Is it reunion time again? High school may have been a long time ago, but the classic memories and friendships you made will last a lifetime. Now, it’s time to see some familiar faces you haven’t seen in ages to reflect on those special years and catch up on the latest life happenings of your peers.
Whether you’re planning the class reunion and need souvenirs for all the attendees’ goodie bags, or don’t want to show up empty-handed for your favorite schoolmates, a little reunion gift can go a long way.
But what would make the perfect gift? And how can you add a personalized touch to commemorate the legacy of your graduating class? In this guide, you’ll get to see a comprehensive list of the best high school reunion gifts, and get some great ideas for using old yearbook photos from Classmates® to customize them in a meaningful way.
What Are Popular High School Reunion Gift Options?
| Key Takeaways – Top Custom Reunion Souvenirs: Popular gifts for your favorite schoolmates include T-shirts, sweatshirts, picture frames, mugs, tote bags, koozies, and wine glasses. – Add a Personal Touch with Yearbook Photos: You can also customize these gifts with your school name, class year, or yearbook photos to celebrate shared memories. Use old photos from Classmates® yearbooks to design unique gifts. – Gift Ideas for Close Friends: Create custom gifts featuring your friend group’s photos, nicknames, and inside jokes from high school to make your greatest memories last forever. |
At a glance, the most common personalized presents and party favors people give at class reunions include custom:
- Picture frame
- T-shirts
- Sweatshirts
- Mugs
- Tote bags
- Baseball caps
- Can coolers
- Wine glasses
- Beer mugs
Let’s look into each option to help you decide the right choices to include in goodie bags for your class alumni:
1. Picture Frames
A custom picture frame that is branded with your high school / logo makes for a great reunion party favor that will get some actual use in your peers’ households.
Whether your schoolmates are able to find a hilarious group photo from your elementary, middle, or high school yearbooks on Classmates, or people take nice group photos with their friends at the event, this picture frame will surely get displayed at all of the reunion attendees’ houses.
2. T-Shirts & Sweatshirts
Opt for a new t-shirt or sweatshirt bearing your name of your high school on the front and your class photo on the back.
This custom souvenir is a great choice since it’s something your schoolmates will actually use. It’s the perfect way to remember the event and those special times in your formative years every time you put it on.
3. Coffee Mugs
You’re not in high school anymore! Most of your class is knee deep in their careers, and probably needs a cup of coffee in the morning to get them moving. Consider custom mugs featuring your school name and/or classic high school pictures.
4. Tote Bag
A custom tote bag is the perfect mix of sentimental and practical. Guests can use it to carry other keepsakes, photos, souvenirs, etc. from the reunion, and use it in the future as a regular reminder of your shared high school experiences.
5. Baseball Cap
Remember all that high school pride you had in your youth? Wearing gear with your school logo and name as you attended sports games was a staple of your teenage years.
Anyone attending your reunion likely still has that pride for your high school to this day. Give them something to wear in their day to day with your school name and graduation year.
6. Koozies
Everybody’s been of age for some time, meaning you can drink an ice cold beer while you catch up with your friends! Insulated can coolers will keep your drinks cold while you’re busy talking the night away catching up with your schoolmates.
7. Wine Glasses & Beer Mugs
Cheers with an old friend at the event! And remember your high school friends every time you celebrate a toast at home with custom wine glasses and beer mugs.
Consider having custom versions of both wine glasses and beer mugs so that your peers can select one based on their personal drink preference.
How to Find High School Photos For Custom Reunion Gifts
The key to making reunion souvenirs that stand out from the rest is personalization. Adding your school name and logo to a shirt, mug, etc., is a great start, but why not take things a step further with some classic group photos from your high school yearbook?
It may be available digitally on Classmates, which means you can access your class photo, candid shots, and senior photos to turn into the perfect reunion gifts.
Here’s how to track down your old yearbook and find the perfect group shots:
Use the Yearbook Search
1. Search for your school by name
Classmates’ yearbook search makes it straightforward to find your school’s yearbooks. Start by typing in your school name in the search bar and hitting ‘Search’.
2. Narrow Your Search
Once you hit search, you will see a list of yearbooks from over the decades. To narrow things down, you can filter by decade or state to find your specific school.
Once you apply the relevant filters, you can look through the results list to find your specific yearbook, which will be displayed by name and year here:
3. Alternative Search: By People & Schools
You can also search for your school by the “People and Schools” section tab.
Once you click on your school name, you can register for free and access all of the yearbooks available over the decades from your high school (hopefully including your own!) along with a comprehensive list of your school’s alumni.
4. Find the Photos You’re Looking For
If your high school yearbook is available, you can scroll through all of the pages to look for specific photos that would make perfect additions to your custom class reunion gifts.
Once you find one you like, you can screenshot from your Mac or PC and use the image on whatever custom product printing app you choose.
What Are Some Fun Reunion Gift Ideas for Your Close Friends?
Reunion gifts don’t have to be for every single attendee. Sometimes you just want something special for the people you were closest with in your youth.
Custom reunion gifts like personalized clothes, mugs, tote bags, etc. would be great options for your friends. If you had a distinct nickname for your friend group, add it in text on your gift along with your high school name and graduation year.
Take things a step further by finding specific pictures of your friend group from your school yearbooks over the years. Whether it’s candid shots of you as a group, childhood shots from your elementary school yearbook, or your individual senior photos, all of your closest friends will get a kick out of seeing their old pictures on a personalized reunion present.
Plan Your Reunion the Right Way With Classmates
Use Classmates as your reunion planning website to keep everything organized, get instant access to your entire Class List upon registering, handle RSVPs digitally, discuss updates regarding dates and details about the event, and try to tap into your high school yearbook to find the perfect photos for gifts and decorations.
Get started on your reunion planning for free today!
Class Reunion Souvenir FAQs
What Are the Best Gifts for High School Reunions?
The best favors to give your schoolmates from high school at a reunion are things that are both practical and sentimental. Consider things like tote bags, mugs, t-shirts etc. that they can use on a regular basis, and take things a step further by adding your school name, logo, and even pictures from your high school yearbook that may be available on Classmates!
How To Decorate for a Reunion?
Common decorations you’ll need to get as a reunion planner include table cloths, balloons, banners and posters featuring class photos, a memorial board, etc.
How to Plan a Class Reunion the Right Way?
If you’re planning a reunion, consider the following steps to do it properly:
- Gauge interest with an invitation sent to all of the people on your Classmates Class List with a few different date options
- Assemble a team of volunteers from your graduating class
- Select a date and have people RSVP well in advance
- Book a venue, caterer, DJ/band, etc.
- Order goodie bag gifts and decorations branded with your school name, logo, and photos
- Provide updates in the lead up to the event via your reunion website.
Sources:
- https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/group-of-happy-senior-friends-with-fancy-clothing-having-party-in-the-night-gm2218610531-635136502#
- https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/senior-friends-playing-backgammon-gm1020784890-274217265#
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