Ah family reunions, whether you love them or you hate them, chances are you’re going to have to attend them at some point. And if luck may have it, you might be the one who has to plan it. But worry not, planning a successful family reunion is easier than you might think. All it takes is a little scheduling, a few hours of researching the best spot to book lodging, and maybe a few extras here and there, but you’ll be done in no time, and then you can kick back and simply enjoy your family’s company. Look no further than this guide to planning a successful family reunion!

• Gather Interest & Choose a Location

First things first, the most important thing you need to take care of when planning your family reunion is making sure there will actually be some family reuniting. Gathering interest in the matter is as simple as sending out a few emails, making a few calls and generally getting your family members excited about the prospect of getting together. Once you start the ball rolling, your other family members can start helping out.

Choosing the location is also at the foremost of important considerations, but a fun destination is the best way to entice distant family members into joining. Travel + Leisure has some fun ideas for places to choose for your family reunion destination.

• Find Dates that Work for Everyone

For most families, finding the dates that work for everyone is going to be the most complicated part of planning the reunion. Unless you all have a large amount of vacation time, your chances are best around the holidays, with Christmas and Labor Day weekend tending to be the best options with the largest chance of getting people together.

• Finding Lodging for Everyone

Once you’ve nailed down some dates, you’ll need to think about finding lodging for everyone. Depending on the size of your family, you can probably find a group deal on hotels when you book in bulk. If you’re working across a variety of price ranges, it might be better to let everyone choose their own lodging options. If it’s a smaller affair, renting a house through AirBnb is always a fun option to get everyone together in a shared space. The company has great options all over the world, so you don’t need to worry about not being able to find a suitable spot.

• Plan Some Activities

You’ll need to think about something for everyone to do when you reach your family reunion destination. If you’re heading to the beach or a lake house, that should be easy. Everyone can do their own thing and enjoy the water. If you’re staying somewhere with fewer natural attractions, you might have to get a little creative with your planning and think about something that everyone can enjoy. When in doubt, just plan a lot of meals to keep everyone happy. A barbeque here and there, and lots of wine is the key to hosting a successful family reunion most of the time.

• Order Some Custom Memorabilia

If you want to commemorate your family reunion, ordering custom sweatshirts from a site like RushOrderTees is a great way to give everyone something to take home with them. All you need to do is plan out the design and style that you like best, and collect a few sizes from your family members, and your sweatshirts will be ready to go in no time. It’s fun, it’s easy, and it’s not very expensive.

Best of luck with your reunion planning! Follow these five steps and it should