Worst Wedding Mistakes: Wrong Postage

Unless your wedding invitations are a single sheet of 80 lb. cover stock in an average envelope, chances are you will need more than one first-class postage stamp on your envelopes to get them to their destination.

If you guess or assume the amount of postage required and you're wrong, all your wedding invitations will be returned to you rubber stamped "insufficient postage." 

They will be returned provided you didn't skip putting a return address on your envelopes. Yes, some people have chosen to ignore the obvious and to save time or money, did not put a return addresses on their envelopes and the post office has no clue what to do with your beautiful invitations except to toss them.

Did you know:

• The shape of your mail will also determine the postage required?  Square envelopes require more postage as they don't meet the post office automation standards (nothing to do with weight.)
• The direction you write the address on your envelopes can raise the postage due? Guest's addresses should be written parallel to the longest side. Getting cute and writing your guest's addresses across the short side of your envelopes may look awesome and be original, but be aware this style will cost you extra postage as it is difficult to process on mail sorting machines.
• The maximum thickness of a letter is 1/4"? Also, the maximum size of a letter is 11-1/2" long x 6-1/8" high. If your invitations exceed one or more of these measurements, it will get classified as the next biggest shape and postage rates will change.
• If you mail your invitations in invitation boxes, the postage will increase as it is more than the maximum thickness of 1/4".
• Commas and periods are not to be used on addresses? This one is usually ignored on invitations and is not critical in determining the cost of postage, but don't go wild with commas, periods or fancy dots, the mail sorting machines don't like them.
• The address should be clearly legible at arm's length? While you might adore the fancy calligraphy font with tons of loops and squiggles, it might not be the best font to use on your envelopes to ensure they are deliverable.
• If your item weighs more than 13 ounces and you have affixed postage stamps, you must take it to an employee at the retail counter of the Post Office, you cannot put it in a collection box for pick up. We suggest you take your precious invitations into the post office anyway to make sure they meet all the post office standards before they leave your sight.
• If you are mailing your invitations in clear plastic sleeves or clear plastic wrapping of any type, the postage must be on the outside of any wrapper.

In the planning stages, it is important to ask how much your invitations will cost to mail.  If adding $.11 or more postage just to be able to mail square envelopes (has nothing to do with weight, but orientation limitations with the post office scanning equipment) is something that isn't in your budget, you will need to choose a different size invitation before you get to the design, proof and printing stages.  

Do NOT buy all your postage until you have mailed a sample to yourself.  As soon as you get your invitations, put one together with all the pieces, address it to yourself, take it into the post office and have a postal employee determine and affix the correct amount of postage for your invitation, then mail it to yourself. You can work on assembling and addressing all the invitations after you've mailed this test sample.  When your sample arrives in your mailbox, you'll know the postage was correct  (or not if it was returned to you with "insufficient postage" stamped on it), you'll also see how it survived its journey and what your guests will see in their mailboxes and you can make any changes necessary before you mail all the invitations.  After you've done the test mailing, you can then buy your postage. 

Don't guess at postage and don't take chances with your invitations. A few extra steps will ensure your guests receive their invitations.

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