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Set it up before the reunion

• One link for everyone. Use one place for clips, not a group chat and three folders. People who have to choose an upload method usually do not upload.
• A clear deadline. Tell relatives when clips are due so the video can be finished while memories are fresh.
• A length limit. People who compile these videos suggest asking for 30 to 60 seconds per clip to keep the edit manageable.
• Remote relatives. Let family who cannot travel send a message to be played at the gathering.

What to ask for

• One short video of the person introducing themselves, who they are in the family, and where they live now.
• Their favorite childhood memory with this family.
• A message for the youngest and the oldest person at the reunion.
• One favorite old photo, with the year and the names written in.

Tell contributors to add names and approximate years whenever they send photos or old clips, so the story is clear later.

Make it easy for older relatives

Anything that needs a new app or a long account form will lose the very relatives whose stories you most want. Give them a link that opens in a browser, and ask a younger relative to sit with them if needed.

Turn it into one video

Pick a simple structure, such as chapters, and put them in order. With ReelKept by Lumi, relatives film at the reunion with their own phones, and you receive a finished film and the best photos, plus a private link to share with the family.

Sharing the finished video

Decide before the reunion who will see the final film. Some families share a private link with every household, some keep it for a family event next year, and some keep it only for the older generation. Whichever you choose, tell relatives when you ask for clips, so nobody is surprised to see themselves on a screen.

Reunion roles that keep it simple

• The coordinator sends the link, sets the deadline and chases the late ones. One person, not a committee.
• The roamer is one younger relative who walks around and films short hellos with every branch of the family.
• The elder interviewer sits with an older relative and asks a few questions, on camera, with nobody rushing.

Eight questions for older relatives

1. Where did you grow up, and what did your street look like?
2. What was a holiday like when you were a child?
3. Who in the family was the funniest, and why?
4. What is a story we should never forget?
5. What advice do you have for the youngest people here?
6. What did you want to be when you grew up?
7. What is something you are proud of?
8. What do you hope the family does in twenty years?

A four-part shape for the final video

People who compile reunion videos often use chapters: the arrival, the meal, the stories and a closing montage. The shape gives viewers a rhythm, and it tells you what to look for when you review the clips. You do not need old film or many photos to make it work.

If you would rather not spend a week editing, ReelKept by Lumi turns the clips relatives film into one finished video you can share with the family.

Questions people ask

Keep reading

Sources

• VidDay: how to create a family reunion video montage
• Reunions Magazine: compiling a reunion video
• CapCut: Thanksgiving memory video montage tutorial

Last updated October 16, 2026.