Are you wondering how much postage do I need for my wedding invitations? Did you know that not all wedding invitations ship for the same amount of postage? While I always love adding fun details, you’ll want to keep an eye on what details you include as they could increase the amount of postage that you pay per envelope!
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The amount of postage you need all depends on what your invitation weighs! Here is a quick chart:
0-1 ounces | $0.50
1-2 ounces | $0.71
2-3 ounces | $0.92
3-3.5 ounces | $1.13
Note that all of these prices are “up to” that many ounces. So if your invitation suite is up to 1 ounce, you’ll be good with a $0.50 cent stamp. But if your invitation suite is even just 1.1 ounces, you’ll need a $0.71 stamp. Just that little extra weight can change your postage so you’ll want to make sure you keep track of that!
Since most of us don’t have a postage scale at home – how does this translate to your wedding invitations? If you’re working with a stationer, typically they can help you estimate the weight. I have a postage scale in my studio that I can use to estimate postage for my couples.
But if you’re not working with a stationer, how do you figure out all these shenanigans short of Amazon Prime-ing a postage scale to your house stat? Here’s a handy-dandy list of common pieces and what they weigh!
Save the Dates:
Save the Date postcard | $0.35
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Save the Date (standard or double thick paper) with envelope | $0.50
Invitations:
(these assume you’re using a 5″ by 7″ invitation card, 4.25″ by 5.5″ details card, and 3.5″ by 4.875″ response card on standard thick paper)
Standard Thick Paper:
Invitation card and envelope | $0.50
Invitation card, details card and envelope | $0.50
Invitation card, response card and envelopes | $0.50
Invitation card, details card, response card and envelopes | $0.50
Invitation card, details card, response card and envelopes with liner | $0.71
Double Thick Paper:
Invitation card and envelope | $0.71
Invitation card, details card and envelope | $0.71
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Invitation card, response card and envelopes | $0.71
Invitation card, details card, response card and envelopes | $0.71
Invitation card, details card, response card and envelopes with liner | $0.71
Response Card Envelopes:
Almost no matter what, you should be good with a typical $0.50 Forever stamp on these!
There are a few other details that can also impact your postage. For example, wax stamps are a fun way for brides to add a classic touch to their invitations, but they do require additional postage as they make the envelope “non-machinable”, so they add an additional $0.21 per envelope. The extra thickness on these make it difficult for the envelope to go through the slot in the machine that USPS uses, so they have to be sorted by hand. Silk ribbons can also sometimes add a non-machinable charge, if they are tied too bulky. So the key with those is to make the knot/bow be as flat as possible!
Another “post office hack” that you may have heard is “hand-cancelling”. Hand-cancelling just means that a person physically “cancels” your postage with a stamp (so that the postage can’t be used again), and your envelopes will hopefully be handled a bit more gently as they don’t have to be sorted through the machine. Many brides pick this so that their envelopes are handled as gingerly as possible! However, that’s not always the case and sadly sometimes hand-cancelled envelopes still eventually make their way through a machine. This is one of the most confusing things because it varies from post office to post office about whether they will a) actually let you do it and b) charge you for it. Some post offices say that they do not offer hand cancelling, but some will give you the stamp and let you cancel them off to the side for free. But, others might have you pay the additional $0.21 “non-machinable” charge for that service. If you’re looking to do this, try to go at a time that the post office isn’t busy, and some brides even bring cookies or brownies for the postal workers as a thank you (or a bribe?).
No matter what, I always recommend to my brides that you take one fully assembled ready-to-mail suite to the post office to have it weighed, and make sure that you have the correct amount of postage. It’s also a good idea to do this at the post office that you plan to mail your suites from – as some post offices (and even some postal workers within the same office) may tell you different postage amounts!
For an full list of 2018 postage rates via the USPS website, head here!
When in doubt, add extra postage. The last thing you want is all of your suites to be returned with an ugly “insufficient postage” stamp all over it. The little bit of extra money you save in trying to skirt by with less postage will end up costing you more when you have to pay to purchase new envelopes, new calligraphy or new address printing!
Interested in becoming a #laurenperrybride and having a helping hand with all of this confusing stuff? Head to my Custom Wedding Invitations page here to learn more about the process, and click here to send me an e-mail! I promise lots of cheesey jokes and over-excited squeals 🙂
xoxo,
Source: https://antiquewolrd.com
Categories: Stamps
