Before the reunion
A reunion brings together people who haven't all met. The weeks before are the best time to get the tree in shape. Start an archive, add what you know, and invite a contact from each branch. Each of them can fill in their own part: their parents, brothers and sisters, children and grandchildren.
- Ask each branch to send one or two old photos ahead of time.
- Ask the eldest relatives the questions only they can answer. Our list of questions helps.
- Use "How are we related?" to work out how people connect before they meet. Name tags with "Susan's granddaughter" on them help.
At the reunion
Bring the old albums. Someone will recognise a face nobody else could. Scan the photos on a phone while people talk about them, and write down who said what. A laptop open on the tree gets people talking: everyone looks for themselves first, then starts correcting things.
After the reunion
This is where reunion photos usually go missing. They end up on thirty phones, a few get posted in a chat, and the rest are never seen again. Instead, gather them in the archive:
- Curators add the photos. They wait in New, seen only by curators, until they're shared.
- Faces are found and suggested once each person is named, so the group photos get tagged quickly.
- File them in an album for the reunion, with the date and place.
- Share them with the family. Everyone can download the originals, or the whole album as a zip.
Each person's page then shows the reunion photos next to their childhood ones. Next time, you'll already have the tree, and the photos from last time.
Private, and free for everyone you invite
The archive has its own private address. Only the people you invite can see it, and it's closed to search engines. Invite as many relatives as you like: they join free, and whoever starts the archive chooses the plan. Prices are on the pricing page. For sorting a big pile of photos, see how to organize family photos.