Frequently Asked Questions

1. QUESTION:
   Where can I find unique wedding postage stamps?
   I have wedding invitations to send out soon-are there any places where I can find different wedding postage stamps than the normal ones from the post office?

   • ANSWER:
     There’s 2 sites that are great for this:

     Try http://www.cafepress.com/weddingspostage
     They’ve got a large selection of different postage stamps for weddings!

     Also try www.zazzle.com/frugalbride*

     I used both for my wedding! They both have lots of designs for different wedding occassions too-the save the dates, wedding invitations, thank-you cards, etc!

     Good luck!

2. QUESTION:
   Wedding postage stamps question?
   Has anyone used an online company for their wedding postage stamps like zazzle.com? I’ve seen comments where the only legitimate postage stamps have to come from the post office (USPS). Is this true?

   • ANSWER:
     We used zazzle.com for postage for our invitations, RSVP cards, and for the rehearsal dinner invitations. They not only worked with the postal service, but we also got quite a few compliements on how nice they looked. Happy planning to you!

3. QUESTION:
   Special wedding postage stamps?
   My wedding colors are sage green and gold. I would like for my postage stamps to be a raised gold dove. Any ideas where I could find postage stamps along those lines?

   • ANSWER:
     There are a few sites that let you make your own stamps. I would look here and see if you can put the image you want on there.

     http://photo.stamps.com/Store/?source=si10828710

4. QUESTION:
   Where did you find/buy the postage stamps for your wedding invitations?
   Please resist the urge to say ‘the post office’. I am looking for ornate wedding stamps, such a gold dove or two wedding rings, ect.

   • ANSWER:
     there are websites that you can take a picture and have it put on a stamp. this is crazy popular for weddings! or the post office sell these cute “love” stamps besides that you can’t really buy a stamp anywhere else. i think it’s pretty much the post office and that’s it

5. QUESTION:
   Wedding Postage Stamps?
   Should I use those for S.T.D. cards and invitations or just regular stamps. Who really notices a stamp? They’ll probably throw the envelope away…..thoughts? Thank you.

   • ANSWER:
     I’d use the wedding ones. They don’t cost any extra, and even though most people won’t notice, some will and its nice to add a little extra touch.

6. QUESTION:
   personalized postage stamps for wedding…?
   i came across this site zazzle.com it was a link from theknot.com anyways u can have personalized postage stamps (we were going to use them for r invitations and such) but u can even get some w/ ur photo on it. i was wondering has anyone ever ordered these? how do they look?

   • ANSWER:
     A co-worker of mine has her little granddaughter on her stamps and it was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen … I wanted to do it for our invitations but didn’t have the $ … if you can afford it … I say go for it – it’s a cool personal touch I think … also a friend of mine used a photo stencil for the inside of her invitation envelope … she put together a whole collage so when you opened up her invites you were surprised to see all the great photos of the couple … good luck and congrats … !

7. QUESTION:
   custom postage stamp for wedding invitations?
   I am getting married in June next year and recently found a website selling custom postage stamps. I was thinking I could purchase these for the invitations. Does it make a difference though?

   • ANSWER:
     You can use Love stamps from the post office at regular price.

8. QUESTION:
   can i use cancelled foreign postage to decorate wedding invitaions?
   I bought thousands of vintage italian postage stamps, most of which are cancelled, to decorate the envelopes for my wedding invitations. I want to use about ten on each one. Is this allowed?

   • ANSWER:
     I don’t really see the point but yes you can put them on there. If they’ve already been cancelled the post office will pretty much ignore them as long as you have the correct postage in the corner where it should be.

9. QUESTION:
   do you see a point in time when the US will stop producing postage stamps?
   people who are not a hobbyist say it is a huge waste of money . I notice that on my mail I am lucky if I receive 1 or 2 actual postage stamps a month. During the holidays and when we receive wedding invitations is the only time we get real stamps in a good amount . will the United States ever phase them out or will they survive do to the hobby . the penny is a great waste of money to produce too but is still made.

   • ANSWER:
     Due to the decrease in postage mail, the U.S. had to remove Saturday service in order to save money.

     Nowadays, more people and businesses use email to send letters, advertisements, and offers.

     Most people choose to use private companies, like FedEx, to ship their things instead of federal organizations.

     I don’t see a day when people in the U.S. will stop producing postage stamps. There will be an increase in their price as less people will be using the service though.

     Boot Camps and Rehabilitation Centers still use the mail service to send letters. They don’t allow access to the internet and limit phone calls.

