Quick Reunion Planning Reminders

Whether you're the family reunion planner, member of an event planning committee, the family genealogist, or historian... The fact is, you're running out of time, and you needed to wrap up this summer's family reunion event plans yesterday. Here are some vital, quick, and easy reunion planning reminders you don't want to forget.

Important tasks you may need to complete before the event.

1. A Dedicated Cleanup Crew
   Don't expect everyone to pitch in organically at the end of the night. Assign a rotation or specific family cleanup committee so the venue is left in good condition and deposits are refunded. 
2. The Official Photographer (and a photo plan)
   If you don't hire a professional, it's easy for the planner to end up with no photos of themselves. Appoint specific relatives as "event photographers" or set up a shared digital folder (like a Google Drive or an app) where everyone can upload their pictures. 
3. A First Aid Kit and Emergency Info
   Small accidents, scrapes, or sudden allergies always happen. Pack a well-stocked first aid kit, a list of nearby urgent care centers, and local hospital locations. 
4. Quiet Zones for Young Kids
   Tents or indoor rooms filled with board games, puzzles, and charging stations allow younger kids or introverted teens to step away from the crowd and recharge without leaving the event. 
5. Genealogy and Contact Updates
   Family reunions are prime opportunities to update the family tree. Have a sign-in sheet or digital form that collects current addresses, phone numbers, emails, and notes new births or marriages. 

Happy family reunion planning!

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For more practical money saving reunion planning tips get Fimark's Family Reunion Planner complete with checklists, themes,  activity ideas, itinerary and more. Everything you need to plan a memorable family reunion.

Speed Plan Your July Family Reunion in 20 Minutes

All around the world family reunions will be celebrated from May to September. Family reunions are a haven for nurturing children, mothers seeking mutual support, fathers seeking camaraderie, teens seeking identity and genealogist and family historians. 

While family reunions are vital to the survival of this basic unit of society many career minded people and domestic workers just can't seem to find the time to pull it off.  Do not despair.  I've been there! And what have I learned? The fact is you can plan a successful and memorable family reunion just 6 to 8 weeks in advance. Here are a few tips to make your reunion event a most memorable one.

Speed Plan Your July Family Reunion in just 20 minutes.

What You'll Need.

1. A Mobile Phone (with texting capability and a stopwatch app.)
2. A Note Taking App
3. Family reunion planning checklist (like Fimark's Family Reunion Planner.)
4. A family contact with a large backyard (call them and establish best date and time) or... 
5. An all you can eat banquet restaurant (with a private room)
6. Family History Video/ Slideshow (Consult the family genealogist for content of history video or show pictures or video of all special events provided by each family.)
7. Some no cost entertainment ideas  (see Fimark's Family Reunion Planner.)

Now create a group text message to be forwarded to all family contacts.
"We're speed planning a family reunion this summer
Date - Location - Time." 

If your holding the event in the back yard include the following message. "Bring a dish and drinks to share and also a chair"

Make sure the person on the grill supplies charcoal, foil, meat, bread and condiments. Bring extra drinks early.

Entertainment and Activity Ideas

Create your own outside entertainment with games and perhaps a talent show. (See Fimark's Family Reunion Planner for inspiring ideas.)

Read Set Go!

Synchronize your stopwatch app and hit the start button
Make the phone calls and send a group text message. Those who reply within the next 5 minutes with doable ideas will be considered.

Put the suggested date, location and activities, down in your notes. Ask the family to vote on their favorites within the next 5 minutes.
The first three or four to respond can be considered as members of the family reunion committee. The date, location and activities most favored are written in stone. Now send out the invitation

Calculate the Cost

A wise man once said, "Who would build a tower without first sitting down and calculating the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?" If your reunion is at a restaurant consider how much to charge each family member.  Consider an all-you-can-eat food bar to cut down on menu and ordering complications. Within the next 5 minutes send them a menu complete with costs and have them bring the funds to the restaurant to keep things simple.

Want more practical money saving reunion planning tips? Get Fimark's Family Reunion Planner complete with checklists, themes,  activity ideas, itinerary and more. Everything you need to plan a memorable family reunion.

Finding A Keepsake Reunion Planning Book

A wise person once said, "We are obsessed with living precariously through the lives of unhappy celebrities with false smiles. Stop buying books about other people's lives and romances. Your life is and should be the most fascinating, inspiring and memorable life you know. Write your own book about the life you live. The challenges, transitions and all the good stuff in between."

