How To Speed Plan A July Family Reunion

Whether you're in the US of A, Canada, France or the UK, summer is just around the corner. No time to dally. If you're planning a family reunion this year it's time to kick it and get that ball rolling!  Here are a few tips to make your reunion event a most memorable one.

Speed Planning Your July Family Reunion

If you read the last three articles we discussed the process of speed planning. Speed planning is the process of considering the essential elements of planning an event and getting them down in stone within 15 minutes. Here's what you need to speed plan your family reunion.

1. A Phone (preferably with texting capability)
2. A notepad (digital app or paper and pen)
3. Access to a family reunion planning checklist (follow suggested link in this article)
4. A few family contacts (three or more will do)
5. A large backyard or available park or outdoor recreation area
6. An all-you-can-eat banquet restaurant (preferable with a private room)
7. Family History Video/ Slideshow movie (Consult the family genealogist for content of history video or show pictures or video of all special events provided by each family)

Now create a group text message to be forwarded to all family contacts.
"We're speed planning a family reunion this summer
July 20__." Where, when and what activities would you enjoy?

Synchronize Your Stop Watch App

1. Those who reply within the next 10 minutes with doable ideas will be considered.
2. Put the suggested date, location and activities, down in your notes.
3. Ask the family to vote on their favorite date and activities within the next 5 minutes.
4. The first three or four to respond can be considered as members of the family reunion committee.
5. The date, location, and activities most favored get written in stone.

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?" That said, consider if the suggested activities are financially reasonable and feasible for all households involved. Read previous articles for more speed planning ideas and methods.

Checklist, Activities, and Ideas

Need a family reunion planning checklist? Looking to get inspired?  How about some ice breaking jokes and activity ideas. Get the Fun Family Reunion Ideas Book

Fun Family Reunion Ideas

In Depth Family Reunion Planning Book

Want practical money saving reunion planning tips? Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Keepsake and Guidebook. Family reunion planning at it's best. Everything you need to plan organize and manage a family reunion event. Scores of fun family activities. This complete family reunion event planning guide is a workbook and keepsake heirloom for generations to come. The reunion guide includes a timeline planner, checklists, budget list, themes and associated itineraries and dinner programs. 

The keepsake features include a signature of ownership page, an event details page, an event planning journal and a family recipe compiler complete with sections to record the history behind the family recipe. Other keepsake features include an heirloom record, family tree worksheets, and other genealogy worksheets. The reunion planning workbook includes planning tutorial for individual planners, groups, and committees. There are recommended games and activities, itinerary, survey letter and luncheon/dinner programs. Worksheets also include site evaluation, possible locations and activities, committee organization and departmental worksheets. Recommendation: Get the print copy for keepsakes, recording recipes and notes and the PDF copy to print the digital worksheets.

Family Reunion Planning App

Get the complete family reunion planning checklist and vital event planning tips using Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social web app. This app has everything you need to plan a memorable family reunion. Themes, activity ideas, itinerary and more. See details here.

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How To Speed Plan A June Family Reunion

You've heard of speed art? Featured on YouTube, speed art is quickly becoming the latest craze among graphic artists who create breathtaking photo realistic pictures fit for Academy Award winning movies. You've also heard of speed dating, speed chess, speed impersonations and speed reading. But have you heard of speed planning?

Speed Planing And Preparation

Speed planning involves the use of a stop watch set to 15 minutes or so and a list of key planning questions required to brain storm ideas and determine how to implement them. Speed planning an event is similar but with the added feature of preparing the event within a relatively short period of time. In this case eight weeks or so.

Last month we introduced how to speed plan a May Family reunion with only two months to prepare. Many of our readers loved the idea and have been following through with much success. Now with the month of April upon us it's time to speed plan a June family reunion. Answer these key speed planning questions to get your June reunion event up and running.

Speed Plan A Family Reunion

What venue will you use?
What event theme would you consider appropriate?
What inspiring slogan would define the mission of the event?
On what day and time should you schedule the event?
What needs to be done?
Who need to get involved?
What are the projected costs and fees associated with the event?
When and how should the event be announced?

Speed Planning Web App

For a step by step guide to planning your June reunion consult Fimark's Family Reunion Planner social web app and eBook. Click on the link in the profile section of this blog.

