When it comes to wedding invitations, postage is one of the most complicated aspects of planning. USPS is constantly changing prices and procedures for mailing letters; It can be hard to keep up and make sure you have the correct amount of postage on your invitations.
To help you identify the amount of postage you need, I’m going to describe the 3 factors that contribute to the value of postage required for a letter.
weight
The main factor influencing how much shipping you need is the weight of the suite. The best way to determine this is to have your stationery rack weigh your fully assembled set before ordering postage. If you’re sending your own invitations, you can take a fully assembled suite to your local USPS and have them weigh it.
For a rectangular letter weighing between 0 and 1 ounce, you’ll need $0.55 postage (one stamp forever). anything over one ounce and less than two ounces will require a $0.70 stamp. anything over two ounces and less than three ounces will require $0.85 postage.
shape and amp; thickness
If you opt for the single square invitation, you’ll need to factor in additional shipping costs. the cost of mailing a square envelope will be $0.15 higher than that of a rectangular envelope. start with the price by weight and add $0.15 to identify the total postage required.
If an envelope is more than 0.25 inches thick, you’ll need to upgrade to a pack, which could cost upwards of $3 per set to ship.
machinability
The USPS processes letters using machines. the machines scan the postage and sort the envelopes. If your invitations cannot be processed by machine, you will need to request manual cancellation, which means your local USPS representatives will review and hand stamp each invitation before sorting it. Due to the additional time and effort, some post offices charge for this service. you can expect to pay an additional $0.21 per letter for manual cancellation. there are some post offices that don’t charge, so check with your post office to find out!
If you don’t request manual cancellation and the machine can’t process your letters, your invitations may be postage short and your guests may have to pay to receive them (you don’t want this!).
factors that would require manual cancellation:
- wax seals: If you have wax seals on the outside of your envelope, you must request to be canceled by hand. the extra lump may not work well on the machine.
- Square envelopes: Square envelopes cannot be read by machines, so they must be canceled by hand.
are written in calligraphy, it is recommended to cancel by hand. this will protect the beautiful calligraphy and ensure they arrive correctly.
custom or vintage stamps
If you are interested in vintage or personalized stamps, you should spend more than normal on postage fees. personalized stamps generally cost twice the normal postage rates, while vintage stamps cost three times as much. I don’t charge customers for custom or old postage, so you’ll pay exactly what I pay when ordering. I will create a design that links to your suite if you choose custom. If you go vintage, I’ll select a set of 4 or 5 vintage stamps to match your suite’s aesthetic and color scheme.
moral of the story
Calculating postage can be stressful. You want to make sure that your beautiful wedding invitations arrive in your guests’ mailboxes in pristine condition and without asking your guests to open their wallets. If you choose to reserve your raised word design wedding invitations, I will handle all postage and mailing to ensure the entire process runs smoothly.
Head over to my invitations page to learn more about the process!