Family Reunion Favors

From family reunion favors to personalized presents and gifts, choose family reunion souvenirs that

• pay tribute to your family
• add meaning to your event
  
  and
• compliment the party atmosphere.

Everyone likes to take a souvenir or keepsake away from a special event, dinner, concert or whatever to commemorate the event.

Think about it – amusement parks sell pictures after the scary ride, musicians sell hats and jerseys after the concert, schools sell shirts printed with their logo or mascot, companies give away free pens and totes at business conferences, and every 5K I’ve ever been in has included a cool shirt. Yeah, sure, much of this is advertising and marketing but it’s also about showing your team spirit and having pride in your organization.

Family reunion favors are a great way to

build and show family loyalty

Plus, every time your relatives see their keepsake, they will (hopefully) remember the fun they had, reflect on the importance of family and commit to attend the next get-together. It’s all about building relationships and a strong family.

These days you can get everything personalized – present ideas range from grippy socks and knit hats to key chains and pens to tote bags and picture frames. Did you know you can even have M&M’s ordered to suit ? With a gazillion souvenir options in various styles, prices and quality, it’s hard to know where to start.

The trick is to identify specific needs and establish a budget before you get all excited about any particular momento or gift item.

I’m a practical person by nature. So, for my sake, don’t give away – or ask relatives to pay for – a useless piece of junk. Family reunion gifts and keepsakes should serve a purpose, or they’re not worth the effort.

With that in mind...

Family Reunion Favors:
My Top 10 List

1. T-shirts. Make your own as part of the reunion activities or have them professionally printed with your family logo or crest. Wear them for the family photo or as uniforms for the Family Olympics. (If your relatives don’t normally wear t-shirts or have a collection that’s too large, t-shirts always make great household rags.)



2. Pictures. I love pictures!! And you know what they say – A picture is worth 1,000 words. Combine everyone’s digital photos, burn a CD and send a copy home with each family. Or compile a slideshow. Make a commemorative photo book after-the-fact (let each family buy their own copy) or make a special scrapbook page for everyone. (You could even start a family reunion scrapbook that is displayed – and added to – at each reunion.)



3. A Family Tree. These make great family reunion gifts! Whether your family tree is in the form a certificate or wall poster, you won’t find a more personalized favor. Plus, it’s always good to know (and for your kids to know) your family history and the names of your ancestors. Preserve your family heritage.

   (Side note: check out this amazing 9 Generation Wall Chart from The Family History Store. Very cool!)




4. Christmas Ornament. I collect Christmas ornaments from places we’ve been so this idea might work better for me than for you.



5. Bookmark. Make them yourself or have them professionally printed and laminated. They’re light, inexpensive and easy.



6. Picture Frames. Everyone uses them. Consider having a special engraving done. Or take a picture specifically for your chosen frame.



7. Magnets. We all have 4,000 notes, recipes or kids’ artwork that are begging to find a place on the refrigerator. They are also easy to use on the filing cabinet in the office or at work. Magnets are relatively cheap and fun.



8. Mugs. They vary significantly in quality so make sure they’re at least microwavable. Mugs make popular family reunion gifts because they’re easy and extremely versatile. Fill them with goodies, wrap in cellophane, tie with a big bow and you’re set.



9. Key Chains. Who doesn’t have a gazillion keys hanging around the house that could really use a key chain? When I finally attached a key chain to our mail key, I miraculously stopped losing it!



10. Candy. Family reunion favors don't have to be complicated. Whether it’s a candy bar wrapped in personalized paper or jelly beans in a cute cellophane bag, someone’s going to eat it! (Just remember that chocolate makes a terrible mess in hot weather.)

Prices and fees add up quickly. So when you order promotional products, personalized gifts or family reunion favors, do the math before you start.

Family Reunion Favors:
Ordering Tips

• List prices are usually for individual party favors, based on how many you order. (So don’t get excited when you see $1.57 for 100 souvenir items! That means 100 favors will cost you $1.57 each.)



• Know the minimum order requirements. Most companies will require a minimum order of 25, 50, 100 – or even more – individual pieces.



• Consider the set up charge. It’s usually a set fee for each print run. Every time you make changes, you’ll have an additional charge. For example, if you want the same image printed on family reunion t-shirts in adult sizes and child sizes, you’ll likely incur two set up charges – one for the larger sizes and another one to shrink the image to print the smaller shirts.



• The more colors you want printed, the more it will cost.



• If you’re submitting digital text, logo or images to the vendor, make sure they are in the correct format. Most companies will have the ability to adjust or alter the image for you… but it will come with a price.



• Know how much time you have and how much time is required. Generally, allow at least 4-6 weeks to have personalized family reunion gifts printed.



• Ask about shipping. Package size, weight and price will vary considerably.