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How To Plan A May Reunion In March

So it's March and you're far behind planning your May Family reunion. What to do?
First calm down and take a deep breath. You can still swing this thing. We just have to think simpler
and be creative.

First and foremost consider where you will hold the gathering. When it comes to planning a short notice event your location makes all the difference. This will determine the activities, and festivities. Here's a bullet list of great venues that do not require several months booking notice.

• Backyard Bar-B-Que.
• All you can eat restaurant with private dining room
• Pot luck picnic under shady park trees
• Beach party 
• Theme park 
• Dinner Cruise Ship
• Hotel pool party
• Call banquet halls for cancelled reservation

Get everyone involved. Delegate, delegate, delegate. Keep it simple. Focus on having fun. Don't sweat the small stuff. 

For a step by step guide that's ideal for planning your month of May reunion consult Fimark's Family Reunion Planner social web app and eBook. Click on the link in the profile section of this blog.

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15 Fail Free Outdoor Party Planning Tips

It's Spring! Flowers are in bloom. Days are longer. It's time to take off that sweater and head outdoors for a fun filled family picnic at the park or big fat backyard BBQ.  But, wait. Hold your horses and slow your roll! While thousands of families across America, Canada and the UK will be throwing mega out door feast fests this year, you don't want to move so fast that you miss those key elements that make a family reunion event the absolute bomb of family reunions. 

So what are the keys to enjoying family fun under the sun. Presenting the 15 Keys to preparing a fail free outdoor event.

1. Keep the music playing - find varied styles, themes and artists. Avoid overly sensual
    themes and dances.
2. Have plenty of experienced help on hand
3. Have plenty of hand wipes, ice water and cold drinks(low sugar organic soft drinks
   are best)at the start of the event.
4. Start the event off on a very dignified warm note.
5. Give lots of hugs and cheek kisses
6. Keep the warm food warm and the cold foods cold.
7. Keep the bugs and mosquitoes at bay
8. Bring photos of the family
9. Have two events specifically for the toddlers and preschoolers to enjoy and parents
    to observe and take pictures.
10. Give out honest and sincere commendation to all.
11. If there must be drinking and some folks are not able to hold it well - Stress after
      hours drinking away from the family affair.
12. Play beautiful soothing upbeat music
13. Don't skimp of the quality of the food
14. Keep an upbeat motivational and spiritual tone throughout the event.
15. Avoid overlooking anyone when making acknowledgments.

When planning your out door party make use of a concise and detailed party planner that helps you plan, organize, manage a successful event no matter what the theme.

Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social web app does that and more. Click on the link in Profiles to get instant access.

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12 Legendary Heritage Web Page Updates.

Thanks to a recent phone call from a customer, who was anxiously trying to get to the Legendary Heritage Heirlooms family reunion web app with African American features, I immediately responded by updating 12 pages in order to make all current reunion planning and fund raiser apps, products and services more accessible to those wanting to share in this most honored tradition.

Legendary Heritage Heirlooms is a resources for African american, black event planning tips, with tools and ideas for reunions, honorary ceremonies, culture fests, anniversaries, graduation and homecoming celebrations.

Among the concerns was the inability to purchase Fimark's Family Reunion Planner for African American family reunions. After an extensive examination, to my surprise several eCommerce features needed to brought up-to-date. You will be happy to know that full functionality of our Legendary Heritage Heirlooms web site with family reunion planning products have been restored.

You can now access our most valued event planning features such as the reunion planner checklist, itinerary template, luncheon/dinner template, 5 theme planner and loads of activity ideas with setup details now available for immediate download. Including are an enhanced line of colorful flyers, invitations and worksheets.

In addition the web app has over 12 socially enabled features so you can conference from your desktop, laptop, tablet or phone and you can share, edit and update all documents and event planning spreadsheet and send invitations and takes surveys online.

Raise funds for the event with the free fundraising web app, the t-shirt designer and online t-shirt selling web app.

Setup your own personal free trial family reunion web site and start selling tickets to the event.

Remember there is an interactive checklist feature that guides you through the planning process as well as the Family Reunion Planner eBook feature.

