The owner is awesome, the staff is awesome and most of the stuff they sell here is again awesome. I have been shopping here for 20'years and they have great stuff. From wedding invasions to funky X-mas tres's and decorations. Ask about their custom, made to order wood wall signs, this is the place!! read more

Because this store has good stuff and its close to home, I go in from time to time. But wow! What attitude and lack of gracious customer service or appreciation. I usually end up thanking THEM for my purchase. When i wanted to buy some invitation stock, I had to ask a woman who was standing around to help me...she seemed seriously annoyed. Not a very pleasant experience. read more

BUYER BEWARE - SEEK ANOTHER SHOP! I wish I had read the reviews on this shop, prior to ordering my wedding invitations with them!!!!! To share my experience and my opinion on this vendor.. At first, all seemed great and their representative, Jeannette, was pushy in some regards but helpful in others. So, we chose the invitations that we loved and ordered them. By the way, these invitations were not cheap in any way and, with that said, you'd think that you'd get first-class service with that...not with this shop. First issue, proofs took 3-4 days to turnaround, even when there was one tiny change to be made. When proofs were promised, and never arrived, I had to follow up with Jeannette CONSTANTLY to see where we stood on those. There was never any good customer service follow up communication at all. I literally had to chase down every piece of this process. Finally, after 3 weeks, our invitations arrived....crooked and low quality. I didn't know that either, until I called the shop on the day of arrival to confirm we could pick them up. I never received a call to let me know that there was an issue and that they were being reprinted. Reprinting took another 3 days and they were supposed to arrive on Friday of that same week; however, come to find out that the invitations did not make the shipment for the day. We had to wait yet another day for them to arrive, which was on a Saturday after the mail already picked up. Our invitations finally got in the mail, in the middle of holiday season, which is exactly what I was trying to avoid AND, best part to top it off....Jeannette told us that each invitation was going to cost $1.10 to mail out. So, we purchased enough stamps for that and placed them on each of the envelopes...when we got to the post office, they told us we only needed $0.65 stamps. We wasted MORE money because of this shop, very frustrating and just disgusting service. I will NEVER recommend this shop and will NEVER go back to this shop. Save yourself frustration, money, and grief...even Kelly Paper is better than going here! read more

Very well organized and clean store in a great location. I have themed food and martini parties, and they have unique cards that you can customize with your own laser printer. Few people guess that they were partially printed by someone else (the color and details) and partially printed at home. Love the selection here, and the service is great. Not sure I understand why such low stars by other reviewers, but I have been here three times and had a great experience. Pretty much any type of party you can think of has a card here you can use for planning and invites. The pricing is probably a little bit on the upper end, but that is what you might expect from a more upscale card shop. read more

I recently ordered my wedding invitations from Where's The Party (WTP). Our consultant was Amy and she had some great ideas and made me feel as though everything I wanted to do with my invitations was possible, and she always kept our budget in mind! Amy kept me up-to-date on the proof schedule and shipping status of my order. When my invitations were shipped (my fiance picked them up and was unaware of what they were supposed to look like), I noticed that they were missing a border stripe. I left a message for WTP after business hours. By 9am the next morning a manager, Candy, called me back and said "whatever it takes, we'll make this right for you!". She was so friendly and understanding! Within 1 hour, Candy had conferred with the printing company and we had a plan to have the re-printed invitations shipped within a couple of days. I wasn't required to return to the shop, produce an order or emails with the approved proofs (all of which I was expecting I was going to have to do in order to have my order "made right"). I know that mistakes can happen, it's how a company handles them that reveals stellar customer service standards. I am very pleased with how my issue was handled and don't mind waiting a couple of extra days to have my perfect invitations! Thank you WTP, Amy and Candy for your help and great customer service! I highly recommend this company for wedding invitations! read more

Horrible customer service. Walked in and the invitation side of the store was empty except for my fiancé and I and the woman working that side didn't even bother to say anything. As we walk around looking for wedding invitations, she couldn't be bothered to help when she saw that we weren't finding anything. After 20 mins I finally go up to her and ask her if she works there and that's when she finally decided to help. While she was supposed to be helping us other customers came in and instead of asking other associates to help them she just left me with the books. I was ready to place the order but since I was being such a nuisance to Pam, I decided to take my business elsewhere. Not only did Pam miss out on my invitation order, she made the store miss my business for the rest of my wedding needs. read more

