OT: Ticket prices for HS Reunion

[Kathi OD]

If area matters at all, we are the NE suburbs of Philadelphia, in a pretty affluent county. Our 10 year was about $60pp and that was just drinks and munchies at a bar down the city; we didn't do a 15 year.

Do most people bring their spouse? I talked to my girlfriends and I think we are leaving them at home since they won't know anyone. I brought my hubby to my 10 year, but he didn't have a good time at all.

I went to high school in Bucks County. Some of the district was fairly affluent, other parts not so much. My 40th reunion is next year and I fully expect to pay close to $75pp. For the area you are talking about, I don't think that is too high.

Also, it's been my experience, especially with the Catholic schools in that area generally being male/female specific schools for the time period you're talking about, very few spouses attend.

 

[Angie789]

My DH's 20th reunion cost the same as what you are charging, OP - and this was a high school in a lower income area of a Midwestern city. Their turnout was HUGE - to be honest, I was shocked at how many people came. I don't remember the final figure, but attendance was over 60% of the class. A big part of it was that many people still live in the area but even with that, the cost didn't keep people away.

I do agree that you might be getting a skewed response from a budget board - the folks on here (myself included!) tend to be more money conscious. There is no way I'd pay that for my own high school reunion, but I don't have strong ties to people from high school, so there is no incentive for me. I'd pay it in a heartbeat if that is what it cost to go to my college reunion (but fortunately, those events are paid for by the alumni association, so they are VERY nice & free ).

 

[littlezar]

But all that said, especially at the 20 year, I reconnected with people that I had NO idea I would want to reconnect with! Everyone says "the people I cared about, I kept in touch with", and I think that in many cases people have NO idea how interesting people have gotten. And how many other people they are missing out on getting to know, because they think they know the people they care about.

I have to agree that my 20th reunion (class of '87 as well!) was a lot different than the 10th. My husband (graduated from a neighboring town's hs) attended my 10th with me and talked mostly with my brother (married to a classmate) and a few people he knew from the job he had in hs. A lot of people were still in little cliques and I really only chatted with those I knew well in hs. I attended my 20th reunion with my sister-in-law while my husband was deployed in Iraq (and she left my brother at home with the kids because he didn't want to go) We had a blast chatting with everyone ~ there was really no feeling that there were cliques. I enjoyed getting to know people I just didn't cross paths with in high school. (Class of around 270)

I wasn't a member of the popular crowd, but those things didn't seem to matter and it was nice to spend time with old friends.

Couldn't agree more! That said, I moved away from the area 3 years after graduation but my parents are still in the area so occasionally my Mom will tell me about running into someone I knew.

Currently a 25th reunion is being planned. I believe it will be casual since nothing is set in stone at this point. The reunion FB page said they are meeting next week to firm up a date. I will absolutely try to make it back to NJ for it.

Editing to add that both the 10 & 20 yr reunions were around $65 per person for dinner and DJ with a cash bar, in NJ.

 

[SaraJayne]

I do agree that you might be getting a skewed response from a budget board - the folks on here (myself included!) tend to be more money conscious.

Regardless of what board the OP was posted on, my response would be the same.

 

[Jenny3]

I went to high school in Bucks County. Some of the district was fairly affluent, other parts not so much. My 40th reunion is next year and I fully expect to pay close to $75pp. For the area you are talking about, I don't think that is too high.

Also, it's been my experience, especially with the Catholic schools in that area generally being male/female specific schools for the time period you're talking about, very few spouses attend.

We're in Bucks too

Edited to add that I have a call in to the venue/caterer to see the costs on including beer & wine. I don't think it will be super expensive, but the bigger issue is the liability insurance. If it's a cash bar, we don't need to provide insurance. If it's included, we do. No clue what that entails or costs.

 

[ceecee]

$150 is too high, I wouldn't go. DH wouldn't want to go anyway as he isn't even from the area.
Our first reunoin (10 yr) was held at a bowling alley and we had snack food included with the bowling...it was $5 a person (yrs ago)then people went back to one of the girl's house to swim. I didn't go, I'm not into bowling and the whole thing sounded dull. Not many from my class attended, mostly just her friends that she still socialized with.

 

[patsal]

I went to an all girl private HS and this seems in keeping withthe cost we experience for our reunions. We never bring spouses, they wouldn't know anyone.

 

[reginaastralis]

I just skipped my 10 year last month. It was $60 before, and $65 at the door. It included an open bar of beer and wine only for three hours, and apps. I don't know what it was like, if there was a decent sort of entertainment, because I don't know anyone who went.

Another local high school had their 10 year right before us and they just met at a local bar. That's my kind of reunion, no cover, they just had to pay for their own drinks. Maybe it's different, and this is my personal opinion, but I don't see the need to spend $60+ to speak to people I can easily ignore on fb.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

That is about what my HS reunion cost (I'm from Boise Idaho if it helps).

I didn't complain about the cost to the people planning the reunion (If I wanted a say in the price I should have volunteered to help plan it) but it did keep me from attending. The people I liked in HS are still my friends today and I refused to pay that much to see the people I didn't get along with.