Family reunions are a great way for families to maintain a bond and stay abreast of the latest happenings within the family. Some families host an annual reunion, while others go years between reunions.

Regardless of how much time has passed since your last family reunion, organizing such a gathering can be quite an ordeal. When planning a family reunion, those trusted to organize the event will be met with many challenges. But the following tips should help the process go as smoothly as possible.

* Start early. The earlier you start to organize your family reunion, the more time you and your family members will have to find deals on hotels or transportation. That’s especially important today, when many families are more spread out than ever before.

Planning early also gives organizers time to find fun and affordable means of entertainment, such as group trips to a sporting event or an amusement park. Even if your family hosts an annual reunion, start planning early so family members from far and wide can make plans to attend.

* Use social media to your advantage. Social media has made it easy to keep in touch with distant relatives, and organizers can use this tool to their advantage when planning a family reunion.

Post ideas for entertainment to social media and get feedback from relatives. Solicit suggestions for activities and assign different tasks to different family members who have confirmed their attendance.

Use social media to keep track of that attendance as well, especially among those family members who have not yet committed but have implied a desire to attend.

* Choose a central location. Though it might be sentimental to hold the reunion in a city or town where your family has its deepest roots, such a location might not be practical for families who have branched out geographically.

When choosing a town or city for the family reunion, try to find a central location that’s accessible to the largest number of prospective attendees. For example, if half of your family now calls the west coast home while the other half lives along the east coast, then a location in the middle of the country is equally accessible for all.

This also gives travel enthusiasts the chance to do some traveling while also reconnecting with their family members.

* Arrange for transportation ahead of time. If your family reunion won’t be in a big city with reliable public transportation, then it’s best to arrange for transportation ahead of time.

Some family members will drive to the reunion, so confirm who is driving and the capacity of their vehicles. You might be able to get by with relatives hitching rides from their family members to the reunion and other events. If not, you can arrange for transportation depending on the number of people who won’t have access to transportation.

You might want to rent a small or large bus for the weekend so those without access to transportation can travel together throughout the weekend. Do so ahead of time so you or your family members are not scrambling for transportation come the weekend of the reunion.

* Host the reunion when the weather outside is warm and welcoming. Unless you’re a family who enjoys hitting the slopes and wants to reunite on the black diamond, then host the reunion at a time of year when the weather is warm.

This allows all of you to enjoy the great outdoors, and people are less likely to feel cramped or claustrophobic. The warm weather is also more amenable to activities like three-legged races, water balloon fights and, of course, the family reunion barbecue, which is a staple of many family gatherings.