A directory is the gift that outlasts the party
The reunion is one night, but a good directory keeps the class connected for years. It answers the question everyone actually shows up wanting answered, whatever happened to so-and-so?, and it turns a one-time event into an ongoing network. The trick is that a directory lives or dies on two things: how much current, accurate information you can gather, and how carefully you handle privacy. Get the collection built into your RSVP flow and the privacy defaults right, and the directory becomes the most-used thing you create.
How to build it, step by step
Collect at RSVP time
The best moment to gather directory info is when classmates are already filling out the RSVP. Add a few optional fields, current city, profession, and a one-line 'what's new with you', alongside a photo upload. Because they are already engaged, response rates are far higher than a separate 'please update your info' request months later.
Ask consent for every field
Never assume. For each piece of info, let classmates choose whether it appears in the directory and to whom, especially email, phone, and home city. A simple set of checkboxes ('show my email to classmates: yes/no') is enough. Default everything sensitive to hidden and let people opt in, not out.
Compile and organize
Pull the responses into a clean, browsable format, typically alphabetical, with photo, name (including former or maiden name), city, a short update, and only the contact fields each person approved. Include a 'then and now' element by pairing a current photo with the yearbook shot; it is the most-loved feature of any class directory.
Keep it living, and gated
Publish the directory somewhere only verified classmates can reach, not a public web page, and let people update their own entries over time. A directory that stays current and members-only keeps getting used for years, becoming the class's real connective tissue long after the reunion ends.
Privacy rules that keep trust intact
A directory handles personal contact information, so mishandling it can sour goodwill fast. A handful of non-negotiables:
- Make sharing opt-in per field, and default email, phone, and address to hidden unless the person turns them on
- Restrict the directory to verified class members, never a public, search-indexed page
- Give every classmate a way to edit or remove their own listing at any time
- Never sell, export, or repurpose the contact list for anything other than the class itself
Frequently asked questions
What is a class reunion directory?
How do I build a class directory?
How do I handle privacy in a directory?
Build the directory as classmates RSVP
Class Reunly collects updates, photos, and consent-controlled contact info right in the RSVP flow, then keeps it in one members-only place for the whole class.
Start your free reunion page →