Friends & family

Holidays with friends: how to collect the wishlists of the whole group

Birthdays, housewarmings, meetings once a year: a group of friends has many gifts and little time to agree. One group replaces all these conversations.

October 13, 2026 · 1 min read

In this article
  1. Why a chat does not help
  2. What a group does for friends
  3. How to start
  4. If you want a draw

Why a chat does not help

In a group chat everything sinks fast: the wishlist got lost higher up, someone did not read it, and someone asks the same thing for the third time. A separate space for lists solves this without extra messages.

What a group does for friends

  • Collects everyone’s lists in one place: no need to dig through chat history.
  • Lets you reserve a gift so nobody buys the same thing.
  • Keeps the surprise: the birthday person sees that a gift is chosen but not who chose it.
  • Allows several lists: “Home”, “Hobbies”, “Travel”.

How to start

  1. Create a Friends & family group and invite your friends by email or by link.
  2. Ask everyone to add their first list: five to ten wishes are enough.
  3. Before the holiday open the birthday person’s list and reserve a gift.

If you want a draw

For a gift exchange within a budget Secret Santa fits better: the group for the game is created separately, and the lists stay in your ordinary group of friends.

Try it in Bazhanka

Create a Friends & family group

Answers about the Friends & family group

Frequently asked questions

What is a Friends & family group?

It is a shared space for your close circle: everyone has their own wishlists, and the other members see them and can reserve gifts. No draw and no obligatory rules: you decide who gives what to whom.

How much does it cost?

Using a group is free. Create a group, invite people by email or by link and add your lists.

Who sees the lists in a group?

Only the members. To let someone see the lists you have to invite them to the group. Lists of this mode are not opened to outsiders by a link.

Do I see who reserved my gift?

No. You only see that a wish is reserved, not by whom. In the list settings the reservation marks can be hidden completely to keep the surprise.

How many lists can each member have?

As many as needed: separate lists for a birthday, a housewarming or the holidays keep ideas apart. Group members see all the lists added to the group.

How is a group different from Secret Santa?

In a Friends & family group everyone chooses what to give and sees all the lists. Secret Santa is a game with a draw where everyone prepares a gift for one person picked at random. You can use both modes, but in separate groups.

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