I recently returned from an amazing family reunion hosted by my husband’s family. It was amazing and definitely one to remember. My family is small, so we don’t get the opportunity to enjoy large family reunions. My husband’s family, on the other hand, is the opposite. They celebrate family every two years in various locations. Their reunion has traveled from South Carolina, to New York, Atlanta and to Philadelphia just to name a few. This year’s reunion was held  in Tampa, FL. It was well planned and organized. If you are currently planning, or looking to plan a reunion for your family soon, here are some great ideas to get you started. Make sure to plan in advance and provide a 3-part payment plan for relatives traveling from other cities. The payments should include t-shirts, all of the outings/events and hotel/resort accommodations. Once guests have arrived, try these ideas to create a memorable experience.

1. Host a fish fry meet and greet on the first night of the reunion. It gives the family an opportunity to get reacquainted and be introduced to new family members.

2. Create a Get- to-Know-You (blank) family fact sheet. This encourages members to branch out and connect with family they aren’t as familiar with. Some of the questions on our sheets included, find the family member who has traveled to Asia and find 3 family members in the medical field. It was fun just sharing and trying to discover the answers.

3. Give the family a chance to explore the city they’ve traveled to. This year we took a dinner cruise allowing us to fully explore the Tampa Chanelside. Any type of city tour makes the visit even more exciting.

4. Designing a family cookbook with recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation is also a great takeaway for reunion goers.

5. A family soiree celebrating family by sharing the history, stories and lineage of the family is the perfect way to end a fabulous weekend reunion.

There is nothing more important than family. We should honor and celebrate one another in the form of a reunion at least once a year. I look forward to seeing the family, but also the creativity that goes into the planning. We also spent the day at a beach barbecue during this reunion and took family photos. They are a close knit clan who strongly values family. It feels great to be a part of something so special. Reunions are amazing because they are an opportunity to learn from the elders and teach our children the history of their family.

BMWK, please share some ideas from your favorite family reunions.