While we are an international kaleidoscope of family reunion planners of all races, cultures and walks of life, we are honored to make available features that are as personable as possible to everyone including the honored tradition of African American family reunion planning.

Visit Legendary Heritage Heirlooms and download the African American reunion planning web app  at lhh.fimark.net. Happy Family Reunion Planning!



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How To Speed Plan A Spring Vacation Family Reunion

So you want to plan a Spring Vacation family reunion but don't know where to start or if you even have enough time to pull it off? Be assured, many have speed planned spring vacation family reunions as early as the first week of March and enjoyed a successful event in April, May and early June. Just keep it simple and follow these speed planning instructions.

Consult the community events calendar to find out what festivals, concerts and tours are featured during the month of your event. After discussing this with the family set the event date around the special events scheduled.

1.  Determine your theme, mission and slogan. Get theme and slogan ideas when downloading the family reunion planning package. Get family reunion t-shirt design ideas at http://www.zazzle.com/zzibcnet*.

2. Contact the family and extended family to vote on a date, activities and events you'd like to enjoy on your reunion vacation.  

3. Write a list of all activities planned.  A family reunion planning checklist with worksheets are ideal for keeping up with tasks needing to be completed during the planning process. 

5. Reserve a hotel with lobby, park area or recreation center for the initial meet and greet. Consult local municipality officials for available grounds or hold the event at a relatives home.   (*See the timeline checklist in the Family Reunion Planner)

6. Send all family members directions  to the event rendezvous via email, event app or post mail. A map to the location would be helpful.

7. Get help wrapping up your final tasks. No need to do it all yourself. Invite a couple of extra hands over and put in a long night completing tasks. Download a family reunion planning checklist with worksheets. Delegate department heads and make sure everyone has what they need including materials and supplies to complete the assigned task.

8. Don't forget to give yourself a day off before and after the big event.

Download the family reunion planning book, checklists and worksheets here... http://family-reunion-planner.fimark.net.


Happy Family Reunion Planning!

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Shooting Your Family History Documentary Video

A member of our family reunion planning group said they have begun putting together a family history documentary but only have little snippets of information. Fact is little snippets of information mark the path to the bigger story. Here are some tips to help you get as much information as you can.

Ask questions, show pictures and play the music of the era. Questions spark memories, experiences and interesting stories. When interviewing groups of family members and friends of the family ask questions about things in the photos to get the juicy details. Who, when, how and why.  Example: Who is that next to such and such? What kind of dress is that? Did she like that dress? Where did he get that hat? Whose house are they standing in front of? Whose car is parked in front? What did you do there? 

To fill in the gaps of the video spend no more than 1-2 minutes talking about the cosmetics of a house, car or dress and the aesthetics of the artist, designer or builder.  

Finding Pictures. 

Collect old magazines and clip pictures of old movie and music stars of the day. Look for news clippings regarding concerts, festivals, fairs and historic events in the area at the time. Search for archived photos of stores, shops, offices and municipalities.

Finding Music

Finding the music of the times is not at difficult as you might think. Just go to YouTube and enter keyword music of the 20's, 30's etc. You'll be amazed at how much video footage is available regarding markets, news reels and memorabilia of the time.  Link to music and video from YouTube using your tablet or iPad.

Dealing With Camera Shyness
Camera shyness is typical. While some family members may be camera shy, others are not and many friends of family members may actually help them feel less inhibited especially when they want to get the facts of a story right. Interview groups of family members and their outspoken friends. You'll get a wealth of information and a lively and enriching discussion.

Regarding taking video: Aim the camera at the album. As the interviewees turn through the albums get shots of the hands pointing to subjects in the pictures and allow the interviewees to tell their stories behind the picture. 

Instead of taking video of the person face to face as if they are staring into the camera tell them you would like to take video of yourself with the video pointed at yourself from behind the back of the interview.  As the interview progresses slowly bring the camera forward turn the camera slightly toward the interviewee to catch a profile so that the edge of the cheek and mouth shows but keep the camera out of their peripheral vision. 

Follow these steps carefully and you'll likely have more video content than you know what to do with. If that's the case, it's save the extra footage for Family History Documentary Part II.

And what better way to present your documentary than at your next family reunion.