With some creativity and advance planning, you can organize a memorable family reunion that everyone will talk about for years.

[get tshirts made] [create a guest list] [form a committee] [pick a location/date] [develop a budget]
[plan social activies] [determine a menu] [invite guests] [how to decorate] [download checklist]

1. Create a guest list. [back to top]
     Start by assembling a list of family members, including spouses, partners and children.  Get in touch with at least one person from each branch of the family to help you track down contact information for each person on your list. Make sure to collect email addresses for those that have them - it really helps with updates and last-minute correspondence.
   
   
   • Tracking Down Lost Relatives: Strategies for Finding Living People.
       If you suspect the person lives in a particular area check for him or her in a variety of online phone directories. If you aren't able to locate them, try searching for an old address which can provide a listing of neighbors and/or the name of the person currently residing in the home all of whom may know more about the present whereabouts of your missing person.
     
     
   • Survey Family Members.
       Once you locate everyone that you would like to contact about the family reunion, start to survey attendees. If you're planning to include a lot of people in your family reunion, consider sending out a survey (by postal mail and/or email) to let people know that a reunion is in the works. This will help you gauge interest and preferences, and ask for help with the planning. Include possible dates, proposed reunion type, and a general location (discussing possible costs early on can discourage a positive response), and politely ask for a timely response to your questions. Add the names of interested relatives who return the survey to your reunion list for future mailings, and/or keep them up-to-date on reunion plans via a family reunion Web site. The Internet is a great way to connect with family, and the perfect medium for collaborating on your shared family history. Putting your family tree on the Web allows other relatives to view your information and add their own. It is also a great way to exchange family photos, recipes and stories.
     
     
   • Top Free Family Reunion Websites: (MonkeyInADryer.com is not affliated with any of these sites).
       These sites include the tools you need to put your family tree online, along with photos and pedigree charts. Some offer additional features such as chat, message boards and password protection.
   • Tribal Pages.com Tribal Pages provides 10 MB of free Web space just for family history sites. Your genealogy data is stored securely, and you can set an optional password for viewing your site. Each free family history site allows you to upload a GEDCOM file and photos and comes with ancestor and descendant charts, ahnentafel reports, an events page, photo album and a relationship tool. You can include your family names in their database so your Web site can be found by other researchers, or keep it private.
   • FreePages at RootsWeb Free unlimited Web space for family history sites is the premise behind Freepages at RootsWeb. The site options are basic and not password protected, but they are entirely free. You can FTP your own HTML files (great for family trees created by your family history software) or use the online editor. Banner ads will be displayed on your site.
   • Family Connect This simple web-based service provides 100MB of space for sharing family photos, recipes and memories; building a family tree; planning a family reunion; and preserving your family history. No limit on family members and no spam or ads. You can even set individual permission levels for family members. Plus, email, live chat and a family calendar and address book. It's pricier than most similar family tree sites, but if you want a lot of bells and whistles they've got them!
     
     
     
2. Form a reunion committee. [back to top]
     Unless this is a get-together of five sisters at Aunt Maggie's house, a reunion committee is almost essential to planning a smooth, successful family reunion. Put someone in charge of each major aspect of the reunion - location, social events, budget, mailings, record-keeping, etc. Why do all the work yourself if you don't have to?
   
   
   
3. Pick a Location/Date. [back to top]
     Aim for a family reunion location and date that are most accessible and affordable to the majority of people you want to attend.
   
   
   • If family members are clustered in one area, then select a reunion location that's nearby. If everyone's scattered, then choose a central location to help cut down on travel expenses for far-flung relatives.
     
     
   • Where Should I Hold My Family Reunion?  Reunion Site Locations in Minneapolis Minnesota.  Link
       Family reunion locations can be as simple or as exotic as you want. It really depends upon the site's location, the reunion budget and the interests of the participants.  "Going home" is a big draw for family reunions, so you may want to consider the old family homestead or other historic site connected to your family's past. Depending on the size of the reunion, you may be able to find a family member who will volunteer to have it at their home. For larger reunions, parks, hotels, restaurants and community halls are a good place to start. If you're planning a multi-day reunion, then consider a resort location where people can combine reunion activities with a family vacation.  From a picnic at the park to a day at the local amusement park to a week long houseboat adventure, here are some family reunion location ideas to get your juices flowing.
     
