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Ready to send out your wedding
invitations? Self-adhesive stamps are only part of the postage situation.
Get those invitations out properly (and on time) with these hassle-free
postage pointers.
1. 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 (currently 37 cents each). As invitation
designs vary, so does the amount of postage required. You can probably
expect to spend between 55-65 cents per invite.
2. 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. TIP: First ask if there's a single stamp for the exact
amount. If not, round up the amount to save yourself some time.
In a hurry? Weigh an invitation at the post office and do the stamp stuff
at home.
Stamps.com has
a software program that allows you to print postage either directly onto
the envelopes or onto labels that you peel and apply. For peace of mind,
we'd recommend physically mailing your invitations at the post office,
rather than dropping them in a street-corner mailbox.
3. WHAT'S IT RATED?
For more do-it-yourself fun, use the US Postal Service's
rate
calculator to help you to 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.
4. ZZZZIP IT
Make sure all addresses are correct. Both the
US
Postal Service 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.
5. 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.
6. REMEMBER THE RSVPs
Don't forget that your reply cards need postage, too. Cut costs by using
postcards instead -- they mail at around 20 cents within the United States, as
opposed to cards-in-envelopes, which mail at 37 cents. You can pre-stamp
international reply cards by going o to your local post office and
requesting International Reply Coupons, which your invitees can exchange
for regular postage at their local post offices
8. TIME IT RIGHT
Remember, invitations should be in the mail 6-8 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.
9. 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 new "Victorian
Love" stamps, which are die-cut into a heart shape and come in pink
or purple, 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 your sweetheart's sweet on spiders, try the insects
series. Finally, if you're having an exotic affair, ask for the tropical
flowers or rainforest designs. All of these stamps are available through
the U.S. Postal Service.
10. THE OLD-SCHOOL OPTION
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 (and it's roughly $5 a piece, at that),
or they might charge several hundred dollars for their services (one New
York City company quoted us $450 to hand-deliver 50 invitations). If that
puts a cramp in your budget, you might consider using this fancy-schmancy
mode of invitation delivery just for parents and attendants.
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