Finding the perfect gift isn’t always easy. And finding one that feels like it’s made for the recipient can be even more tricky. Grabbing something off the shelf last minute isn’t always appropriate nor is it the right choice.
This is where personalized gifts enter the picture. Adding a monogram, a name, a date or something else custom can turn an otherwise ordinary gift into something special.
Whether you’re shopping for a wedding gift, a bridesmaid or groomsman gift, planning a graduation, looking for corporate gifts or a special celebration there are companies out there who make custom gifting easy.
Let’s take a look at five companies worth knowing about.
CustomJoy.com
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Customjoy.com is built around one simple idea. That gifts should feel unique, not mass produced and that getting such a gift shouldn’t require you to be jumping through hoops.
The aim is to deliver exactly what you need whether it’s one personalized gift or fifty or bridal party or company event, you’re not stuck buying more than you actually need.
At Customjoy.com the process is simple and on eligible items customization is free meaning you can personalize with your own artwork, custom logos, names, dates or monograms. Their catalog covers a lot of ground too with a range of items from engraved drinkware to candles home goods and travel gifts to name a few standing alongside dedicated collections for weddings, bridesmaids and groomsmen, corporate gifts, and other popular categories so you’re not bouncing around different sites to get what you need for the occasion.
For the time poor orders, most orders are produced and shipping within 1-2 business days and shipping is free on orders over $75 which is ideal for events that need last minute gifts you can’t push back. It’s what puts Customjoy.com front and centre of gifting for many different occasions.
Personalization Mall
Personalization Mall has been a staple in this sector since 1998 and is now part of the 1-800-Flowers.com family of brands. This gives it some serious staying power in the personalized gift space. In terms of products you can find a wide range of personalization techniques including sublimation, embroidery, digital printing, engraving and sandblasting and its catalog leans heavily into keepsake items for weddings, babies, holidays and photo gifts. If you’re looking for an established name it’s a solid option.
Vistaprint
Vistaprint is well known for its business cards and marketing materials but it expanded well beyond that in recent years and now offers personalized gifts, wedding, stationery, graduation items alongside business gifts and giveaways.
You don’t need a minimum order quantity so you can order one gift or 100 as and when you need to and its Vista Corporate Solutions program adds account management for businesses ordering gifts or branded items at scale. If you’re looking for a company who handles both personal gifting and corporate ordering this is a strong contender.
Custom Ink
Custom Ink is a go to for custom apparel especially for team events and company swag. There is a strong emphasis on putting logos and designs on shirts and other merchandise thanks to their exceptional design tools. However where it differs from others on the list is that this site is generally built around bulk ordering rather than one-off personalization making it a better fit for group orders than single gifts.
Zazzle
Zazzle is a massive online marketplace for personalized products covering everything from apparel to home decor to party and wedding supplies with contributions from independent designers as well as its own templates. And you can personalize pretty much anything with names, photos or custom artwork too. Plus with so many third party designers involved pricing and quality can vary more from item to item than with a single in house catalog.
How to Choose the Right Gift Company
First and foremost you need to start with what you actually need. Is it a handful of individual gifts, a full bridal party set or an order for a bulk corporate or event merchandise? This decision alone rules many options in or out of your final selection.
Once you have this pinned down you need to check whether a company has a minimum order quantity since that also matters, especially if you only need one to two items instead of dozens. Next up is checking the turnaround time, especially if you’re time poor and you have an event date that needs to be met.
Other options you can include to look at is the shipping costs as some offer free shipping on certain products or over a certain order amount and of course looking at the range of personalized options you can choose from, including both products and designs too, to make sure it covers what you need actually putting on the gift.
FAQs
What’s the difference between personalized and customised gifts?
Personalized usually means adding something specific to the recipient, like a name or date while customization means you can go further allowing full design changes like uploading your own artwork or logo.
Do personalized gifts usually cost more?
Often a little since there is work involved in adding names, monograms or artwork. But many companies include basic personalization for free and only charge extra for premium techniques such as engraving or embroidery.
How far in advance should I order personalized gifts for an event?
It depends on the company’s turnaround time. But for something tied to a specific date like a wedding, ordering at least a few weeks ahead gives you a buffer in case anything needs correcting or reshipping.
Can I order just one personalized item or do I need to buy it in bulk?
It all depends on the company you choose to order from. Some have no minimum order value meaning you can order single gifts as required. Others require bulk ordering. There’s no one rule meaning you need to check on an order by order basis with the company you choose to purchase from.