The absolute worst service ever given to me in all my life. I walked into the store and nobody greeted me and they all stared me down and even followed me through the store. I was like any other customer coming in except I have a darker skin tone. And when I would ask questions it looked like they were extremely bothered. I've looked at other reviews to see if anyone else has had this discriminatory experience, and they have! read more

This place is nice if you're gathering mom and a bridesmaid to make a day out of invite shopping. They have TONS of options and a cute little environment. Unfortunately, the staff is not very bright? To try to say it nicely? We were walked through the process like we had never seen an invitation before, then when we quickly found our dream invites and were ready to make a decision - the staff could not understand how we made a decision in less than an hour. It's almost like they tried to convince us to keep looking. After begging to get a general price quote, the gal went in the back for 15 minutes (still not sure what took so long) and came back with a price THOUSANDS of dollars more than we planned to spend. We left the shop, googled the invites, and purchased them for $400. I would have liked to purchase from Where's the Party - but it just made no sense. I'd recommend skipping this place! read more

I am about to blow your mind with an outrageously good review. We went to Where's the Party after an appointment with a woman working out of her home who could not conjure up a sample of the exact invite I'd chosen from her website in advance and wanted to see in person. We had to wait another week to order the sample by mail and it was of unspeakably disappointing quality. Enter Where's the Party. We went there one weekend looking for seal and send invitations. Let me be perfectly upfront and tell you these are no frills, eco friendly (they use very little paper), and cheap as hell. Not only were we greeted immediately, despite not having an appointment, but we were seated, looked at sample books with what we wanted, had our questions answered, and we had invitations ordered within about 20 minutes. We're not high maintenance customers but we had a very specific idea of what we wanted. We were able to choose paper from one set of invitations and impose the image from another b/c they were made by the same vendor. I thought this was very accommodating. The manager was knowledgeable and was able to tell us what alterations could be made. I have a very demure engagement ring that I love, I don't think I was even wearing makeup that day, and my entire outfit was very likely purchased at the Ross further down 17th St. Despite my appearance, Amy was patient with us in the store, answering our questions and getting us set up giving us her full attention and courtesy, despite the fact that we were only ordering 125 invites and spent $1.70 a piece. The process from there moved swiftly. We got the proof via e-mail, made a few adjustments, and got some suggestions from Amy - who caught a thing or two that needed to be changed. The invitations arrived within a few weeks. It went exactly as expected and really was a satisfying experience. We are THRILLED with our invitations, the customer service we received, and would recommend people on any budget to visit this place. They have a TON of options. read more

This is a great store! I love the selection and the ladies who work here are professional and friendly. They helped find the perfect invitations for a bridal shower and a rehearsal dinner I am hosting. read more

Just had the BEST - BEST experience with the Where's the Party team. When I said I needed some help with a very specific envelope size and color, they jumped on the opportunity to be of service to me and my clients. What a wonderful surprise in customer service and care. As an event planner, this could be my new go-to store. read more

I WAS considering going to this establishment but after reading the reviews and the obvious is obvious I will spend MY money elsewhere. Really sad that when business sales are down, the economy is struggling that a business can let color affect the $$$. The only color that should matter is the color of money. read more

If you're a minority and want to be belittled and completely disregarded for , come here! Where's the party is the perfect place for unwanted stares by various staff members, not to mention rude responses from the staff! From asking to get help with something and getting a rude stare and a response of "just wait" or even the subtle stares and following of the other staff. Or maybe just maybe, it's the drastic Attitude change of the cashier from the previous customer to us. From forming happy coherent sentences to the previous customer about her party, to her rude and complete ice cold responses to us. Also coincidence that one employee kept "restocking" or "organizing" at the same places we were pacing at, don't think so! Like said before, if you want to be glared down and stared at like a zoo animal , come here! Thank you Christine and Candy, for making this the worst experience ever! read more