10. QUESTION:
    How much in postage stamps do I have to pay for a 1.3 ounce wedding invitation?
    I’m assembling my wedding invitations today (Sunday) and I need to know how much postage will cost for a 1.3 ounce letter. The dimensions are 5 1/4 in. by 9 inches.
    I forgot to add that the standard weight for the 44 cent stamps is 1 ounce. If its over it is more.
    Thanks for the advice….I know that the post office is closed on sunday. I dont need to send them out just yet, but I dont have time besides today to assemble them. If there is a way to calculate it…that would be very helpful. thanks.

    • ANSWER:
      If you have included everything for your invitations, the postage will be 61 cents, and there is a special wedding stamp in that denomination.

11. QUESTION:
    Is there a way to buy postage stamps at a bulk rate?
    I’m looking into buying postage stamps for my wedding invitations, granted I’m not sending out that many (200), but a dollar saved…

    Anyway, is there way to get them for under the retail price?
    actually, since I feel like I’m getting attacked on this… our current wedding budget is around K. I’ve done pretty well in life, and I didn’t get here wasting unnecessary money. In my experience, retail prices aren’t absolute and there’s always a way to get around it by asking or doing a bit of research.
    Sorry, attacked by that one (seemingly) british “lady”. This wasn’t a response to the other thoughtful people and answers.

    • ANSWER:
      Yes there is a way to get them cheaper but I don’t know if it is worth the hassle.
      You need to open an account (generally for business, but can be for private use) with you local post office.
      If you buy stamps off them the rate will be the same but you can lodge them with a postage paid stamp and put it through as ‘bulk post’ (luckily for you minimum is 200 letters). Ask for a letter tray to put them in and the paperwork to fill out. On all the paperwork you either select charity or promotional material. Generally it is put under promotional which is everythign that isn’t charity.
      In Australia this is charged at a rate of .45c as opposed to .50c so it is up to you whether to bother with all this for such a small saving ie .

12. QUESTION:
    Postage for Wedding invitaions?
    I am preparing to send out ur wedding invites. Is it necessary for us to use wedding stamps or will the standard stamps do?

    • ANSWER:
      When my husband and I sent out our wedding mail… we actually got stamps personalised with a photo of us two and 2 rings.. they were so beautiful and unique! We got quite a few compliments

      I did it as I wanted it to be different and memorable.. after all, you never send out mail for your wedding again!!!

      But in saying that… of course it is perfectly fine to send out regular stamps if you don’t really care for it… to each their own!!

13. QUESTION:
    Are 1 cent stamps tacky on wedding invitations?
    I just purchased a bunch of 58 cent stamps for my wedding invitations, then found out about a postage increase shortly after. I can’t return the stamps. Is it tacky to put the 1 cent stamps on the invites?
    Thank you all soooo much. This is such a relief!!! I’ll get the 1 centers next week. My 58 cent stamps are coming in the mail late next week, so that should work perfectly. What would I do without this site? Ha ha

    • ANSWER:
      I don’t think it would be tacky at all as long as you line them neatly – not so they look just stuck on.
      Some brides make a big point of hand-stamping the envelops, etc., but trust me it makes no difference. The only people evaluating the postage on your envelopes are other brides-to-be hoping to find something to criticize.

14. QUESTION:
    postage stamps real and fake?
    I was just pondering this thought. How does the post office know if a postage stamp is real or fake?

    I was looking at custom stamps online for my wedding and it just sparked the thought. with my luck I would buy them and they would all be messed up or something

    • ANSWER:
      There are special printing techniques used in making stamps that are very hard to duplicate. Some US stamps have microprinting on them, and if you look at them through a magnifying lens, you’ll actually seen very small type worked into the design. Some stamps also have chemical or phosphorescent tags printed on them which aren’t visible to the human eye, but can be seen by special scanners.

      You should be fine with custom stamps, and they’ll add a personal touch to your invitations. But do keep in mind that they cost much than the standard postage rate, so you’re paying a premium to have your own picture on there.

15. QUESTION:
    Does anyone know where I can sell postage stamps I have about 500 that I am not going to use?
    They were bought to send out wedding invites and the wedding has been post poned to next year. I am not going to use them and I dont want to just throw them away

    • ANSWER:
      Try Ebay or Craig’s List.

16. QUESTION:
    postage stamps on rsvp cards?
    i’m mailing my wedding invitations soon but i was wondering… is it my responsibility to buy postage stamps for rsvp cards? thanx!!!!

    • ANSWER:
      I think it’s nice if you do. I did this for my rsvp cards. It makes things easier for your guests.

17. QUESTION:
    Postage on wedding reply cards?
    I know it is proper etiquette to place postage on the response card in a wedding invitation, but how do you handle this when you are inviting people who living out of the country? My fiancee has guests from about five other countries and I can’t get stamps nor know the proper amount?

