One of the most fun jobs you can do when planning a wedding is sending out your invites.
This is the first glimpse people will get at the theme of your wedding. Your date is set in stone and now it’s just a countdown to the big day. Eeeeeek! It also serves a practical purpose in letting you know how many people will attend your wedding.
However, one of the less glamorous jobs is figuring out how to send your invites in the post. Luckily we’ve created a handy wedding invitation postage guide to tell you everything you need to know.
We get straight to the point telling you exactly what you’ll need to send and how much it’ll cost you. We also offer advice and some useful tips on how to save money and where to purchase your stamps.
You’ll want to get this right as errors will not only cost you financially but will also be highly embarrassing. We like to think we’ve made this guide super easy to follow and at the same time very informative.
So before you head off to the post office with 300 invites in tow, let’s get into it!
What is Wedding Invitation Postage?
Simply put you need to get your invites to your invitees, don’t you?
A physical copy of the invite is still the way to go in our book. It’s a tangible thing that will make an impact on the people you invite to celebrate your day.
To get the invite out there you’ll likely require the services of the postal system. This comes with its own fees that we’ll talk about more in this article.
Provided you follow the advice we lay out, your invite should arrive at your prospective guest’s mailbox without a hitch. It’ll be in as near the same condition as when you sent it and they can enjoy the wonders of the invitation design you’ve chosen.
Simple really!
What You’ll Need to Post to Invitees
Much of what you choose to include in your wedding suite will have formed part of your wedding stationery checklist. But for a quick reminder here are the typical things you’ll include within your invite.
These items will ultimately determine the size of the wedding invitation and therefore how much postage you’ll need to affix to the envelope.
- A save the date (some people choose to send these at the same time as invitations others send the separately)
- The invitation itself
- RSVP card with a return envelope
- Envelope to hold all of the above
- Stamps to get it there
- The names and addresses of your invitees
What Will Influence Postage Costs?
There are various factors to consider about the design of your invite and how that influences the overall cost. From the shape to the weight, they all have a role to play.
Below we delve a bit deeper:
Weight
Weight plays a part in which method of postage you use and how much it will cost. For example, on Stamps.com [1] a First Class Mail Letter will cost $0.60 with an additional $0.24 for each additional ounce.
Size
The size you’ve chosen for your invitation will play a major role in the overall costs. This is why a 5”x7” invitation is such a popular choice. It can be sent as a standard letter which has some of the cheapest postage costs.
Thickness
Your thickness is likely going to be dependent on how premium your stationery is. If choosing a more luxury invitation, the card stock is likely to be thicker, meaning more weight.
How much you pack into your envelope is also very important. If you want those fancy wax seals or custom badges it’s going to cost you. The limit to be classed as a standard letter is just ¼”.
If your invitation suite is over that limit you’ll be pushed into the next pricing bracket regardless of the size of your envelope. This will send it into the bracket of “square, oversized or unusual envelopes” according to the USPS website [2]. These prices start from $1.03 which you can see is a massive leap.
Quantity
Of course, one of the more obvious factors to consider is how many people you invite to your wedding. Say for example you manage to get your postage for $0.63 and invite 100 guests. That will cost you $63. If you invite 250 guests it’ll cost you $157.50.
We don’t think that should influence how many guests you invite but it may change the way that you deliver them to your invitees.
Ways to Save Money on Postage
Whether it’s you footing the bill for your wedding or your parents it’s always a good idea to look for some cost saving tips.
Here are some of our favorites when it comes to wedding invitation postage.
Hand Deliver Your Invitations
It might sound obvious, right? But hand delivering your invites could be a great way to save money.
No, we’re not expecting you to hand deliver an invite to Auntie Edna who lives in Canada.
However, for people much closer to home or people that you see on a regular basis, this might be the best way to go.
Consider Your Paper’s Weight
We know, we know. The thick paper looks good. The only downside is that it’s likely to impact your postage costs.
Whilst a lighter thickness of paper may not look as good to you it can keep your costs down.
Invest in or borrow some digital scales so that you can get your invite weight just right.
Avoid Bulky Invites
Similarly to the weight of your invite, how thick it is will impact how much your postage costs.
Once again, we know, those wax seals look great, don’t they? As do those gorgeous knotted ribbons but they ultimately add bulk.
Look for alternatives that will lay much flatter in your invitation suite. For example, you could substitute wax seals for custom stickers.
Postcard RSVPs
If you can fit all your information onto a postcard this is a great way to save some dollars.
Postcards are of course one piece of card and can have a length between 5” and 9” with a height of between 3-½” and 6 inches. Their thickness can be between 0.007” and 0.016”.
The prices are from $0.48 so they’re a great option for saving money, particularly if you’re inviting a lot of guests.
On the downside, however, they’re more likely to get damaged in the post. Equally, they don’t necessarily create that WOW aesthetic. What we’re saying is that they’re super practical but maybe not the best to look at.
How Many Stamps Do You Put on a Wedding Invitation?
