Planning Your First Family Reunion Banquet

By Smith

You’ve organized the family reunion hospitality night and the family reunion picnic.  Now, it’s time to organize the family reunion banquet.

1.  Reserve a hall.  Secure a hall for your family reunion banquet as soon as possible.  If most of your relatives are staying in a local hotel, you may be able to host your banquet in one of its spaces. One of the benefits of having the banquet at the hotel is convenience.

2.  Hire a caterer.  Depending on the number of relatives attending the family reunion banquet, hiring a caterer and her staff to prepare and serve the meal would be ideal.  You and your family wouldn’t have to bother with preparing dishes on the day of the reunion and could enjoy the affair if you went with a caterer.  However, having family members prepare family specialties to share at the banquet would be a nice idea if your budget is tight.

3.  Organize the program.  Consider having a short program where some of your family history can be presented.  A computer-savvy relative could put together a PowerPoint presentation of family history and photographs.  However, if your family isn’t the presentation type, you could post family photos and history on boards and display them on easels around the banquet hall.

Also, recognizing the oldest relative in attendance would be appropriate for a family reunion banquet, as well as recognizing the person who traveled the greatest distance to attend the family reunion.  You could honor them with special certificates.

Below is a sample of a family reunion banquet order of service.

Welcome

Invocation

Special Performance (possibly a song, dance, poem, etc.)

Familial History Presentation

Dinner

Recognitions

Benediction

4.  Hire a band or DJ.  After the formal program ends, the dancing can begin.

When the day of the family reunion banquet arrives, make sure everything runs smoothly and enjoy your relatives.

July 9th, 2009 by Yolanda D. Young | Posted in Family Reunions, Tips | (0)