Shopped around and was not impressed until I walked into Where's the Party? Found this place on accident on a breakfast adventure with my husband and I am SO glad we did. Jessica was so patient and helpful and together, we created a gorgeous, unique wedding invitation that did not break the bank! I went back for the printed materials for my big day and they helped me create a suite of items, all inspired by the original invitation! Getting my invites from Where's the Party? is one of the best decisions I made during wedding planing... for real! I would recommend this store for wedding invites, anything you need to be printed and look beautiful. Not to mention, its the cutest store on 17th Street! They have fun decor items, all sorted by style and color, so girly and fun! read more

When we walked in, we did not know what to expect. Too much information to swallow, not too much knowledge about wedding invitations. Thanks to Sheri, she is a such a helpful sweet heart. It took us three weeks to make a decision ...but she never pressured us. Because of their service and resources, I would absolutely recommend this place. read more

Has just about everything one needs for to throw a DIY party. The selection of cards always ensures I leave with a unique and personable note for the recipient. Though to many, WTP may seem a but pricey, one truly gets what they pay for. Case in point, there are many decorations I have used multiple times and have certainly paid for themselves. It is like I tell the hubby, it's not always a cash flow issue, one must think in terms of "amortization"! read more

Great for stationery, balloons, and other party/gift items. Friendly staff. Locally-owned. Fun place to shop.

Absolutely love this place!!! After my sister was unable to get my baby shower invitations done ( for personal reasons), this was the only place to go. I was on a serious time crunch to get these done and out FAST. The staff was knowledgeable, friendly and efficient. I even got there 10 minutes before closing & I was not only greeted with a smile, I got great service & got everything done in 15 minutes! I highly recommend this place. I will definitely be back for my next event. read more

My husband and I got our wedding invitations here; they had a large selection of really nice invitations and we were very pleased with how our invitations came out. Most of the stuff in the store is pretty expensive; our invitations were around $1100 for 175 invitations but they were really high quality paper and ink and I loved the envelope liners we got. Customer service wise, I have to say they actually were really nice to us and really patient while we were going through with what we were going to write on it. The woman helping us sat with us literally for two hours to go over spelling, what to write, what to include, proper etiquette for a formal wedding vs non-formal wedding, etc. Prior to the day we came into ordering our invitations, I went in by myself to look around and they helped me right away and after talking with me, they gave me a discount coupon for about $150 off my invitation order, which is always really nice. Overall, I had a good experience with Where's the Party and I would recommend them. read more

Found this place today and I love it! Definitely a hidden gem with lots of greetings cards and some really nice Christmas items too (even if it is a bit early lol). Will definitely come back to this area for this place. read more

Extremely rude. I felt judged and looked down on. I came into buy supplies for my son's birthday. When. I asked the lady at the front desk (older, brunette) for help finding cards for a son she was so Curt, rude and pointed into the corner. It's such a shame. This store needs to urgently review its protocols and greeting of all customers no matter their appearance or race. If they are only friendly to a certain demographic then this is extremely worrying and for that reason and because of other similar reviews I am boycotting this store. read more

Definitely has a great selection of goodies if you're looking for something snazzy and don't mind splurging. I went in looking for a v-day card while on my lunch break, and went exploring because I couldn't bring myself to spend $6 on a very standard card...to my surprise I stumbled upon the PERFECT trimmings for a bottle of infused whiskey that I was working on as a gift for my bf's film event! Staff was a little iffy but the place seemed busy--ill definitely be back for future projects. Oh, the parking lot was a nightmare, park in the back read more

Where's The Party? - Where else can you get a MINI ACADEMY AWARD? Mini Oscar--$6 With love tag--$1 - Party Supplies Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Great store if you like to spend way more than you need to on the type of stuff they sell which can be purchased elsewhere for a fraction of the price. The thing that got me more than how overpriced they are is that they charge $3 more for stamps than what they really cost! Really??!! Is that providing a service? Go to the post office or any other store that sells postage stamps.. that was a first! read more