You can purchase stamps in various denominations. As a result, the amount of stamps you’ll require will vary based on how much your postage costs.
For example, if your postage will cost you $0.60 then that is the value of stamps you need to place on your envelope. You could in theory place 60 x 1¢ if you want but you might have a sore tongue afterwards.
As we’ve already touched on, the cost of your postage will be determined by the size, weight, and thickness of your wedding invite suite. It will also be determined by where you are sending it. Understandably it will cost more to send it abroad and as a result, you’ll require more stamps.
In our opinion, it’s best to take a mockup of your invite to your local post office to gain the most accurate quote for your postage costs. With that in mind, you can then choose the denominations of stamps to make your envelope look the most aesthetically pleasing.
Should You Include a Self-Addressed and Stamped Envelope with an Invitation?
In our opinion, this is the best etiquette when sending your invites to prospective guests. It’s a little touch of class that also serves a very practical purpose.
It makes it super easy for your invitees to let you know whether or not they’ll be attending. This will encourage them to respond and hopefully make them do it much quicker.
The alternative is for them to find your address, purchase postage, and make a trip to the mailbox. This takes the hassle out of it for them and also eliminates errors.
Obviously, this will come with a financial cost. Your RSVP could be in the form of a postcard costing $0.48 so if you were to invite 150 guests you’re looking at an additional $72.
Hopefully, this little thoughtful touch will be reflected in what they purchase off your wedding registry. Wink wink!
Hand Canceling & Machinability of Wedding Invitations
So you’ve got your stamps on all your invites and now it’s time to pop them in the mail.
Letters go through a process called “canceling” This is in place to essentially show that postage has been paid and prevent the re-use of the stamps.
This process will usually be done by a machine but might be a little risky or physically impossible for wedding invites.
According to the USPS, there are 3 categories of processing [3] classified as Machinable, Nonmachinable, and Automation. Each has its own set of criteria so it’s best to speak with your local postal worker with an example of your invite. Each category also comes with its own prices so it’s really useful to find out which yours comes under.
Essentially, because your invite is precious and you want it to arrive in pristine condition, canceling may be the best option. Equally, this may be the only option as it might be too bulky or not bendy enough to be canceled by a machine.
Whilst this may cost a little more it does come with an added benefit. A hand-stamped letter shows the city and state the envelope was sent from. This will give your envelope an overall nicer appearance as it will look handcrafted.
A consideration, if you do require hand canceling, is to think about when you visit your local post office. Turning up with your 150 envelopes that all need hand stamping won’t go down well at peak hours with the postal worker.
If you aren’t overly concerned with the aesthetic of your outside envelope then adhering to the correct specifications to get it machine canceled may be the best option for you.
Bonus tip if you want them machine canceled:
- Make sure your invite and envelope are flexible
- Place your invite in another envelope if it has embellishments
What Will Happen If You Don’t Purchase Enough Postage?
Provided you’ve followed our guide so far this shouldn’t happen. Especially if you’ve been to the post office to seek their advice.
However, mistakes can still happen. There’s no clear cut answer to what will happen if your invite has insufficient postage. We have however identified 3 possibilities. All of which will negatively impact either you or your invitee.
- Insufficient Postage stamps: If you don’t place enough value of stamps for the size, weight, thickness, and destination of your invite it may simply be returned to you. Providing, of course, you’ve also put your address on the envelope. You usually put this on the back of the envelope.
- Recipient foots the bill: This is an embarrassing one and something we think anyone would want to avoid. If you haven’t paid enough for your postage it may be on the receiver of your invite to pay out. It means an inconvenience for them for what should otherwise be a pleasant experience of receiving their invite.
- Non-Delivery: Another consequence could be that your invites simply get lost in the mail system or get discarded. This means your hard work finding the perfect invite goes to waste. Not to mention the financial implications. You may also be blissfully unaware of this fact until you start to notice you’re receiving zero RSVPs.
We can’t stress this enough. Make sure you affix the correct amount of postage to your wedding invites. Check and double check. Make sure they’re all the same weight, size and thickness. If you’re sending them internationally, seek the advice of a postal worker who can best advise you.
Tracking Your Postage
One way to know your invites have arrived safely at their intended destination is to add tracking. This will be an additional feature you add and will have to ask about at your local post office.
By doing this you’ll have peace of mind that all your invitees have received your gorgeous invites.
This may cost a little extra which can soon amp up your postal charges. However, it eliminates the risks of things going missing or being delivered to the incorrect address.
On the USPS website, it states that “Tracking is not available for First-Class Mail items”. It goes on to state “You can pay extra to send your letter using Priority Mail Express or Priority Mail service” or they say you can get delivery confirmation by adding “Certified Mail or Registered Mail service”. Once again we recommend speaking with your local postal worker to find out more.
Where to Place Your Stamps on Your Envelope
The stamps on your envelope should go in the top right hand corner. This is standard with all postal items.
That being said, it doesn’t mean you should just whack them on without any thought. This is the first thing your potential guests will see so give it some thought to achieve an appealing look and feel.
