How much postage do I need?
Updated 7/9/2023
Yay! You’ve got your design finalized and in-hand. Now it’s time to package them all up and put them in the post box. One nightmare situation that swirled in my head at this planning stage was not putting enough postage on my invites. Let’s get that worry out of our minds because below is a guide to help you make sure that never happens!
First, remember that postage costs adds up. It’s wise to think about the cost of postage well before you have your invites or save the dates in-hand as it can effect your budget. So how much do you usually need, you ask?
Most save the dates and a basic two-piece invitation suite (an invitation and response card) will only need the standard “Forever Stamp”. These cost $0.66 per piece and have a one-cent increase for first class postage. This estimate is based on 100-110 pound paper and coordinating envelopes. As you add more enclosure cards, the weight of the envelope increases as well as your postage costs.
Don’t forget you also need to include postage for your RSVP envelopes to ensure they are returned to you with your guest’s response! That means you will need two stamps for each household you mail an invitation.
To ensure your postage needs are met, you will receive one fully assembled set of your wedding invitation to take to the post office and get weighed. I’d be glad to estimate the cost of postage, but it’s best to leave it to the pros at USPS when everything is finalized. USPS also has this nifty tool you can use!
Photo cred: USPS
Hand-cancelling
No matter the thickness or weight of your suite, we always recommend having them hand-cancelled at the post office. This means your suite will not be sorted through the USPS machines that can leave your invite mangled. Instead, they are sorted by hand. Please do this to ensure your suite arrives in the best condition possible.
Standard First Class Postage
These little guys are all you need at $0.66 each for single cards plus envelope mailings (i.e. your save the date, rehearsal dinner invitation, or response card.)
Two-ounce Postage Stamps
When you have additional enclosure cards, the weight of your invitation suite may require between 1 and 2 stamps. These two-ounce stamps at $0.87 are your trick to avoid paying for more than you need.
Extra-Heavy Invitation Suites
If you decide to have your invitation suite printed on double-thick cardstock (best for letterpress and gold foil), the total weight of the suite will likely weigh in over 1 oz. You’ll need to upgrade your postage to the 2 oz stamp above. Always have the post office weigh the suite before purchasing postage!
Wax Seals and Ribbon Enclosures
Wax seals and ribbons enclosures are a beautiful way to add a little more pizzaz to your invitation suite. However, both of these options will increase the thickness of the parcel and require an additional $0.24 of postage per envelope. The USPS creates "additional ounce" stamps for $0.24 each and these are what you'll need.
Square Envelopes
It costs more to be square! Square envelopes will cost you an extra $0.40 per parcel in addition to the postage required for the weight and dimensions of your envelope. For 1 oz letters this means you'll need a $1.06 stamp (instead of a $0.66 stamp) and for wedding invitations that weigh 2 oz you'll need a $1.27 stamp (instead of a $0.87 stamp).
The moral the postage story is you can and should estimate the cost into your budget, but make sure to trust the post office at the final weigh-in of your invitation suite to ensure how much postage you will need.
Have a questions not answered here? Please email us at hello@reveriepaperco.com so we can help!
