The Best Ordering Timelines for Your Event: Weddings & Parties
Whether you’re planning a wedding, hosting a milestone birthday, or organizing a corporate event, timing plays a major role in how smooth and stress-free the process feels.
Custom party supplies ordered from us are made just for you, and they require a bit more planning than off-the-shelf options. With a little foresight, and a clear understanding of our production timelines, ordering your personalized party supplies can be easy and reliable.
Why Custom Party Supplies Need a Timeline
Unlike mass-produced items, when party supplies are personalized to match your unique details, they go through many steps before they arrive at your door. This includes our design setup, your optional proofing, our in-house production here in Chicago, and shipping.
For Your Party produces all custom items in-house, which allows for consistency, quality control, and dependable turnaround times. It also means each order is thoughtfully crafted rather than rushed through a third-party vendor.
If you’re new to ordering custom party goods, our timeline approach will help you avoid last-minute stress and set realistic expectations.
Wedding Events: When to Order
Weddings typically involve the most customization, from monograms and foil stamping to coordinated color palettes.
Give 6–10 weeks before your event
This gives you time to:
Finalize wording and design details
Decide whether you’d like a digital proof
Coordinate items like napkins, cups, menus, place cards, and signage
Wedding stationery, such as invitations and detail cards, should be ordered even earlier, especially if they’re mailed to guests. For guidance on artwork preparation, check our Custom Art Guide before you upload your files.
Showers, Birthdays & Holiday Parties
For more casual celebrations, the timeline can be shorter, especially if you’re using a curated design or text-only customization.
Give 3–5 weeks before your event
This allows enough time for:
Production and shipping
Minor design tweaks
Peace of mind if you’re juggling other planning tasks
If you’re planning to host a seasonal gathering or holiday party, ordering early also ensures the best selection during our busy times of the year.
Corporate Events & Hospitality Orders
Corporate and hospitality buyers know why consistency and brand accuracy matters. Logos, branded colors, and repeat orders require careful setup.
Give 4–6 weeks before your event
If this is your first branded order, consider choosing a digital proof to confirm placement and scale before production. For repeat orders, reordering is simple once artwork is on file. Check our Corporate Orders page for more guidance.
When You’re Short on Time
Life happens, and not every event is planned months in advance. Many custom items can still be produced within shorter timelines, depending on the product type, customization method, and shipping selection.
If your event is coming up quickly:
Choose simpler designs or existing templates
Skip optional proofing if appropriate
Review the production and shipping details on our FAQ page before ordering
When in doubt, reach out to us as early as possible and we’ll help clarify what’s possible within your timeframe.
How Proofing Affects Timing
Digital proofs are a great option for complex designs, logos, or first-time orders, but they do add time to the production process. Approval is required before printing begins, so build in a few extra days if you choose this option.
If you’re confident in your design and working with a straightforward layout, printing without a proof may help keep things moving faster.
Plan Ahead for Custom Celebrations
Custom party supplies are meant to elevate your event, not complicate it. By planning your order timeline around your event type, design needs, and comfort level, you’ll enjoy the creative process and feel confident knowing everything will arrive beautifully made and ready to celebrate.
Whether you’re hosting an intimate dinner or planning a large-scale event, thoughtful details make all the difference and a little planning goes a long way. Take a look at our most popular categories, including Custom Matches, Custom Napkins and Custom Cups to get ready for your next special event.
