{"id":27497,"date":"2024-05-24T10:35:12","date_gmt":"2024-05-24T18:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/?p=27497"},"modified":"2024-05-21T10:35:58","modified_gmt":"2024-05-21T18:35:58","slug":"how-to-plan-a-family-reunion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/how-to-plan-a-family-reunion\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Plan a Family Reunion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Family reunions sound fun in your head, but planning them takes a lot of effort and time.\u00a0 You’ve got to take into account the distances people have to travel, when most people will be free, how to deal with soap-opera situations like estrangements and divorces<\/a>, and also whether or not most people want to have a reunion to begin with.\u00a0 Assuming your family is on board with your idea, start planning at least a year out<\/a>, maybe even two years out.\u00a0 Even if your reunion won’t be huge and will involve people who don’t live that far away, you want everything to go smoothly.\u00a0 If you don’t know where to begin, here’s a look at the steps required for planning family reunion ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where to Start<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First, talk to your family<\/a>.\u00a0 Maybe that sounds like a no-brainer.\u00a0 But it\u2019s essential for two reasons. The first is to find out if they have any ideas for when a reunion could be held because you don’t want to plan for summer when all the kids are at camp or working summer jobs, for example.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s also to find out if there are any current problems or issues in the family that you’ll need to address.  For example, you may find out that a cousin you haven’t spoken to for a while has gone low contact with another relative, or that someone is in poor health and that you may have to adjust the date or location of the reunion to make it easier for them to attend.  Decide whether you want this reunion to be linked to a holiday, such as a gathering over the 4th of July weekend, or if you prefer to just choose a date that’s far enough out to avoid most schedule conflicts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be useful to send out a questionnaire to those you want to invite.  Think of a few options for dates and locations, and ask recipients to rank them in order of preference.  Leave a space for comments and suggestions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another item to check off is deciding what the purpose and scope of the reunion will be.\u00a0 Will this reunite the family from across the globe in a big party?\u00a0 Is someone from out of state thinking of visiting, and you want to plan a local reunion around their trip?\u00a0 Have you found “new” family through DNA testing<\/a> and want to bring branches together for a relaxed getting-to-know-each-other brunch?\u00a0 Once you figure that out, that will help you narrow down venues and activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re the one who wants the reunion, you should be the lead planner, but not the only planner.\u00a0 Ask your family for additional help, such as in tracking down relatives and help with calling around to find out prices.\u00a0 You may even want to form a committee where everyone has a specific duty, if the reunion is going to be big.\u00a0 Reunions Magazine<\/em> Editor Edith Wagner was very blunt about ensuring other people help in an interview with AARP<\/a>: “There are the reunions where one person is in charge.\u00a0 That\u2019s a really big mistake, but the world is full of martyrs.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the way, if you do form a committee, Wagner also told AARP that no one should go to the bathroom during meetings because that’s when someone else is going to volunteer that person for the jobs no one else wants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Details You Need to Research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If it feels like the planning so far has been rather vague, that’s OK.  You have to start somewhere, and the details will take shape over time.  As you mull over what you’ve decided and learned so far, keep a running list of items that you’ll need to think about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n