Kiplinger’s 10 Reunion Essentials — And the One Element That Turns a Reunion Into Fun
If you only have a minute: Key takeaways
- Kiplinger’s guide on family reunion planning emphasizes practical logistics and the importance of legacy.
- Start planning reunions 12 to 18 months in advance, assign committee chairs, and maintain transparent budgets. Have fun!
- Engage guests before the reunion with tools like Remento to capture and preserve family stories.
- Unplanned moments and shared memories often create the most meaningful connections during reunions.
- Digitizing and sharing old photos can transform family gatherings into memorable, interactive experiences.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
In his recent Kiplinger feature, Hosting a Family Reunion? In “10 Essentials for a Lasting Legacy,” Richard Eisenberg lays out what most families wrestle with when planning a reunion: When do we start? Who’s in charge? Where do we hold it? How much will it cost? What will we actually do for three or four days?
It’s practical. It’s smart. And it’s needed.
Read The Kiplinger Family Reunion story
Family reunion planning tips inspired by Kiplinger
Tucked inside that guide is something far more powerful than logistics. It’s legacy. And that’s where reunions become unforgettable, lasting forever.
Planning the Weekend Is Easy. Preserving the History Is Harder.
Kiplinger highlights advice from reunion experts like Edith Wagner of Reunions Magazine and Saren Eyre Loosli of Power of Families. The guidance is clear:
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Start planning 12 to 18 months ahead
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Assign committee chairs
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Keep budgets transparent
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Build in structured activities and free time
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Use polls, Facebook groups, and planning checklists
That framework prevents chaos. But what makes people cry, laugh, and talk about the reunion for years is rarely the banquet menu or the hotel block. It’s the photos.
Give Rememto, the nostalgia storytelling gift for every guest at the reunion
Remento is the smartest, most fun way to engage every generation before the reunion begins. It is a guided storytelling platform that helps families preserve life stories through simple prompts. Relatives answer questions about their childhood, traditions, turning points, and values. Those reflections, paired with family photos, become beautifully printed hardcover books. No writing skills required. Just honest memories captured in their own voices.
For a reunion, it is powerful because it goes beyond images and preserves meaning. Photos show what happened. Remento captures what it felt like. When you bring each guest their completed Remento book and set it on the table, something special happens. People flip through the pages, discover stories they never knew, and connect across generations more deeply.
Ordering a Remento book for every guest is one of the most thoughtful reunion gifts you can give. It honors the past, celebrates the present gathering, and creates a lasting keepsake for the future. Instead of leaving with only snapshots on their phones, every guest leaves with a printed legacy. That is what makes it one of the best ways to celebrate a reunion and make it last.
The Least Planned Part Is Often the Most Remembered
After 35 years as a photo archivist, I’ve seen a pattern. Families plan the schedule down to the minute. But the defining moment of the reunion is often unplanned. Someone connects a laptop to a TV. An old image appears. A grandparent as a young parent. A backyard birthday from 1979. A home movie clip nobody knew still existed.
The room changes.
Phones go down without anyone asking. No rule is announced. No reminders are needed. Laughter replaces scrolling. Happy tears replace notifications. Three generations respond to the same image simultaneously.
Old photos engage everyone in a way that activities never can.
They provide every age group with something familiar to respond to. That’s why conversation starts so naturally. The result is emotional. Families think they are organizing images, but they are actually unlocking memory and conversation.
Why This Matters Now
According to a recent ScanMyPhotos study, 96% of printed photos have not been viewed since they were developed. That means nearly every family reunion includes hidden history sitting in closets and boxes that haven’t been opened in decades.
A reunion is one of the rare moments when everyone is already in the same room. That alignment may not happen again for years. When old photos are digitized and displayed, they stop being forgotten objects and become shared experiences. Displayed on TVs throughout the house, they give people something meaningful to watch instead of their phones.
Old photos turn family reunions into conversations.
What Kiplinger Gets Exactly Right
Eisenberg’s piece smartly dedicates one of the ten essentials to documentation. He includes practical advice:
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Ask guests to send their favorite family images in advance
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Digitize prints, slides, VHS tapes, and DVDs
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Create a curated slideshow with music
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Include funny and candid images
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Build a shared Google album after the event
Those steps are not minor add-ons. They are the bridge between a weekend and a legacy. Once photos are digitized, they can be sent to the family member curating the montage. Add everyone’s favorite songs. Show it on the first night. The reunion’s dynamic shifts immediately. Instead of small clusters in separate corners, people gather, pointing at the screen, filling in stories, and playfully arguing over details.
The reunion becomes interactive history.
Start Earlier Than You Think
The most meaningful reunions begin long before anyone packs a suitcase. Months in advance, families can ask each relative to have old snapshots, slides, and home movie reels scanned for sharing. That simple request builds anticipation. It turns preparation into participation.
By the time the reunion weekend arrives, everyone is emotionally invested because their childhood is part of the experience. Shared photos matter because they belong to everyone.
Trust and Peace of Mind
One barrier to preserving memories is fear. These items are irreplaceable. That’s why many families now include a GPS tracker, such as an AirTag, in their project box when submitting old photos. Since encouraging this, 38% of scanning orders at ScanMyPhotos include one. People appreciate being able to follow their memories every step of the way. It reduces anxiety and builds trust.
What Happens After the Reunion
Kiplinger smartly suggests creating a shared album and even producing a printed book afterward. That follow-through is essential. Once photos are digitized, they don’t go back in a drawer. They become searchable, shareable, and accessible to future generations. The reunion may last a day or a weekend, but the archived photos last forever.
The Real Definition of a Lasting Reunion
Kiplinger frames reunions as opportunities to rekindle friendships and pass down traditions. That’s exactly right. But traditions don’t pass down on their own. They pass down through stories. And stories often begin with a photograph. If you are planning a reunion this year, follow the ten essentials. Build the committee. Lock in the venue. Confirm the budget. But before you finalize the catering menu, ask everyone what they prefer. Have everyone open their boxes of old photos. Get digital copies to share at the reunion. The most meaningful reunions aren’t remembered for the schedule. They’re remembered for the moment everyone stopped looking at their phones and started looking at their shared past.
Frequently Asked Questions (Family Reunions)
1. How do you preserve family history at a family reunion? Preserve family history by gathering old photos, slides, and home movies before the event and digitizing them so they can be shared on screens during the reunion. Pairing images with storytelling creates shared moments that turn a weekend gathering into lasting family history.
2. What is the best way to document a family reunion? The most effective way to document a reunion is to digitize older media in advance using services like ScanMyPhotos.com, then create a shared digital album for new photos taken during the event. Afterward, organize everything into a printed photo book or long-term digital archive.
3. How can you capture family stories before a reunion? Collect family stories months before the reunion and use Remento, the guided storytelling platform. Relatives respond to prompts about their life experiences, and the stories are printed in hardcover books. Order copies in advance and gift one to each guest at the reunion so everyone leaves with a lasting legacy.
4. When should you start preparing photos and stories for a family reunion? Start 12 to 18 months in advance. Ask relatives early to locate albums, slides, and home movies so everything can be digitized, organized, and ready to share. Early preparation ensures the reunion becomes a documented legacy, not just a temporary event.
[Updated February 11, 2026].
