If there was ever a time when you had felt distanced between you and your family, it likely pales in comparison to what we are all experiencing now, during the pandemic. The quarantining, social distancing, lockdowns, and curfews have made many realize the meaning of the saying, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Celebrating parties, baby showers, and holidays via Zoom is not the same as being there physically with your friends and family. Hopefully, this will be the year when you get together as a family and make up for the lost time. You might not be allowed to visit family for now, but there is no harm in planning how you will celebrate once the pandemic is over. Here are some tips for planning a family reunion post-isolation.
Narrow Down the Location
When choosing a location for your family reunion, you need to look for a place that will be fun for everyone. Whether you are going to your grandmother’s house or a hotel, there should be activities that appeal to everyone’s interest, including kids. If you are going to a hotel, make sure that you get a suite of rooms, where you can still feel like you have the entire place to yourselves. Some of your top priorities should be privacy and seclusion. It’s also important to consider family members who will have to travel long distances to get to the location. Will they have to fly or drive?
When choosing the location, you should be considerate because some people might not be able to afford to pay for flights or stay in a hotel. For those driving, you can remind them to revise their auto insurance policy to ensure their safety and protect their valuables while on the road. It may have been a while since you evaluated car insurance, but this would be an excellent time to consider Freeway Insurance as they provide ample coverage with vastly affordable rates. There are so many things to consider when planning a family reunion.
Plan an Itinerary
Whether you are a group of adults only or adults and kids, you must have a list of activities that the family will enjoy together. If you visit a new location, you might want to book the activities before getting there if they frequently get fully booked. Keep in mind that people are different, and some family members will just want to relax or chill as the days go by.
Family reunion experts suggest that you find activities that are in between. For example, you can plan a spa day for the adults while the kids go swimming. Try not to overthink it. The first night is usually reserved for taking in the scenery and enjoying the food and drinks as you catch up. Remember to plan mealtime accordingly and leave some free time for spontaneity.
Budgeting
Hosting people can be expensive regardless of whether they are family or not. Knowing the place and number of people who will attend is key to creating the budget. The next question should be how many days will you spend at the hotel or your relative’s home? Are you bringing the kids? What are the essential things that you will need while you are there? The answers to these questions will give you an idea of how much you will need to spend. Be mindful of the fact that not everyone has the same financial capabilities. You can start by finding out how much people are willing to spend to make the reunion happen and work from there. Having a budget will help choose the location and menu for the whole event.
If one person usually pays for the whole event, they will plan more productively if they know where everyone wants to go and how many people are coming. The truth is that there is no standard financial structure when it comes to family reunions because money, interests, and often even health play a factor. The important thing is to make sure that everyone attends.
Add Special Touches When Planning A Family Reunion
If you don’t have family gatherings often, it is a good idea to make it memorable, with a few special touches like family t-shirts, welcome kits, a framed group photo for people to take home with them, and much more. You can single out one person whose responsibility will be to take the photos during the event. Family reunions are a great idea, but they are not always easy to plan. Among your family members, there is always one person who is the planner and tends to be more organized than the others. It is always best to let this person arrange the event because they are good at it.
Lastly, remember that the reunion is all about having fun, catching up, and being with each other. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is never to take family togetherness and traveling for granted.
Leave a Reply