Family Reunion Checklist – Family Reunion Planning By the Numbers

Need a family reunion checklist? Planning family reunions can be tough to coordinate. Every reunion has different opportunities and challenges, but there are a number of common elements. Go through this family reunion checklist and you’ll have a lot of the hard work done.

1. The first thing to do when planning a family reunion is to find a good location. Find a location which is easily accessible to all the family. E.g., don’t plan a Brazilian family reunion in Africa, while it may be entertaining it’s obviously unrealistic.

2. Choose a spot that is large enough or small enough for your family. Size and space is everything.

3. Secure a spot to keep the reunion. Select and make sure you make the necessary arrangements to confirm and have that location.

4. Make sure ahead of time you confirm the amount of people attending, because this will be very important in ordering the catering for this event.

5. Confirm the correct amount attending and get some sort of deposit from them to definitely confirm their attendance.

6. Be sure to remind everyone constantly of when, where and what is happening.

7. If rooms need to be reserved you may have to reserve them for the family and have them call in to confirm

8. But, remember, you have to be the constant pain in the backs of your family so they do not forget to book and confirm anything and that they do show up. Remember, to the ones who are not planning the reunion, it is not important, to you who are planning the reunion; it is priority, very important. In light of this fact just remember there is a checklist for you.

9. Choose a year, month, day (sometimes the event may be a weeklong event or so)

10. Make the budget (plan the budget per person and plan how much all together you plan on spending)

11. After knowing what your budget is, you will then figure what you will have to do. Book hotel rooms, catering, entertainment, Audio visual aids, etc.

12. Inform the family of the plans (assuming they already had an idea of what was happening, this is an easy step)

13. Based on the response from the family, you will have an idea of the count.

14. Book and confirm the location/venue, catering, entertainment, etc.

15. Have family members confirm their reservations and attendance at least a couple weeks in advance.

16. Be sure to have a formal outline/program, of the order of events which you will be having at the reunion.

17. Two weeks prior to the event, again make confirmations with attendance, as the caterings and accommodations can be cancelled at that time with no charges.

18. Finalize, Finalize, Finalize. Get everything ready to go and be sure to double, triple, quadruple check with everyone, this includes the location, caterings, entertainment, everything.

19. Remember!!!!!! Your family is important to you, yes, no doubt, but planning this family reunion may be the hardest thing you have ever done. Patience is a virtue, and you will need to be very much virtuous.

Our staff has many years of experience in planning family reunions. If you found this family reunion checklist helpful and would like some more of their advice, or if you’re planning on bringing your family reunion to Branson, call them and let them work with you to arrange the perfect event.