How to organise a free reunion: complete guide (2026)

Before we talk about saving money, it's useful to understand what a typical reunion actually costs. The total cost depends on four main factors: the number of guests, the venue, the catering and the tools you use.

The biggest costs for most reunions are:

• Venue hire — From free (community hall, someone's garden) to expensive (event venue). Often the biggest cost item.
• Catering / food & drinks — Per person, this quickly adds up to €15–€50+. Can be kept low with a drinks-only format or bring-your-own.
• Decoration and printing — Often skippable or substitutable with digital alternatives.
• Activities or entertainment — Entirely optional. A LiveWall and photo albums often provide more than enough entertainment.
• Communication tools — WhatsApp is free; a dedicated reunion website is free too.

The good news: the organisational side — the website, guest management, ticket sales, check-in and the interactive LiveWall — can be completely free. The only real costs are physical: venue, food and drinks.

The digital side of your reunion can be handled entirely for free. This includes:

All of these are included in the free plan of Mijn Reünie. No subscription, no credit card required to get started.

The single biggest improvement any reunion organiser can make is switching from a scattered DIY setup (WhatsApp + spreadsheet + Tikkie + Google Drive) to a dedicated tool. The time saving alone is significant — but the quality improvement for guests is even more noticeable.

Mijn Reünieis the most complete free reunion tool for the Netherlands and Belgium. Here's what sets it apart from generic event platforms:

• Native iDEAL and Bancontact support — money goes directly to your account, no third-party payout schedule
• Built for reunions, not concerts — registration form with custom questions, not just a ticket purchase flow
• LiveWall included for free — no separate screen tool, no extra subscription
• QR check-in works offline — no Wi-Fi dependency at the entrance
• No monthly subscription — the only cost is €1.50 per sold ticket

The physical costs — venue and catering — are where most reunions spend the most money. Here are proven strategies to reduce them without sacrificing atmosphere or experience:

The most effective way to organise a reunion for free — from the organiser's perspective — is to sell tickets that cover the costs. This is completely normal, widely accepted by guests, and with Mijn Reünie it's incredibly easy to set up.

Here's how it works in practice:

1. 1
   Calculate your costs

   Add up the expected costs: venue hire, food and drinks, decoration. Divide by the expected number of guests. Add a small buffer (10–15%) for unexpected costs.
2. 2
   Set your ticket price

   Set this as the ticket price in Mijn Reünie. For a €25 ticket, you receive €23.50 per sold ticket (€25 minus the €1.50 transaction fee).
3. 3
   Create multiple ticket types if needed

   For example: standard (€20), with dinner (€35), early bird (€18 for the first 20 registrations). Mijn Reünie supports up to unlimited ticket types per reunion.
4. 4
   Guests pay directly via iDEAL

   When a guest registers and pays, the money arrives in your bank account within 1-2 business days. No waiting for a payout, no minimum thresholds.
5. 5
   Track revenue in real time

   Your dashboard shows exactly how much you've collected and how many tickets remain. You can adjust prices or close registrations at any time.

The result: the organiser pays nothing out of pocket. Guests each contribute a fair share of the actual costs. And because everything goes through Mijn Reünie, there's no chasing payments — everyone who registers has already paid.

Not everything should be cut to the bone. Some investments genuinely make the difference between an okay evening and one that people remember for decades. Here's a practical framework:

The pattern is clear: save on tools and logistics (where free alternatives are just as good or better) and invest in the physical experience (where there are no free shortcuts to quality).