Frequently asked.

Yes — most of our orders are gifts. At checkout you'll add a separate shipping address, a gift message we'll hand-write on a card included in the box, and (optionally) a delivery date you'd like the box to arrive by. The recipient never sees pricing.

Yes. Every box includes a hand-stamped card. If you write a message at checkout (up to ~150 characters), we hand-write it on the card before sealing the box. No additional charge.

Yes — for individual recipient counts of 5+, please use our corporate gifting form. We'll handle the address list, custom cards, and a single invoice. Volume pricing kicks in at 10+ boxes.

Yes. We can include a company-branded card (your logo, your message), apply volume pricing, ship to one or many addresses, and send a consolidated invoice. Email us for a corporate quote — typical turnaround is one business day.

Coming soon — digital gift cards in $25 / $50 / $100 denominations. Until then, the easiest "gift card alternative" is The Sweetest Hello box ($24): small, ships in a kraft mailer, includes a hand-written card.

Standard orders ship within 1–2 business days of payment. During peak Holiday season (Nov 15 – Dec 22), please allow 3–5 business days for hand-assembly. Expedited shipping is available at checkout.

Yes — but only Mondays through Wednesdays from May 15 through September 30. Our chocolates are real chocolate, and they melt. To protect them, summer orders ship with insulated mailers and reusable gel packs, USPS Priority Mail, ground only. We don't ship Thursday–Saturday in summer because boxes would sit in hot warehouses over the weekend. Full policy on the Shipping page.

For guaranteed delivery by December 25 in the contiguous US, order by December 17 (USPS Priority). For expedited 2-day, December 21. Orders after December 22 will ship the first business day in January. We post countdown banners on the homepage starting November 1.

All 50 US states, including Alaska and Hawaii (Priority Mail). International orders are not currently supported but we're working on it — drop us a note if you have a specific need.

Flat $9 USPS Priority Mail for orders under $75. Free for orders $75 and above. Summer surcharge of $4 for insulated/gel-pack packaging is included in the product price (May 15 – Sep 30). Expedited 2-day air calculated at checkout.

Every box is hand-assembled within 48 hours of shipping. We don't pre-pack inventory — boxes are built to order. Our suppliers are small Wisconsin makers using fresh dairy, fresh-roasted nuts, and natural cane sugar.

Stored cool and dry, our chocolates are best within 4 weeks of arrival. Caramels and toffees: 6–8 weeks. We don't include preservatives, so freshness is real — and finite. If a box arrives and won't be opened soon, refrigerate (in an airtight container) to extend shelf life by ~2 weeks.

All our boxes contain dairy and most contain nuts (cashews, pecans, peanuts). Some contain wheat. Our facility processes nuts, dairy, and wheat — we cannot guarantee against cross-contamination. If you have a severe allergy, please contact us before ordering and we'll review the specific SKUs you're considering.

Not currently. We're working on a vegan / gluten-free option for late 2026. Email us if you'd like to be notified when it launches.

Wisconsin — all of it. We work directly with multi-generation small-batch makers. Every box is hand-finished in our Milwaukee-area kitchen with real Wisconsin AA butter, fresh-roasted nuts, and sea salt sprinkled by hand.

Email hello@lakeeffectsweets.com within 48 hours of delivery with your order number and a photo. If the melt was caused by a packaging error or carrier delay on our end, we'll replace the order at no charge. We don't replace orders that were refused at delivery, sent to the wrong address, or held for pickup beyond 48 hours.

Because our products are perishable and made-to-order, we don't accept returns. If something arrives damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it — see the previous FAQ. For order changes (wrong address, gift message edit), email us within 1 hour of placing the order and we'll do our best.

If we haven't started assembly, yes — email us right away. Once your box is hand-packed (typically within 4–8 hours of payment), we can no longer cancel. You can still update the shipping address up until the moment it ships if you reach us in time.

No. You can check out as a guest. Creating an account saves your address book (useful for repeat gift-givers) and gives you order history.

Coming soon — a quarterly seasonal box (Spring / Summer / Fall / Holiday). Sign up for our newsletter to be notified at launch.

Every email has an unsubscribe link in the footer. We send roughly one email per month — never spam.