5 Things You Need to Know About Mailing Your Wedding Invitations

You've got each of your big day invitations signed, sealed, and ready to be delivered to the final destination in one pretty little piece — that's the hope, at least! After spending a few months working on your stationery, you probably feel like you know everything there is to know about those paper products. But before you head to the post office to ship out your invitations, there are a few major thing you need to consider that may have never crossed your mind. So, without further ado, here are five things to do to make the most of your mailing.

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1. Tissue paper inserts aren't just for good looks. While placing tissue paper between the layers of your stationery suite can increase your costs, it also helps prevent the ink from smudging. If you chose to use a darker colored ink on your invitations or you went with thermography, your cards could rub together as they make their way through the mail. If it's not too late, add a bit of tissue paper to ensure your pretty paper arrives in pristine shape.

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2. Square invitations require more postage. Due to the abnormal shape, square envelopes require more postage to mail. While this isn't a huge monetary difference (about 20 cents per card, depending on the size) you can easily cut a couple of extra dollars by opting for a regular ol' rectangular envelope. If you're looking for other ways to save on your invitations, opt for an RSVP postcard rather than a traditional mail-in response card, as the cost of a postcard stamp is less than a normal stamp.

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3. Never lick the adhesive to close your envelopes. To avoid having one of your precious invites open en route, reinforce the closure method on your envelopes by using glue or some other super strong adhesive. Licking is not only hard on your mouth (the taste! paper cuts!), it also doesn't guarantee the package will arrive in one piece. For a pretty touch, add a sticker or piece of washi tape, but don't rely on these things as the main closure method. They can fall off or catch on other items during delivery.

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4. Always take your cards inside the post office. For extra peace of mind (and to avoid risking your invitations having to battle the elements), never drop them off in a street-side mailbox. If you hand them to a person at the post office directly, they are less likely to get damaged in transit, and you can ensure you've done everything correctly, from the postage to the writing of the addresses. This is an especially important step if you're using vintage stamps — they can be tricky!

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5. Ask the post office to hand cancel your stamps. Instead of letting the post office run the invites through a machine-operated sorting system (which marks the envelope with thick lines in the top right corner and may damage the envelope in the process) ,ask them to "hand cancel" your invitations. This means that they'll use a special ink stamp to mark your invitation, and they'll sort it by hand, reducing the risk of the damage. While some post offices refuse to do this, most are flexible if you pop in during a slow time.

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—Alexia Conley

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