Is it reunion time already? Wow, time flies!
A high school reunion (done the right way) can be such a special occasion. Seeing old friends, reminiscing over classic memories, and catching up on each other’s lives; it’s a chance to celebrate how far everyone has come, rekindle meaningful connections, and create new memories that you’ll cherish for years to come.
But there’s so much more that goes into planning a reunion than setting a date and place. A great class reunion requires strategic planning, thoughtful coordination, and attention to detail to ensure every guest feels welcomed, engaged, and part of an unforgettable experience.
If you’re in charge of planning your reunion, you need to plan for sending invites, booking a venue, gathering decorations, hiring vendors, and scheduling activities. But no need to stress. In this helpful guide, you’ll get expert advice on every step to pull off the ultimate class reunion. Let’s dive in!
Steps to Planning a Class Reunion
| Key Takeaways – Start early and gauge interest: Reach out to alumni using Classmates® to estimate attendance, set a ticket price, and form a planning committee that can help you with budgeting, vendor selection, and event coordination. – Secure your venue and vendors ASAP: Book your event space and hire caterers, entertainment, and photographers well in advance. – Create a reunion page on Classmates: Manage RSVPs, share event updates, and upload nostalgic photos from yearbooks. – Send invitations 6+ months in advance: Give guests plenty of notice and encourage early ticket purchases to fund the event. |
Breaking the high school reunion planning process down into actionable steps makes the stressful process more manageable and even enjoyable.
Follow these practical tips to organize a memorable event that everyone will look forward to.
1. Gauge Alumni Interest & Availability
Before you can book a venue, hire a food vendor, and buy decorations, you need to have an idea of how many of your former alumni will be in attendance. On average, 40% of your graduating class will attend the reunion, so you can use that as an initial benchmark.
However, you’ll want more concrete numbers before you start budgeting and booking a space/vendors.
Start by using your Classmates Class List to reach out to your fellow alumni. Come up with a carefully crafted outreach message asking about:
- Their interest in attending
- Their interest in supporting the planning process
- How much they’d be willing to spend on a ticket to support your reunion budget
- Will they be bringing their spouse/significant other as a guest
2. Form a Planning Committee
You shouldn’t have to do all of the planning yourself. You’ve got fellow alumni that are eager to reconnect with their peers at a truly special event. Once you reach out to alumni directly or on Classmates and inquire about their interest in joining the planning committee, you’ll find volunteers willing to help.
These volunteers will be there to share ideas and input across the various facets of the event planning process, and you can delegate specific tasks to each member based on their interests and expertise.
Planning Tip: Be conscious of how many people you invite into your reunion planning committee. You don’t want ‘too many cooks in the kitchen,’ especially when you consider that there may be conflicting opinions around the direction to take the event in. And remember, it’s your job to delegate and ultimately make final decisions!
3. Set a Budget
Now that you know how many people will be in attendance, you can calculate how much you’ll likely need to spend on planning the event.
Reunion budgets are typically allocated towards:
- Event space
- Catering / bar services
- Decorations
- DJ / band
- Photographer
Get proposals from the various vendors to determine your costs more specifically.
In addition to the revenue you’ll collect from selling tickets, consider exploring donations, VIP ticket packages, parking, etc. to boost your budget. You also should see if there is an existing school fund to support your class reunion.
4. Iron Out a Theme & The Details
Now that you’ve got a definitive budget, it is time to get to the fun part: planning! Are you able to splurge on a high-end space and decorations, or will you need to spend wisely and be budget conscious?
The planning committee needs to determine the following details:
- Potential dates: you can send messages to those that expressed interest in coming to determine which date works best.
- Venues: could be a school facility like an auditorium, hotel event space, restaurant, or local outdoor space.
- Theme, activities, & event program: consider fun party games and activities, decoration ideas, and a set schedule.
- Vendors & entertainment: in addition to hiring a DJ/band, caterer, etc., you may be able to hire event staff if you have the budget. Otherwise, you can schedule volunteers from the planning committee to act as support staff for the event.
Even if you’ve got a limited budget, get creative! There are plenty of fun activities and decorations you can come up with without breaking the bank, and everyone is going to have a lovely time catching up and reminiscing regardless.
5. Book the Venue
Once you lock-in a date that works best, it is time to book an event space. Weigh your options between restaurants, hotels, and even your old high school and see how pricing lines up with your budget.
Something to keep in mind as you consider options is whether or not they offer event services like food & alcohol service and entertainment, because while some event spaces might be cheaper than others, going with a cheaper venue but needing to hire external vendors could be costlier.
Be sure to inquire about upfront costs associated with a down payment and guest counts, and also to get details around when you’re allowed to begin setting up, cut-off times, and other venue-specific policies.
