Planning Checklist
Everything you need to do. In the right order.
Most reunions don't fail because something went wrong on the day. They fail because something was forgotten three months before it. This checklist puts every task in the right phase so nothing slips.
12 months out
Pick a date range (or send a date poll)
Choose a city or region
Set a rough budget estimate per person
Assemble the planning team
Create your Grove reunion
6 months out
Book the venue
Set pricing and payment options
Send the save-the-date
Open RSVPs
Launch the potluck board
3 months out
Check the RSVP count against your target
Confirm headcount with the venue
Order t-shirts or matching gear
Lock in vendors and rentals
Build the schedule
1 month out
Send the schedule preview to attendees
Chase outstanding payments
Confirm potluck assignments
Brief the volunteer team on roles
Coordinate lodging for out-of-towners
1 week out
Send the day-before reminder
Finalize the schedule
Confirm venue access and setup time
Prepare MC prompt cards
Rest
Day of
Arrive early for setup
Open check-in
Let the schedule run
Upload photos as the day goes
Enjoy it
After the reunion
Review and send the Capsule
Write the handoff brief for the next host
Send a post-reunion survey
Note who volunteered to host next
See it in Grove
RSVPs, the budget, the potluck and the schedule in one place, plus the family history that carries on after.
Related reading
More from the Grove blog.
- The First 5 Decisions Every Reunion Organizer Has to MakeBefore the t-shirts, the games and the group chat, five decisions shape everything else. Here is the order to make them in and how to get the family to agree.
- How to Plan a Family Reunion in 30 Days (When You Started Late)You just got put in charge and the reunion is in a month. Here is a week-by-week plan to pull off a great gathering with limited time.
- How to Run a Family Reunion CommitteeA reunion committee only works if it has the right people, clear roles, and meetings that end with decisions. Here is how to build one that actually gets things done.
- The After-the-Reunion Checklist: The First Week, the First Month and the HandoffThe reunion is over, but the organizer's job is not. A checklist for the thank-yous, the photos, the money and the handoff to whoever hosts next.
Related guides: How to plan a family reunion and Family reunion checklist, month by month
Grove handles the system. You handle the family.
When you create a reunion in Grove, a starter planning checklist is already in your task list, grouped by category with due dates. You're not starting from a blank page.
Start your reunion