    • ANSWER:
      Honestly they’d be able to handle a stamp, but if you insist, there are international vouchers available for purchase at your local post office that you can include with the response card to cover the postage for guests in foreign countries. Your guest will exchange the voucher at their post office for the proper postage to return the response card. Or you can set up an online replies area, along with sending cards. That’s free for everyone.

18. QUESTION:
    64 cent stamps! Wedding invitations!?
    I’m getting ready to send out my wedding invitations and I took one to the post office to see what postage I needed, and I need a 64 cent stamp. But, the 64 cent stamp only comes in a dolphin image! Not ideal for a wedding. Do I have any other options? Could I use two 32 cent stamps? Where’s the best place to find them? Please help! I can’t be the first one this has happened to!

    • ANSWER:
      I think you can print your own stamps and upload your own image to put on it! I found this on usps.com-

      http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10152&storeId=10001&productId=45359&langId=-1

      I know it’s not a 64 cent stamp but I know there is some way you can put your own picture on there or find ones that are specific to weddings, just look on the web and order them that way.

19. QUESTION:
    Postage for wedding RSVPs?
    Am I required to provide postage for the RSVPs that the guests will be sending back for my wedding? I heard on a message board today that someone is putting postage on her RSVP postcards for her guests. Mine are not postcards, just regular cards in envelopes, but I don’t know if I’m supposed to put stamps on them ahead of time. The invitations are square so they need at least 2 stamps already, plus the postage is already going up soon. Is it acceptable not to provide stamps?

    For weddings where I’ve been a guest, I haven’t remembered if postage was already included, but it wouldn’t bother me as a guest to have to provide my own stamp.

    • ANSWER:
      It is an ABSOLUTE yes.

      You need to post the response cards.

      Not putting the postage on is like saying, “I think enough of you to invite you but don’t really give a damn if you come or not.”

      You need to post the response cards. Purchase the forever stamps so that if they are returned after the rate increase you’ll still be fine.

      Take your square invites to the post office and have them weighed to make sure you are purchasing the correct postage too.

20. QUESTION:
    What is the etiquette with wedding response card postage?
    Should you send them stamped, or should the guests stamp them themselves?

    • ANSWER:
      For U.S.-based guests = stamped. However, if your guests live in, say, China, including U.S. postage with your reply card makes no sense because they can’t mail it back to the U.S. from China with U.S. Postage. So, for international guests, leaving the reply card without a stamp is the way to go.

      Use a stamp for all those reply cards sent to guests within the U.S.

      *New Postage Rates going into effect on May 13th though!!* So be sure your reply-date is before 5/13. Or you may have to use more expensive stamps when mailing out your invitations.

21. QUESTION:
    Do you have to use heart or love stamps on wedding invitations?
    We are running into the problem where we have to put the invites into the mail before the postage goes up and the response cards are due back after the postage goes up so I was wondering if I just put the forever stamp on the invitation and the response envelope if that would look dumb.

    • ANSWER:
      Practical trumps appearance in this case.

      Use the heart stamps on the outside and the forever stamps on the RSVP.

      Make sure you get your invites weighed at the post office. Most invites require more than $.41 anyway.

22. QUESTION:
    Is it Necessary to hand cancel my wedding invitation?
    I’m making my own wedding invitations and printing the postage stamps on the envelope through stamps.com. My invitations have a ribbon on them that kinda makes them a little bulky. Will it get damage that much if the invitations went through a machine? Or should I have them hand canceled? I have about 50 invitations to send out do I still need to go to the post office to get stamps or can I still use stamps.com and then bring the invitations to the post office to get them sent out?
    will the post office allow me to do that?

    • ANSWER:
      Put the envelopes through before putting the invite inside of it.

      Otherwise, ya the bow may cause damage to the envelope during the process.

23. QUESTION:
    Wedding invitation postage?
    This might be a stupid question but hey I’m gonna ask it anyway! I know the best thing to do is take the invitation to the post office all stuffed and have them tell me how much it will cost so I’m sure I get it right, but how do you go about putting postage on? I think a few stamps would look kinda funny, I know you can get larger quantity stamps ect. Also I know you could have the post office do it, but the thought of the invitations getting run through a machine worries me haha. Any advice would be great!
    Zack, if you’re gonna be a jerk dont answer the question
    Bride to Be, Thanks! I didn’t know they went through machines anyway! that makes it much easier to decide! thanks!!
    Kjersti G: thanks for the tips…they are a different shape….and they have a ribbon…crap I picked tough ones…but very pretty!

    • ANSWER:
      Your invitations will go through machines regardless – that’s how the post office sorts letters.

      Seriously, take the invitations to the post office. The machine will stamp your invites, which usually looks better than a couple stamps on the envelope. And I guarantee that you will save money – they will charge you exactly what you owe. Also, if you take the time to organize the invitations by zip code you will be charged the discounted bulk mailing rate, which will save you even more money.

