Post # 1
Member
44 posts
Newbee
Hi there,
We have DIY invites that my fiance designed, and we are tying them together with twine and a couple sprigs of dried lavender – I love them 🙂 I’m wondering what is best postage-wise and am confused by all the options!
I went to the post office and was told they would be $0.65 each to mail. They said I could do a 45c and 20c stamp, or metered postage – I’ll be honest, I’m not entirely sure what metered means. Also, I’ve hear people talk about “hand cancelling” – so it doesn’t go through the machines. What have you done, and can you help me with the pros/cons of each option?
Thanks!
Post # 3
Hostess
16215 posts
Honey Beekeeper
I’m not exactly a postage expert, so I’ll only weigh in where I feel like I can help.
Our invitation suites were exactly 64 cents (this was last year, before the price change). We used these beauties:
Also, we asked the post office to hand cancel because it’s a little more gentle. My husband just took the box of envelopes down the post office and asked them in person.
Post # 4
Member
1340 posts
Bumble bee
You could also try the seversal pieces of vintage postsge look or i think you can design $.65 cent stamps through Zazzle.
The rest of my message was deleted–what it said was that I had my STD’s hand-cancelled because of ribbon on the them. It was pretty easy to do and my local small-town post office actually handed me othe stamp at the window and let me do it while they helped customers. Some PO will refuse to do it because it is a bit time-consuming and others just like to be difficult. I highly suggest it if you have anything that makes your envelope bulky–Pocketfolds, ribbons, wax seals, etc).
Post # 5
Member
680 posts
Busy bee
65 cent stamps are available, like the one a PP already posted.
You don’t want to meter. not cute for invites! (random picture below)
I can’t really help in on the hand cancelling part, since I’ve never had anything hand cancelled. I’m sure other bees can share their experiences with that 🙂 But they’ll go on a machine anyway to be sorted, so I’m not sure what makes the difference. I’d probably do it anyway to be safe, since it doesn’t cost anything extra.
Post # 6
Member
2693 posts
Sugar bee
We used the USPS white roses stamps, and my mom took them to the post office to have them hand canceled. The ended up being run through the ugly black stamp machine anyway. When my mom got theirs she took it back to the post office and they said “sure you can hand cacnel them, but they all go through that machine anyways. we try to tell people that but they dont’ care”. so it was essentially a waste of time.
Post # 7
Member
674 posts
Busy bee
Metering isn’t always bad for the look. If you know a company that has a metering machine and can arrange to pay them for the postage, several of the machines have little custom metering designs like hearts or other images. I worked for a non-profit with one, and we used to use the patriotic meter designs sometimes.
But, to the OP, look at the higher priced single stamps online. If you buy from the USPS online, it won’t cost you anything more. If you do custom postage through Zazzle, it will cost quite a bit more.
Post # 8
Member
4194 posts
Honey bee
- Wedding: July 2012 - Baltimore Museum of Industry
The wedding cake ones Gemstone mentioned are available online, in case your post office doesn’t have them, and there’s also a really pretty orange/black butterfly $.65 stamp.
Post # 9
Member
44 posts
Newbee
Thanks all! So very helpful 🙂 Invites went out yesterday (eee!!!), and we went with the 65 cent wedding cake stamp and skipped the hand cancelling. Fiance said “No way are we making some poor guy at the post office stamp every one of those” – almost all of ours are going out of state, so they’ll all go through machines anyways. Hopefully people will start receiving them today and tomorrw…and hopefully they are in good shape!
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