Hand-Stamping Wedding Invites: A Post Office Service?

Wedding invitations are often embellished with ribbon, twine, or wax seals, and their size and shape can vary. This means that they may not be suitable for machine stamping at the post office, which could result in tearing, smudging, or other damage. To avoid this, many post offices offer a hand-stamping service, where a postal worker manually stamps each envelope to confirm the postage. This process may cost extra and take longer, but it ensures that your carefully crafted invitations arrive at their destination in pristine condition.

Why hand-stamp wedding invitations?

Hand-stamping wedding invitations, or "hand-cancelling", is a service offered by post offices to ensure that your carefully crafted invitations are not damaged in the mailing process.

When an envelope is sent through the mail with a postage stamp, it gets "cancelled", meaning the post office stamps over the stamp to prevent it from being reused. Typically, this is done by a machine, and depending on the shape, size, and embellishments of your invitations, there is a risk of tearing, smudging, or otherwise damaging them.

Hand-cancelling ensures that each envelope is cancelled by hand with an ink stamp, bypassing the need for envelopes to be sent through sorting machines. This method is ideal for invitations with satin ribbons, wax seals, or other unique features that could be damaged in a machine.

While some post offices may charge a small fee for hand-cancelling, it is often a free service that simply takes a little extra time. It is recommended to visit the post office during non-busy hours and to call ahead to ensure they offer hand-cancelling.

Taking the extra step to hand-stamp your wedding invitations can give your guests a great first impression and ensure that your invitations arrive in pristine condition.

How to request hand-stamping

To request hand-stamping, or hand-cancelling, for your wedding invitations, follow these steps:

• Double-check the postage: Visit your local post office and weigh a complete invitation set to ensure you are applying the correct postage. This will help you avoid the inconvenience of returned invites due to insufficient postage.
• Organise your invites: Create a strategy for organising your invites. You could sort them by family and state, alphabetically, or in the order of your guest list. One suggestion is to assemble invites into clear plastic bags in groups of 10, making it easier to count the number of invites being mailed out.
• Make an international plan: Separate international invitations with clear labels. Fill out customs documents for your international guests before visiting the post office. Confirm the postage for different countries individually.
• Know your post office policy: Different post offices may have varying policies for hand-cancelling. Some may offer free hand-cancelling for the first 25 to 50 invitations, while others may charge a small fee for each additional invitation. Check your local post office's policy to avoid unexpected fees.
• Request hand-cancelling: When you are ready to mail your invitations, bring them to the post office and specifically request hand-cancelling. Let the postal clerk know that you want to avoid the risk of tearing, smudging, or damaging your invitations by having them hand-stamped instead of processed through a machine.
• Verify postage and hand-cancel: Ask the postal clerk to verify that you have the correct postage and request they hand-cancel your postage. They will mark each postage stamp by hand with a special rubber stamp noting the date and postal location. This bypasses the need for your invitations to go through the sorting machine.
• Consider timing: Hand-cancelling can take extra time, so try to visit the post office during off-peak hours to avoid long waits. Additionally, hand-cancelled invitations may take about a week longer to arrive at their destination.
• Be persistent: If a postal clerk tells you that hand-cancelling is no longer offered, ask to speak to the office manager or try visiting another post office in your area. Some post offices may be more accommodating than others.
• Bundle your invitations: After hand-cancelling, ask the postal clerk to bundle your invitations with a rubber band to help avoid them getting mixed with machined mail during processing. This will improve the chances of your invitations being handled with care.

Remember, while hand-cancelling can help protect your invitations from damage, there is still a possibility of human error. However, following these steps will give your invitations the best chance of arriving safely and in good condition.

Cost of hand-stamping

Hand-cancelling your wedding invitations can cost a little bit more - $0.21 more per suite as of 2021. This is not uniformly enforced, but it's worth the extra charge to help ensure your invitations arrive safely and in good condition. Most post offices won't charge for the first 25 to 50 invitations. The next invites are usually somewhere between 5 and 25 cents apiece.

Hand-cancelling is a process where a postal clerk will mark each postage stamp, on each envelope, with a special rubber stamp noting the current date and the postal location. This bypasses the need for the envelope to be sent through their sorting machines, which can leave printed tracking marks on envelopes, strip off wax seals, and snag handmade envelope flaps.

The cost of hand-stamping at the post office depends on the number of invitations you have and the specific post office's policies. It's recommended to call ahead to your local post office to inquire about their specific policies and costs for hand-stamping wedding invitations.

Additionally, it's important to note that hand-cancelling can take a significant amount of time, depending on the number of invitations. It's suggested to visit the post office during low-traffic hours to avoid delays.

When to visit the post office

Timing your visit to the post office is an important consideration when hand-cancelling your wedding invitations. The process of hand-cancelling can be time-consuming, especially if you have a large number of invitations to send. Therefore, it is advisable to visit the post office during off-peak hours to avoid long queues. Mid-morning or mid-to-late afternoon are recommended times to go. It is best to avoid the lunch crowd and the hour before the post office closes.

Additionally, it is worth noting that hand-cancelling can take up to a week longer for your invitations to arrive at their destination, so plan accordingly and inform your guests about the expected delivery time.

To ensure a smooth process, it is also suggested to call ahead to different post offices in your area, as not all locations offer hand-cancelling services. This way, you can confirm which post office to visit and whether there are any specific requirements or restrictions for hand-cancelling.

Furthermore, some post offices may allow you to hand-cancel the envelopes yourself, which can provide peace of mind in seeing your invitations handled with care. However, this option may not be available at all locations, so enquiring in advance is advisable.

Remember to be polite and mention that you are sending out wedding invitations. By following these suggestions, you can ensure a timely and efficient visit to the post office for hand-cancelling your wedding invitations.

What to do if the post office refuses

If the post office refuses to hand-stamp your wedding invitations, there are a few steps you can take to try and resolve the issue. Firstly, double-check that your invitations meet the requirements for hand-cancelling. This includes ensuring that your envelopes are of a suitable size and shape and that any embellishments, such as ribbon or wax seals, will not interfere with the standard cancelling process. It is also important to confirm that you have attached the correct postage to each invitation.

If your invitations meet all the necessary criteria, you can try requesting to speak to the office's manager or seeking a second opinion from another postal clerk. Some post offices may not offer hand-cancelling, so you may need to try another branch. It is worth noting that hand-cancelling can cost extra and may take significantly longer than standard processing, so be sure to plan accordingly.

If you continue to encounter resistance, you could consider contacting the postal service's customer support or grievance handling team, either via phone, email, or social media. It may also be helpful to reach out to a stationer, as they typically have extensive experience working with the postal service and can offer guidance on selecting the correct postage and navigating the mailing process.

Finally, as an alternative to hand-cancelling, you could opt to use clear plastic bags to group your invitations in batches of 10, helping to protect them from potential damage during the standard sorting process.

Frequently asked questions