PROFESSIONAL PARTY PLANNER SAYS THIS STORE IS AMAZING! I am a professional party planner and I have been going to Where's the Party for 13 years. The incredibly professional staff is always warm and kind and welcoming. Candy, Christine, Mimi, Jan, Pam, Christine, etc etc are the best!!! I wish I could give it 6 stars. It is conveniently located- offers a massive variety of products and they do their very best every day while keeping up with all of the trends. I have hired them for huge projects and bought miscellaneous party items there for years. I was very surprised when I saw the yelp rating of 3 stars. All I can say is in defense of them are 3 things: 1. Prices- they are incredibly FAIR for being a retail store in the heart of a very high rent district. If you want an online price - you have to order in advance online and not go into a shop the day before (silly yelper) . They have very fair retail prices and they offer several options of each product they provide in different price points. 2. Customer Service - they literally have the best customer service around. Sure - they are busy a lot of the time and sometimes you gotta wait a tad just as you do in other high quality stores that do not have a huge corporation staff budget. However, I rarely see people waiting and often see WTP staff helping guests. They are awesome. 3. Grumpy brides. Often times brides take out their frustration with their (lack of) wedding budget on their invitation store, planner, caterer, florist (the list is endless). I feel like this is the case with several of these reviews- brides often get disgruntled with a vendor when facing the reality of wedding costs -and the invitation store is their first stop. Amen. Party on Where's the Party and keep doing your great work! xo read more

Love the product in the store, and the lady helping me at the front counter was as nice as can be. I like to get balloons here because it's close to my house and they have a nice variety, however the lady you have to deal with to put an order in for balloons has a terrible attitude and makes what should be a simple and pleasant task of ordering balloons, an unnecessarily unpleasant experience. It's just balloons lady, be a little more positive and less difficult to work with. It's not that hard and will take you a lot farther in life as well as customer service. This is the second time I've had to go there for a special order of balloons and had this experience. Won't be going there again. read more

Two stars because the store is really cute. On the other hand they are very overpriced. $30 for ribbon, wrapping paper, and a card. My main reason for writing is every time I am here the staff is so rude. They don't say hi, don't ask if you need help, and If you ask a question they act irritated. I went in today to support a local business and was reminded why I don't even come in the first place. Do yourself a favor and go to paper source in south coast plaza. They are incredibly friend and always happy to help. read more

This is a very cute upscale party store in east side costa mesa. It's separated into a invitation store and a party supply store. I really dig their invitation selection. I've used them for fun bridal shower and bachelorette party invitations and they are ALWAYS a hit! They are on the high end, but definitely worth it. The party supply end of the store is a different story. I find it to be over priced and the clerks to be rather cold and off putting. The merchandise is cute, but simply due to their demeanor I wouldn't purchase anything from this side of the store. You're probably better off visiting Party City or Via Lido Drugs, same cute merchandise and lower prices! read more

Thank you, Candy, and staff, for the balloons for the yacht birthday party on 11/15/14! You were on time and did a wonderful job! read more

Baffling. That's all I have to say, please support other local businesses , NOT this one. Employees should have basic training on how to treat their customers, because telling by their reviews and my experience, they are in desperate need of it. I'm a paying customer too, but they created such an uncomfortable ambiance , please keep your prejudices to yourself if you want to keep your business running. Or even a better idea, don't have them at all. read more

In the old days, one would order custom announcements at your local stationary store... Alas, most evaporated upon the arrival of the Office Depot types. Those who survived the big-box explosion most certainly met their demise when internet ordering became the norm. Not so with Where's the Party. I am happy to report, that after two failed internet orders for time-sensitive announcements, Where's the Party saved the day! Graphic designer Christina took my call, and without hesitation, allayed my fears. I emailed her the proof from which we wanted to order, and she called back to make an appointment to see her... IN 30 MINUTES! Christina had a sample ready for review when we arrived. Christina seemed almost apologetic that she could not deliver the final order before closing time, which was in 90 minutes. You see, most of the employees had gone home to celebrate NEW YEARS! Yes, it was New Years Eve! The prefect order was picked up but a few business hours after it was placed. To top it all off, Christina's brilliant artistic mind made the announcements infinitely better with one, tiny yet mind-blowing change. In the end, there is absolutely zero comparison between Where's The Party, and ANY internet custom-card site, where personal customer service is non-existent. Where's the Party goes way beyond standard customer service. They made us feel beyond comfortable and delivered more than we expected in an amazing timeframe. Finally, you would think we were spending thousands the way we were treated, right? Our order was less than $100! Thank you so much, Christina! Thank you Where's the Party! We highly recommend you! read more

