NEWS TO USE How to throw a memorable reunion
With summer just a week or so away, you might be thinking about getting relatives together for a family reunion. The Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau expects thousands to come together at some point this summer to reconnect, play games and retell stories. But such get-togethers take a lot of planning and work. There’s the venue. The food. The T-shirts. If it’s in another state, there are can be travel costs, too. Don’t let the reunion become a headache. Follow these tips for a memorable family shindig:
• Reach out. Start by sending feelers to determine how many may be interested. Ask everyone to recommend people you may not have remembered. Make sure every stepchild, stepparent and partner knows he or she is welcome.
• Use technology. Gather e-mail addresses to send reminders and build excitement. Build a Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com or an entire Web site using templates available for free on sites like www.blogspot.com and www.wordpress.com.
“It requires a lot of follow-up, and sometimes arm-twisting. You just have to keep reminding people,” says Edith Wagner, 72, of Milwaukee, Wis., editor of Reunions Magazine.
• Set a budget. Decide how much money you’ll need and ask people to contribute. Factor in decorations, site rental, tables and chairs, dcor, food and drinks and T-shirts. Then ask every family to donate. To get a big audience, keep the price low.
For example, multiple generations of the Nickert family get together every year at a campground in Lapeer. Everyone pitches in $5, brings a dish to pass, then “just enjoys the day,” says Jennifer Nickert, a Redford resident in her 30s who helps plan the outing.
• Pick a location. Figure out where most people in the family live and look for a great venue. City, county and state parks with covered patios and built-in barbecue grills are available for rent, or sometimes for free, all over metro Detroit. Check out community pools and water parks. If someone in the family has a lake house, a big backyard pool, or a cottage with lots of property, take advantage of it.
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