Holding the perfect family reunion may seem daunting at first, but with some careful planning and thought, it can be a fun, joyous and memorable event.

While it may seem obvious, the first step in planning a family reunion is deciding which relatives to invite. Decide how many generations down and how many cousins once removed out you want to go. Knowing your limits, how many people you can entertain at one time is important.

Once youi?¿1?2ve decided how far down and up the family tree you are going to go, create your guest list. Remember you will need to include spouses, live-in partners and children. Get in touch with one person from each branch of the family who might be able to help you track down the addresses of others.

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If you’re planning to include a lot of people in your family reunion, consider sending out a survey by postal mail or e-mail and ask what their preference would be.

Be sure to include a list of possible dates, the type of reunion you are proposing to hold and where you are thinking of holding it, without pinning yourself down to a particular location too early. You could also create your own Web page where interested family members could contact you directly with ideas.

Iti?¿1?2s probably a good idea to form a i?¿1?2reunion committee.i?¿1?2 A committee is almost essential to planning a smooth, successful family reunion. Put someone in charge of each major aspect such as location, social events, budget, mailings, record keeping and hotel or other travel reservations.

It’s not much of a reunion if no one can attend. So whether you plan your family reunion to coincide with a family milestone or special day, summer vacation, or a holiday, it helps to poll family members to avoid time and date conflicts.

Since family reunions can encompass everything from an afternoon barbecue to a large affair lasting three or more days, you’ll also need to determine how long you plan to get together.

A good rule of thumb to follow is that the farther people have to travel to reach the reunion location, the longer the reunion should last.

When choosing the location of the reunion, aim for a place that is the most accessible and affordable to the majority of people.

If family members are clustered in one area, then select a reunion location that’s nearby. If everyone’s scattered, then choose a central location to help cut down on travel expenses for far-flung relatives.

One absolute must is to develop a budget and stick to it. Your budget will determine the scale of the food, decorations, accommodations and activities you plan.

Creating a theme for a family reunion is a great way to interest people and make them more likely to attend. Family history themes are especially popular, as are reunions that celebrate a special family member’s birthday or anniversary or the family’s cultural heritage.

Feeding a large group of people with different tastes is perhaps one of the trickiest parts of planning a reunion. Make it easy on yourself by organizing a group of family members to prepare the food.

You don’t have to plan everyonei?¿1?2s schedule down to the last minute, but having a few planned activities and ice-breakers will provide an easy way for people who do not know each other well to get comfortable spend time together.

Include activities that will appeal to all ages and further family knowledge of shared heritage. You may also want to award prizes for special distinctions such as oldest family member or longest distance traveled to attend.

While many family members will no doubt bring their own cameras, you should also plan to hire a professional photographer to record the event. For spontaneous “moments,” purchase disposable cameras and hand them out to volunteer guests. But, don’t forget to collect them at the end of the day.

Create a program that outlines the lineup of scheduled reunion events to give out to family members as they arrive. You may also want to send this out via e-mail or post it on your reunion Web site.

On the big day itself, create catchy, easy-to-ready signs to point arriving guests to registration, parking, and important locations such as bathrooms. Purchase or make a guest book to collect signatures, addresses, and other important information, as well as serve as a permanent record of the reunion.

Get name badges, or print your own, to facilitate mixing and mingling between unacquainted family members. Family tree wall charts are always a big hit because reunion attendees always want to know where they fit in.

Framed photos or printed posters of common ancestors or past family reunions are also popular.

And, most of all, plan to relax and have fun yourself.