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TIPS FOR PLANNING A FABULOUS FAMILY REUNION

 

When planning your family reunion, you need to begin making preparations at least 6 months

to a year in advance. This will give your family members plenty of time to make arrangements

and request vacation time/days off from work or other obligations. With so many details to work

out it can be a little overwhelming to know where to start. We've put together some helpful

information to help you plan the perfect reunion!

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Here are a few tips to help keep you on track through the planning process:

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1. TALK WITH YOUR FAMILY
Before you get started with the planning, make sure to talk with your family regarding preferred dates, optimum locations, or any special considerations. Make notes of any dates to avoid, such as a family member's wedding or graduation, or other pre-planned trips or  obligations. Some people prefer to schedule the date in conjunction with a holiday season when they already have time off. But it's a good idea to check with your family ahead of time, especially those who will need to travel further, to be sure what works best for the majority so that you will have a better idea of how many people can attend.

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2. SET THE DATE AND DURATION
This part is much simpler if your family reunions are commonly held on the same date every year, like Labor Day or the Fourth of July. Otherwise, once you have conferred with family members you should be able to set a date that works for the majority of your family. Summer months seem to work best for several reasons. It allows for more options for outdoor recreation, activities and venue options. It also makes it easier for families with school-age children to attend. Another factor to consider in setting the date, is the duration. Some families will choose to do a weekend or a week long event, while families with mostly local members may only do a single day event. 

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3. DETERMINE THE BUDGET
Next, you need to determine your budget. If you have done family reunions in prior years and have a planning committee, there should be records of how much money was spent. This would give you a good place to start. Once you know the budget you have to work with, you be able to determine how much money will be required and how you plan to get those funds. You should plan to keep track of all expenses using a spreadsheet to stay on track. 

If your budget is limited, one way to save money is to plan the event in an off-season when venues and caterers are less expensive. Look for other ways to save money like utilizing "potluck' meals, sending electronic invitations and doing your decorating.

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4. CHOOSE THE LOCATION AND VENUE
When choosing the best place to have a family reunion, there are some things to keep in mind to help make the best decision. Take into consideration travel distance for the majority of your family as well as your budget. Choose a location with a venue that will offer the most bang for your buck!   The best venue will offer fun amenities and overnight accommodations all in one convenient location. 

These are some great options for a family reunion:

- Campground/RV Park: this is a great option if you want to get the best value for your money while creating lasting memories. *Oak Beach RV Park offers several options like furnished cabins in addition to our over-sized RV spots with plenty of space to allow for a tent on your site for additional sleeping accommodations. Many campgrounds will have gathering spaces, such as covered pavilions or picnic areas, where you can hold your reunion activities, as well as fun amenities such as fishing, swimming, volleyball, horseshoes and playgrounds.  Your family members will enjoy the freedom to stay on-site, within walking distance of the festivities and one another. 
- Backyard: Depending on your family size, you may want to hold the reunion in the backyard of your home or a loved one’s. This would eliminate the need to book a venue ahead of time, but keep in mind that you may need to reserve chairs, tables and possibly a backyard tent. 
Lodge or Bunkhouse: A lodge is a good option if you want to have an indoor/outdoor reunion. The Lodge at Oak Beach for instance, offers space for up to 100 guests for dining, playing games, and hanging out indoors. It has a fully functional kitchen so you can prepare your own meals. And has overnight accommodations for 24 guests. The outdoor space is perfect for fun and relaxing, lots of activities like volleyball, horseshoes and fishing. Oak Beach also has a bunkhouse near the lodge that will sleep 24 additional guests.
Destination reunion: A destination reunion will take a little more time and money to pull off, but it provides the chance for your family to go on a vacation together. You definitely need to do some advance research with your family members to choose a destination that offers something for everyone. Save money by choosing a location that provides flexible lodging options. Since a destination reunion will require your family to plan travel arrangements, be sure to send out invitations as early as possible.

5. SEND THE INVITATIONS
Whether you are sending paper invitations or e-invites, or a combination, it's best to send them out as soon as you set the date and reserve the venue.  Keep in mind how much time will be required for distance and cost of travel and lodging, and the time of year the reunion is in.  It's also a great idea to create a social media event to provide live updates and conduct polls for your family throughout the remainder of the planning process. Plan to send out a reminder a few months before the event.

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6. PLAN THE MENU
When planning the menu for your family reunion, there are a few things you need to consider:

- Family heritage: No one knows your family better than, well, family! Take into consideration any types of cultural foods that your family loves and plan to incorporate some of these into your meal plans. This is a great chance to celebrate what makes your family unique and to share some of those special family recipes.

- Season: If your reunion is scheduled around a holiday season for instance, your menu may include holiday family favorites. Summer menus will probably include picnic foods, foods that won't spoil in warm weather, or ice cream and watermelon. 