There is no gift you can give yourself and others like a book of life. Your life. It's not only entertaining, but it's also informative, inspiring, gives hope, and leaves you feeling a strong sense of fulfillment. A good family reunion planning keepsake book should can do all of that and more. 

A family reunion planning keepsake book shows you how to celebrate and have fun with the closest people in your life... complete with an event planning guide and keepsake journal. A true book of life..."

What do you look for in a good family reunion planning book? Notice these features of Fimark's Family Reunion Planner and Keepsake Guidebook.

Looking for a family reunion keepsake book with genealogy forms to record family tree and family research? It's in there.

Includes a family reunion keepsake recipe compiler to record traditional meals with origin and family history notes. 

A family reunion keepsake journal to record those special moments. 

A family reunion picnic dinner program.

Need a family reunion picnic luncheon program? It's in there.

How about family reunion itinerary ideas? Yep. It's in there.

Need outdoor family reunion games? It's in there.

Get family reunion activity ideas. It's in there too.

Looking for a family reunion DNA genealogy presentation program? It's in there.

Everything you need to plan, organize and manage a memorable family reunion event.

Fimark's Family Reunion Planner and Keepsake Guidebook

June Family Reunion Reminders Checklist

And Handy Reunion Planning Checklists

Whether you're the family reunion planner, member of an event planning committee, the family genealogist or historian... The fact is you're running out of time, and you needed to wrap up this summer's family reunion event plans yesterday. Here are some vital, quick, and easy reunion planning reminders you don't want to forget.

Important tasks you may need to complete before the event:

1. Accessibility and Mobility Needs
   Planners sometimes forget to account for elderly relatives or young children. Ensure your venue has ADA-compliant ramps, elevators, and close parking. 
2. Ask guests explicitly about dietary needs, walker/wheelchair requirements, and sensory accommodations well in advance. 
3. Unplanned "Nothing" Time
   It is tempting to schedule every hour, but over-programming leads to exhaustion. Leave ample open time simply for catching up, relaxing, and organic memory-making. 
4. Designated "Family HQ" Space
   For large gatherings, set up a central home base with a shaded seating area, coolers, and extra snacks. It gives relatives a designated spot to chat away from high-energy activities. 
5. Rain-Day (or Heat) Contingencies
   Always secure an indoor alternative or large tents if hosting outdoors. If the weather is sweltering, have water stations, shade, and fans readily available. 
6. Dietary Restrictions & Leftover Prep
   Gather lists of food allergies (e.g., nut, gluten, dairy) or strict preferences. Additionally, bring coolers, Ziploc bags, and containers to manage leftover food so it doesn't go to waste. 

Happy family reunion planning!

- - - - - - 

For more practical money saving reunion planning tips get Fimark's Family Reunion Planner complete with checklists, themes,  activity ideas, itinerary and more. Everything you need to plan a memorable family reunion.

Outdoor Family Reunion Event Ideas

There is nothing like the great outdoors. State parks, beaches, road trips to homesteads and tours. Good music, a breezy day and fun in the sun can set a restful and refreshing mood for a great reunion event.

Having an outdoor family reunion is probably the most economical approach for those entertaining large gatherings with many siblings. Why? Outdoor venues are 50-60% less expensive when compared to indoor venues such as a reception hall. Outdoor events are usually one-day events. 

Outdoor gatherings lend themselves to more creative activities. The sky's the limit when you consider all that you can do. Here are a few great ideas

1. TV Game Show Style Outdoor Games
2. Quilting Under The Wisdom Tree
3. 'Back In The Day' Family Interviews 
4. Family History Storytelling
5. Arts and Craft presentations
6. Genealogy Presentations
7. 'My Family's Got Talent' Show
8. Fantastic Bubble Show
9. Family Recipe BBQ Cook Off
10. Poetry Club

More more details consult the Book Fimark's Family Reunion Planner.

Fimark's Family Reunion Planner

Managing the kids is a whole lot easier.  Just direct them to the nearest baseball diamond, playset or basketball hoop. Other great activities for kids include horseback riding and more. Best of all there's no indoor furniture or decor to break, mend and refurbish during and after the event.

The ideal season for an outdoor event is mid to late Spring when the weather is milder. Early Autumn can be ideal. But Summer is the time most often chosen for a family reunion. Why? The kids are off from school. It's the ideal vacation time, and there are long weekends to take advantage of. 

Looking for inspiring themes, activities, and ideas to make your reunion something memorable? Get Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Guide and Keepsake. It's everything you need to plan, organize and manage a fantastic reunion. 


