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Tips for Mailing
& Shipping

Be prepared...

I'm sure you have heard many horror stories about packages disappearing into thin air. The Postal Service has gotten a pretty bad rep over the years.  The reality is, only 3% of packages go missing each year by the USPS.  That is pretty impressive based on the fact that the USPS delivers 143 billion packages each year.  With that being said, you should keep in mind that you are probably sending out the largest number of packages that you have ever sent at once. This increases the chances that a few of your invitations might be lost so you should plan accordingly.  When ordering your invitations, you should order 3-5% extra invitations in case you need to re-send a few.

Mailing invitations

The number one reason for returned packages is not enough postage. Forever stamps will cover up to 1 oz.  Keep in mind that wedding invitations often exceed this weight. To ensure that you have enough postage, we recommend taking an invitation to your local Post Office and having them weigh it.  Each client will receive a final sample before their order goes to production.  This is the perfect time to start working on the plans to mail your invitations.

As we stated before, forever stamps will cover up to 1 oz.  The postal service also offers two ounce stamps which are good for a standard invitation that includes an insert, response card and return envelope. 

Square invitations, oversized invitations and added embellishments (such as wax seals and thick ribbon) will require hand cancelling of the stamps. This will result in a “non machinable surcharge”. The current surcharge is $0.20 per package.

Envelopes, poly mailers and shipping boxes... OH MY!

There are many options for shipping your invitations.  Of course, you want your invitations to arrive in your guests' mailbox the way that you sent them.  There are a lot of things to consider.  Heat, rain, and rough handling are a few of the most common concerns.  

The standard invitation suite that we offer includes an inner and outer envelope.  The purpose of the outer envelope is to protect the invitation from the concerns listed above.  The outer envelope will take most of the beating and keep the inner envelope nice and pretty.  You may opt to request hand-cancelling of your standard invitations as well.  This will reduce the number of machines that they have to go through and reduces the risk of them being damaged in handling.  Often, the local post office will allow you to hand cancel your envelopes yourself for free.  Don't be afraid to ask if you want to avoid the surcharge.

You may choose to use poly mailers, a clear plastic sleeve, to protect your invitations.  This is recommended for boxed wedding invitations.  In most instances, our boxed invitations have additional inserts and lining that hold things in place pretty well.  Due to the size and thickness, boxed invitations will require hand-cancelling and will typically reduce the amount of rough handling that the invitation will go through.  Poly mailers will protect the boxes from the weather.  Mailing labels and postage can be added to the box or to the outside of the mailers.

If you have some anxiety about shipping boxed invitations in a poly mailer, you may opt to use shipping boxes.  These boxes can be pretty costly, but they provided the added protection to put you at ease.  Be sure to choose a box close to the size of your invitations to avoid a lot of shifting during delivery.


 

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