- Venue: Once you have chosen your venue, be sure to get familiar with your options. Is there an on-site kitchen available or electricity to plug in food warmers? Find out if they allow outside food or provide on-site catering options before you start planning your menu.
- Potluck: Potluck is probably one of the most economical and hassle-free menu choices. It allows every family member to get involved and share their favorites, and it ensures plenty of variety and takes the burden of planning a menu off of one person.  To stay organized, consider making a list of foods ahead of time and asking the family members to sign up. This way, you will not end up with four fruit salads and no hot entrees.

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7. PLAN THE FUN
Create a family reunion that everyone will talk about all year! One of the keys to a successful reunion is to offer plenty of fun and a variety of activities that that suit everyone. In addition to whatever activities that your venue may include, make sure to incorporate extra entertainment into your plans. 

Here are a few fun ideas:  

-Trivia: Family trivia is a great way to get to know more about each other and create cross generation interaction.  Create your own trivia questions about pop culture, television, music, trends, or general knowledge — or they could be questions specifically about your family. Or just bring a Trivia game and get everyone to join in.
- Outdoor games: Get everyone moving with outdoor games like volleyball, tetherball, horseshoes, corn hole or frisbee golf. And for the sports lovers, organize a game of baseball, football, or kickball. 
- Cards and Dominoes: Organize some teams and have a card tournament or pair up and play dominoes. 
- Entertainment: If your budget allows, consider hiring a DJ or a live band, a magician or a comedian for your reunion. Let them handle the entertainment while you kick back and relax.
- Scavenger hunt: Organize your family into different teams and set off on a scavenger hunt. It could be as simple as creating a list of facts to collect from family members or more challenging like an outdoor search for a list of items.
- Talent show/Karaoke: If your family has a few 'hams' who like to show off, a talent show or Karaoke show could be a lot of fun! Include sign-up instructions in your invitations so they can plan ahead. Be sure your venue has the necessary equipment or capability of doing this.

 

8. DELEGATE DELEGATE DELEGATE
It takes a lot of work to plan and organize a great family reunion. Summarize areas that will need extra hands, and begin to recruit volunteers and delegate tasks. You might also consider forming a reunion committee to help with recruiting and assignments to make things run smoothly. Don't forget to recruit plenty of help for the clean-up! You don't want to be the only one left holding the proverbial (garbage) bag!

9. ALWAYS HAVE A BACK-UP PLAN
This one speaks for itself. When planning an event this far in advance, there is no way to foresee all of the variables that could happen. So have a back-up plan for a point person, venue, caterers etc. 

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10. LEGACY AND HERITAGE 
Weave in as much of your family heritage as possible in your plans. Recognize your family legacies. Take time to remember specials things like a milestone birthday or anniversary. Remember family members lost during the previous year and celebrate new births and marriages. Create an atmosphere that bridges the gap between the older generation and the younger generation. After all, this is a FAMILY reunion!

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11. CONFIRM THE IMPORTANT STUFF
Don't take it for granted that the venue you booked 10 months ago is good to go. Make some calls a few weeks ahead of the event to confirm essentials like the venue, lodging, caterers etc. This will allow you enough time to come up with alternatives if needed. Also, make sure that all of your volunteers are still able to help out.

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12. WORK OUT THE DETAILS
A reunion planning committee is a huge benefit when it comes to handling the details. But if YOU are the planning committee, just make a list of the details and don't hesitate to delegate!

To help you get started on that list, here are some details to keep in mind:

- Parking: Check with your venue to ensure that there is plenty of parking available. If possible, reserve or designate spots closest to the reunion site for disabled or elderly family members. And if the parking area is too far from the reunion site, arrange for a shuttle or other way to bring people back and forth. 
- Food: Make arrangements to keep food warm or cool as needed, and to keep beverages cold. Where and how will be food be served? 
- Seating/dining: Determine where and how you will set up tables and chairs for meals and other activities. Do you need to rent these or does the venue provide them? 
- Decorations: Who will purchase and plan the decorations? Do you have a volunteer team who will be decorating?
- Clean up: Don't just assume that people will stay after the event to help clean up. Recruit plenty of volunteers ahead of time. Then if more stay to help out, even better! 
- Emergencies: Know who to contact at the venue in case of a serious emergency. And for minor emergencies like a scraped knee or an insect sting, it's a good idea to have a first-aid kit on hand.

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13. MAKE MEMORIES
Be sure to get plenty of photos. Ask your family members to take and share all of the photos they can get throughout the reunion. Create a Social media page where everyone can share pics and memories. Create a hashtag everyone can use when sharing pics. You might even want to designate a few young people to be 'photographers' during the festivities and then share the pics with everyone. They are social media experts!

 

At the end of the day, remember that the whole reason for this event is FAMILY!  So be sure to relax and enjoy every minute you can. Don't sweat the small hiccups. The special memories will be worth all of the hard work. 

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Ready to talk to our staff about planning your next family reunion at Oak Beach? Contact us today to get more info or schedule a tour!

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