24. QUESTION:
    how much postage on wedding invitations?
    we are getting ready to send out our wedding invitations. we know it will probably be more $$ to send them out since they have more pieces to them and will therefore be heavier. i’ve heard different ways of dealing with it. one friend said to go to the post office, have them weigh ONE invitation and figure out how many stamps to put on each one from that. the other said to take them ALL to the post office and have the post office print postage stickers for the correct price (like you would for any package etc). i feel like that would take forever for them to do. i dont want to spend a lot of EXTRA money with buying extra stamps. does anyone have any other suggestions? thanks for ideas!

    • ANSWER:
      You only need to take one to the post office to have them weigh it.

      I work for a company that sometimes does mailing for weddings and bar/bat mitzvahs, that’s how we do it.

25. QUESTION:
    Is the postage for all wedding invitations ??
    This may be completely stupid, but instead of taking our wedding invitations to the post office to have them weighed, we weighed them ourselves (1.8 oz), looked up the necessary postage on the Postal Service website and then added [FAQ-QUESTION].20 to that for our invitations being square. I think the total was [FAQ-QUESTION].79 but we put 2 [FAQ-QUESTION].42 stamps on it so that the total postage was [FAQ-QUESTION].84. However, some of these invitations are being marked as “postage due” to our guests. One guest has to go to the post office and pay [FAQ-QUESTION].16 to pick it up. However, a lot of people have gotten it without a problem. Can anyone help me figure out what happened?

    • ANSWER:
      I have no idea. The same thing happened to me with some of my thank you notes — some sent fine, and some people got the postage due notice. Rather embarassing! I learned the best bet for something important like that is to always go to the post office and have them figure it out!
      Oh well it’s too late to do anything about it now, so just get back to planning your wedding and don’t worry about it!
      Good luck!

26. QUESTION:
    can you use irish stamps from australia to ireland?
    I have a wedding RSVP already stamped with an EIRE 55 c stamp and I want to know if it requires further postage to go back to Ireland from Australia. Thanks for any help.

    • ANSWER:
      No you can’t! The stamps must be issued in the country from where you are posting!

      In this case, Australia.

27. QUESTION:
    How much postage to send a wedding invitation?
    would a normal 41 cent stamp work?

    • ANSWER:
      It worked for mine, but I didn’t have any inserts, and used think cardstock to print them. Also, they weren’t oversized. Your best bet is to put one all together, and take it to the post office and have it weighed. 1 ounce is the weight limit, and I’ve received some invites that go way over that.

      I’d rather play it safe and weight it out than have 200 invites come back stamped ‘insufficient postage’ across the front.

28. QUESTION:
    What does the post office do with mail that is stamped with the wrong postage? Do they hold people’s mail?
    My R.S.V.P’s from my wedding invitations were stamped incorrectly. I have received some responses but not all of my responses are getting back to me. I have e mailed the post office and they are to get back to me within the next day or two. Just wondering if anyone knows.

    • ANSWER:
      There are two things they can do – they can return to sender for non-sufficient postage or they can leave you a postage due notice for you to pay and then they will deliver. Which way they go depends on how postage was due.

      Good luck with the wedding!

29. QUESTION:
    Riddle me this: How do you put a stamp on a wedding RSVP card that is going to an international destination?
    We have several international guests coming to our wedding, but how should I deal with the pre-stamped response card envelope? Do I need to hunt down stamps from the various countries I am sending these to, or should I just assume people will buy their own return postage in this case? Also, some do not use email so this is not a viable option. Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      Just let them buy the stamp. Calling you on the phone is probably going to cost more than a measly stamp. Besides, if they are going to buy a plane ticket to come to your wedding, I think they can afford a stamp.

30. QUESTION:
    How much did your Wedding Invitation cost? PLEASE include stamps in your price. =)?
    I picked out a Lovely invitation that I adore in one of the books at Alfred Angelo.

    The total will be estimated around 0.00 including postage for RSVP and sending the invitation.
    The 0 includes everything.

    The 0 includes postage, RSVP postage,

    It’s a pocket invitation. It includes the inserts, raised ink, and personalization.
    It’s for 175 people.

    So .71 per invitation. Including .24 for postage.
    .44 a stamp

    • ANSWER:
      I made my invitations myself, for just over 40 invitations, it was just under 0 dollars, including postage. Mine were pretty, but simple.

31. QUESTION:
    I am soaking stamps to remove them from envelope. How do I re-stick them for mailing?
    I had a bunch of wedding invitations all ready to mail, and I spilled coffee all over them! well, I reprinted the envelopes, and I want to re-use the stamps because I have almost worth of postage there. How do I attach the stamps once they are soaked and dried? Not with tape, how about a staple? or double-sided tape?

