High school reunion planning

A high school reunion is a chance to reconnect with people who shaped a defining chapter of your life. It also requires a fair amount of organising to pull off well. This guide covers the practical steps – from tracking down former classmates to managing the night itself – so you can focus on enjoying it when the time comes.

How do I build a reunion planning committee?

Don’t try to do this alone. A small committee of three to five people spreads the workload and brings different strengths to the table. You’ll want someone who’s good with logistics, someone with strong social networks (useful for tracking people down), and someone who can handle the money side.

Reach out to a few former classmates you trust – ideally people from different social groups, which will help with promotion and attendance later. Set up a simple group chat or shared document to keep everyone aligned.

How do I find and contact former classmates?

This is often the first real challenge. Start with your year group’s social media presence – a Facebook group for your year is the most common starting point in the UK, and many year groups already have one. If yours doesn’t, create one early.

LinkedIn is useful for classmates who’ve moved away or aren’t active on Facebook. Your old school may also have an alumni office or database – it’s worth contacting them, as many schools maintain contact records and will share information for legitimate reunion purposes.

Run through your old yearbook methodically to make sure you haven’t missed anyone. Keep a simple spreadsheet with names, contact details (as you find them), and RSVP status.

How do I choose the date and venue for a reunion?

Give yourself at least three to four months of lead time. People have families, travel commitments, and busy calendars – the more notice you give, the better your turnout.

For the date, try to avoid school holidays, long weekends, and major local events that might conflict. A Saturday evening is typically the easiest ask for most people.

Venue options depend on your expected numbers and budget:

• Restaurants with private dining rooms – good for smaller gatherings of 30–60 people, easy to organise catering
• Function centres – more flexibility on numbers, usually 60–200+, often include AV equipment
• Hired halls or sports clubs – lower cost, more DIY, can work well with the right styling
• The school itself – nostalgic and often inexpensive, though availability can be limited

Confirm your venue has appropriate accessibility, parking, and noise restrictions before you book.

How do I set a budget and sell tickets for a reunion?

Ticket sales are the simplest way to cover your costs. Work out your total budget first – venue hire, catering, entertainment, decorations, any AV – then divide by your expected attendance to arrive at a ticket price.

Build in a small buffer for unexpected costs (10–15% of your total budget is reasonable). If you’re hoping to donate any proceeds to the school or a local cause, factor that into your pricing too.

Selling tickets online makes collection and tracking much simpler than handling cash or bank transfers manually. It also gives you a clearer picture of who’s coming as RSVPs come in, which helps with planning catering numbers and seating.

How do I promote my high school reunion?

Once you have a date, venue, and ticketing sorted, spread the word through every channel available:

• Post to your year group’s Facebook group with the event details and a link to buy tickets
• Share on LinkedIn for classmates who aren’t on Facebook
• Ask your committee members to personally message people they’re still in contact with – a direct message converts far better than a group post
• If the school has an alumni newsletter, ask to be included

Set a ticket sales deadline about two weeks before the event so you have confirmed numbers for your caterer and venue.

What should I plan for the reunion itself?

A few things that make reunions genuinely enjoyable rather than just well-organised:

Name tags are essential. Even close friends can struggle to place someone after 20 years. Include the person’s name and something from school – their year group, the house they were in, or a fun fact from the yearbook.

Structure the evening loosely. A welcome period with drinks and mingling, a sit-down dinner or light meal, a brief slideshow or segment with yearbook photos and memories, and then more relaxed socialising works well. Avoid over-programming – people come to talk to each other, not to watch a show.

Collect a memory or update from each attendee at registration. A simple question like “What have you been up to?” or “What’s your proudest moment since school?” gives you material for a slideshow or trivia segment and helps people reconnect when they first arrive.

Consider a prize or two – best travelled, longest marriage, most kids – nothing that puts anyone on the spot, but something light-hearted that gets a laugh.

What do I need to manage on the night?

Arrive early. Do a walk-through of the venue before guests arrive – check that the catering is on track, AV equipment works, name tags are laid out, and signage is clear.

Have someone at the door to welcome guests and check tickets as people arrive. A mobile scanning app makes check-in fast and reduces queues. Once doors open, try to step away from the logistics and actually enjoy yourself – that’s why you put in all this work.

How can TryBooking help with my reunion?

If you’re running ticketed entry, TryBooking lets you set up an event page, sell tickets online, and collect dietary requirements or other information through the registration form – all in one place. You can access funds before the event, track RSVPs as they come in, and use the scanning app to check people in on the night.

Free events (if you’re not charging for entry) are genuinely free to use, with no platform fees.