Start before the reunion

Send a simple request to relatives a few weeks before the event. Ask them to bring or upload one old photograph, one family story and anything they think younger generations should know.

Use the reunion to identify people and places

Set aside time to go through older photographs with the relatives most likely to recognize the people in them. Record full names, relationships, dates and locations while the information is available.

Record short interviews

You do not need hour-long oral histories. Five- or 10-minute conversations can capture childhood memories, family traditions, immigration stories, career milestones and funny family moments.

Organize by people and branches

After the reunion, connect photos, stories and documents to the people and branches they belong to. That makes the archive much easier to understand than a shared drive full of folders.

Keep the project alive afterward

The reunion can be the beginning, not the end. Share the archive with relatives after the event and invite them to add anything they forgot to bring.

If you are also collecting interviews, see our guide to recording parents’ and grandparents’ life stories.