    • ANSWER:
      elmers glue will do it but only use enough to hold it down, then wipe away the excess that surrounds the stamp….its the excess that stumps the postal machines (fyi – tape will prevent the postal meters from reading them right, staples will jam the meter, two sided tape, not a good idea cause if it comes off, so will your stamp, and your invites will be returned to you!)

32. QUESTION:
    How much is postage for a letter from Germany to America?
    I am mailing out my wedding invitations this week. One of our invited guests lives in Germany. How would I go out putting postage on the response envelope for our German guest? I don’t think US stamps would work for outgoing mail from Germany…

    • ANSWER:
      It’s 1,70 €.

      I think you can get this information easily going to a post office, too!

33. QUESTION:
    Wedding Invitations: Response evelope and stamp problem?
    I will be mailing out my wedding invitations with postage included on the response card around April 20th-however, the postage amount is increasing May 1st, and they will be returning the response evelope with an outdated stamp. What to do?

    • ANSWER:
      You won’t mail out the invites until April 20th? So what’s the problem? Just buy the correct postage that will reflect the post-May 1st rates.

      If you’ve already affixed a current stamp, just include those 2 cent or 1 cent supplemental stamps to it.

      Or, buy forever stamps.

34. QUESTION:
    How long, if any, should you wait before contacting people who have not responded to wedding invitations?
    In the case of some family members, I know they have received the invitations but have not sent back the postage stamped response cards. We have sent out over 100 invites and were expecting 300-350 people but to date (past the date we asked for response on the response card) have only received 30 or so.

    • ANSWER:
      If you have e-mails for the majority of them, send out a group e-mail saying something like:

      “We love our little RSVP cards so much that we are asking them to come back home. We hope that in their journeys and vacations they are now complete and ready to travel back to us. Thanks for understanding.”

      For the people who don’t get it, just straight out ask them if they are coming or not as the caterers need a count. You can even ask them if the RSVP card got left out of their invite by mistake so that they know that they have put you out by not returning it in a timely manner.

35. QUESTION:
    Wedding invite with no return postage …. what do you think of this?
    It’s been a while since I was a bride, but I just got the very first wedding invitation I’ve ever received that didn’t have a stamp on the reply envelope. It’s probably the cat in me and also probably because I don’t really like the gal that much in the first place, but I found this to be pretty tacky. I mean, I had to spring for all that return postage when I got married, what makes her so darn special? lol

    And no, they’re not pinched for money, they’re doing very well, and having a very fancy wedding. What do you think of this? Just curious.
    Lady Catherine & JP, I think you both are way more upset about this than I am … thought I made it pretty clear (and jovial) in my question that I wasn’t fuming or anything, just curious about what the etiquette is these days. A late night curiosity that I decided to dare ask about. Wah. When I was getting married, including a SASE was for whatever reason, a major expectation in etiquette, not just from the stuff I read about it, but within my own social circle as well. I’ve probably received 15 wedding invitations in my life, all included SASEs. Maybe it differs for ppl from different parts of the country. Whatever the case, I thought your answers could have been a lot less rude/bitter. How’s that for etiquette.

    • ANSWER:
      I would think that either they don’t know their etiquette or, just that one particular envelope got through unstamped or they’re just cheap! If they sent all of them without stamps, it’s going to wreak havoc on their guest expectancy numbers.

36. QUESTION:
    Postage Stamp on RSVP or Not?
    We are getting ready to send out our invitations. I know there is a lot of family that will be unable to attend the wedding. Do you usually put a postage stamp on the RSVP envelope so the guest does not have to pay to return it? What did you do when you sent out yours?
    I thought so, but something told me to check in case. I will be sure to put a stamp on all of them no matter what.
    Amy A: Thanks for mentioning the postage going up. Our wedding is the month of the postage increase. I was going to get something nicer than the forever stamps, but I will be sure to put those on the RSVP envelope, so there will be no problems there.

    • ANSWER:
      I think putting return postage stamps on the RSVP envelope is a very gracious thing to do. I’m going to do it on mine. I think it will actually encourage guests to RSVP faster [["Oh look, it already has a stamp and everything! Well I can just put this right in the mail now..."]].

      Also, some people will delay in RSVPing if they are unable to attend – even though you NEED to know specifically who isn’t coming! A stamp will encourage this response.

37. QUESTION:
    Postage cost for save the date magnets?
    My fiance and I are planning to purchase save the date magnets for our wedding and was wondering how much the postage rates cost to mail these things out for our guests.

    Anyone out there used save the date magnets before know weight or what postage runs? I’m not sure if they fit under the normal stamp prices or not.

