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This blog is to help you understand the options you have for envelope postage for your wedding invitations or other special mail (yes there are more options that just picking up Forever stamps at your local USPS office!).
When I was planning my wedding and getting ready to send out save the dates and invitations, I was overwhelmed with the options and wish I had a breakdown of the financial costs and time it took for each type of stamps.
**We are now offering a new subscription box that includes vintage postage if you want to send some seriously beautiful mail! Each monthly box includes 3 greeting cards, envelopes and vintage postage sets with enough face value to mail. You can start your subscription here and read more about the subscription details here.
A peek at our wedding stationery - my calligraphy has really grown in 4 years! Photo by Char Beck.
We opted for vintage postage that combined aspects of our love story, including a Brooklyn Bridge stamp (where we got engaged), Washington Statehood stamp (where I am from), and a landscape stamp with mountains (to give a taste of what our venue was like!).
It was such a fun process & I would do it all over again BUT there were some downsides! Now, as a seasoned stationery designer and vintage stamp collector/curator, I have been exposed to the different types of postage on the market and am writing this blog to help future brides and grooms know what they are getting into when they weigh their options!
I am going to describe the different postage options in order of least expensive to most expensive. Sometimes the expense line can get a little blurred, but hang with me!
1. Purchase Stamps from USPS
Least expensive and time-consuming
I'm often surprised at the beautiful options!
Details about Forever Stamps from the Post Office
1. Don't forget to look online!
USPS.com often carries stamps you wouldn't find in your local post office. Some are very quirky (like the current Wonder Woman stamps they are carrying!) and some are classy and refined. They almost always have a love-themed stamp, which is great for invitations.
2. They are simply priced
The great thing about purchasing forever stamps from the Post Office is that they are priced exactly at their face value, 55 cents for the 55 cent rate! Although, if you do find stamps online you sometimes have to pay a $2.00 shipping fee - that is very inexpensive compared to your other options.
2. Vintage Postage for Wedding Invitations
Best for incorporating a variety of details
Can color coordinate to match your invitation suite
Can be expensive (some stamps are very rare or are in high demand!) or inexpensive, depending on how you go about it.
How to find Vintage Stamps for your wedding invitations:
1. Curate the vintage stamps yourself ($)
This requires a lot of time! I spent around 6 hours looking online, deciding between different stamps and looking for a better price.
Personally, curating vintage postage was slightly more expensive than purchasing stamps at my local post office. I spent around .70 cents per envelope rather than the .49 cents standard cost for Forever stamps.
For 150 envelopes that's only $31.50 extra total - and it really set the invitation apart!
2. Purchase pre-curated vintage stamps ($$$)
This option is becoming easier and easier as more postage shops are joining Etsy and curating beautiful combinations of postage! One of my favorites is Little Postage House. She has really gorgeous combinations of stamps!
Curated sets of stamps range from $1.50-$1.90 per envelope rather than the .49 cents standard cost for Forever stamps.
You don't have to spend a ton of time scouring the internet for stamps, and you can order the exact amount you need to not end up with extra stamps!
One of my favorite pre-curated sets from Little Postage House!
3. Ask your stationer if they offer vintage postage curation ($$)
This isn't something all stationers offer but is definitely something you should ask about! This lifts the time burden off of you, leaves you not having to keep any extra stamps that are leftover, and gives you a variety of options.
Golden Hour Paper offers these services to our brides and grooms and on average the stamps cost $1.50-2 per set for the normal 55c rate. I work with brides to understand what their hopes are and combine 2-3 potential sets, with a breakdown of their cost, and let them choose their favorite!
One of my favorite combinations to date!
3. Custom Stamp Design
Best if you'd like to include a photo, monogram, or a portion of your invitation design.
Available in multiple sizes
Most expensive and always has a barcode on the side.
Details about Custom Stamps for Wedding Invitations
1. Order them yourself!
Did you know that sites like Zazzle, Minted, and TinyPrints offer custom stamps? You can include a photo of you and your fiance, an image of the wedding venue...really anything you can dream of! They even come in different sizes - small being 1.8"x1.3", large being 2.5"x1.5".
These stamps range in price from $1.11-$1.21 (depending on size) for the regular 55 cent postage rate. For the 71 cent postage rate you can expect to pay around $1.40 per stamp.
2. Ask your stationer to design them for you!
Often, stationers can create a custom monogram that matches your invitation suite or even put a written design over the photo you'd like to have printed on your stamp. This gives a beautiful, cohesive look to your invitations and something I am sure will impress your guests.
Sample from Zazzle.com
Even with the complexities that all these different options can bring (another decision to make!) they also offer another way to show your guests that you have been thoughtful and detailed as you invite them to one of the most important days of your life!
If you have any questions about postage please shoot me a message to goldenhourpaper@gmail.com or send me an inquiry here!
All my Best,
Maddy Kelly
