Are you thinking about hosting a family or school reunion? Ah, reunions! There’s nothing quite like reconnecting with beloved relatives, meeting new family members, or seeing old friends. Hosting a reunion is one of the most personal and rewarding types of event planning, and a good reunion will leave guests with fond memories for years to come. Of course, if you haven’t planned a reunion before, it can seem like a daunting task. With that in mind, we’ve come up with a list of suggestions to help you figure out what kind of reunion you’d like to host, and what you’ll need to do to make it a success.
#1: Why do you want to throw a reunion?
Is there a big milestone coming up for your family (grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary, a 90th birthday, etc.) or your graduating class (5, 10, or 25 years since you finished high school, college, etc.)? You might have a specific occasion in mind, or you might simply have been thinking about how nice it would be to get your long-distance family members together. Some families only see distant relations for funerals… how depressing! A reunion is a great chance to form positive memories with loved ones or cherished friends whom you might not see regularly.
#2: How big is your reunion going to be?
Is it going to be a smaller affair (25 or fewer people, just immediate family members, or a small club or group from college) or a huge party (50+ people, your extended family and their partners, or your entire graduating class)? A small, intimate reunion can be nice for families who are spread out over a great distance, but a larger reunion gives you the chance to catch up with relatives or friends whom you may not see frequently.
#3: What venue do you want to host your reunion at?
Smaller gatherings may only require the use of someone’s home and yard. A family BBQ reunion can be a great time! But if you want to host a themed party or organize activities for many guests, renting a restaurant, banquet hall, or other venue may be preferable.
#4: How are you going to determine number of attendees?
It’s very difficult to plan a good reunion without having an accurate number of guests to go by! The number of people who will attend determines what kind of venue you’ll want to rent, how much food to order or prepare, and many other aspects of reunion planning. A Facebook event just won’t cut it when planning a major event, as the numbers are never accurate, and older relatives may not even have an account–or a computer, for that matter! Sending out invitations with an RSVP date is the classic way to gauge attendance. An even better option is to include the contact information your guests will need to RSVP right on the ticket! Our Design-it-Yourself Invitation Tickets provide RSVP information on your event ticket.
#5: How are you going to handle admissions?
Handling admission on the day of the event is especially important for large school reunions or massive every-remotely-related-family-member-you-could-track-down get-togethers, to ensure everything runs smoothly. Pre-selling tickets is one of the best ways to both gauge the number of guests you’ll have, and provide the money needed to pay for venue rental, catering, and any entertainment you may want. One of the simplest and most cost-effective custom ticket options out there is our Design It Yourself Computik General Admission tickets. Simple to design and order, they’re an excellent choice for any reunion event.
#6: What time of year would be best for your reunion?
The month you plan to hold your reunion event can really determine how many people are able to attend. Although you could hold an indoor event at any time of year, large reunions at outdoor locations such as campgrounds, cottages, gardens, or islands can really be the most fun, especially for families. Having an outdoor family reunion means there’s no shortage of activities to keep children occupied, and opens up more food options like picnics and barbecues.
Late summer is a great time to hold a reunion, when the weather is good, the kids are out of school, and the young adults of the family are not yet occupied with college studies again. Late summer is also a good bet for hosting school reunions, because it’s the slow season for many businesses and a time that many people like to take their vacation days to travel. If you start planning now, it would be a snap to pull together a reunion in 6-8 weeks.
While there are still many details to think about, hopefully this article has given you the basic starting points for planning your reunion event. With the right preparation, planning a reunion doesn’t have to be stressful, and the results will be worth it. Having a chance to make memories with family members or friends you don’t get to see very often is a special event worth celebrating and commemorating.
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