How much does it cost to mail?
August 17, 2011Postage to mail a wedding invitation is always a topic of concern to most wedding invitation buyers. The bride and groom will come into our showroom and look at all the varieties of invitations from pocket invitations to photo invitations. Many couples will state up front that they only want to see invitations that will mail for the current 1 ounce rate of 44¢. Being perfectly honest with them, we will tell them that the great majority of invitations will need the 2 ounce rate of 64¢.
Checkerboard Invitation
The truth of the matter is that size, weight, shape and thickness play a role in how much you will be charged to mail your wedding invitation or announcement. The dimension requirements are as follows:
- Minimum height is 3.5″ by a maximum a of 6.125″
- Minimum length is 5″ by a maximum of 11.5″
- Minimum thickness is .007″ by a maximum of .25″
The envelope length is the dimension parallel to the address. This is a given for most wedding invitation envelopes but if you are using the french flap envelope where the flap is on the vertical side, you will be charged extra. It is considered a “nonmachinable surcharge” by the US Postal Service.
Letters that meet one or more of the nonmachinable characteristics below are subject to the surcharge.
- It is a square envelope
- It is too rigid – does not bend easily
- It has clasps, string, buttons, or similar closure devices
- The length divided by height is less than 1.3 or more than 2.5
Birchcraft Square Invitation
Special Attention for the Square Envelope
The minimum size for a square envelope is 5″ x 5″. This is usually not a problem for the wedding invitation industry since most of them are 7″ x 7″ or larger. However, as stated above, the square envelope is subject to the nonmachinable surcharge. In general, the nonmachinable rate will increase your postage from the 64¢ for the the 1-2 oz rate to 84¢ because of the nonmachinable factor.
For most of the wedding invitations that we sell the 2 biggest factors for postage are weight and shape. The 64¢ is most common because of weight and the 84¢ because it is square. The thickness is usually not an issue even with the popular pocket invitations. If concerned about the thickness, simply flatten the contents of your envelope by running your hand firmly across the back of the envelope several times.
Copper Pocket
You should always check with your local Post Office before mailing your invitations. My suggestion is to take them to the window and have them weighed and measured before mailing. Never drop in the drop box without having them checked first. You don’t want to have any embarrassing surprises.
One final note about mailing. Don’t forget to stamp your rsvp envelope with a 44¢ stamp. It is the proper thing to do.
If you have any further concerns about mailing your invitations, contact your local Post Office. They will be happy to help you. And don’t forget to ask to see the current Love Series stamps. These are stamps that coordinate with a love theme for the 44¢ and 64¢ stamps. A nice touch for a wedding invitation.
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