Postage stamps are one of those small items stored in our purse/wallet or placed in our correspondence drawer at home that we don't give much thought to. In fact, we only really care about them when we need to send a birthday card to family or a friend out of town, holiday cards or the monthly bill that we can't be paid online. However, postage stamps are not only valuable, but play an important part in the aesthetic of wedding invitations.
One of the most important steps of planning your wedding is the invitations. They are a personal and memorable token for your friends and family to cherish. Wedding postage is one of the top things couples forget to include into their wedding budgets.
How do you choose the postage for your invitations? Does the thought of waiting in line at the post office give you anxiety? Or do you just walk into big box store purchase a large roll of stamps, thinking bulk purchase...score! (I sure hope not!)
Some of you may be thinking, “Wait, there’s more than one kind of stamp?!” The answer is yes! There are many different styles to choose from:
Contemporary
Traditional
Vintage
Custom postage
Choosing the right style of postage is an important part of the stationery design process that will transform your envelope to feel special, exciting and elevate your wedding invitation. We can personalize your postage to match the design we create for your stationery or you can find stamps that will compliment your wedding theme and show off personal style.
At Stylish Moments Invitation Studio, we guide couples through all aspects of their wedding stationery design which includes postage. We chat about how invitation mailing may impact your budget and options to consider. When designing your invitations with a stationery designer, there are many factors to consider that would effect the cost of mailing.
Weight of the invitation
Size of the envelope
Embellishments that may effect the thickness of the invitation
Customized or vintage postage
Number of inserts, types of paper stock or pocket enclosures may add weight to your invitation suite. This is where an experienced wedding stationery designer, will flag elements that might increase cost in postage and help couples decide on the right pieces that fit within budget.
The size or shape of an envelope will make a difference when mailing your invitations. Square envelopes for instance, are lovely and make a statement to your invitation suite, but this irregular size costs more to mail due to the way they are processed at the post office. Oversized envelopes also fall into the category of extra postage. So depending on your budget, a standard A7 envelope is best size to use.
Adding certain types of embellishments such as large buckles or ribbon knots my increase the thickness of the invitation. Our stationery designer will provide options to package your invitation suite that fits your style and budget.
When considering vintage or custom postage designs, keep in mind that cost is slightly more expensive than standard stamps. We design custom stamps that match the style of our clients' stationery design that is cohesive to their wedding invitation suite we create and gives an overall completed look. This of course is an option and definitely an element to inquire about with your stationery designer.
It's important to take your completed invitation suite to the post office to be properly weighed. insufficient postage will result in returned invites. This will add additional cost in reordering new envelopes, reprinting your guest addresses and the purchase of new stamps.
Ask the post office to hand cancel your envelopes. It doesn’t take much of your time especially if your fiancé dives in to help...lol. Hand cancelling means that your postage is stamped with a special hand stamp that places the date of cancellation and prevents your suite from being processed through the post office’s machinery that may ruin your envelopes.
This is not always the case as mail still needs to be sorted by postal code, however it highly
reduces the chances of any damages or marks on your beautiful wedding envelopes as it identifies that the envelope is ready for delivery.