You’ve just agreed to be the lead organizer for your family or class reunion. The catch? It’s this spring or, hopefully, this summer. Either way, that time is coming quick! Most events with anywhere from 30 to 100 people should take at least six months to plan. You’ve got at best, a few weeks and maybe a couple of months.

Here at Piguet’s Catering, we handle all kinds of events from the ones we host at our own restaurant Piguet’s Prime Time, to events being held at a wide variety of local venues. We thought we’d give a few tips to make your reunion a success, regardless if it’s for family, your high school class, or an organization.

Keep it Simple

Even if you had a lot of time to plan, we suggest keeping things simple. After all, your guests are there to see each other, not to be entertained by a big production. Whether you’re planning food, decorations, or even the invitations, we suggest not making it labor and time intensive.

Book the location

Time is running out so you need to have a location right away. Even if you’re planning for farther down the road timewise, getting your location set is usually one of the first things you will need to do. You will need to know roughly how many people will be attending but exact numbers can always be determined later. Your venue will determine a lot of other decisions, possibly even the event date(s) if availability is already scarce.

Hire a caterer

We know some family reunions like to do potlucks, but even that takes coordination. Let everyone just enjoy time together and hire a caterer! If you’re booking for a class reunion or club reunion, you will definitely want to invest in a catering company.

Our books for spring and summer are already filling up, fast. You want to make sure that you can get the best rates, the company you want, and the type of food that best suits your needs so book your caterer as soon as you know your location, if not at the same time. Some companies like us have an event venue you can book but if you’re planning for an offsite location like a hotel or club, you will need to know if you want a full plated meal or something much simpler.

If your event goes on all day or is even multiple days, it can save you time and money to book all with the same caterer. Finding a company that can create a custom menu is also important to make sure you have all food sensitivities and other dietary restrictions covered.

Decide on decorations, music, and activities

Spring and summer are the easiest times to have simple decorations. Flower arrangements on the tables can easily be ordered from a florist or even purchased from some local grocery stores. Flowers are a simple yet attractive way to dress up the venue without a lot of fanfare. Remember, you want people to enjoy spending time together, not being wowed over elaborate decorations.

The same goes for music. If the crowd you’re planning for is tech savvy enough, have them add to a Spotify playlist that you create. That way everyone can add their favorite songs. Those that aren’t tech savvy enough could also easily ask for help! This way, you have some background music but no need to go to the time or expense of hiring a band that people may or may not enjoy.

Finally, activities.

We suggest keeping this simple, too. Some games are always fun but remember to give people plenty of time to interact. The longer the event, the more you will want to have planned.

Let go of perfection

We can’t say it enough, people at reunions go for the people not the production! Let go of perfection. We all want our events when we see family or long-time friends to be great. But no event is perfect and if you’re on a short planning timeline, that will be especially true. Enjoy your time and enjoy your event!