In my last post, I talked about why someone might want to plan a family reunion. This post will discuss planning for the reunion budget, venue (location), and food.
Budget
Unless you have recently won the lottery, you are probably planning your family reunion on a limited budget. There are a number of websites that offer free budgeting worksheets for party (and reunion) planning.
The first thing you need to do when planning a family reunion budget is to make a list of everything you will need to purchase or rent. Some items that may be included on your list include the venue, food, decorations, invitations, hotel expenses, airport shuttles, equipment (tables, chairs, music equipment, etc.), tableware, name tags, tee shirts, photographer, cameras, prizes, etc. While creating your list, include the costs (can be educated estimates if you do not have the exact costs) of each item.
To help offset the cost of holding a family reunion, you may want to consider asking your family members to help. You may want to hold a fundraising raffle, charge a family registration fee, or simply ask people to pitch in.
Venue
You should locate a venue that is convenient and affordable for the majority of your family members. You should also take into consideration the type of family reunion you are planning: will it be a large reunion in which you are inviting anyone that shares your last name, or a small reunion with only a few of your closest relatives? Some venue ideas include a hotel banquet room, theme park, the ancestral homestead, your back yard, the beach, or a campground.
If you have family who will be traveling a great distance to attend the reunion, make sure there are nearby accommodations. Some families also enjoy selecting a venue where everyone can pitch tents to stay in.
Food
Food is often another large factor when planning a family reunion. You could opt to have your reunion catered, do the cooking yourself, or turn it into a potluck event. If you choose to do a potluck, suggest items people can bring to help reduce the risk that you will end up with 10 different potato salads and no beverages.
Another idea for food to serve at your family reunion is to serve dishes that come from old recipes handed down from your ancestors. This could also work with the potluck idea by supplying a different recipe to each family member to make and bring.