Free calculator
Family Reunion Cost Calculator
Work out what your reunion will cost, what that comes to per person, and what to charge for dues. Change any number and the totals update. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.
Total reunion cost
$3,146
55 people, about $57.20 per person on average
- Cost per adult
- $66.23
- Cost per child
- $33.12
Suggested dues
$70 per adult, $35 per child
Rounded up to the next $5, so a few late cancellations do not leave a gap.
| Venue | $800 |
|---|---|
| Food | $1,100 |
| Lodging | $0 |
| T-shirts | $660 |
| Activities and supplies | $300 |
| Buffer (10%) | $286 |
Want these numbers to stay current as RSVPs come in? Plan it in Grove: the budget, the RSVPs and who has paid sit side by side.
Plan it in Grove freeFree to start. No credit card.
How the math works
From total cost to a fair dues amount.
- Add up the costs. Venue, lodging and activities are totals. Food and t-shirts are per person, so they grow with the headcount.
- Add a buffer. About 10% covers late cancellations, extra ice and the things nobody remembers until the day.
- Count the shares. Each adult is one share. A child is zero, half or one share, depending on what your family decides.
- Divide and round up. The total divided by the shares is the cost per adult. Rounding up to the next $5 gives a dues amount that is easy to say and leaves a little room.
Example: 40 adults and 15 children at half price, an $800 venue, $20 a head for food, $12 shirts for everyone and $300 for activities comes to $3,146 with a 10% buffer. That is about $66.23 per adult and $33.12 per child, so dues of $70 and $35.
Reunion cost questions
How much does a family reunion cost per person?
Most one-day family reunions for about 50 people land between $45 and $110 per person: a park pavilion or community hall, a catered or semi-catered meal, t-shirts and a few activities. A weekend at a hotel with a banquet often runs $150 to $300 per person before rooms. Put your own numbers in the calculator above for a real figure.
How much should we charge for family reunion dues?
Take the total cost, add a buffer of about 10% for no-shows and surprises, and divide it by the number of paying shares. The calculator rounds each share up to the next $5. Many families charge children half and let little ones come free.
Should kids pay the same as adults?
Usually not. A common split is free for small children, half for older kids and the full share for adults and teens who eat like adults. Choose Nothing, Half or The same in the calculator and the adult share adjusts to cover the difference.
Should lodging be part of the dues?
Only when the reunion books and pays for the rooms itself. Most families set up a hotel room block and let each household pay its own room, which keeps the dues lower. Leave lodging at 0 in that case.
What if fewer people come than planned?
Fixed costs like the venue get split across fewer people, so the per-person cost goes up. That is why the buffer matters, and why collecting dues before your own deposits are due protects whoever signed the contract.
Keep reading
More reunion planning guides.
Family reunion budget template
Line items, real cost ranges and a spreadsheet to download.
Who pays for a family reunion?
Dues, sponsors, fundraising and how families split the bill.
Family reunion on a budget
Ways to bring the per-person cost down.
How to collect money for a family reunion
Getting the dues in before your deposits are due.
See it in Grove
Each household pays by card when they RSVP, and the budget and payments sit side by side.
Related reading
More from the Grove blog.
- How to Collect Reunion Dues Without Chasing PeopleNobody likes asking relatives for money twice. A clear price, a real deadline and reminders that go out on their own do most of the work for you.
- How Much Does a Family Reunion Cost Per PersonThe real math behind reunion costs. What drives the number up, what brings it down, and how to land on a price your family can live with.
- How to Set Up Family Reunion DuesStop scrambling for money every summer. A dues structure funds your reunion year-round and takes the pressure off everyone.
- Family Reunion Invitation Wording and Dues Letter TemplatesSix copy-and-paste letters for your reunion: save the date, invitation with prices, dues request, payment reminder, final call and thank-you.