Host a Family Holiday

Hosting a family holiday gift exchange? Whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, or any celebration, this guide helps you set everything up so everyone knows what to buy - without ruining any surprises.

What You’ll Set Up

By the end of this guide, you’ll have:

• A holiday event where everyone can participate
• All family members invited and connected
• Wishlists shared so everyone knows what to buy
• Budget tracking (optional) to keep spending fair

Family Group vs Event?

Use an Event when you want time-bound coordination with features like budget tracking - perfect for holidays!

Use a Gift Group for year-round wishlist sharing (birthdays, everyday coordination). See Set Up Your Family for that guide.

You can use both! Many families have a permanent Gift Group AND create Events for specific holidays.

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Step 1: Create Your Holiday Event

1. Go to Events

   From your dashboard, click on “Events” in the sidebar, then “Create Event”.

2. Name your event

   Something clear like:

   • “Johnson Family Christmas 2025”
   • “Hanukkah Gift Exchange”
   • “Thanksgiving Weekend”

3. Set the event date

   When will gifts be exchanged? This helps everyone know their shopping deadline.

4. Choose the event type

   Everyone Gives to Everyone

   The classic family holiday - everyone buys gifts for everyone else (or a selection of family members).

   Best for: Smaller families, close-knit groups where everyone participates fully.

   All Give to Honoree

   Everyone pools together to give to one person - great for milestone celebrations.

   Best for: “Mom’s 60th Birthday”, “Grandpa’s Retirement Party”

5. Set a budget (optional)

   Want to keep spending fair? Set a per-person budget like $50 or $100. Giverr will track spending and show everyone how they’re doing.

6. Click “Create Event”

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Step 2: Invite Family Members

Now let’s get everyone connected to the event.

1. Click “Invite Participants”

   You’ll find this button on your event page.

2. Copy the invite link

   Giverr creates a unique link for your event.

3. Share with your family

   Send the link via:

   • Family group chat (WhatsApp, iMessage, etc.)
   • Email
   • Text message

4. Family members click the link

   They’ll be prompted to:

   • Sign up for Giverr (if they’re new)
   • Join the event

5. Track who’s joined

   Back on your event page, you’ll see everyone who has joined. You can send reminder messages to those who haven’t.

Note

Don’t worry if some family members aren’t tech-savvy! You can create Family Profiles for children or relatives who won’t have their own account. You manage their wishlist on their behalf.

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Step 3: Everyone Creates Their Wishlists

Once family members join, they need to create and share their wishlists.

1. Each person creates a wishlist

   They can create a wishlist specifically for this holiday:

   • “My Christmas 2025 Wishlist”
   • “Holiday Gift Ideas”

2. Add gifts to the wishlist

   Everyone adds items they’d like by:

   • Pasting product links (Giverr extracts all details automatically)
   • Adding items manually

3. Share the wishlist with the event

   From their wishlist, they click “Share” and select your event. Now everyone in the event can see their wishlist!

As the Organizer

Send a friendly reminder a few weeks before the shopping deadline! Something like:

“Hey everyone! Don’t forget to add at least 5-10 items to your holiday wishlist in Giverr so people have good options. Deadline to shop is December 15th!”

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Step 4: Start Shopping!

Here’s where the magic happens. Everyone can now shop for each other without any confusion.

How it works for shoppers:

1. Browse family wishlists

   Go to the event and click on any family member to see their wishlist.

2. See what’s already claimed

   Gifts that someone else is buying show a “Claimed” badge. You’ll see who claimed it, so you can coordinate if needed.

3. Claim a gift

   Click “Claim” on any unclaimed gift to let others know you’re buying it. You can claim part of a gift if you want to split the cost.

4. Track your shopping list

   All your claimed gifts appear in your Shopping List. Mark items as:

   • Purchased - You’ve bought it
   • Wrapped - It’s ready to give
   • Given - Done!

The Surprise Stays Safe

Remember: The wishlist owner NEVER sees claim information. They just see their list of gift ideas. All the “who’s buying what” coordination happens behind the scenes!

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Step 5: Track Budget (Optional)

If you set a per-person budget, here’s how to use it:

1. View the budget dashboard

   On the event page, click “Budget” to see spending across all participants.

2. See individual spending

   Each person can see:

   • Total amount they’ve claimed
   • How much budget they have left
   • A warning if they’re over budget

3. Coordinate fairly

   If someone is way under budget while another is over, they can work it out. The dashboard makes it transparent.

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Tips for a Successful Family Holiday

Start Early

Create the event 4-6 weeks before the holiday. Give people time to add wishlist items and shop without rushing.

Set Expectations

Let everyone know: “Add 8-10 items to give shoppers options” and “Claim gifts by December 10th.”

Include Price Variety

Encourage a mix of prices on wishlists - some small $20 items, some bigger wishes. This helps shoppers at different budget levels.

Handle Non-Tech Family

Create Family Profiles for young kids or elderly relatives. You can manage their wishlists and let others shop for them.

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What About the Kids?

For children who are too young for their own account:

1. Create a Family Profile

   Go to Family Profiles and add your child (or any dependent).

2. Create their wishlist

   Add gift ideas on their behalf - toys, books, games, clothes, whatever they’re wishing for!

3. Share with the event

   Their wishlist appears alongside everyone else’s. Aunts, uncles, and grandparents can claim gifts just like any other wishlist.

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After the Holiday

Once gifts are exchanged:

1. Mark gifts as “Given” in your shopping list
2. Archive the event to keep your dashboard clean
3. Start planning next year! Create a new event when the time comes

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Need More Help?

Having trouble?

Check our FAQ for answers to common questions.

Want year-round sharing?

Set up a Family Gift Group for birthdays and everyday coordination.