Matching shirts are a time-honored family reunion tradition. They’re fun, photogenic, and they make everyone feel part of something special. From heartfelt to hilarious, a great T-shirt design becomes a wearable souvenir—and a memory that lasts long after the event ends.
Whether it’s your first time organizing or you’re the family reunion MVP, this guide will help you create custom reunion shirts that stand out.
We’ve printed thousands of family tees over the years—and we’ve compiled the 15 best family reunion shirt ideas, complete with design themes, slogans, and expert tips to inspire your own. Let’s get into it.
Family Reunion Shirt Design Ideas
These 15 themes are our most-loved and most-requested. Use them as creative inspiration, or jump straight into your own personalized design.
1. Family Tree & Roots
Classic and symbolic, this design features a tree to represent generations of family branching out from the same roots. Add individual names or a family surname around the tree for extra personalization.
2. Family Gathering Events
Not every reunion is a backyard BBQ. Whether you’re hosting a bowling night, a picnic, or an annual softball tournament, event-themed shirts with custom text and group colors make it all feel more festive.
3. Funny Reunion Shirts
By far the most popular category. These designs use family inside jokes, clever sayings, or over-the-top graphics to keep things lighthearted. Scroll down for 50+ funny family slogans to get your creativity flowing.
4. Fancy & Formal
Perfect for milestone reunions like 10th, 25th, or 50th anniversaries. These elegant designs often feature script fonts, metallic ink, and refined layouts that even the most style-conscious relatives will love.
5. Simple & Minimalist
Sometimes less is more. Clean, modern typography with a simple phrase or date looks timeless and gets worn long after the event. Great for families with mixed tastes or if you’re short on time.
6. Disney-Inspired
Planning a Disney vacation reunion? You’re not alone. While copyrighted characters are off-limits, you can still create magical shirts inspired by the park experience—think mouse ears, castles, or ride-themed designs.
7. Parody Designs
Take a popular brand or movie theme and give it a family twist. Whether it’s “The Godfather” turned into “The Grandfather” or a spoof of a famous logo, parody designs are hilarious and memorable—no copyright issues, either.
8. Beach Vibes
Sand, sun, surf—and custom shirts to match. A beach-themed design with palm trees, flip-flops, waves, or tropical drinks fits perfectly if your family reunion takes place oceanside.
9. Camping & Nature
If your crew prefers hiking boots to flip-flops, go with a camping theme. Think tents, mountains, trees, or stars. Bonus: everyone will look great in the group photo around the campfire.
10. Travel / Road Trip
Reuniting from across the country? A travel-themed shirt—featuring maps, airplanes, or old-school road trip cars—celebrates the journey just as much as the destination.
11. Vacation Destination
Whether it’s Vegas, Nashville, or a Caribbean cruise, destination-themed reunion shirts capture the location that brought you all together. Include the year, city, and a custom slogan to commemorate the trip.
12. Cookout / BBQ
The reunion isn’t complete without good food. Grill-themed shirts with spatulas, flames, burgers, or hot dogs keep things festive. Bonus points for apron-style tees for the family chefs.
13. Floral Theme
Floral graphics bring beauty and softness to your shirts. Use elegant script fonts and subtle flowers for a design that appeals to all ages—but go easy on the petals if you want the guys to wear it again.
14. Patriotic
Perfect for 4th of July reunions or military families. Stars, stripes, flags, or a U.S. map with a star on your reunion location are classic and meaningful design elements.
15. Sentimental & Heartfelt
For families who want to honor past generations or lost loved ones, a sentimental design speaks volumes. Include a quote, family name, or touching tribute to make the reunion even more memorable.
Pro Design Tips for Your Family Reunion Shirts
Want to take your T-shirt design to the next level? These ideas help make your shirts more personalized and unforgettable:
➤ Add Vinyl Names & Numbers
Give each shirt its own identity by printing names or birth years on the back. Number kids by birth order (just brace for sibling rivalries), or print last names for each family group.
➤ Highlight Shared Hobbies
Does your family love fishing, racing, or board games? Use those shared interests for a personal design theme that’ll get everyone excited to wear their shirt again and again.
➤ Use More Than One Print Location
Why stop at the front? Add a crest or family name on the chest and a bold graphic on the back. You can even print on sleeves or the inside tag area for a surprise detail.
➤ Group By Color or Style
Print the same design on different shirt colors to distinguish branches of the family, team captains, or age groups. You could even switch it up with tanks, hoodies, or v-necks.
➤ Add a Family Photo
Use a group photo, a vintage image, or a collage to create an extra personal and emotional design. This also works beautifully for “In Loving Memory” tributes.
Family Reunion Sayings, Slogans & Quotes
Here are over 100 family reunion slogans and quotes you can use to add meaning, laughter, or both to your shirt design:
🔹 25 Heartfelt Family Sayings
- Family is forever.
- New leaves, stronger roots.
- Reunited, and it feels so good.
- You can’t break this chain.
- Together is our favorite place to be.
(+20 more in the full list above)
😂 25 Funny Family Slogans
- We put the ‘fun’ in ‘dysfunctional.’
- I smile because you’re my family. I laugh because there’s nothing you can do about it.
- Watch out. Here comes the ______ family.
- One reunion, many paths: Psychopaths, sociopaths, and more psychopaths.
- WTF = With The Family.
(+20 more hilarious options)
💬 25 Inspirational Family Quotes
- “The memories we make with our family are everything.” — Candace Cameron Bure
- “Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.” — Michael J. Fox
- “Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.” — Anthony Brandt
(+22 more powerful quotes)
😂 25 Funny Family Quotes
- “If you don’t believe in ghosts, you’ve never been to a family reunion.” — Ashleigh Brilliant
- “There is no such thing as fun for the whole family.” — Jerry Seinfeld
- “My family is one tent away from being a circus.”
(+22 more laugh-out-loud lines)
Ready to Design Your Family Reunion Shirts?
Now that you’ve got ideas, inspiration, and laughs—you’re ready to create your own. Whether you start from scratch or use one of our ready-made templates, we make it easy.
👉 Design Your Family Reunion Shirts Now
Just don’t forget to send us a plate from the BBQ. 🍔