7 Tips on a Successful Family Reunion

There are a lot of families who find that they have relativities all over the world these days. Although it is much easier now to keep in touch thanks to the internet this may mean that physically being in the same room as one other may become increasingly rare. That’s why it is important to take the opportunity to plan a family reunion when possible. With flights, rail tickets and time off work this can be expensive. Therefore, it is important to get such an occasion right. Here are a few tips on making your family reunion a success.

Pick the Right Time of Year

This is a lot easier said than done. If you have relatives in places like Australia you will have to think of seasonal differences (will someone want to swap the tropical warmth of Queensland for the January bitterness of Newcastle?). It is tempting to organize such an occasion on a bank holiday such as New Year’s or Easter but you also have to take into account commitments to in-laws and the like.

Plan ahead

Following on from the last point, the only way to ensure that everyone can make it to your planned reunion is to have the event in everyone’s diaries as far in advance as possible. Try planning at least a year in advance so people can consider annual leave from work and plan their finances around the event. A Facebook group will allow you to venture possible dates to people and take it from there.

Don’t Forget Anyone

This is a very important one. Diplomacy is a key aspect to organizing a family reunion. If there are certain black sheep of the family which you consider will not be conducive to the spirit of the party perhaps you can leave their invitation strategically closer to the date of the event. If they cannot make it, at least you made the gesture.

Book the Appropriate Venue

A party can suffer from being in a room which is too big. Get an idea of the number of people attending before you book a venue. Chances are a house might be a decent venue rather than a function room or pub. Take into account people’s dietary requirements if food is involved and music should be picked with caution.

Take the Opportunity

It is not often all the family will get together in such numbers so take the opportunity to spend some quality time together. If you have time, try and organize a professional photographer such as Venture for a family portrait. It will provide a nice snapshot of a special event and a memento to everyone who attended.

Contingency Ice Breakers

If it is a rather small family gathering with relatives who don’t know each other at all it may be wise to have a back-up plan to break the ice. Board games are always a good tool for this, as are family trees or old photos albums.

Follow up the Event

After spending all this effort organizing such an event, follow it up by regularly keeping in contact with your estranged family members and perhaps plan another event if it was a success.