This is the place I go to for all my unique party ideas, invites, plates, napkins, etc. They have a really nice and unusual selection. The ladies have always been helpful to me. They have custom cards, invitations and greeting cards. Fun decorations and party favors. Just came in and got some cool Easter items today and am once again really pleased! read more

When I think about my first and only visit to this place, my blood pressure skyrockets, that vein on my forehead bulges and pulsates, my eyes become bloodshot, my skin turns green, my muscles swell and rip the clothes from my limbs... I feel like charging the nearest brick wall and bursting through it in a senseless rage!! ARRRGGGHHHHH!!!! Me Hulk! Me ANGRY at 'Where's the Party!' Me want to smash store!! Me want to give negative stars for Yelp review!! RRRAAAAWWWWRRRRRR!!! Here's how it went down: The wife and I were shopping around for wedding invitations so we did some research and narrowed it down to a few printers. Once we chose one (Julie Holcomb Printers - awesome stuff!), we located a local distributor: 'Where's the Party.' The place seemed nice enough. It looked nice inside, had a lot of samples out on display, and was bigger than I'd normally expect an invitation place to be. So far, so good. After walking in, we looked around for a bit, then headed for the invitations. No one greeted us. Hmmm... That's okay. We just got there. I guess that 's understandable. There were two other couples speaking with store employees. They were being shown different binders full of invites and pages of samples. That's cool. We're here for the same thing! Granted, we didn't have a scheduled appointment. It's all good. Help the people who scheduled meetings with your sales specialists... Well, after about 30 to 40 minutes of independent browsing, we had yet to receive a 'Hello' or a 'Can I help you?' We literally browsed through about a dozen 4-inch binders filled with sample invitations, by ourselves, without as much as a peep from one employee. Yeah, they knew we were there...they looked over at us, but said nothing. Not so bad? Read on! Once we found a few invitations we liked, with binders open to the samples, we waited very patiently for someone to help us. I even walked into the party supply section looking for help...and not one employee even acknowledged my presence! To add insult to injury, several people entered the store after we did and, guess what? The employees greeted THEM, told THEM that someone would be with THEM shortly, and basically totally ignored US! But wait! There's more! I was so peeved that I called up the store, asked to speak with the store manager, and complained about the complete lack of service. Surprise, surprise...it turns out that the manager was actually one of the sales people in the invitation showroom that completely ignored us! She even recalled seeing us in the store earlier that day! Any apology? Hell no! No 'sorry,' 'I apologize' or 'Is there some way we can make it up to you.' Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. This place can go [insert expletive here] themselves with a [insert name of inanimate object here] until it breaks, festers, becomes hopelessly infected with [insert name of deadly bacteria/virus here] and spreads to its [insert name of vital organ here]!! If you're looking for a friendly, courteous, and extremely knowledgeable stationer, avoid this place at all costs. You're better off making your own invitations with construction paper, a box of crayons, a glue stick, and a container of glitter. I highly recommend Patricia DuCharme Fine Stationary in Newport Beach instead. She's top-notch! read more

I haven't always had the best of luck with help when I come in, but the cashier today was very sweet. I was in to purchase a wedding planning book and she nicely congratulated me while asking if I needed any help, which the girl in that part of the store didn't really do, I had to seek her out. Overall, they have cute merchandise that is up to trend and a fairly consistent price point with the brands they offer. read more

