How to Mail Your Wedding Invitations: A Guide to Prepare You Before Sending Your Wedding Invitations
Mailing your wedding invitations is a milestone moment in the wedding planning process. But before you drop them in the mailbox, there are a few important things to consider. I’ll walk you through 5 important tips you need to know about mailing your wedding invitations to ensure they reach your guests in perfect condition and with the proper etiquette. As a wedding stationer, I work with couples 1 to 1.5 years in advance of their wedding, to ensure our timeline sets them up for the best success of inviting and preparing for guests in advance. Trust me, you do not want to wait until the last minute of mailing out invitations too late, because this will cause a snow ball effect of not being prepared for catering, accommodations, and unexpected guests.
1. Time it Right:
Timing is everything when it comes to mailing your wedding invitations. Aim to mail your wedding invitations out 6-8 weeks for local weddings and 12 weeks for destination weddings before your wedding date. This allows your guests enough time to RSVP and make travel arrangements if necessary. In my experience, following this timeline allows the best outcome for your to receive RSVPs timely and account for all guests, ensuring your final guest count is accurate for serving your guests. Additionally for destination weddings, you can mail save the dates 6-8 months before your wedding date. The save the date helps your guests to prepare well in advance while waiting for the formal invitation to follow. The current couples I have worked with provided the special benefit of mailing their invites well in advance allowed for them to add additional guests to replace those who kindly declined their presence. Overall, mailing your invitations at the right time will help with preparing for your guests and while informing your guests.
2. Assemble with Care:
Assembling your wedding invitations may seem straightforward, but there's an art and process to it. I recommend assembling wedding invitations by the size of each type of card you’re using. Typically, your wedding invitation is the largest card, therefore this is stacked first. Next are your enclosure cards (such as RSVP cards, details cards, welcome dinner cards) on top of the invitation. Finally, add your reply card envelope and tuck your reply card under the envelope flap. This order of stacking ensures your guests will see each detail of your wedding invitation. Presentation is key, therefore make sure your wedding invitations are neatly stacked and aligned before inserting it into the main envelope. You can utilize paper clips and ribbon to help keep everything together within the main envelope. Extra Tip- I’ve had couples to stack in reverse order, meaning the invitation on top of the stack! That’s totally fine. Nicely tuck and tie or clip your enclosure cards to the invitation and your guests will be able to see the extra info.
3. Addressing Etiquette:
Properly addressing your wedding invitations is crucial to ensuring they reach your guests in a timely manner. As a calligrapher, I spend a lot of time addressing envelopes, and my biggest tip is to ensure the zip code is clear for the postal service. Hiring a calligrapher with envelope addressing experience will save you tons of time, becauses we know the do’s and don’ts. If you prefer addressing your envelopes, use clear, legible handwriting. Include the recipient's full name and address on the main envelope, and be sure to have a family member or friend to double-check for any spelling errors or typos before sealing and mailing your invitations.
4. Seal with Love:
When it comes to sealing your wedding invitations, opt for a quality envelope. You will want an envelope that is thicker than your normal card envelope. Additionally, the envelope should have strong envelope glue and once damped and sealed, it should remain closed without popping open. When I work with thicker invitations, I ensure the envelope size will keep everything secure during transit. One tip to add an elegant touch is adding a decorative wax seal or personalized sticker for an extra-special touch that reflects your wedding theme and style. Extra bonus, click here to view my wax seal portfolio!
5. Choose the Right Postage:
The right postage is a huge piece to successfully mail your invitations. The size, weight, and thickness of your wedding invitations determines the cost of your postage. For the couples I work with, during the design process I go ahead and prepare the couples with estimated postage costs. Typically wedding invitation postage can start at approximately $1.00 and up. If you prefer to mail your own invitations, I highly recommend visiting your local post office to weigh a sample invitation to receive the correct postage cost for your wedding invitations.
Mailing your wedding invitations may seem like a scary task, but with planning in advance and understanding each factor above, it can be a smooth and stress-free process. By following these tips and guidelines, you'll ensure that your wedding invitations will reach your guests safely and with the proper etiquette, setting the stage for a celebration they will anticipate to attend. I want to share additional wedding invitation guidance with you. Click the free invitation guide button below to download!