You should also think about how things often look better in odd numbers, 1,3,5 and even 7 stamps will look more visually pleasing than using even numbers.
Place Stamps Across the Top
Neatly arranging your stamps across the top right of your envelope will give a classy and sophisticated look. It will demonstrate to your invitees your attention to detail. This could be particularly useful if you’re having a very formal occasion.
Lay Them from Small to Big
Equally, if you have purchased stamps of various sizes you could arrange them from small to big. It’s another little hint of your attention to detail and shows that you’ve placed them on the envelope with intention. It may go unnoticed by some but will add visual intrigue for others. It will also be a quick way to ensure you’ve applied the correct postage if you affix them to every invite in the same way.
Choose One Color Palette
Another way you can take your stamp selection to the next level is to choose ones from the same color palette. This will add cohesiveness to your envelope and once again show your guests that you have really thought about every last detail.
Whilst the stamps themselves can match each other you could also choose colors that compliment the invite itself. This just gives that little taster to your invitees of what is inside the envelope and builds their anticipation.
Mix and Match
For an alternative aesthetic, you could mix and match your stamp selection. Perhaps you choose some modern stamps and some vintage ones. Or maybe you deliberately pick contrasting colors so that your invite really stands out.
Ultimately this decision will be up to your own personal preference and how you think it best represents your invitation.
What is a forever stamp?
A forever stamp is one that will always be equal in value to the current First Class Mail one-ounce price. This means that you can use stamps from previous years and they’ll still be equal to the current postage rates.
This is a great way to find unique stamps to add to your invitations that will really make an impression on your invitees.
Where Can You Purchase Your Stamps?
Luckily there are loads of places that sell stamps so finding the perfect ones shouldn’t be too much trouble.
Once you know how much it’ll cost to post your invitations you can then go about finding the perfect design of stamps.
Amazon Wedding Stamps
If you want to get your stamps online then Amazon can be a great place to start. As you would expect they have lots of choices and are a great resource for finding stamps from previous years.
The only downside is that they might cost you slightly more than they’re actually worth. For example, we found these gorgeous “Forever USA” stamps which give you 20 stamps for $19.75. This works out at nearly $1 per stamp. You’ll have to weigh up for yourself whether it’s worth the extra costs.
Etsy Wedding Stamps
Etsy is well known for its unique and wonderful items. If you’re looking for those vintage vibes you’ll be sure to find stamps you love here.
Look at these pre-2000 stamps we found at the time of writing they also work out much cheaper than buying new. At $27.92 for 100 stamps they’re a snip at just 28¢ per stamp.
They also look super classy with their floral design and would be the perfect accompaniment to any style of wedding invitation.
eBay
Another great online resource for finding stamps is eBay. Similarly to Etsy and Amazon, you’ll be sure to find something you fall in love with here.
One thing to look out for is to make sure the stamps haven’t already been used. For example, we found these Disney Villain stamps that would be great to bring a playful element to your invite. However, they’ve already been canceled with lines through them so won’t be able to be used again.
These geometric snowflakes forever stamps on the other hand from 2015 would work a treat for a winter wedding. At $44.99 they also come in at 45¢ per stamp making them a cheaper alternative than purchasing modern postage.
USPS
For the most up-to-date stamps you can purchase them directly from the USPS website. They have loads to choose from ranging across all genres from music, politics, and film.
You’ll be sure to find a design that matches the theme of your day. USPS even has a category dedicated to weddings. Our personal favorite is the cute little cat with a love heart.
The stamps are typically sold in sheets of 20 costing $12.60 but they also have other denominations if your postage costs will be more than the standard 63¢.
One thing to note is that shipping and handling fees may apply so it might be best to try and find your chosen stamps in-store.
Edelweiss Post
If money is no object then Endelweiss Post may be the way to go. They offer vintage postage and out-of-print forever stamps and their collection is stunning.
Just take a look at these Grand Canyon forever postage stamps. Yes, they’ll run you a whopping $5 per stamp at $49.99 for 10. However, if you’re getting married in Arizona they could be the perfect accompaniment to your invite.
Conclusion
There is a lot to consider when thinking about getting your precious invites safely delivered to your guests.
Hopefully, our handy wedding invitation postage guide goes some way to making that a smoother process.
We think we’ve covered everything from the factors that will influence your postage cost right the way through to the best places to purchase your stamps.
Our cost saving ideas should also help you to save a few dollars along the way. We’ve also offered our opinion on whether you should include a self-addressed and pre-stamped envelope as part of your invitation suite.
Our hope is that we’ve left no stone unturned and that you have everything you need to get posting those invites.
So what are you waiting for? Get your invite measured and weighed, find out how much it’ll cost you to post, purchase some gorgeous stamps and then sit back and wait for the RSVPs to come flooding into your mailbox.
Sources
[1] – https://www.stamps.com/usps/current-postage-rates/
[2] – https://www.usps.com/business/prices.htm
[3] – https://pe.usps.com