Tips for Mailing Wedding
Invitations
(ARA)
Red Leaf Papers® Wedding Invitations
offer your
guests the first glimpse of the special day you have planned to celebrate your
unique wedding.
The U.S. Postal Service offers these tips for mailing your unique invitations and for making them
as unique as your wedding.
Since unique wedding invitations may be oversized and more bulky than regular
mail, it's a good idea to take them to the Post Office, with all of the enclosures, to be
weighed before you choose the stamps.
Many unique wedding invitations weigh more than one ounce and will need additional postage
39 cents for the first ounce and 23 cents for each additional ounce.
The U.S. Postal Service offers a variety of unique stamps like Garden Bouquet and Candy Heart love stamps that
fit a unique wedding theme. If your unique invitations weigh more than an ounce, instead of buying a
non-matching stamp, you may want to go with the next priced stamp like a Garden Botanical stamp or
the contemporary Love stamp. "These stamps were designed specially for
unique wedding
invitations, eliminating the need for an additional stamp on unique invitations that weigh two
ounces," says Francia Smith, vice president and consumer advocate for the U.S. Postal
Service.
For an added touch of individuality, you may want to forgo the wedding-themed stamps
altogether and instead use unique stamps that illustrate unique interests of the bride or groom.
For example, a diving enthusiast might want to use the Pacific Coral Reef stamps, while a
film buff would enjoy the American Filmmaking commemorative.
"And you'll really wow potential guests by having your
unique invitations postmarked
in a city with a love-themed name," says Smith. There are several cities to choose
from, including Loveland, CO 80538; Loveville, MD 20656; or Romance, AR 72136.
To get these postmarks, unique invitations should be stamped, addressed and sealed, placed in
a larger envelope or box and mailed to the Post Office of choice with instructions to be
postmarked. Address the package to "Postmaster" of the appropriate city, state
and ZIP Code. Smith says you should allow an extra week for the unique invitations to reach the
Post Office, be postmarked and mailed to each invitee.
Some other things to keep in mind when sending out unique wedding invitations:
* Use complete and current addresses, with standardized abbreviations. Keep in mind
that phone books are not the best source for addresses because they do not include
apartment numbers or Post Office boxes.
* Use the correct ZIP Code, which can be found at USPS.com or by calling (800)
ASK-USPS.
* Be sure to use a return address, preferably in the upper left corner on the face of
the envelope.
* Black print on a white or pastel envelope is preferred when addressing
unique invitations.
You can further simplify your planning by using the world's largest Post Office,
www.USPS.com, to purchase stamps for your unique invitations and thank you notes, verify
addresses and look up ZIP Codes, get postage rates, and find the hours of operation and
directions to the Post Office nearest you to mail your unique invitations.
"You can also use USPS.com to have your mail held while you are on your honeymoon,
or to change your address so your mail will be waiting for you at your new home when you
return," says Smith.
EDITOR'S NOTE: According to Bride's Millennium
Report: Wedding Love & Money, you can expect to spend about $327 on
invitations, announcements and thank you notes if you purchase them
from a custom printer. Courtesy of ARA Content
Invitation Tip...
Printed Thank You Note Envelope Flaps
Save time by having your informal note and/or thank you note
envelope flaps printed with a return address for a slight additional
charge.
Click here to view
Unique Wedding Invitation Folds
