• Make sure to take lots of photos at your annual family gathering.woman with parents image by Pavel Losevsky from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>
  
  Most families try to get together once per year to spend the day or weekend together. These events usually need to be planned well in advance to allow family members who live far away to make travel arrangements. While one person can plan a family reunion, it will be easier to get everything done by forming a committee of three to four people to plan the event.
  
  

Meal Planning

• Typically, family gatherings center around a meal. Family members can opt to reserve a banquet room at a restaurant or prepare their own food. Family members might want to contribute money for catering or to allow a few family members to prepare all of the food. Another option is to have a potluck meal where everyone brings a dish of their choice.
  
  

Location Selection

• If you are meeting at a restaurant to eat, the gathering can be held solely at the restaurant. One family member with a home large enough to accommodate a small group of 20 people can host a family gathering in his home. Larger gatherings can be held at a local park, lake or community center.
  
  

Activities

• A few well-planned activities can add excitement to a family gathering. However, plenty of free time should be included so that family members can mingle and catch up with one another. Some possible activities include family talent shows, family skits and pie-eating contests. Also, family members may enjoy outdoor games such as sack races, three-legged races and scavenger hunts.
  
  

Themes

• A family gathering does not need a theme, but choosing a theme can make the gathering more entertaining. Possible themes include the circus, safari, outer space, fiesta, Hawaiian luau, the beach, "under the sea" or "the old West." Also, family gatherings can be planned to coincide with a special anniversary, birthday or holiday.
  
  

Other Ideas

• Create and award certificates to family members meeting certain requirements, such as the youngest member, oldest member, the one who traveled the furthest, the one with the most grandchildren and so on. Before the gathering, request that family members share one special recipe and then compile all of the recipes into a booklet for all of the family members in attendance.