are even a little of both. Set it to music and you have a work of art that everyone can enjoy!

These 10 steps are just suggestions; the important thing is to enjoy the moment, share the joy and try to enjoy the planning. After all, the memories that come with a family reunion will last a lifetime and you can only do so much planning!

Family Reunions 101 - What are Family Reunions and Why Are They Important

2009 March 4
by admin

What are family reunions? Why have a family reunion? Why are family reunions important?

Each family reunion is about much more than just seeing relatives. It is a ‘gathering of generations.’  Family reunions bring together members of the family from 0 years to 10 plus years in one place on one particular date. It could be an annual event (most families follow this) or just one-off celebration of family fun. Whatever way you look at it a family reunion is a great way to go back to your roots. Family reunions are a fun way to get acquainted with long lost relatives or senior members of your family. And large extended families get an opportunity to meet each other at family reunions for the very first time. Often those you meet at these gathering have extraordinary tales to tell that you never even dreamt of!

A reunion is also a great time to have a meal together, discuss stories and just have plain simple fun. It is great to plan for a family reunion, but don’t plan it too rigid or formal, especially if it is the first family reunion- give lot of ‘free time’ and don’t cram it with must do items for every minute of the whole programme. Often the idea is to just provide each individual member of the family some time to get to know each other. Some old people may just like to observe in silence or just to hold hands with loving grandchildren whom they are meeting –perhaps for the first time. So give them the space and time to enjoy and bask in the experience.

Okay, you agree that it is indeed a great idea to have a family reunion. But how do you go about it? Start with the obvious and spread the word around. Act immediately on the enthusiastic response you receive from the family members who love your idea. Don’t worry about lukewarm responses – they will eventually come around and maybe even have the most fun. Take a positive approach and start with a limited but enthusiastic number of family members. Set a date, send out a few feelers for first though – holidays and weekends are great times for having a family get together.  Remember, it is not possible to accommodate everyone’s schedule, just choose the best date agreeable to most members whom you plan to invite. Whichever date you fix, stick to it and don’t deviate. If you do it will just confuse people.

The next step is to select a place to have your grand reunion. If it is a popular place that you have in mind or a quaint old place, which has special significance to your family, then be sure to see if the date you have chosen is ideal. Make sure that the venue can accommodate you at that time and make sure that you book way in advance. Do a weather check as well if it is going to be an outdoor event. We don’t want to infuriate granny over your poor choice of venue on her first day out in five years!

Do you really need a theme for your family reunion? Yes and no. Yes it is easy to coordinate and organize around a goal or a theme, no if you feel it is superficial. It depends on your outlook and most importantly, the ‘members’ outlook. But if you do have a great theme, it is guaranteed to double the fun!  If it is your first family reunion, it is a great idea to pick the collective brains of 2nd and 3rd generations on possible themes they may have some great ideas that you can pirate! They will be more than happy to contribute I am sure.

The importance of family reunion can never be overstressed in this age of nuclear families. There is no other better way to renew old relationships and establish new ones. It is a golden opportunity to introduce the younger generation to the older generation –whose legacy you are proud of. Show off by sharing exclusive family secrets that you have unearthed with other members of the family. You will often end up with newer versions of ‘history’! Go ahead you can be part of creating your own unique family history!

The sharing, the warmth and love that you experience during family reunions are priceless. The memories of your family reunion will linger longer in your mind that you’ll wonder why you never thought of it earlier! You owe it to your family and you owe it to yourself so have a family reunion today without delay!