Planning a family reunion especially during the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t easy. From family reunions, celebrating parties to baby showers, all these work best when you’re there physically with your friends and family. Staying away from your loved ones is taunting, especially when you are trying to come together either for fun or a family event. With all the restrictions, quarantining, lockdowns, curfews, and social distancing during the pandemic, you need to get creative with hosting family events that keep everyone safe.
Stay up-to-date with any restrictions within your local area and be mindful of the traveling guidelines before planning any family reunion. If your locality doesn’t allow get-togethers, find other COVID-safe alternatives. But if you can meet and adhere to the required safety regulations, here’s how to make it happen during the pandemic.
Find the right space and location
While many people enjoy spending some time indoors, some love outdoor spaces. With the COVID-19 pandemic, indoor spaces aren’t recommended for gatherings since there isn’t enough air circulation indoors. Also, it’s difficult to avoid contact with germs within an enclosed space. Find a separate location and accommodation when planning your reunion.
One of the best options is renting a party bus to serve your needs. A rented bus with Price 4 Limo gives you the ultimate flexibility in family gatherings. You get to choose from a selection of buses and limos at the best prices.
Keep it small and simple
The pandemic has limited a lot of activities and interactions. A big family reunion with all your family members isn’t the best during this time. It’s much safer to keep your get-together limited to small gatherings. This gives enough space for one-on-one interactions with each person while maintaining social distance.
Go outdoors
Outdoor spaces provide a safer environment to spend time with your family. Make a list of safe outdoor spaces that allow social distancing and pick activities that will engage the whole family outdoors without risking anyone. You can rent out a big space that accommodates your whole household together and maintain enough distance. Avoid cramming together.
But, with outdoor events comes the challenge of changing weather patterns. The weather can be unpredictable and it’s always best to have alternatives in case of rain. If you are holding your family reunion in a rented space like a camp or cabin, consider places with screened-in porches. This allows you to meet other family members and still hold a successful reunion in the rain. A large area is a great choice for social distancing between bigger households.
Apart from the rain being a hindrance to your event, cold also disrupts outdoor gatherings. If you’re renting out, find out if there are outdoor heaters in the place you’ll be renting out to bring some warmth to your gathering as well. Remember that you want to have an awesome reunion where everyone feels comfortable.
Figure how to set up the menu
For many family reunions, part of the event includes enjoying a sumptuous meal with your family. But, with the coronavirus, it’s problematic due to the gathering and close contact with utensils when serving multiple family members. Foodstuffs have been considered among the top spreaders of covid-19. But, there have been no studies that show that COVID-19’S transmission is through food.
While it’s best to skip having meals and just meet, we all agree that it wouldn’t be a complete family reunion without something to eat or drink. If you have to include a menu, ensure that the ones serving and preparing food, wear masks and gloves for extra caution. Also, planning out the menu in advance to ensure that mealtime goes smoothly while keeping everyone safe.
Build a budget
Once you’ve decided on a location, create a budget that is within your means. Check out the expenses for the event space, catering, and other activities and get an estimated cost. Divide the expenses up per family group to help reduce the burden of having to cater to all expenses which include accommodations, facilities, catering, and other costs. If there will be any form of traveling involved, discuss who will pay for the travel expenses as well.
Planning your family reunion during the pandemic might not turn out to be as easy as you thought, but it is doable. Once you’ve secured the perfect location and have hands-on information regarding the safety protocols, get in touch with other family members and inform them of the date. This allows them to mark it on their calendar and work on travel arrangements early.