Why does a family celebration have to come with a massive price tag?

The most important thing about getting together as a family is that such a celebration should be accessible to every single relative who is welcome. People should be able to feel like they can spend time with their loved ones without there being some kind of uncomfortable consequence involved, especially if it is true that family helps family.

However, the complications of mixing together so many different desires and complicated dynamics often mean that somebody isn’t going to be happy when the next event rolls around. What should be an enjoyable family reunion can turn into something fraught and complicated before it has even happened. While it can be near-impossible to make everybody perfectly happy while doing the organizing, it pays to listen to a variety of opinions.

While it is not unreasonable to expect financially solvent adults to spend money on a family get-together, there are usually limits on what they are willing to pay. Demanding that they do something expensive just because it is a family event is not necessarily fair, not least if there are alternative arrangements that could be made so that everyone is happy.