Do Wedding Invitations Need Extra Postage?

Often, couples stamp their invites with cheap definitive stamps and receive them back with an “extra postage required” message. But what does “extra postage required” mean, and how do you deal with it?

The solution is simple – get more postage. The issue is that postal workers never explain how much postage your mailing lacks.

Thankfully, the USPS only has so many stamp types and denominations. Once you learn the rules and postage types, mailing your invitations will be easy.

Why Mailings May Need Extra Postage

Sometimes, you may receive your mail back with an “extra postage required” message. It means that your mailing doesn’t have the required postage for its weight and size.

Predicting how much postage wedding invitations need isn’t always straightforward. The standard weight of an envelope accepted by the USPS with regular postage is one ounce.

Apart from weighing under an ounce, your envelopes must be suitable for machine cancellation. Machine cancellation is the of applying postal marking on a stamp to prevent it from being reused with dedicated machines.

All mail pieces require cancellation, but hand cancellation typically comes at an extra fee because it’s more labor-intensive. The truth is that hand cancellation is preferable for wedding invitations because the machine may damage them.

However, machine cancellation will do the job if you’re on a budget. The problem is that machines only accept pieces of mail that do not exceed 4-1/4 inches in height and six inches in length and are a maximum of 0.009 inches thick.

The envelope’s length divided by height must be between 1.3 and 2.5. Furthermore, the envelope shouldn’t be poly-wrapped, bagged, enclosed in plastic, or have any other than paper material on the exterior.

The envelope shouldn’t contain clasps, strings, buttons, wax stamps (goodbye, Harry Potter-inspired invites), and similar add-ons. The machine will also reject any pieces of mail that are too rigid or contain items that cause the thickness to be uneven.

Lastly, the envelope shouldn’t have the delivery address written parallel to the mail piece’s shorter dimension. Odd formats such as elongated, square, or heart-shaped invites also require extra postage.

In other words, postal cancellation machines only accept simple paper envelopes that weigh under an ounce, are flat, and have a standard format.

Most wedding invitations don’t comply with these rules. Some couples choose non-standard formats and sizes; others pick non-paper envelopes. Three-dimensional elements on the envelope and inserts are also common.

Even if you follow the rules, your wedding invitation may be too thick. A traditional invitation set consists of an outer and inner envelope, the invitation card, reception card, RSVP response card in an envelope, and tissue paper.

All these elements combined typically are thicker than 0.009 inches and weigh well over an ounce, primarily if you use thick card paper.

Have the Invitations Weighed

One of the easiest ways to ensure that you pick the correct postage for wedding invitations is to have one of the envelopes weighed at the post office.

Postal workers will accurately weigh your invitations and inspect the size, format, material, and other factors that affect the required postage. They will then advise you on the available postage options. Such consultation is always free.

Visit the post office during quiet hours because work with wedding invitations may take time. Stuff all the necessary elements in an envelope before weighing it, including tissue paper and envelopes.

What If You Can’t Get to the Office?

Sometimes, getting to the post office is impossible. Maybe you’re too busy at work, or you live in a rural area, or your local office is closed for renovation, or you want to buy the postage somewhere cheaper.

Regardless of the reason, you can weigh the invitations at home. Use regular food scales for measuring the weight of fully stuffed invitations. Remember that weight isn’t the only factor determining the required wedding invitation postage.

Measure the invitation size, height to length ratio, and thickness. Determine whether your invitations contain anything not accepted by cancellation machines or have non-paper envelopes.

As a rule of thumb, add 20 cents for every additional ounce. Fifteen cents may not seem like a dealbreaker, but they add up to $20 for 100 invitations and $40 for 200 invitations.

Online postage calculators and the USPS website can be of great help in determining how much postage for wedding invitations. However, the home estimation will never be as accurate as in a post office.

Which Stamps to Use

After determining the envelope dimensions and weight, you should purchase the correct stamps. But which stamps to use for wedding invitations? The USPS has multiple stamp types that are suitable for invites.

Definitive stamps are the basic type most people think of when they hear about postal stamps. Stamp manufacturers constantly introduce new designs, and they have varying denominations.

Forever stamps are most commonly used for sending wedding invites. The USPS issued the first forever stamp back in 2007, and the price of these stamps hasn’t changed since (thus the name).

For example, one definitive stamp may cost $0.45 one year and $0.48 the following year. Meanwhile, forever stamps always cost $0.58. Forever stamps are necessary for first-class mailings with tracking.

Commemorative stamps are definitive or forever stamps issued for special occasions such as anniversaries and public holidays.

Priority mail stamps are necessary for express mailings with tracking. They are the most expensive type due to their expedited nature. Priority mailings are typically delivered in two to three days, regardless of the location.

Additional ounce stamps come at $0.20 each and do right what the name implies. You can add these stamps to any mailing that exceeds the allowed weight and is already stamped with any other postage.

There are also other USPS stamp types, but definitive, forever, commemorative, priority, and additional ounce stamps are the most common for wedding invitations.

Pick definitive stamps if you don’t care about the delivery times, have simple envelopes, and want to save money. Forever stamps are the most popular choice because they provide tracking.

Priority stamps are perfect for couples in a rush with an unlimited budget. Wedding-themed commemorative stamps can add a personal touch to your wedding invites.

Don’t forget to stamp your RSVP response card envelopes separately. Since they only contain a single card, a standard definitive stamp is usually sufficient, but it depends on the size and format.

For international mailings, you’ll need to purchase global forever stamps. They cost $1.30 each for letters weighing up to an ounce. However, the postage price may vary based on the destination and weight for heavier invites.

Where to Buy Extra Postage

The most apparent answer to “where to buy USPS stamps?” would be “at your local USPS office.” However, stamps at post offices are typically overpriced and have a limited selection. Furthermore, the customer service queue may be too long.

On the other hand, postal workers can advise you on the necessary stamp type and count. If you want to see all currently available stamps and avoid long queues, visit the USPS website.

There, you’ll find a variety of stamps, from basic definitive stamps to rare, themed collector designs. You can filter the stamps by the theme to narrow down the selection. Stamps with flowers and hearts work the best for wedding invites.

Alternatively, you can buy stamps at grocery stores, pharmacies, book stores, or banks, but you’re unlikely to find themed designs.

Lastly, you can order stamps online in bulk. It’s an excellent option if you have plenty of invites and you’re certain about the required postage type. For example, you may pay about $45 instead of $58 for a 100-pack of forever stamps.

The problem is that you may get the stamps wrong and waste a lot of money on the bulk order. Therefore, start with a single stamp at your local post office, send out the invite, and see whether you’ll get it back.

How Much Postage for a Typical Invitation

Figuring out wedding invitation postage is a headache. So, how much postage for a typical wedding invitation? It depends.

A simple 5×7 wedding invitation on a thick card paper without inserts, three-dimensional elements, or an inner envelope will only require one definitive stamp or one forever stamp and cost you up to $0.58 or $58 for 100 invites.

Suppose your invitation has multiple envelopes, a reception card, and an RSVP response card, making it weigh over an ounce.

In that case, you can purchase additional ounce stamps for $0.20, leading to a total cost of mailing wedding invitations of about $78 per 100 units.

If you don’t want to crowd your invitations with extra stamps, purchase forever or definitive stamps with a higher denomination – for instance, a two-ounce sunflower stamp for $0.78.

Commemorative and limited edition stamps don’t usually cost anything extra, so they are worth hunting for.