June is here, with its sunny days and long, beautiful evenings… And the desire to share, get together, and plan family gatherings!
In this article, I’d like to talk to you about family reunions—essential events for staying connected with our loved ones.
Getting a large group of family members together for a weekend—especially when some of them live far away—can quickly turn into a headache. Faced with the complexity of organizing an event of this scale, many people feel discouraged.
Here are my tips for making these family gatherings a success.
The venue: the key to a memorable family event
Your accommodation should be carefully selected based on several key factors:
- Its capacity relative to the number of participants
- Its accessibility depending on where you live
- Accommodation options and amenities tailored to your family’s needs. Whether you’re a family with children, seniors, or a couple, your needs will vary. You’ll need to choose between hotels, campgrounds, vacation rentals, and tourist residences…
- It must include indoor and outdoor spaces where people can gather.
- Ideally, the venue should be reserved exclusively for you, so you won’t disturb anyone and can fully enjoy all the spaces.
Simplified organization: the key to peaceful moments together
When you gather a large group of people for a family reunion or celebration, nothing should be left to chance.
The more you plan ahead and take care of every little detail of your weekend, the better it will go.
You can send out a program or an information sheet, or even create a website dedicated to the event where everyone can find the essential information.
You should consider: the allocation of accommodations, what items to bring or leave behind (bed linens, toiletries, miscellaneous items…), and providing details about the location and planned activities so that everyone can pack accordingly.
However, when a large group of people gets together—especially for a big gathering like a family reunion or a get-together with extended family—the most complicated part is figuring out the meals. Between deciding on the menu, figuring out the huge quantities needed, grocery shopping, food prep, and doing the dishes… it can quickly become exhausting and a source of tension.
I recommend making this part of the planning easier so you can spend the weekend relaxing rather than in the kitchen. Depending on the venue, you might want to opt for full board. Otherwise, consider hiring outside vendors to deliver meals on-site: paella, a cold buffet, a food truck, brunch… choose simple dishes that everyone will enjoy.
Activities to create happy memories
You can plan a few activities for the weekend, but remember that the most important thing is the desire to spend time together and reconnect. So be careful not to overbook your schedule!
It’s best to avoid traveling to other locations, as this adds unnecessary stress and wastes time. Traveling with a group of 20–30 people or more is much more complicated than traveling as a couple! Keep that in mind. Everything takes much longer. Nevertheless, it is possible to plan an activity that suits everyone: a visit to a tourist site, an afternoon at the beach, a walk, or why not a more active outing (tree-top adventure, go-karting, bowling, etc.)—but in that case, don’t forget to make a reservation!
To make things easier, I recommend bringing the activity to you! Many event planners offer mobile activities that they set up at your venue. I suggest an escape room, team-building games like an Olympics-style competition, wooden games, and so on.
Let’s not forget the kids! Bouncy castles, carnival games, face painting, magic shows… the possibilities are endless! 
You can also choose a place that already offers activities such as a swimming pool, bocce, tennis, table tennis, or a playground for children…
To capture these special moments and preserve them as lasting memories, I highly recommend hiring a professional photographer for a few hours.
Whether it’s a family reunion or a big family gathering, there’s only one thing that matters: HAVE FUN! Treat yourselves to some quality time together, in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. As an event planner, I offer a turnkey solution for organizing your family event. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride! No more stress over planning! No more excuses for not getting together!
