Excerpt: Showing guests family pictures and home movies can be fun, especially nostalgic ones. "The best reunions happen when old family photos guide the conversation," said Mitch Goldstone, who runs the ScanMyPhotos site.

Ask guests to scan their favorite family images and videos in advance. If you get prints, slides, VHS tapes, or DVDs, hire a professional to digitize them. Expect to pay about $50 for 250 photos and about $30 per VHS tape.

Then create a curated slideshow or film with music to show at the reunion. Try to include funny photos. “The goofy and silly ones are the ones that get the tears and the laughs,” said Goldstone.