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Free Fundraising Ideas

Fundraisers are the ideal way to get that family reunion funded and enjoy the moment without worrying about the cost. But raising funds can be a challenge and costly without the right tools and fundraising ideas. Let's talk about how to raise funds without having to spend a dime.  

 
Free Online Fundraising Ideas

One of the most time-efficient and cost-effective ways to raise funds is to promote a fundraiser to all family members via your Google+ or Facebook page. Just send a family-wide message to contribute $20 to the reunion treasury. Need some incentives? To those who contribute, send a link to a list of freebies and prizes like free books, website builders, and product samples.  

Fundraising Web Apps Another way to raise funds without spending upfront money is by using a standalone fundraising application. MyEvent.com has been online for over 12 years and offers a free, fully functional fundraising web app that messages all family members and invites them to fund your event with a credit or debit card. 

Fundraising T-shirts

Another great way to raise funds is by selling family reunion t-shirts.  When priced right, they encourage people to contribute to the cause. It's amazing how easy it is to design and promote t-shirt sales online.  A great place to do this is  Zazzle. Check out these pre-designed family reunion shirts ideal for fundraisers.

Just select the design. Add family reunion event info and send it to your family members via text or email. 

Food Fundraiser

Finally, there is that food thing that is always a great fundraising success. Do a potluck bake sale that features wholesome home-made goodness. Contact all the best cooks in the family, friends, coworkers and neighbors. And while you're at it, have a bake sale on one side of the yard and a yard sale on the other.

Heirloom Fundraisers

Have a few family heirlooms. Why not offer them for lease so they can circulate to the highest bidders over a set period of time? Don't have a family heirloom or keepsake? Make one using Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Keepsake and Guidebook.

It comes complete with a signature page, journal, family recipe compiler, family tree, and other genealogy presentation worksheets. Just complete the book and put it up for circulation during the fundraiser. The highest bidder gets to keep and use the book for the year, allowing other family members to add to its keepsake content each year.

Looking for more fundraising ideas, family reunion activities, and creative family reunion themes? We wrote the book on family reunion planning. Get Fimark's Family Reunion Planner book and be inspired! 

Tags: #FamilyReunionFundraising, #FamilyReunionPlanning #FamilyReunionCrowdFunding, 

Keywords: how to raise funds, free fundraising ideas, family reunion fundraising ideas

Funny Family Reunion Jokes Quotes and Rhymes

Some say laughter is good for the heart. One thing's for sure, when it comes to family, there's a lot to laugh about. Enjoy and share these hilarious jokes about family life while preparing your next family reunion.

What has 100 eyes, grows into a big bunch, and keeps saying CHEESE? A family reunion photo shoot. 

You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoes and wonder what else you can do while you're still down there.

Families are like fudge, mostly sweet with a few nuts.

“I’m here to talk about our family, but you know what they say, 'If you can't say something nice...' so I'll just say this, thank you all for coming!"

When your kids' grandparents tell you to go easy on the kids like they were easy on you -it's not wisdom, age, or experience. It's senility.

What do you call it when you have to run around with one foot in a sack, carrying an egg on a spoon, and an apple in your mouth? A family reunion relay race.

My family is like trail mix. You got your raisins, dates and a variety of nuts.

The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy.

The real reason grandparents like to stop to admire the flowers, gaze at the sky, and chat with the neighbors while taking a walk is not because they are sweet, kind and love nature. It's because if they didn't stop now and then they would run out of breath trying to keep up with their grandchildren.

My grandfather walked for miles when he was 60... Now he's 97 years old and we still haven't found him yet.

I overheard my father say to my mother... "I like YOUR mother-in-law better than I like mine.” 

Grandparents can do amazing tricks their children cannot do. They can make their teeth  disappear. They can make things look ten times bigger than they are. They can tell you things about your parents no one else knows. They can read your mind and tell you just what you are thinking before you go and do something really stupid. 

There goes another apple falling from the family tree.

My parents finally confessed that I was adopted. They said, "But the adoption didn't work out, They brought you back."

The real reason grandparents move to Florida is to escape babysitting.

Having family over for dinner this weekend? This is the ideal time of year to start planning your next family reunion. Swap photos, recipes, make a memory booklet, collect poems about family, plan a talent show, start writing and videoing your family history documentary. 

Get great family reunion event themes, slogans, booklet template, printables, game ideas, and activities from Fimark's Reunion Planning Keepsake Guidebook.