I wish I could give zero stars to Where's the Party, but since it is not an option, one will have to do. Every single time I go there, I leaving swearing to myself that I will never go back, but for some reason I end up going back thinking, it can't be that bad. Shame on me! It always is! They have the worst service of anywhere I have ever been. They usually have many people working there, but they only ask other patrons if they need help. Trying to get any assistance is nearly impossible, and when you do, it's not helpful. Today I was getting my oil changed across the street and had 30 minutes to kill, so I wandered into Where's the Party, against my better judgement just to browse birthday cards. I was never greeted or acknowledged once during my 30 minutes in the store, but I heard the women who worked there ask many other people if they needed help. I didn't care at first, but once I started picking out cute table settings for an upcoming dinner party, I wanted to know if they sold votive candles since I found a darling candle holder that didn't come with a candle. When I tried to smile and make eye contact with one woman, she avoided my gaze and walked right by me. When I finally decided on the ocean themed napkins, plates, etc. and had all of the birthday cards I needed, I went to the register, where two workers were behind the counter. I stood there for 30 seconds and contemplated walking out, leaving my stuff on the counter because they were blatantly ignoring me. Finally, I asked if they had any votive candles that I could buy to go in the candle holder, and the woman said no. Seriously? A party store that does not sell votive candles? She began ringing up my order, and another woman walked in and my cashier went out of her way to ask if she needed help! The other customer said yes, she was picking up an order. I stood there in silence, gave her my credit card, and signed for it. She took out a red stamp and stamped my receipt with a "Final Sale" stamp, in a cold, abrupt manner, saying nothing. As I walked out, my blood was boiling. I am a very easy going person, but rude people irritate me. I spent $60, but this will be the last dime they EVER get from me. This was just a minor issue today, but it is so typical of this awful store. Over the past 10 years, I typically stop at Where's the Party twice a year. When I was shopping for our wedding invitations, the service was so horrible that we didn't get very far and ordered from another vendor. I purchased my cousin's bachelorette party invites here years ago, and it was also a very negative experience. Other reviewers have also complained about the terrible customer service. Claire L. may have been onto something when she said you will have pleasant service if you're over 40. I think they don't want to help the younger customers. It didn't matter that I was carrying a designer purse and that I was wearing a dress. Even if I hadn't been, there is no excuse for their consistently poor service. I had a much better experience getting my oil changed at Jiffy Lube today! Maybe they should go across the street and take a few lessons. I really, truly will never EVER go back. I should have written this review a long time ago. Don't go to Where's the Party unless you like being treated poorly and overpaying. read more

I have lived in this area for the past 15 years and have been a frequent customer of Where's the Party. Until this past week, where I had the worst customer service experience. I recently graduated with my doctorate and had been in a few weeks back to purchase grad napkins- in the excitement of the party, we forgot to use them. I still had the receipt and thought I would save the $20 and return them. Since it is in the middle of "graduation season" I thought it would be no problem. I was greeted by the manager, only to be told -NO, you can't return these, they are seasonal items. For $20 I really believe this manager could have taken the return, the graduation display was still front and center in the store. Instead, she chose to be rude and has since lost a customer or two forever...I would not recommend this store to anyone! read more

I absolutely had to add my 2 cents to this place. I agree with Claire 100%. This place is so shishi but with the worst customer service and rudest sales people in the world. I had a nicer and more professional (one-on-one) experience at Papyrus and will give my business to them. My friend recommended this place and after I told her how snooty they were she said: "I know"....hmmm?? If I could this place would get 0 stars. read more

I purchased my wedding invitations here recently and I have nothing but great things to say about the staff and this store! Pam was extremely helpful, sweet, and patient with my mom and I. She helped us get the wording just right on the invitations and made a few great suggestions about what else we should put with them. I ordered them on a Saturday and had the proofs by Tuesday. They came out exactly how I wanted them...traditional, elegant, but not too over to the top.....they are beautiful. read more

DO NOT SHOP HERE!!!! OVER PRICED AND BAD SERVICE!!! I bought party plates and table cover for my husband's surprise 40th party and didn't even get to take it out of the bag because the surprise didn't happen...so I went to return it with the receipt and the lady refused to refund cause she says the package was damaged...there was a little rip on the side of the vinyl which I think came with it since I didn't even take it out of the bag....anyway, she was rude about it and I really did not appreciate such bad service. Also I compared prices with other party stores nearby and online and this place is overpriced for sure!!!! DO NOT GO THERE!!!! Ever!!!!!!! read more

I agree with all the others on this website. Customer service is very poor as well as management. To think one is usually going into a party store for a happy event. Their staff should bring joy and good customer service, but it doesn't. Too many other places to buy what they have to offer at 1/2 the cost. Where is the party? Not there! read more

The other negative reviews are nail on. They provide inept poor service. The condescending attitude of their staff have no barring on professionalism. I would avoid this establishment especially if you are planning one of the most important day of your life. There are other vendors that are deserving of your money. read more