6. Hire Vendors
Once you select a reunion venue, it is time to hire vendors like caterers, a photographer, entertainment, and food and bar services. You should move quickly once an event space is locked in, since the best event vendors can get booked up well in advance and commonly require a down deposit in advance.
If you’re not sure who to hire, inquire with the event space directly and other alumni for great local recommendations.
7. Gather Decorations & Party Favors
One of the funnest parts of planning your reunion is settling on a theme and decorating to match.
Consider the following reunion decoration ideas to make your class reunion pop!
- Wall art featuring old yearbook photos from the Classmates Yearbook Finder tool and school memorabilia
- Custom tablecloths and tableware (napkins, plates, utensils, etc.)
- Decorative centerpieces like flowers or candles
- Balloon arches to match your high school logo’s color scheme
You’ll also want to come up with some fun merchandise for your fellow alumni to bring home to cherish this special event. Popular reunion party favor ideas include custom reunion shirts, stickers, pens, etc. featuring the name of the reunion (e.g. Middletown High School 50th reunion) and custom photo gifts featuring class pictures from your high school yearbook.
8. Setup a Reunion Page With Classmates®
Now that you’ve got a date and event space planned for, it is time to get all of your fellow alumni RSVP’d and ready to party!
Planning a reunion on Classmates simplifies the planning process by allowing you to:
- Provide attendees with details of when & where
- Give alumni a place to RSVP
- Upload photos and create discussion posts in the lead up to the event
- Allow everyone to see a list of all of confirmed attendees
Make sure you get in touch with everyone from your graduating class. You don’t want anyone to feel left out!
Planning tip: If you’re finding that people are not available in-person, Classmates also offers virtual high school reunions. Simply register on Classmates, set a date and time, and invite your fellow alumni. No planes, no trains, no tickets – it’s free to plan and attend!
9. Send Out Invitations
With a set date and a Classmates Reunion page for your fellow alumni to RSVP from, it’s time to send out a formal reunion invitation. Aim to send out invitations at least 6 months out from the event, so alumni have ample time to prepare and book accommodations if they’ll be coming in from out of town.
Make beautiful invitations that will get your peers excited and eager to attend, and include details around the date, time, event location, planning committee contact information, and how to RSVP (via Classmates!)
Encourage guests to buy tickets sooner than later by having a set purchasing deadline so you have quicker access to your planning budget.
10. Put the Final Pieces Together
Assemble your planning committee as the reunion approaches to coordinate the event reunion setup, schedule, and vendors. Consider the official floor layout and where you’ll place tables, decorations, and vendors like a DJ or buffet area. Decide if you want arranged or open seating.
Lock-in a set schedule of events, and be sure to take time to celebrate the achievements of your fellow alumni and to have a moment of memoriam for those that have passed away.
Coordinate with vendors to make sure there’s no open-ended tasks that need to be completed before the big day!
Coordinate Your High School Reunion the Right Way with Classmates
Your high school reunion only gets better with the right tools. Use Classmates to connect with alumni, send updates and invites, and gather classic yearbook photos to create decorations, keepsakes, and party favors that spark nostalgia.
Make your reunion unforgettable by putting all the pieces in one place with Classmates.
Sources:
- https://www.bgcateringconcepts.com/new-blog/the-best-class-reunion-and-party-ideas
- https://www.socialtables.com/blog/event-planning/how-to-plan-a-high-school-reunion/
- https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/group-of-happy-seniors-talking-in-backyard-area-of-a-home-gm2190552743-608922982#
- https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/mailbox-full-of-letters-and-junk-mail-mail-delivery-post-office-and-postal-service-gm1487999411-513301438#
- https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/floral-centerpiece-for-the-outdoor-party-gm2212398864-629338863#
- https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/joyful-moment-at-a-gatsby-themed-birthday-gm1867035240-552819270#
- https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/wedding-details-gm2242186803-656564871#
- https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/a-moment-to-remember-close-up-of-photographer-taking-photo-of-businesspeople-during-gm1249650744-364247509#
- https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/business-people-meeting-eating-discussion-cuisine-party-concept-gm623455004-109356397#
- https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/reminder-class-reunion-in-calendar-with-pen-gm585313312-100370817#
- https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/african-woman-sit-at-desk-calculates-costs-using-calculator-gm2187135193-605742839#
- https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/discussing-business-strategy-during-meeting-with-colleagues-gm2217348254-633941140#
- https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/shes-budgeted-well-gm881635134-245440365#
- https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/group-of-senior-women-applauding-gm155151036-18628983
All product names, logos, brands, trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
