The dos and don'ts for family gatherings

Gatherings of the extended family can be a daunting experience. You have everyone from great granny and granddad, distant aunts and uncles and little ones to please. Large property lettings agent, thebigdomain.com, shares its top tips for a successful soiree.

Matt Fletcher at thebigdomain.com said: “We’re finding that more and more families are choosing to hire a large property to use for their celebration events, be that a big birthday or anniversary or simply to bring the whole clan together. It certainly takes the weight off of one person in particular to play host and ensures everyone can have a great time. It’s a great opportunity for everyone to explore a new destination – be that in the UK or abroad – and create new memories together while being able to reminisce about times gone by too.”

thebigdomain.com’s top tips for a successful family gathering:

1. Include some pre-planned activity – while a full on itinerary for the entire gathering is probably going a little overboard, there’s no better way to make sure there is some structure and that all the key reasons for getting together are covered off than with some touch-in points for specific dinners or activities. It’s also really important to make sure everyone has some downtime so that they can relax or go out and do their own thing

2. Make sure everyone feels involved – ensure everyone has the opportunity to be involved by asking people in advance to contribute their ideas for games and potential group outings. Not everyone will want to be involved in everything – if granny would rather have an afternoon nap than play volleyball in the pool again then she’ll probably be in a better mood for that evening’s dinner

3. Something for everyone – with people of all ages and interests getting together you’re never going to please everyone with a one-size-fits-all event. This doesn’t mean having to organise a special tour to indulge one person’s niche interest but a little goes a long way when taking into consideration someone’s allergies or that they have a small baby to keep in a routine, for example

4. Be considerate – this is a broad one but one that needs to be front of mind with any large group gathering. This is not to say that everyone should be walking on eggshells for the entire getaway, that’s no fun. Just make sure you’re not hogging all of uncle’s delicious special recipe pasta or being the person that takes forever to get ready and always keeps everyone else waiting

5. Be patient – there’s always that one person who manages to push our buttons or say the wrong thing. For the sake of keeping the peace and not ruining the jubilant atmosphere, take a deep breath and think positive thoughts…like beating them at pool in the games room or relaxing in the private hot tub later

With properties that sleep up to 140 people, thebigdomain.com offers a wide range of family gathering options both on UK shores and abroad, such as:

Avalon in Warwickshire from thebigdomain.com is a 17th century manor house which sleeps up to 11 people. Guests will have plenty of activities to choose from on site as the property features a heated, indoor swimming pool, sauna, all weather tennis courts and a games room. Nature lovers can explore the bluebell woods, Rose gardens and ancient orchards or enjoy a lakeside picnic within the 19 acres of private parklands that Avalon is set. A seven-night stay at Avalon from thebigdomain.com costs from £3,500

The House in Italy, located in Montelparo, is an 18th Century farmhouse which sleeps up to 14 people. Whether guests are swimming laps in the infinity pool, or making use of the fully equipped gym or mountain bikes, this is the perfect location for a relaxing yet active family break. Guests can arrange onsite massages and beauty treatments or take advantage of nearby horse riding and tennis court facilities. A seven night stay at The House in Italy is priced from £3,900 or £278 per head*. Fly into Ancona or Pescara.

For more information on other big properties available for hire visit thebigdomain.com.

*per head prices are approximate and based on full occupancy of the property