   • The Old Homestead.
       Is there an old family home or historic spot connected to your family's past? "Going home" is a big draw for reunions, especially for families who have long since moved away from the area. If the old homestead is no longer in the family, how about a nearby park, church or historic site?
   • National, State and Local Parks.
       A popular reunion location, parks offer great locations and a wide variety of enjoyable activities. Many have picnic and camping facilities, as well as such options as boating, swimming, fishing, hiking and biking trails, beaches and ball fields. If you're looking for an affordable reunion location, then a park may be just the ticket.
     
   • Close to Home.
       If a lot of your family lives in one area, then a neighborhood location may be your best bet. Consider local fire halls, community centers, fairgrounds and parks. If you have a willing family member with a big backyard, then an afternoon cookout can be fun. Alternatively, many local restaurants, hotels, museums and other facilities may offer rentals and services for reunion groups.
   • Picking a Date.
       It's not much of a reunion if no one can attend. Whether you plan your family reunion to coincide with a family milestone or special day, summer vacation, or a holiday, it helps to poll family members to avoid time and date conflicts. Since family reunions can encompass everything from an afternoon barbecue to a large affair lasting three or more days, you'll also need to determine how long you plan to get together. A good rule of thumb - the farther people have to travel to reach the reunion location, the longer the reunion should last. Most importantly, remember that you won't be able to accommodate everyone. Choose your final date(s) based on what's best for the majority of attendees.
     
     
     
4. Develop a Budget. [back to top]
     This will determine the scale of the food, decorations, accommodations and activities for your family reunion. You can choose to have families pay for their own overnight accommodations, bring a covered dish, etc., but unless you have another source of income, you'll also need to set a per-family registration fee to help with decoration, activity and location costs.
   
   
   
5. Plan Social Activities. [back to top]
     You don't need to occupy everyone all the time, but planned activities and ice-breakers at your family reunion will provide an easy way for people who do not know each other well to comfortably spend time together.  Include activities that will appeal to all ages and further family knowledge of shared heritage. You may also want to award prizes for special distinctions such as oldest family member or longest distance traveled to attend.
   
   
   • Give one of these 10 fun family history activities a try at your next family reunion to get people talking, sharing and having fun:
     
