With clear skies and sunny days ahead, it’s the perfect time to invite the family for a get-together to remember. Whether or not this is your first time to plan a family reunion, expect quite a bit of work and communication. No need to worry though — EventKickstart can help!
Decide On A Date
Just like any other event, it’s nearly impossible to guarantee and agree on a date that works for every invited guest. Since our ultimate goal is to gather as many family members together as possible, it’s best to try and pick a date that works for the majority of guests. With the convenience of group messaging, email, social media and other methods, it’s easier than ever to ask your family about which dates work for them. A free tool such as SurveyMonkey also works if you want to send family members a simple online poll. Once you receive your responses, it’ll be easier to choose a date!
Form Teams & Delegate Tasks
This is an important step that will help take a lot of the stress of your shoulders. Once you’ve confirmed who is attending, you can then ask to see who wants to help plan the reunion. Forming groups makes tasks easier, and you can set up committees to handle food, drinks, entertainment, the venue, and more.
Venue
Outdoor venues remain popular options for springtime family reunions, but for times when backyards, lakes or parks aren’t an option, you can look into indoor alternatives such as conference centers or ballrooms. When you confirm that the venue can accommodate your guests, you’ll need to secure a reservation as early as possible so you can start making invitations.
If you’re renting out a ballroom, more often than not you can rent tables and chairs from the venue, if they aren’t already included. The majority of outdoor spaces don’t offer this option so you’ll need to connect with a table and chair company. If you also need staging, dinnerware or tents, you should try and rent from the same company since most will offer a discount for package deals.
Food and Drinks
While most families host a potluck and have everyone contribute their own meal, there are other options you can try. Hiring a professional caterer to handle the food can be a great alternative! A caterer can come up with a suitable menu that fits the theme, location and needs of your party. Hiring a cake decorator to customize cupcakes with each family member’s name is a trendy yet unique way to set up seating arrangements as well!
With this event being a family reunion, having an open or cash bar is a welcome addition for the adults in the family. Let’s be honest — we can all use a drink or two after being around our families for an extended time. For a more simple party, offering beer and wine is more than enough, but you can also ask your bartender for help creating a special menu with fun family-themed takes on your favorite cocktails!
Music & Entertainment
It’s time to have some fun! Make your reunion extra memorable by booking family-friendly entertainers. If you’re hosting a formal get-together, you can always go for a jazz band or string quartet. For casual events, rock bands, cover bands and DJs are always able to get the party started.
Having a lot of kids over? An arts and crafts station, face painting corner or even an inflatable bounce house are always a hit with the younger set. Having kids entertainment also means they get to focus their energy on playing (instead of running around the adults!)
Don’t forget to hire a photographer or videographer to capture every priceless moment on camera too!
Ready to book the perfect local event professionals for your family reunion? You can find them all at EventKickstart.
