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The ABC's of Planning a Family Reunion
by MJ Rosenthal
 
START EARLY: You need between six months and a year to plan a local gathering and up to two years for a destination reunion (such as at a retreat or vacation resort). Essentially, the larger the group or farther the distance, the longer the lead time needed.
THE GUESTS: Make a list of family members—including spouses, partners and children—and collect contact information for each household. Since every branch of the ancestral tree adds more attendees, decide whether you’re inviting only close relatives or every descendant of Great-Grandpa George.
SEND A SURVEY: When informing relatives about the reunion plans, ask questions that will help you gauge interest, preferences (should the event have a theme or not?), volunteer willingness and an acceptable budget. Include date and location possibilities for the event, and request a timely response. If the reunion is already scheduled, include a “save the date” notice.
 LOCATION AND DATES: Summertime is ideal for a family reunion, because the kids are out of school. December is also good, since families get together for the holidays. Make your decisions based on what's best for the majority of attendees.
DEVELOP A BUDGET: After determining the scale of your event (location, food, décor, accommodations, activities), decide how much each person or household will need to contribute. Avoid making costs prohibitively high; the goal is to bring everyone together.
DON’T BE THE LONE RANGER: Ask for volunteers. If you don’t get any, recruit them. Estimate the help you’ll need based on what has to be accomplished and the complexity of the tasks (food, hotel accommodations, invitations, photography, accounting).
MJ Rosenthal
MJ Rosenthal, a professional organizer and event planner, is president of An Organized Life www.an-organized-life.net.
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