It’s an exciting day when your wedding invitations arrive from your stationer. You get to hold that first physical glimpse of your big day in your hands. Now it’s time to stamp, seal, and deliver so your guests can get excited as well!

Even though mailing should be a simple process, there are a few special considerations for wedding invitations. You don’t want your beautiful invites to arrive battered and torn, nor do you want them returned two to three weeks later. In this blog, we’ll cover a few crucial steps for mailing your wedding invitations as well as tips for troubleshooting the post office.

First, a few words on the postage itself. Most wedding invitations are heavier than your average letter, so often times a 70¢ stamp is needed. For instance, if you’ve printed on extra-thick cardstock, included embellishments like pockets or vellum wraps, or have multiple inserts, you’ll likely need this option. However, I always recommend taking one to the post office ahead of time to have it weighed. Then you can be certain which stamps you need.

Also, the post office stocks a few love/wedding-themed stamps that you can utilize. Unfortunately, custom stamps were discontinued as of 2020, but you can still stamp your invitations with a romantic or whimsical design. A few options are available for both the 55¢ and 70¢ options. 

Finally, if you’re including RSVPs, make sure you buy a set of 55¢ stamps as well! It’s considered poor form to require your guests to pay for the return postage.

In order to manage thousands of mail items per day, the post office uses machines to postmark and sort envelopes. However, these machines are not well equipped to handle thick or odd-sized wedding invitations, let alone one with a wax seal. Tears and ink smudges may ruin your beautiful envelopes. But there is a solution: hand-canceling.

Hand-canceling is the process of “canceling,” or postmarking, an envelope with a hand stamp instead of using the sorting machines. It’s vital to request this service at your post office if you want your invitations to arrive in one piece. Simply walk into the post office (preferably in the mid-morning to avoid crowds) and ask the front desk clerk for hand-canceling. Sometimes you may be quoted an additional charge (typically 21¢), but other times the post office will do it for free. Some offices may require you to hand-cancel them yourself. It depends on the branch.

It’s no secret that budget cuts and understaffing has led to complications with the mail. But even before 2020, it was not unusual to experience obstacles when attempting to mail your wedding invitations, especially when requesting hand-canceling. Below are a few issues you may run into and tips to help you navigate.

Objection 1: “We don’t do hand-canceling.”
This is definitely not true–see this article on the USPS website. (Another term for hand-canceling is “non-machinable surcharge.”) While you may ask to speak with a manager, it may be that they’re overwhelmed at that time. Trying a different branch or returning a day or so later at a different hour maybe your best bet.

Objection 2: “Your invitation is too thick, so it will need to be mailed as a package for $3.00 apiece.”
Again, not necessary with hand-canceling. I was personally told this the first time I attempted to mail my wedding invitations in 2018. When I went to another branch, the lady behind the desk promised to hand-cancel them herself and charged me nothing. They all arrived without issue. So again, your best option may be going to another location. 

Objection 3: “The bulges under the flap won’t go through our machines.”
I knew another bride who used ribbon to tie her suite together for a nice presentation. But the post office told her that they couldn’t mail them due to the bulge in the envelope. Eventually, she ended up hand-canceling them herself, as the clerks declined to do it. Again, depending on your post office, you may need to stand off to the side and hand-cancel your invitations yourself. Trying another branch is always an option, but just be prepared.

In the end, the most important thing you can do is give yourself ample mailing time. Hand-canceling does slow the mailing process, as it requires human hours rather than machine hours. Couple that with the chronic mail delays in the last year, you should never leave it until the last minute. Allow yourself at least two weeks’ leeway in case you hit a snag.

But don’t stress too much about it. Go into your post office with a smile, and if the clerk is wearing a name tag, address him or her by name. Showing a bit of friendliness and gratitude will often engender goodwill. After all, it can’t be easy working for the post office these days!