    Thanks in advance.

    • ANSWER:
      It depends on the weight and shape of your magnets. If the magnet is under an ounce and is secured inside the envelope, it should mail at regular rates. At MagnetStreet.com, all the save the date magnets will mail for the lowest first class rate.

38. QUESTION:
    What do you think of this look for invitations? Using many small stamps.?
    I was looking at stamps for my wedding invitations. I do not like those custom ones you can get online, the barcode part bothers me and they are expensive. I not in love with the wedding stamps usps sells although that might be what I end up using. I saw this http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/portal/site/ww/menuitem.460039687ea4fc3df8aeef105173a0a0/?vgnextoid=f389cdd7d7a91110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default and though the one on the bottom right was cool. Those are all current stamps in just really low denominations. My wedding has a slightly vintage theme to it, not to much just matches the venue, and I though that could work. But I wanted some opinions. If you got that in the mail would you think wow that is neat or wonder if I did not understand how postage works?
    One think I really like about it is that it would not cost any extra then regular postage, maybe a couple dollars total but nothing major.

    • ANSWER:
      As a guest, I’d probably say, “Oh, that’s cute and clever.”

      But if it’s a hassle or a big expense to get them, I’d just suck it up and use the regular USPS stamps (whether they’re wedding-themed or not). Really, people aren’t going to notice the postage stamps, so it’s not worth any extra time or money.

      If it’s easy to do and if it wouldn’t cost you any more than regular stamps would, go for it.

39. QUESTION:
    If I mailed my wedding invitations out and put postage on the RSVP…?
    will the sender have to spend more money if they wait until the postage goes up next week to send the RSVP back?

    Or will my RSVPs still be sent back with the stamp I put on them at no extra charge since I sent them BEFORE the postage changed?

    Thanks
    the thing is i ALREADY sent out the rsvps and paid the money to do so. I did not realize that stamps were going up. So, this means even though I just spent nearly 60 bucks on postage people are still going to have to add another stamp? sigggh.

    • ANSWER:
      Last time postage went up I did not know and kept using my older ones and everything made it to where it was going it was all within ten days of it going up. I was thinking maybe they have an unannounced grace period or something. Good luck….this will be a funny story to tell your grandkids and they will laugh that we used to mail stuff for under a dollar by then.

40. QUESTION:
    what postage stamp do I need?
    I have a 5.5 by 5.5 inch envelope for my wedding invitation. It is made out of a heavy paper (cardstock I think) and has nothing on it to make it bulky (like ribbon). I don’t know if it is under an ounce or not but I am sure it is. The lady at my post office sold me .44 cent stamps and I think I need .64 cent stamps. What do you think because I don’t think she knows what she is talking about.

    • ANSWER:
      A square envelope requires additional postage because it is not considered to be machinable. 44 cents is not enough. I’m not sure what the extra postage is for square envelopes. You may be right that it is 64 cents. If it is over an ounce (but less than 2 ounces) it is 61 cents. I am pretty sure that if you pay the 61 cents you don’t have to pay the nonmachinable rate on top of that.

      You can take it to the Post Office or a contract station to check the weight. You can locate contract stations by going to www.usps.com and clicking on locate an office. Type in your zip code and it should list them by distance. In Iowa there are contract offices in a lot of grocery stores.

      Hopefully the office you went to has more than one clerk — if not you might want to try another office. Unfortunately even though the clerks are fully trained at the Post Office, there are a few people that don’t know what they are doing. Of course, if you didn’t show her the envelope or give her the dimensions she probably assumed that it was a normal envelope.

      First class postage is the same anywhere in the US, US address, to US military addresses and to US terrortories.

41. QUESTION:
    Can wedding guest RSVP by phone? Is that proper etiquette?
    Is it wrong to have guest RSVP by a phone rather than mail in a response card on a stamped envelope? I would rather my guest call and let me know if they will attend the wedding or not. Double postage is just more money to shell out for the wedding.

    • ANSWER:
      How big is the wedding? I think that is quite critical. I didn’t have the time or energy during the run up to my wedding to have taken 60 extra phone calls. People aren’t going to call and say; ‘Hi, thank you so much for the invitation John & I would love to come, see you then’ and put the phone down. Elderly aunts will stay on the phone for an hour asking for every tiny detail of the menu and people will try to call, find the phone line engaged, or you out, and forget to call back.

      The other complication is keeping a tally. You would have to keep a full list next to the phone, so whoever took the call could tick them off. What’s the betting you’d end up with people ticked on the list who weren’t coming and vice-versa.

      Cards are simple. They drop onto the mat every day, you put them in a bundle and then you sit down with your list when you have time.

      It’s not just poor etiquette it’s a recipe for chaos!

