FAMILY REUNION GIFTS

GOTCHA!!!!!!…..says the Family Reunion Gifts!

There is an old proverb that says “Gifts are like hooks”. I have, also, heard it put this way, “Gifts are life’s fish-hooks that can catch hold of the mind taking it beyond the reach of forces that otherwise might constrain it.” ~Anon. Simply put, give someone the right gift and you’ll hooked them like a fish. Therefore, we must never underestimate the power of a well thought out gift for any occasion and in this case, the gifts, favors, or takeaways we choose to present and give our family members during and/or at the close our family reunions. This is an area I have never taken lightly.

We often say that it’s the thought that counts when buying gifts. Sometimes, we’re making up for the fact that the gift or present in question didn’t work out well i.e. the chocolates melted on the journey…but it’s the thought that counts. Remember, that despite the fact that almost all gifts are appreciated to some degree, it is considered important to put in some thought, and try to find one the person will really like and so it is with family reunion gifts.

The first thing to consider when buying any family reunion gift is who you are buying the gift for. It’s for your family members. The basic thing you want to be sure of is to not get and give a gift that is inappropriate that could offend someone under any circumstance. On the other hand, you do not want to give a gift that no one has any interest in as well. The thing I have found out is it will be a lot more of a memorable family reunion gift if it is something that is special and of sentimental value to your family members. Additionally, you don’t want to omit the youth and younger attendees. Be sure to include gifts and takeaways that are specific to children and your younger attendees. This may mean giving them something different than what you give the adults. Consider giving them gifts they can relate to. Well, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Youngsters and teenagers absolutely LOVE cash! To “WOW” them, you just need to find a unique and different way to present it to them which I will share with you shortly. Don’t worry guys! You don’t have to break or rob a bank for this :).

The bottom line with any reunion gift or family reunion favor is that your family will appreciate the fact that you have given the extra thought to think of them and give them something. The family reunion is the time of great joy and fun. It encompasses very special moments, when people catch up their near and dear family members, sharing joys and sorrows and recalling the wonderful moments that they have spent together. It is also the time to strengthen family ties and pass wisdom and family history to future generations. In other words, the family reunion is the time to celebrate the togetherness and love within a family. However, in addition to prizes and gifts given away during the reunion, at the time of parting, after the reunion has come to an end, you want to give each family member something to takeaway or a memento.

These gifts or family reunion favors are nothing but a token of love and affection presented to each family member. I say this because I do not want you to stress about the gift giving process because creating memories is what the family reunion is really all about and we must never lose sight of that.

There are many gifts that can help you express your feelings and make the family reunion a special and memorable occasion. The important thing to remember regarding the family reunion gift is that it should be SBPPE (Sentimental, Beautiful, Personal, Practical and Emotional, all at the same time. Just for you, below I’ve listed some of the best family reunion gifts, family reunion favors or takeaways presented during our family reunions that hooked my family like a fish-hooks.

CUSTOMIZED/PERSONALIZED PHOTO STAMPS

The above is a copy a sheet of photo stamps of my grandparents. These were “IN LOVING MEMORY” stamps and they were just one of live auction items at our 2007 Family Reunion. That year, we used photo stamps in a variety of ways i.e. live and silent auction items, honorary gifts, graduation, etc and they were an absolute hit and a great fundraiser for us as well! Everyone was trying to out bid each other. The family-friendly competition was hilarious.

Above are a few more of our family reunion photo stamps. One year we even had our family logo printed on the photo stamps. Your possibilities are endless! As you can see, the company I have used most and highly recommend is Zazzle. As a matter of fact, the reason I’m able to share these designs with you is because Zazzle has kept them in my design history so I can order over and over again if I desire with the only difference being the cost of the stamp which, of course, continues to change through the years. Click here to go directly to Zazzle to check out the possibilities and order your customized photo stamps.

I’ve included the photos above to give you an idea of how to present your customized family reunion photo stamps either for an auction or an individual gift. I used 8.5X11 photo frames, attached the sheet of photo stamps to colored 8.5×11 paper or colored construction paper to give a matted look, and then just placed this inside of the 8.5X11 photo frame. Be sure to coordinate your colored paper to the colors in photo stamps.

CUSTOMIZED/PERSONALIZED PORCELAIN CHINA PLATES

GIFT CARDS

Gift cards can be used in various capacities…single gift card, gift card bouquets, gift card trees, etc.

I hope you got value and inspiration from this post. Your feedback is welcome. Please leave it in the comments below.