Is there a way to check invitations meet the size, weight, and thickness requirements before applying postage?

Absolutely. If you’re following the guidelines on the post office website for what qualifies as a letter, you can usually feel pretty confident that one or two stamps will be enough. Like I mentioned earlier, a save the date typically only needs one Forever Stamp, while a full wedding invitation suite, which is heavier, usually requires either two Forever Stamps or a two-ounce stamp. In my experience, that’s generally sufficient, but it’s always good to double-check.

If you’re really concerned, you can take a completed suite—or even just the same number of paper pieces with similar weight—and bring it to the post office before you buy all your postage. You can ask them, “Hey, I’m thinking of mailing something this size, and it’s a square envelope. How much postage would I need?” Or if you’re mailing something unique, like a magnet, you can get an estimate before finalizing everything.

If your invitations are a little out of the ordinary, bringing a sample to the post office is the best way to ensure you’re using the right amount of postage. You can either buy your stamps there or order them online. Just keep in mind that most local post offices won’t have a huge selection—they might only have standard flag stamps. If you want something more decorative, you’ll find a wider variety on usps.gov.

Are there places you do and don't recommend buying stamps from?

Definitely, do not buy postage from Amazon. I can’t stress this enough—Amazon is not a reliable place for stamps. Also, avoid any website that sounds sort of official but isn’t actually the post office. There are a lot of websites popping up with names like “usstamps.com” or “usgovernmentstamps.com.” They sound legitimate, but they’re not. If you ever see postage being sold at a discount, that’s a huge red flag—it’s likely counterfeit.

I always say it’s just not worth the risk. Ultimately, couples will make their own decisions, but I strongly recommend buying stamps directly from the source—meaning the post office, either in person or online at usps.gov. Never buy them from Amazon or any site selling them at a discount.

Here’s the thing—postage is actually legal tender. It’s like currency for the post office. Unlike other products that retailers buy wholesale and then resell, postage doesn’t work that way. There’s no discounted bulk pricing, no wholesale deals. The price is the price. So if you see stamps for sale at a discount, that’s a major red flag.

There are foreign companies that make counterfeit stamps that look incredibly real, and they’re getting better and better at it. The only way to tell the difference is with a UV light and some very specific forensic analysis, which even the post office isn’t doing on every piece of mail. So what happens is, if you put a counterfeit stamp on an envelope and drop it in the mail, most of the time, it will get processed because no one catches it. But your mailing is going to pass through multiple hands, multiple post offices. All it takes is one postal worker to check it, realize it’s counterfeit, and throw it out.

And they won’t notify you. They won’t send the envelope back. They’ll just discard it. So you could have a hundred wedding invitations mailed, and if you used counterfeit stamps, they could all end up in the trash without you even knowing. That’s why I tell couples it’s just not worth it.

Now, vintage stamps are different. If you’re looking for authentic vintage postage, those will actually be more expensive than the face value of the stamp. That’s one way you can tell they’re legitimate. If you want to source them from a reputable dealer, I recommend Little Postage House, Enfield Post, and Flourish Fine Writing. These are all well-known, reliable sellers that only deal in authentic, unused vintage stamps.

 

Absolutely. International mail takes much longer than domestic, sometimes several weeks or even months, depending on customs and postal delays. If you're only sending a few, you might want to consider mailing them as packages instead of regular letters. If you do send them through standard mail, the post office has international stamps, and there are really only two options—one for Christmas and one for everything else. It's very straightforward. However, depending on the final weight and destination, you may need to add extra postage, and the post office can help determine that.

If you want to be absolutely certain your invitations arrive safely, I recommend using a trackable shipping method. You can put the invitation inside a box or a protective sleeve, add a mailing label, and ship it through USPS or an international courier like DHL. DHL tends to be more reliable, especially for remote destinations. Whenever I’m sending invitations to places like India, China, or parts of South America, I always opt for DHL because it offers better tracking and reliability than traditional postal services.

It’s also a good idea to give international guests a heads-up via email or text so they know to expect their invitation. And don’t forget to think about RSVPs—if you’re including a reply card with a stamped envelope, don’t use a USPS Forever Stamp. Your international guests won’t be able to use it. Instead, either leave the return envelope unstamped so they can add their own postage, or provide an online RSVP option with a website or QR code.