42. QUESTION:
    Singing the wedding day blues…?
    So here we are following a long engagement, happy to at last share an intimate church wedding and reception with family and friends we’ve known for a very long while.

    Sounds great, right? Well, in the way that counts most — yes. Then, again, the exceptions were so glaring that they beg us to decide whether we ought to read anything into what transpired — or not.

    In summary…

    A hefty percentage of our invitees couldn’t be bothered to return their postage-stamped RSVP card (including family); those who *should have*, neglected to plan a bridal shower or a bachelor party; a member of our bridal party left about 3/4 into our reception (no fight, no reason); one set of parents decided not to toast us (our first and only marriage, and we are not estranged!); about 1/3 of those who declined our invite chose to acknowledge our marriage exclusively on Facebook (no card, no call, no personal email); several people asked where we were registered yet not a solitary guest purchased a gift off our registry (the usual places, starting at ); a bunch of people, including a bridal party member, didn’t think it necessary to wish us well by card (and we’re “card people” who hang on to those forever); we were falsely accused of failure to pay the church fee even though we have a receipt and a cleared check to prove otherwise; some of our wedding & reception help dropped the bomb days beforehand that they had competing social engagements and could not be on hand at the time previously discussed; those for whom we had honorariums skipped out before we could greet or pay them — only for our wedding coordinator to relay during what was supposed to be the start of our honeymoon that we needed to take care of that beforehand (delaying our getaway), etc., etc.

    ……………………………………………………

    A good percentage of our guests included people with whom we’ve celebrated birthdays, weddings and the like long before our own special day took place. We have a clear conscience when it comes to our own behavior towards others, so little did we expect them to rub us the wrong way on such a major occasion in our own lives. Yet that’s exactly what happened.

    Questions…

    The question, ultimately, is how best to proceed? Chalk this up to a flakey, flukey sign of the times or an intentional slight? Is there a diplomatic way to ask some of our most overt offenders WWYT? (What were you thinking?) Or should we ignore the OTT insensitivity even at the risk that it will annoy or otherwise haunt us for the foreseeable future?

    Thanks for weighing in…

    • ANSWER:
      I, myself, would have to ask why they chose to do all this and be this way. Especially because you have celebrated other occasions with them. You should confront them by saying, “I was just wondering why exactly you didn’t…” do all of the things they should have done. Say it in a friendly manner though, therefore they can’t have a smart ass reply.

43. QUESTION:
    How long do I have before I must thank people for my wedding presents?
    I spent 3 months agonizing about the wedding theme & colors, 4 months arguing about bridesmaid’s dresses that cost 8 at David’s, and now the big day is upon me. I expect my guests will spend at least 0 each on my wedding presents or gift cards, but is there any reason I should take 5 minutes to acknowlege their gifts? Isn’t it enough to send a preprinted card that says “thank you.”? After all, a postage stamp costs nearly 1/2 dollar, our time is worth something, and they should be able to look at the monogrammed beer coozie and know that we appreciate their time and money.

    • ANSWER:
      This is a joke, right?

44. QUESTION:
    Wedding Response Cards?
    I accidentally sent my wedding invitations out with response cards that I forgot to stamp. They are self addressed, but they dont have the postage on them. I feel like such an idiot. But these are already in the mail ! ! HELP
    To the person who last replied. I didnt post this to recieve ugly answers. I was posting it on tips with what to do now. For a girl who is planning her own wedding from the ground up, some things will be accidentally forgotten in the midst of chaos. So thanks for your reply, but if you want to be ugly, go do it to someone else. It isnt welcome here.

    • ANSWER:
      You are not the first for an oversight like this. Nothing to do, but I would certainly plan on having a night planned with your attendants to make lots of calls for RSVPs. Now let that go, relax and continue on. You will laugh about it someday while telling tales of your wedding plans. Get your stamps ahead of time when you send out the thank you notes…LOL

45. QUESTION:
    Postage Help?
    I am sending a reply card in my wedding invites. The person responding will be sending the card from the US back to Canada. What stamps do I need to attach to the RSVP card? Right now I have 2 USA stamps worth 39 cents. Do I need both? Or will one be enough? I am in Canada, and have only been able to get 39 cent stamps. I have no idea what the current postage rate would be to send a postcard from the US to Canada.

    • ANSWER:
      The rate to return the card from the US to Canada is
      First-Class Mail® International [FAQ-ANSWER].69
      Putting 2 – .39 stamps will work fine. (as this is .78)

      Go to WWW.USPS.com and you can verify the cost (in us funds) by clicking find rates, and send 1 oz item from US to Canada and it will tell you how much.