   • Memory T-Shirts: Be sure to check out our instant quote for the best t shirt prices! We can help you with design ideas and options. If you have more than one branch of an extended family attending your reunion, consider identifying each branch with a different colored tshirt.
   • Photo Swap: Invite attendees to bring their old, historic family photos to the reunion, including pictures of people (great, great-grandpa), places (churches, cemetery, the old homestead) and even previous reunions. Encourage everyone to label their photos with the names of the photographees, the date of the photo, and their own name and an ID number (a different number to identify each photo). If you can get a volunteer to bring a scanner and laptop computer with CD burner, then set up a scanning table and create a CD of everyone's photos. You can even encourage people to bring more photos by offering a free CD for each 10 photos contributed. The rest of the CDs you can sell to interested family members to help defray costs of the scanning and CD burning. If your family isn't very tech-savvy, then set up a table with the photos and include signup sheets where people can order copies of their favorites (by name and ID number).
   • Family Scavenger Hunt: Fun for all ages, but an especially good way to get the kids involved, a family scavenger hunt ensures plenty of interaction between different generations. Create a form or booklet with family-related questions such as: What was great-grandfather Powell's first name? Which Aunt had twins? Where and when were Grandma and Grandpa Bishop married? Is there someone born in the same state as you? Set a deadline, and then gather the family together to judge the results. If you wish, you can award prizes to the people who get the most answers correct, and the booklets themselves make nice reunion souvenirs.
   • Family Tree Wall Chart: Create a large family tree chart to display on a wall, including as many generations of the family as possible. Family members can use it to fill in the blanks and correct any inaccurate information. Wall charts are popular with reunion attendees as they help people visual their place within the family. The finished product also provides a great source of genealogical information.
   • Heritage Cookbook: Invite attendees to submit favorite family recipes -- from their own family or one passed down from a distant ancestor. Ask them to include details on, memories of and a photo (when available) of the family member best known for the dish. The collected recipes can then be turned into a wonderful family cookbook. A great fundraising project for the following year's reunion!
   • Storytime: A rare opportunity to hear interesting and funny stories about your family, a storytelling hour can really encourage family memories. If everyone agrees, have someone audiotape or videotape this session.
   • Tour into the Past: If your family reunion is held near where the family originated, then schedule a trip to the old family homestead, church or cemetery. You can use this as an opportunity to share family memories, or go a step further and recruit the clan to clean up the ancestral cemetery plots or research the family in old church records (be sure to schedule with the pastor in advance). This is a particularly special activity when many members are attending from out-of-town.
   • Family History Skits & Re-enactments: Using stories from your own family history, have groups of attendees develop skits or plays that will retell the tales at your family reunion. You can even stage these reenactments at places that are of importance to your family such as homes, schools, churches and parks (see Tour into the Past above). Non-actors can get into the fun by modeling vintage clothing or ancestral outfits.
   • Oral History Odyssey: Find someone with a video camera who is willing to interview different members about the family. If the reunion is in honor of a special event (Grandma and Grandpa's 50th Anniversary) ask people to talk about the guest(s) of honor. Or ask questions on other select memories, such as growing up on the old homestead. You'll be surprised how differently people remember the same place or event.
   • Memorabilia Table: Set up a table for attendees to bring and display treasured family memorabilia - historic photos, military medals, old jewelry, family bibles, etc. Be sure all items are carefully labeled and the table is always hosted.
     
     
     
6. Determine the menu. [back to top]
   Feeding a large group of people with different tastes is perhaps one of the trickiest parts of planning a reunion. Make it easy on yourself by selecting a menu that relates to your theme, or perhaps one that celebrates your family's heritage. Organize a group of family members to prepare the food for the family reunion or, if you have a large group and your budget allows, find a caterer or restaurant to do at least part of the work for you. A tasty menu makes for an unforgettable family reunion. 
   
   
   
7. Invite the guests. [back to top]
   Once you have most of your plans in place, it's time to invite the guests by mail, email and/or phone. You'll want to do this way in advance to make sure and give everyone time to get it on their calendar. If you're charging admission fees, mention this in the invitation and set an advance deadline by which at least a percentage of the ticket price is required (unless you're wealthy enough to cover all of the costs yourself and can wait until the actual reunion for reimbursement). Tickets purchased in advance also means people will be less likely to cancel at the last moment! This is also a good opportunity to ask people, even if they can't attend the reunion, to provide family trees, photos, collectibles and stories to share with other family members.
   
   
   
8. How to Decorate. [back to top]
   The big day is almost here and now it's time to make sure it goes smoothly. Create catchy, easy-to-ready signs to point arriving guests to registration, parking, and important locations such as bathrooms. Purchase or make a guest book to collect signatures, addresses, and other important information, as well as serve as a permanent record of the reunion. Purchase pre-made name badges, or print your own, to facilitate mixing and mingling between unacquainted family members. Family tree wall charts are always a big hit as reunion attendees always want to know where they fit in to the family. Framed photos or printed posters of common ancestors or past family reunions are also popular. 
   • Set the stage.  You've got a bunch of people, now what do you plan to do with them? It's time now to make arrangements for tents (if an outside reunion), chairs, parking decorations, programs, signs, t-shirts, goodie bags and other reunion-day requirements. This is the time to consult a family reunion checklist!
   • Print up a program.  Create a program that outlines the lineup of scheduled reunion events to provide to family members as they arrive for the reunion. You may also want to send this out via email or your reunion Web site in advance of the reunion as well. This will help serve as a reminder to people of activities which may require they bring something with them, such as a photo wall or family tree chart. 12)
     
     
     
9. Download Checklist. [back to top]
   Click here for a helpful worksheet.