How to Arrange Great White Elephant Gift Exchange Party for Couples
A white elephant gift exchange party will allow couples to lighten up and give them a chance to go home with some seriously tacky gifts.
The key to having a successful white elephant gift exchange is to be sure that all of the guests know the rules to the exchange.
Guests should be advised of white elephant gift ideas. In general, these gifts should be inexpensive and something that many people would probably not use.
The best white elephant gifts can be found at bargain stores as well as thrift stores. The gift should be wrapped and should not include a name or where the item was purchased.
Few Things to Get You Started
Establish Clear Rules of the Game
When guests arrive at the white elephant gift exchange party, there should be a box or bucket where all of the gifts can be dropped into.
Guests should be sure to be discreet about dropping their white elephant gift into the bucket because the gifts need to remain anonymous.
As guests arrive, they will be assigned a number. The first guest to arrive at the gift exchange and drop their gift into the bucket will be given the number 1.
This number corresponds with the turn they will take during the exchange. Guests will choose gifts in the order of their numbers.
They can either choose to pick something out of the bucket or they can choose to take a gift from another member of the party.
Gifts can be unwrapped once they have been chosen out of the bucket. This will go on until every number has had a chance to get something out of the bucket or to steal something from other party goers.
Special rules can be made that will not allow guests to immediately steal back a gift. Guests should also be sure that they are not getting the same gift that they brought, unless they are particularly attached to the gift.
Inform Participants of Basic Gift Rules
White elephant gift ideas can be anything from a tacky bottle opener to a gag sofa cushion.
Guests should have a good understanding of the type of people who will be at the party so as not to offend anyone with a supposedly tacky gift.
Guests should also be informed before the party whether gifts should be mild or slightly wild in nature. If wild is the theme of the party, bizarre white elephant gifts will be more appropriate instead of the best white elephant gift for co-workers.
The best white elephant gifts will be ones that come from thrift stores and have accumulated a lot of dust while sitting on the shelves.
Cat figurines, family pictures of people guests don’t know and outdated encyclopedias will make great white elephant gifts.
Silly things that will never be used, such as bed garters or a phone case for an original cellular phone will, are a go to option when choosing a white elephant gift.
Be sure that the gift is wrapped nicely and the shape of the object cannot be seen through the wrapping paper.
This will ruin the fun of the game and will cause guests to not want to choose the items that have been placed into the bucket.
Couples can bring incomplete board games or outdated kitchen appliance manuals for other couples to choose.
It’s Time to Enjoy Your Party!
A white elephant gift exchange organized just for couples can be a great way for many couples to come together and enjoy themselves in the company of one another.
The mood will always be light at a white elephant gift exchange and everyone will leave with something extra special.
For a party that truly means something, a white elephant gift exchange can be combined with a more traditional gift exchange.
This type of gift party is popular during the holidays and at special times when many people come together, such as at a family reunion.