Wedding Postage Nightmare - Part One!
Imagine this: your invited wedding guest opens their mailbox, revealing a beautifully appointed cotton envelope with a lovely design, hand calligraphy, and...a stamp with a funny guy in a Hawaiian shirt -- and another stamp with a turquoise necklace??
Or WORSE: you hear the mail truck, and anticipating your first delivery of RSVP notices, rush out. You open to your mailbox only to be assaulted by Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie!
Don't laugh - it could be you! On May 11th, the first class postage rate will increase by 2-cents, and unfortunately, the post office has not currently issued wedding or love stamps in the new rates. Indeed, at the present time, in the new first class, 1 oz. rate - 44 cents - the only available stamps display the Simpsons in wild colors!
Postage is an important consideration for your wedding invitations. This is true whether you are doing your invitations yourself, purchasing a manufactured invitation from a national line, or hiring an invitation designer to create a custom piece. Obviously the CORRECT amount of postage is important for the delivery of your invitations, but the LOOK of the postage is also important. An unappealing stamp can detract from the beauty of the envelope and the overall design of the invitation. Choose the appropriate stamp - and don't forget, if affordable, using a higher rate postage stamp than necessary can be one solution.
There are two main postage concerns related to wedding invitations: (1) Wedding Invitation, and (2) RSVP Envelope.
RSVP Envelope
Generally speaking, most RSVP notices require a first class, 1 oz. stamp (currently 42-cents, soon to be 44-cents). Make sure to check with the post office as to your specific RSVP notice so that you have the correct postage. Size, shape, rigidity, and weight all can affect the postage rate.
May 11 is the date of the rate increase, but even if you mail your wedding invitation prior to May 11th, you may still need the higher rate on your RSVP notices. Why? Because if your wedding guests will be mailing their RSVP notices AFTER May 10th, the postage must be correct on the day a piece is mailed - meaning the new rate.
As I mentioned above, the only 44-cent stamp currently released is The Simpsons stamp. This really doesn't scream wedding and everlasting love, so here are a few suggestions:
1. The Forever Stamp (nicely designed bell - neutral color)
2. Personalized Postage (Zazzle's got the new rates) - but note the size of these stamps is larger
3. Two of either the 27-cent tropical fruit postcard stamps or the 28-cent polar bear stamps
4. 42-cent stamp and either a 2-cent stamp, 4-cent stamp, or 5-cent stamp. My favorite 42-cent stamps: Celebrate, Love: All Heart, Wedding Hearts, Purple Heart, Sunflower
5. 59-cent wedding heart stamp or the 62-cent dragonfly stamp
Wedding Invitation Envelope
Required postage for wedding invitation varies widely, and again, size, shape, weight, and rigidity can all affect the amount of postage necessary. It is essential that you check multiple times to ensure that you have the correct postage on your invitations! Don't just assume you have interpreted the postal rules correctly - take your invitation to the post office for a professional opinion. Generally, the lowest rate used for wedding invitations is 59-cents (61-cents after May 11).
Even though there is not currently a 61-cent stamp out, there is some good news if your necessary postage is 61-cents. Several stamps with higher rates are already out and available. My suggestions for invitation envelope postage are as follows:
1. 62-cent Dragonfly stamp
2. Personalized Postage stamp (Zazzle has the new rates)
3. Additional Postage in the form of the following: Virgin Islands stamp, 13-mile Woods stamp, Great Smoky Mountains stamp, Yosemite stamp
4. Two 42-cent stamps (see favorites above)
5. 59-cent Wedding Hearts stamp plus one 2-cent turquoise necklace stamp
Remember, postage is an important consideration. Don't just assume that guidelines from the post office or something you've read on the internet are enough to go by - TAKE YOUR INVITATIONS TO THE POST OFFICE AND CHECK THE POSTAGE IN PERSON!
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