How Much Will My Postage Cost?
Signed, sealed, and (almost) delivered! There’s nothing more annoying than sending your invitations only to have them returned to you because of insufficient postage. Follow these simple tips to avoid this costly mistake:
Assemble an invitation and bring it by the post office. They can tell you exactly how much you will need to spend on postage. Remember: if you are sending extra enclosures to only part of your guest list (e.g. custom maps to out-of-town guests), the invitation will weigh more than your other invitations and may call for extra postage.
If you have international guests, talk to the post office to ensure you have the correct postage. You will also want to send these invitations well before your other invitations to make sure they arrive in time for your guests to make travel arrangements.
Drop off your invitations to the post office in-person! Don’t leave them in your mailbox or drop them in the mail slot at the post office. Take the extra time to go inside and drop them off.
When dropping off your invitations at the post office, ask that the invitations be “hand-canceled”. This keeps it from being run through a machine that could potentially damage your invitations. (Some post offices don’t offer this service anymore, but they will let YOU do it. Just politely ask them if you can do it instead.)
If your invitations require extra postage, there will most likely be multiple stamps on your envelope. This sometimes means overpaying for postage. Adding a custom designed stamp ensures this doesn’t happen since you can order the exact dollar amount necessary. It’s also a great way to give guests a sneak peek at the invitation. We can help you design the perfect stamp to accompany your invitation! UPDATE: We just found out today that, unfortunately, the USPS is suspending the use of personalized stamps effective June 16, 2020.
For oversized invitations, ask them to mail it as a “flat” using the First Class Mail Flat rate. This will make sure your invitation is properly handled by the USPS.
Pro tip: To avoid spending a lot of money on postage, you can either adjust the size or shape of your invitation. That usually drops the weight enough to require less postage! Working with Soiree Signatures, we always offer these (and many other) money-saving alternatives to better fit your dream invitations into your budget.