Ready to send out your wedding invitations? Self-adhesive stamps are only part of the postage situation. Get your wedding invitations out properly (and on time) with these hassle-free postage pointers.
Heavy Hitters
If your invitations feature heavy paper stock, and if you've enclosed more than one reply card plus an inner envelope, your invitations will require more than regular first-class postage. As invitation designs vary, so does the amount of postage required. You can probably expect to spend much more per invite. Square invitations or any other special sizes that need to be processed by hand will always incur an extra charge.
Going Postal
If you're at all unsure about what it's going to cost to send your invitations, bring them (assembled and sealed) to the post office. Weigh one, buy the appropriate amount of postage, and start sticking on the stamps right then and there.
Knot Note: First ask if there's a single stamp for the exact amount. If not, round up the amount to save yourself some time.
What's it Rated?
For more do-it-yourself fun, use the U.S. Postal Service's online rate calculator to help you determine what it will cost to send each invitation. Just enter the states you're mailing from and to, as well as the weight of your invitation, and presto! The amount of postage required magically appears before your eyes.
Zip It
Make sure all addresses are correct. Both the U.S. Postal Service (usps.com) and stamps.com have tools to help you get ZIP+4 codes just right. You simply enter an address as you have it, and up pops the proper ZIP code.
Special Treatment
Are you letting the post office handle your postage? They'll use machines instead of individual stamps, so if you have unusually shaped envelopes (if you've addressed them vertically instead of horizontally, for instance), they'll have to be processed individually. Therefore, prepare to pay more postage, and allow a few extra days for handling.
Remember the RSVPs
Don't forget that your reply cards need postage, too. Cut costs by using postcards instead -- they mail at 23 cents within the United States, as opposed to cards-in-envelopes, which mail at 41 cents. You can pre-stamp international reply cards by going to to your local post office and requesting International Reply Coupons, which your invitees can exchange for regular postage at their local post offices.
Time it Right
Remember, invitations should be in the mail 4-6 weeks before the wedding date. But allow plenty of time for the postal service to do its work. The farther the distance, of course, the longer the mailing process. In general, the postal service takes roughly three days to deliver an invitation across the country. European postal services are surprisingly speedy (you need only tack on a few extra days for invitations to reach western Europe). Be sure to allow more time for invitations bound for Eastern Europe or to Asia -- these can take up to two weeks to be delivered.
Expressive Mail
We think it's great to be creative with the stamps you include on your invitations. For instance, you'll find that the pop art-style 'LOVE' stamps are perfect for weddings. Or, tie your stamps to your wedding theme: If you're marrying over the Fourth of July, go for those good ol' American flags. If you're planning a classic affair, go with the Audrey Hepburn or Cary Grant commemorative stamps. Finally, it's an outdoor wedding, check out the options with a nature theme, especially those commemorating national parks. All of these stamps are available through the U.S. Postal Service.
Old-School Style
If you can afford it, make your guests feel special with a touch of old-school style and charm. If the majority of your invitees are in one area, you could hire a courier service to messenger your invitations by hand. Be forewarned, though -- this option is awfully pricey. Courier services might charge by the piece or they might charge several hundred dollars for their services. If that puts a cramp in your budget, you might consider using this fancy-schmancy mode of invitation delivery just for parents and attendants.
-- The Knot
Photo: Courtesy of Ceci New York/The Knot
RELATED LINK: Addressing your invites