5 things you shouldn’t do when mailing out your wedding invitations

As a custom stationery designer who has mailed lots of wedding invitations, I know it can be tricky to get everything right with postage. Sending out beautiful invitations is exciting, but it can turn into a hassle if you’re not careful. From weighing your invites to thinking about special materials and decorations, knowing the rules can save you time, money, and embarrassment. In this blog post, I’ll share my best tips to help you avoid common mistakes and make sure your wedding invitations get to your guests without any problems.

1. Assume you only need one stamp

Most wedding invitations will weigh more than 1 oz (the maximum weight for a letter with a Forever stamp). Between the multiple inserts, heavier envelope and paper stock, and any accessories, the weight alone is usually closer to 2 oz. And if you think being at .9 oz or 1.1 oz is close enough to risk it, think again. The person at the post office might weigh it and if they get a reading higher than yours, will either send it back or send it to the recipient with a BILL for the postage difference. How embarrassing, right? 

So don’t risk it if it’s any where near the 1 oz limit. Just increase the postage amount.

2. Weigh your invites at home and think that’s the only thing that counts towards the price

Weight is not the only thing that impacts the price of your invitation mailing. A square envelope, larger sized envelope, lumpy or rigid envelope, vintage postage, need for hand canceling and other elements can cause your invitations to need extra postage. It’s always best to take your completed suite to the post office and have them advise on how much postage you need before buying and assembling all of your stamps.  

Here are the other elements that might make your wedding invitations more expensive:

What makes wedding invitation postage more expensive?

And if you want to avoid going over budget or you want to splurge on other items, here’s what will cause your wedding invitation postage to cost more.

1. MULTIPLE PIECES

If you have a lot of different pieces of paper in your envelope that causes it weigh more than 1 oz you’ll have to pay for more postage. The post office sells additional postage in $0.01-0.10 increments so you can add the right amount of postage per envelope. The amount you have to pay will depend on how much you’re over 1 oz.

2. HEAVY, THICK PAPER

Heavy card stock, such as the type used in letterpress, may either cause your invitations to be over weight or too thick to be put through the USPS’s automated machines. When your letter can’t go through the machine it’s called “non-machinable” and subject to not only additional postage but hand-cancelling fees.

It’s hard to estimate the cost of this since the USPS is not very good at universally applying their hand-cancelling rules. Some workers will let it slide or even let you hand-cancel it yourself to save on costs. Others will take a hard line and charge you.

3. UNUSUAL MATERIALS

Acrylic, wood, or even magnet invitations depending on the thickness can either cause your invitation to be over weight or non-machinable.

4. WAX SEALS

Adding wax seals, while pretty! can also trigger hand cancelling fees. They also often get torn off of the outer envelope when sent through the mail, even if you pay for them to be hand canceled. The post office workers at different offices often don’t pay attention and put it through the machine anyway regardless of what you’ve paid. So I advise clients to put the wax seal on the inside of the envelope or use an outer mailing envelope and seal the inner envelope with a wax seal.

5. RIBBON

Adding ribbon if it’s not tied in the right way can cause your invitations to become bulky or overweight as well. This means more postage or hand-cancelling fees.

6. IRREGULARLY SHAPED ENVELOPES

Square, circle, or other strangely-shaped envelopes are also considered non-machinable and will cost more to mail. Addressing your envelopes vertically instead of horizontally is also considered irregular.

7. VINTAGE STAMPS

Vintage stamps are alas also non-machinable. They have to be hand-cancelled to determine if they’re real and if you’ve put the right amount on each envelope.

Looking for more information about using Vintage stamps? Check out this article all about how to use vintage stamps on your wedding invitations.

8. INTERNATIONAL GUEST LIST

Sending a lot of invitations internationally will cost you more than one pretty penny. When sending international invitations, it’s wise to leave off any postage on the RSVP card so they can use their country’s postage instead. Or include a way to RSVP online.

Not sure who to invite to your wedding? Check out this post on who you should and shouldn’t invite.

3. Exceed the size and weight limits for letters entirely

There’s a difference between needing to add some extra postage beyond a single Forever stamp and needing to ship something as a package instead of a letter. And the difference will cost you more than a few cents. Large envelope rates start at $1.50 and package rates start at $3.50. 

While going over 1 oz and a standard 5×7″ invitation isn’t automatically going to put you in the parcel category, be aware that if you go outside the maximum limits for First Class letters, you’ll end up needing to ship it as a flat rate envelope or even a Ground Advantage package and use a shipping label instead of stamps. 

Here are a few limits to keep in mind:

• up to 3.5 oz in weight for letters
• up to 11 1/2 inches wide and 6 1/8 inches tall
• maximum 1/4 inch thickness

4. Add wax seals on the outside of your envelopes

I always advise couples not to put wax seals on the outside of your mailing envelope. It makes your invitation automatically non-machinable which costs more, and it is likely to fall off, get damaged, or even rip open your invitation in transit. Eek! 

Instead, use an inner envelope with a wax seal that’s enclosed in an outer envelope for mailing to protect your pretty seal. Or use the wax seal to close a wrap, ribbon, or belly band inside of your mailing envelope. 

5. Use anything bulky inside that creates big lumps

The big, thick ribbon tied in a bow around your invitation sure looks pretty in photos but may make it really difficult to mail your suites. For starters, it adds weight and thickness to your invitation, making it non-machinable and heavier which costs you more in postage. Secondly, it makes it more likely your invitation will be damaged in transit or ripped open. Even if you pay for hand cancelling, your post office might try to slot the envelope into the machine anyway, causing a lot of damage to your pretty invitations. 

Instead, use a smaller ribbon with a flat knot to tie it closed instead of a bow, or use a thicker ribbon that’s sealed off flat in the back instead of tied. Save the big, beautiful bow for your details photos and keepsakes only.

Did any of these “do nots” surprise you? 

Figuring out wedding invitation postage can be confusing, but with some planning and by following the tips I’ve shared, you can avoid common mistakes and make sure your invites arrive safely. It’s always better to be cautious—whether that means adding extra postage, picking the right materials, or checking with the post office. By doing this, you can focus on the fun of your wedding instead of worrying about returned or damaged invitations.

If you’re looking for more tips on how to mail your own wedding invitations or save the dates, check out my Ultimate Mailing Guide on the blog. Or this post on working with Vintage Postage.