Family party...is it bad taste to ask for $ donations to help pay?

Question

My cousins (I have tons and most are married and have kids) and I grew up seeing each other a lot and now that everyone has their own lives keeping them busy, we only get together at weddings or funerals. Sad. I saw a lot of my family on Christmas Eve and many lamented how we need to get together more often. Sooooo, I'm taking it upon myself to organize the first "family party" at my house. It'd be about 25 adults and 15 kids (ranging in age from 1 yr to 18 yrs) and I'd like to have everyone either bring a side dish or dessert to share but we still have to provide the main entree, drinks, utensils, and I was thinking of hiring someone to provide kids' entertainment for a couple of hours. I was thinking of asking for donations (not making it mandatory) of $5 per person over age 10 and that I'd have a jar placed in the house where everyone could donate anonymously to avoid awkwardness. What do you think?

Answer 1

If you ask and tell them about your plans I do not see any problems with it.
Good Luck

Answer 2

I think the whole idea of hiring entertainment to distract the kids is not the greatest idea. Let them get to know each other. Just place them in a room with toys and board games laid out and let them do things on their own. The whole point of these get togethers is meant to catch up with your family. Don't have some clown come in and distract the kids from interacting with each other. If you want money for food too, I also think that's in bad taste. I would take the risk and hope that someone volunteers to host the family party for next year and keep the pot luck cycle continuing.

Answer 3

I think is great that you take the initiative to bring your family together. That is to be commended. As far as asking for a people to bring in a dish... that is fine. I would assign people to bring in the drinks, another one the utensils and so forth. I would not be offended. Good luck and tell us how it turns out.

Answer 4

many times if any of the bride's kinfolk will pay for area of the marriage it rather is the dad and mom. So in the experience that your dad has handed then that would go away asking your mom. If she isn't around the two, than i think of it rather is as much as you to pay for the marriage alongside with your hubby to be. i'm in the comparable boat so some distance as being broke attempting to pay for a marriage and a clean homestead and faculty loans, yet by some potential we are making it paintings. we are having an prolonged engagement (18 months) to furnish us time to maintain up, and we are having a funds of roughly $8000 for the marriage. we are putting away a definite volume each and each month to realize that objective by potential of the time of the marriage. it variety of feels unhappy that they have not been a factor of your existence, yet i think of it rather is going to are available the time of in a unfavorable way in case you ask for funds from them, rather once you already have not got an fairly close courting as that's. it may be effective to ask them to the marriage and invite them to be a factor of your existence - a gamble to start your courting over in a time once you're making your very own kinfolk with your new husband - yet i does not ask them to donate to the reason, sorry. good success to you and congrats on the drawing near wedding ceremony. and that i particularly do desire your loved ones comes to a decision to hold you into their lives extra.

Answer 5

I think it's fine to ask them to bring something or a covered dish. I don't think it would be ok to ask for cash. It could cause hard feelings because people may want an accounting of what was spent and think you got too much money.

Answer 6

Very bad taste. Just do with out the entertainment and play a stereo. Put one of the teenagers in charge of keeing the music playing.