Wedding Invitations

Recently, a friend of mine was shocked when some bridal shower invitations she’d sent out were returned for insufficient postage. “I didn’t know the cost of a stamp had gone up again!” she cried. Don’t let this happen to your important wedding-related mail! It’s an inconvenience and a bit of a no-no in the world of wedding etiquette. You should be aware that a postal rate increase for stamps went into effect earlier this spring.

Some particularly good advice to brides is to make a special trip to the Post Office to weigh an invitation before buying the stamps. Also, brides, don’t forget, you may need to buy double the number of “Love” stamps to mail out your wedding invitations. After all, you will likely need to stamp both the invitation itself in addition to the reply or RSVP cards. While wedding etiquette no longer requires RSVP cards go with all invitations, it sure makes life easier on both the bride and the caterer.

Wedding fashions may come and go, but one trend has stayed the same for almost thirty years now: the “Love” stamp. American brides have been mailing their wedding invitations using “Love” stamps since 1973, which was the first year that the U.S. Postal Service issued them. Back then, the inaugural “Love” stamp was designed by pop artist Robert Indiana and cost eight cents apiece. In the 35 years since that first stamp was issued, “Love” stamp designs have ranged from images of cherubs, flowers, candy hearts, animals, and love letters to abstract designs. My personal favorite? The Hershey’s Kiss stamp issued in 2007. Now that’s yummy.