There’s nothing like a family reunion to rekindle special relationships separated by time, distance, and careers. The key to a family reunion is simple: get the family involved! Don’t do it all yourself – delegate roles and responsibilities! Especially if your family is separated by distance, you’ll need cooperation and good planning.
After the basic decision of when and where the reunion takes place is decided, then it’s time to plan the event itself. If it’s a small reunion with nearby relatives, you can probably do most to the organizing by phone. If they are all far away, then a lot more communication and organizing is needed. Assign roles and coordinate so all are involved.
Two suggestions for a memorable reunion:
Create a Family Recipe Book
Create a family recipe book using a few favorite recipes from each family. Collect the recipes on a computer. Add some family pictures and take the CD to a print shop to make a Family Reunion Cookbook. It may be a bit costly so ask everyone to chip in.
Create a Family History Book
Another idea is a Family History. Have family members contribute some pictures, accomplishments and milestones, special events and anecdotes. Once you have them, make a Family Reunion History book. That will take time and preparation, so either start the project long before the reunion itself so you can present the book at the reunion, or collect the data at the reception and send the finished book afterwards as a memorial. These will take time, so plan, coordinate and share the effort and expense.
Remember the main purpose is to bring the family together. Involving the entire family on the planning, accomplishes the goal of bringing the family together, and the reunion itself is that more meaningful if everyone gets involved.