Planning a Family Reunion

If you’re one of 25 cousins and have multiple other family members that are spread out across the country, you’re probably thrilled when the words “family reunion” come flying into the conversation. Since you may only see all of your family members once or twice a year, you’ll want to make this gathering of kin as special as it can be. With that in mind, here are some tips for planning a fantastic family reunion.

1. Don’t Plan Alone: Just because you’re spearheading the reunion, it doesn’t mean you have to coordinate the entire thing by yourself. If there’s going to be a good number of people there, have them help. Put people in charge of planning the activities, accommodations, finances, and anything else that needs to be taken care of.
2. Make Your Reunion Affordable: Unlike an event in which one or two parties are taking sole care of the bill, family reunions usually have everyone paying their fair share of the trip. You have to take into account the younger adults of the family who may be strapped for cash and grandparents who may be living on fixed incomes. When coordinating the event, make sure to plan activities that everyone can afford to do.
3. Plan Activities For Everyone: Keeping in mind that you’ll have a wide range of ages and interests present at your family reunion, you’ll also want to plan activities that everyone will be interested in. Skiing or skydiving may not interest the older half of your family, but a wine-tasting is sure to please everyone over 21.
4. Don’t Overplan: It’s easy to get caught up in the details of a family reunion, but too much structure can dampen everyone’s time. Allow everyone plenty of downtime between activities in order to create special, whole-family moments no one will ever forget.

A great event to include in your family reunion is a relaxed sit-down luncheon. The venue spaces at Italian Center Banquets provide the perfect atmosphere to enjoy a nice afternoon with your entire family. When it gets warm out, you can even hold a picnic on our grounds. For more information about holding your family reunion or other special event here, call us at 203-322-6950.