Start a Family Reunion Planning Service

1. 1

   Define what full service means

   Venue and date selection, lodging room blocks, food (catering or the classic potluck coordinated properly), t-shirts and programs, an activity schedule for every age from toddlers to elders, and payment collection from relatives. Write it as a checklist; the checklist is the product you are selling.

2. 2

   Price the work two ways

   A flat planning fee (commonly $500 to $2,500 depending on size and scope) or a per-person fee built into the reunion price. Quote after a discovery call, not before; a 40-person picnic reunion and a 200-person three-day weekend are different jobs.

3. 3

   Solve the money problem first

   The reason families hire out is that collecting from relatives is miserable. Set up a payment link per family branch, publish the per-person price and deadline, send the reminders yourself, and hold funds in a separate account with a simple budget everyone can see. Being the neutral money handler is half your value.

4. 4

   Build the vendor bench

   Parks and pavilions, church halls, hotels that do room blocks, banquet venues, caterers who handle large family-style meals, t-shirt printers with group pricing, photographers, and DJs. Negotiated group rates often cover part of your fee by themselves.

5. 5

   Program the weekend

   A welcome night, the big day (food, games, awards, the group photo), and a farewell brunch is the classic arc. Add the pieces families remember: a memorial moment for those passed, an elders' interview session, a family history table, and shirts by family branch color.

6. 6

   Grow on the reunion cycle

   Families reunite every one to three years, so every happy client is a repeat booking with a known date. Ask the matriarchs and family council presidents for referrals to other families, and market in the spring when this year's volunteer planner is quietly drowning.

Do not take our word for the money. Put your own numbers in and see what this idea has to earn before it works. Free, instant, no account needed.

Best for: Organized planners who can herd a big family with warmth and a spreadsheet

Not for: Not for anyone who dislikes coordination and money logistics; that is the job. Not for people who ignore the money-collection headache, the core value.