(from the United States of America)
We have to give them credit for processing over 20.2 million pieces of mail every hour, its a tough gig and they get a bad rap; but, the post office can be an intimidating place. Sometimes you get a grumpy-goose of a clerk and you’re left to row the deep waters of the United States Postal Office alone. At other times the person behind the counter is the ‘Mary Poppins of the Post’ and from start to finish she’s just a delight! Either way, weddings invitations are precious cargo and we’ve put together a quick guide for navigating the post office. Keep reading for tips and tricks on how to mail your fine art invitation suites…
1. Spell-Check
I can’t emphasize this enough, re-check all your guest addresses and your return addresses for spelling to eliminate as much human-error as possible. Bring in a fresh pair of eyes to help you catch any unusual spellings or incorrect addresses.
2. Machine Processed or Hand-Canceled
If you’ve opted not to have your invitation stationer organize your postage for you, the first step is to decide whether you’d like to have your invitations machine processed or hand-canceled by USPS. We highly recommend hand-canceling your postage if you have a wax seal, handmade paper envelopes, or vintage postage. No matter the envelope type or embellishments, machine processing can leave unsightly marks on your envelopes and hand-canceling your postage bypasses this issue. However, sometimes your post office might require an additional $0.21 to hand-cancel your postage and you can decide what is best for you. For information and tips on hand-canceling postage, click here.
3. Get a Postage Estimate
Regardless of how you are processing your postage, take one of your suites to your local post office and have it weighed and measured. Ask for a postage estimate. Depending on the affability of your local postal workers, it’s also recommended to keep a signed record of the postage estimate you are given if you are not planning to ship at the time of the estimate. Keep in mind that postage rates can fluctuate. If you’re not immediately mailing them, ask the clerk if anything is expected to change in the near future.
You may also request a postage estimate from your stationer ahead of time. However, it is still highly recommended that you take your suite to your local post office for an official quote as it can vary by post office and clerk.
You will most likely be mailing “letter” size envelopes. Things to consider…
The USPS Standard Letter-Size postage rates as of January 2020 are $0.55 for items under 1 ounce and $0.15 for each additional ounce. Most invitation suites we create are between 1 and 2 ounces.
Size Matters: For official USPS Letter-Size dimensions review their guide here. Maximum Length: 11-1/2 inch | Maximum Height: 6-1/8 inch | Maximum Thickness: 1/4 inch. For suites over the maximum dimensions, additional postage is required and may be considered “large envelopes”. Standard US A9 - 4Bar sized cardstock envelopes should meet USPS length and height criteria. However, some handmade envelopes and other envelopes made outside of the US may be too big to be considered ‘Standard Letter-Size’ and will require some additional postage. Additionally, square envelopes are considered “odd-sized” and may require additional postage.
Special Note: Wax Seals and other embellishments may affect the thickness of your suite and will require at least $0.15 in additional postage. There are a lot of variables when it comes to calculating the “thickness” of your suites and your postal clerk should inform you at the time of estimate.
Destination Matters: International addresses will require additional postage. You can get a base estimate for international letter postage rates at usps.com. However, if there is anything non-standard about your suites, be sure to consider this in your estimate. You may also visit your local usps office for an official quote.
4. Current or Vintage
Decide whether you’d like to use current postage or vintage postage. Purchase the correct amount of postage for your suites and do not forget to purchase stamps for your reply envelopes, if applicable. Current stamps can be purchased at your local post office, for the complete collection visit their online store. Ebay and Etsy are great places to source vintage postage. Keep in mind that due to their rarity, vintage postage will cost more than the postal value of the stamp. When buying vintage postage, be sure to verify that they are “MNH” or “Mint Never-Hinged”. This means they have never been used and are free of processing marks.
5. RSVP Postage
Once your postage arrives, if your invitations are not pre-assembled, adhere any reply envelope postage to your reply envelopes and assemble your suites.
6. Stuff, Seal, Stick
Stuff and seal your guest envelopes and adhere the postage with a fresh ‘extra strength’ glue stick or double sided adhesive tape. Guest envelope postage should be arranged either across the top of the guest envelope beginning in the top right corner or clustered in the top right corner.
7. Final Check & Mailing
Once your suites are ready to go, it is recommended that you hand them to a USPS clerk for one last check. If you have chosen to hand-cancel your postage, this is when the magic happens, click here for information on how to mail hand-canceled suites.
8. The Wait
Delivery times vary by region - we recommend allowing 2-7 business days for machine processed suites. Hand-cancelled suites will take longer. Additionally, large metro areas have a history of extended delivery times, allow extra time for these destinations. Keep in mind that the post office handles millions of pieces of mail every day and its common for some percentage of your invitations to be returned to you or misdelivered. This is to be expected and is mostly outside of your control. If you haven’t heard back from a guest, it’s a good idea to check in the closer you get to your rsvp deadline.