Matching Family T-Shirts for Reunions, Holidays and Big Days
By The Velocity Wear Team
Family reunions, a big holiday to Florida, a golden wedding anniversary, a gathering in memory of someone special. Matching family t-shirts turn these into occasions, and they make it much easier to find your cousins in a theme park. They also require herding a lot of relatives into giving you their sizes. Let's make that easier.
Design ideas
- The family surname in a bold font with the year: The Patels 2027.
- A family tree graphic with each branch on the back.
- A holiday theme: Hendersons Take Orlando, with each person's name.
- Roles for fun: Grandad, Chief Snack Officer, Designated Driver.
- A memorial design for a relative, done respectfully.
Colour choices for a big group
One bright colour makes a family easy to find in a crowd, which is very useful at airports and attractions. Some families assign colours by household or generation. Just remember each shirt colour counts as its own design for minimum orders, so one colour is simpler and cheaper.
Sizing all ages
You'll need baby, children's and adult sizes. Use a shared form or spreadsheet and assign one person in each household to fill in their family's sizes. Kids grow, so if the event is months away, size up. Older relatives often prefer a relaxed fit.
Our minimum is 20 per design, with sizes mixed, which most extended families reach easily.
Money
Decide early who's paying. Some families split per head, some households cover their own, and sometimes a generous grandparent treats everyone. Collect money before ordering, and use a simple bank transfer or a shared payment link.
Memorial shirts
Shirts in memory of someone often mean a great deal. Use a good-quality photo, keep the design simple, and check wording with close family before ordering. A name, dates and a short phrase are usually enough. See our memorial shirts guide for more thoughtful ideas.
Holidays abroad
For a hot destination, choose a lighter tee around 150 to 170 GSM. Wash shirts once before travelling to soften them. And pack them where you can reach them, because the arrival photo is the one everybody wants.
Keep one person in charge
Every family has someone who's good at this. Put them in charge of the list and give them final say on the design after a quick vote. Family committees with twelve opinions and no decision-maker end with shirts ordered too late. Send one reminder, then another, then set a firm cutoff. Anyone who misses it gets an extra from the spare sizes you ordered.
Ask for shirts to be packed by household with names on the bags. Handing them out at the start of the gathering becomes part of the fun instead of a sorting job.
Family weddings and anniversaries
Golden and diamond wedding anniversaries are lovely reasons for family shirts, with the couple's names and years married on the front. Keep the design warm and simple.
Colours for outdoor photos
For outdoor gatherings, mid-tone colours like royal blue, bottle green or coral photograph well in bright sun and overcast British weather alike, while white can wash out in strong light.
Timing
Production takes 10 to 15 working days after artwork approval, plus delivery. Give yourself at least four to six weeks, since collecting sizes from a big family always takes longer than expected.
Design your shirt in the design studio, check costs on the calculator, and see custom t-shirts.