      If the envelop is 2 oz it is .00 US

      Congrats on the wedding

46. QUESTION:
    Canada Post and Vintage Stamps?
    I have these really pretty vintage Canadian stamps from the 50s and 60s and I want to use them to mail my wedding invitations. I heard that it is fine to use unused old stamps to mail a letter as long as they add up to the current postage rate. Postage is currently 57cents for a regular letter. I have to use approx 9 stamps per envelope (most of them are 5cents each) to get the correct postage! Will Canada Post still accept a letter with 9 stamps on it? Do I have to arrange them all in a row or can I fit them all around the corner?

    • ANSWER:
      I can’t speak for Canada Post rules, but I don’t imagine it’s any different than the US Postal Service. As long as they don’t cover up any part of the address (modern sorting equipment reads most addresses now, at least until they get to the carrier), you should be OK.

47. QUESTION:
    For wedding invites sent to Europe?
    We are having a destination wedding and are inviting people from several countries. For the RSVP cards, I know its etiquette to include a self addressed stamped envelope, and that is fine for the “USA” guests, but the post office informed me that they no longer sell postage for international mail… meaning I cannot stamp the return envelopes for our over-seas guests. Is it rude to leave it empty and expect them to provide postage? Does anyone have another solution?

    • ANSWER:
      have an online rsvp too. that way you can write on your rsvp to the overseas guests that they can rsvp online.

48. QUESTION:
    What colour are stamps/ (UK)?
    Hi,

    I’m sending out wedding invitations and a bit obsessively thought I could theme the stamps on the envelopes!
    Our post office is filled with very surly staff so i’m not sure i’m brave enough to go and ask them what colour all the various denominations are and how many i need for a second class postage total. Can anyone help? I’ve tried the royal mail site and google images but no joy.

    thanks
    actually the first answerer didn’t read the question properly and didn’t provide any help – i know what colour 2nd class stamps are! I refrained from marking them down myself though!
    and as for 2nd class stamps – not all of us can afford to put first class stamps on over 100 envelopes, sorry
    ps, if you can find the colours of the normal stamps on the royal mail mail website you are a better person than I – like i put in my original question, I already looked…

    • ANSWER:
      Assuming your invites are basic size and thickness the current 2nd class stamps are blue and first class are gold.
      I just googled in “postage stamps price” and did a search. I scrolled to the bottom and under search within results i put “colour” and clicked search again.
      This gave a site listing stamps by denomination and giving the colour of each price stamp
      It took 3 seconds

49. QUESTION:
    Will wedding invitations be returned by the post office if they are just slightly over weight?
    We put .42 stamps on almost 200 invitations and realized they may be slightly over the 1 ounce weight limit for a .42 stamp. Should we put additional postage (which will look tacky) on to be safe, or take a chance and mail them as is? Has anyone mailed invites and had them returned?
    thanks everyone! just took it to the post office and yes, it needs more. only problem is the additional .17 stamp is a picture of a ram. Should have weighed it before buying the .42 stamps, because they do have a wedding stamp for .59.
    Oh well…

    • ANSWER:
      they will all be returned if they dont have the correct postage on them. What i would do is take them up to the post office and have someone weigh one of the invitations and let the person that works there tell you weather you need another stamp or not. There is no since wasting all that money if you dont need to, but if they are sent back then the post office will have stamped something like “return to sender or incorrect postage” right on the front of the envelope and you DONT want to have to replace the envelopes to!

50. QUESTION:
    questions about wedding invitations?
    I have a couple questions about wedding invitations.
    Okay first Do i really have to mail them all? and by this I mean like to my mother-in-law, my sister-inlaw…..and so forth. the reason I wondering is because like 30% of our guest live so close to me i could walk to their house, my mother-in-law lives 5 house down, my sister in law about 3 blocks, my fiance’s friend next door. Do i need to mail their invites
    Do you get upset if the RSVP card is not a mail in but has a phone number, email, and wedding website? do you really think that it looks cheap.
    i’m asking this because very wedding i have gone to there has either been to RSVP or just a number to call. It has never bothered me either way, But I really would like to save a bit ( i know it wont be much) of cash, because of the type of invites for postage it is gonna cost 1.10 per invite, and there are 50…It would cost like 75 dollars ( because it is 52 cents a stamp, to send the RSVP cards back) to send them all by mail and do the RSVP. Thanks!!!
    We are using the knot as well…I LOVE IT!!!

    • ANSWER:
      I think it’s ok for you to hand deliver the invitations to those who are in walking distance. Just remember that people love getting mail though. It’s a new age and I would not be offended if my RSVP needed to be completed via email or telephone (you’re still going to have to call half the people because they’ll forget to RSVP anyway).

      P.S. Do not drop them in the mailbox without postage – believe it or not, it’s illegal to do that.