How to Discover Your
Unique Family Reunion Theme

Don't stress... we'll help break down this "overwhelming" project into manageable bites. Just remember, numerous families have had family reunions. And each one of them had to develop a theme... and they did it. You can do it too.

What is a Family Reunion Theme?

The theme you will need to decide upon involves a location, major activity focus, and length of time that needs to be agreeable to your entire family.

A family reunion theme can be obvious. If everyone spends their summers at grampa's summer home on the lake in, you already have a natural "theme" for your reunion.

If there hasn't been a consistent physical location or activity for your family, then it will be very similar to planning where you want to go on your vacation... only bigger.

Before going much further, realize that examining possibilities, communicating with every family unit, and coordinating all the tasks will not fall solely on your shoulders (unless you want them to). We will cover many tools within these five building blocks that will help you on your reunion journey.

Will every single member of the family, stretching back 4 generations, be invited? Or, do you want to have only one "vertical family unit" (one set of grandparents, their direct children (and spouses), and the grandchildren)?

Obviously, any combination or grouping is up to you, but it does need to be decided. One suggestion... if this is your first family reunion, you may want to start small, get the hang of it under your belt, and expand the scope for future reunions.



  Location: Where will your family reunion take place?

I suggest you first choose a general location focus (mountains, beach, lake, in the USA vs. outside, camping/non-camping). Then, get specific as to the exact beach, mountain, lake, etc.



  Non-Camping Accommodations for your family reunion

Before deciding on the final destination, you probably want to check out some general accommodation details for your family reunion theme:

• Is there an indoor and/or outdoor pool?

• How close to the airport is the facility?

• Does the facility provide shuttle service to and from the airport, as well as local attractions?

• What are the on-site sports facilities (golf course, tennis courts, weight room, exercise machines, game room, volleyball court, etc.) and related charges?

• Does your group qualify for group rates?

• Do any family members have discounts for travel or accommodations (through work, associations, clubs, credit cards, etc)?

• Are there any other discounts your family can qualify for (off-season, hotel membership affiliations, etc.)

• Can children stay free?

• Are there any off-site facilities that are available to guests of the facility?

• Are meeting rooms available, and are they complimentary?

• If needed, is the facility wheelchair accessible?

• What is the smoking policy?

Before deciding on the final campground, you probably want to check out some details:

• Is the campground open during the dates of your family reunion theme?

• What are the fees?

• What accommodations and hookups are provided (BBQ, ice, restrooms, showers, water, electricity, etc.)?

• How far in advance does a reservation need to be made?

• What activities are located near the campground? (And, if you're taking kids with, keep them occupied with fun kid camping activities.)

Summertime is most popular because the kids are out of school. However, there are Spring and Winter school vacations as well as 3 or 4-day weekends during the year. And, this will naturally lead to...



  Duration of your family reunion theme

Anything from 1/2 day to 2 weeks falls within a family reunion theme. As you are probably beginning to understand, the timing and duration are very interrelated to our next major decision...



  Budget

How much can everyone afford? The process is just like planning a regular vacation.

You may want to go on a 5 week cruise around the world, but shelling out $34,000 for you and your family isn't going to work this year.

The one part of the budget you probably won't have to worry too much about is the photography end of things.

As mentioned throughout this site, you can take all the digital photos you want... you only have to "pay" for the ones you want to keep.



  Understanding all the costs of your family reunion theme

The costs/person (airline tickets for example) is simple to figure out. However, there are also trickier cost considerations. Some are just for your family unit (number of hotel rooms, size/type of rental vehicle).

Others costs will be expended by a few people, but need to be shared by all (postage - unless email can be used, long-distance calls, printing, etc.).



  Costs Covered in other Building Blocks

The budget discussed here should cover 75-90% of the total costs for your family reunion theme. However, things like food, keepsakes, T-shirts, etc. will be addressed in appropriate Building Blocks yet to be examined.

This completes the Family Reunion Theme building block. Ready for the 2nd block?

Block #2: Family Reunion Planning -->

Most camera owners are understandably intimidated about how to take group photos (which is any photo containing more than 1 person).

After all, you need to decide on the best location, find a good background, effectively pose everyone, deal with lighting, the composition, depth of field... the list goes on and on.

Even though these points are true, there is a better way to take group photographs than telling the group to "Move over there and smile." That better way is our No-Sweat Approach to Taking Great Group Photos.

By following the "By-the-Numbers" approach in our 54 page eBook, I can guarantee that your group photos will be AT LEAST TWICE AS GOOD as they have ever been (even if you've never held a camera before).