Summer is considered the most popular time to host a family reunion. So whether you are reuniting to celebrate a birth in the family, or a long lost relative has come home, organizing a family reunion can be tough. It often takes a lot of time and preparation to get things the way you want so the tips below will help you organize a family reunion like a boss!
Plan
Planning is key to getting a family reunion to run the way you want. This means sitting down and choosing a date and location. If you can give yourself at least 3 to 4 months of preparation time. You may need to chat with family members to see what date suits them best. This is the tricky part – trying to get everyone to agree on a specific date.
Delegate
You cannot do everything yourself. So at the planning stage, work out what you need to do and delegate to other members of the family. People are only too eager to help so give them specific jobs. Go into as much detail as possible. For example, if you want someone to make cocktails or you want people to make homemade kimchi, be specific in your requests so they know what they have to do and when they have to do it.
Workstation
When you are organizing a reunion, there will be a lot of paperwork, receipts, emails, etc. Set aside a place where you can work and have space to deal with any issues that arise. This could be your kitchen table or it could be your office space. Keep everything in one place. This is a great organizing tip.
Budget
The cost could get out of hand if you don’t set yourself a budget and stick to it. This also means speaking with family members and asking them to contribute. Keep your costs down by asking family members to make the food. It’s also a great idea to check out offers for the likes of drinks. You could also enlist younger family members to have a go at handmade decorations.
Plan B
If you intend to host your family reunion outside, then have a Plan B in case the weather isn’t what you expect. This could be as simple as hiring a marquee so guests don’t get wet.
Invitations
It’s important to invite guests as soon as possible. You can choose to send invitations out in the post or to speed things up you could email these out. There are plenty of free software programs on the market that can help you make invitations. You don’t necessarily need a lot of artistic skills for this, which is a bonus if you aren’t great with computer design software.
Guests
If there will be a range of ages at the family reunion remember to offer something for them. This means thinking of what children might like to do as well as the older folks.
Enjoy
Above all else, try your best to relax on the day and enjoy what you planned. Celebrate with your family and congratulate yourself on a job well done.