Family Reunion Banner Ideas (With Photos and Wording)

What to write on the banner

Start with the family name, since that is the line guests look for first. Use the name the family already says out loud, such as Tolliver Family Reunion or The Tolliver Family. A short name prints in bigger letters than a long one, so it reads from across the picnic area.

Most banners add the year and the place on the lines under the name. A place works well on the small line, such as the shelter name or the town. Every optional line can be switched off, so a plain banner with only the family name is a good choice too.

The live preview shows the banner the way it prints. Dashed example text in the preview is not printed, so the words you see on the banner are the words that go on it.

• Family name: the big line, such as The Tolliver Family.
• Year: a line under the name, such as JULY 2027.
• Place: the small line, such as PINE HOLLOW SHELTER.
• A motto or a welcome: one short line, such as ONE TABLE, ALL OF US.

A group photo that shows everyone

A wide group photo is the classic reunion banner. The Group photo layout is made for a wide picture, so the whole group stays in view. It has a top word, a big script line and a bottom line for the name and the year. Pick the picture where most people face the camera and look like themselves.

Upload a JPG, PNG or WEBP file. A phone photo works. The site finds the faces and frames them in your own browser, and you can drag and zoom while each face stays in place. A note tells you how sharp the photo will print. If the note warns you, look for a larger copy of the same picture. You also tick a box to say you took the photo or may print it.

Studio portraits usually need the photographer's print release, so check with the studio before you upload one. For sizing, 6 x 3 ft gives a small family room, and 8 x 4 ft gives a big group more space. Photo banners are $71.95 at 6 x 3 ft and $126.95 at 8 x 4 ft.

An old photo of the founders

Many families want the founders on the banner: the grandparents, or the couple who started the family line. An older photo sits well in the Photo in a ring layout, where the picture is set inside a circle, or in the Photo on the left layout, beside the words.

Use the clearest copy you can find. A phone picture of a printed photo works, and the note under the upload says how sharp it will print. A small or faded picture may print soft, so trust the note and try the largest copy you have.

Add the founders' names and the year the family began to the words. A line such as Ada and Walt, since 1952 tells the story in a few words. The pictures in this guide are sample portraits, not real families, so upload your own picture to see how yours will look.

A banner you can reuse every year

If the reunion happens every summer, leave the year off the banner. Switch off the year line, and keep the family name and the place. The same banner can go up at every reunion, so one order covers many summers.

The Photo on the left layout works well for a banner you reuse. Keep the family name and the place, and change the photo only when the family has a new one worth printing.

If several branches of the family want their own copy, 5 or more copies of the same banner save 10%, and 10 or more save 15%. The savings count copies of the same banner only.

Signs that point guests around the site

Guests usually need a few signs before they need a banner. A welcome sign at the gate, a this way sign for the food and a sign for parking are all text banners. Text banners print only the words you type, so they cost less than photo banners at the same size.

Welcome banners always print WELCOME across the top. You type the next two lines, such as WE ARE SO GLAD YOU CAME and THE TOLLIVER FAMILY. For any other sign, a custom vinyl banner gives you three lines, with the first line in the largest letters.

A text banner at 6 x 3 ft is $57.95, against $71.95 for a photo banner at the same size. A 4 x 2 ft text banner is $25.95, which suits a food table or a restroom door.

• A welcome at the gate: a welcome banner with a short line of hello.
• This way to the food: a custom vinyl banner with big words on the first line.
• Parking in the field: a custom vinyl banner that says where to leave the car.
• A sign-in table: one banner that sends each branch of the family to its own spot.

Sizes for a family reunion

Pick the size from the distance people will read it from. The rule of thumb is about 1 inch of letter height for every 10 feet of distance. A sign 20 feet away needs letters about 2 inches tall, and the live preview shows the letter sizes on the banner before you order.

For a shelter wall or a fence, 6 x 3 ft is a good all-round size. 8 x 4 ft suits a big group photo or a long fence. A 4 x 2 ft banner works for a table or a door, and a 6 x 2 ft banner suits a narrow spot.

Weight matters when you hang a banner. A 6 x 3 ft banner weighs about 1.6 lb, and an 8 x 4 ft banner weighs about 2.9 lb. Our guide on how to hang a banner covers the steps for a fence, a wall and a shelter pole, and the banner size guide has the full chart.