Postage Requirements for Your Wedding Invitations
Before you begin addressing envelopes, assemble one complete invitation (including tissue paper, any maps or additional inserts, as well as the stamp on the return address envelope), and take it to your local post office for weight and measurement.
When you order invitations, it’s safe to assume that you will have to pay extra postage – the usual 60-cent First Class stamp probably will not be enough given the extra weight of your inserts. Additionally, it’s often the size and shape – not the weight – that may require more postage. Taking the extra step of going to your post office now can save a lot of aggravation down the road. (And hey, while you’re there, you can pick up stamps for the rest of your response card envelopes!) Ask your invitation stylist about how much they estimate a suite will cost before committing to a design.
Overall, First Class postage rates are based on the shape as well as the weight of the envelope. USPS follows the guidelines below:
Weight
- 1 oz. or less = $0.60
- 2 oz. = $0.84
- 3 oz. = $1.08
- 3.5 oz. = $1.32
- For postcards = $0.44
LETTER Size Limits
Minimum: 3-1/2 inches high by 5 inches long x 0.007 of an inch thick
Maximum: 6-1/8 inches high by 11-1/2 inches long x 0.25 of an inch thick
Additional postage is required for larger envelopes (flats) and parcels (packages). A surcharge of $0.39 cents will be added:
- to square-shaped envelopes
- if the address is parallel to the shorter dimension of the envelope
- it has clasps, buttons, strings, or similar closure devices
If a package is too rigid and does not bend, or contains items such as pens that cause the surface to be uneven, it is considered a parcel.
Postage and requirements sometimes change, be sure to change with your local USPS to determine the correct postage needed for your invitations.
