Guides · October 9, 2026
Wedding invitations: when to mail them and what the stamps cost
Invitations go wrong in two ordinary ways: they arrive too late for people to plan, or they come back for more postage. Both are easy to avoid once you know the dates and the rules.
When to send what
Zola's guidance is from its save-the-date article (July 2025) and help center. WeddingWire's is from 2020 and 2021. The real constraint is your caterer: ask when the final count is due and set the RSVP date before it, with time to chase the people who have not answered.
| Zola | WeddingWire | |
|---|---|---|
| Save-the-dates, local wedding | 4 to 6 months before | Not given in the article we read |
| Save-the-dates, destination wedding | 8 to 12 months before | 8 to 12 months before |
| Invitations, local wedding | 6 to 8 weeks before | 6 to 8 weeks before |
| Invitations, destination wedding | A few weeks earlier than usual | 2 to 3 months before |
| RSVP deadline | No later than 1 month before | About 6 weeks before for a destination wedding |
What the stamps cost
USPS prices in force in October 2026. The current Forever stamp price took effect on July 12, 2026.
| What you are mailing | Postage |
|---|---|
| Standard rectangular letter, up to 1 oz | $0.82 (one Forever stamp) |
| Each additional ounce | $0.29 |
| Square, vertical, rigid or lumpy envelope | $0.49 surcharge, so from $1.31 |
| Large envelope (over the letter limits) | From $1.69 |
| Standard postcard, such as a reply card | $0.65 |
Why invitations cost more than a letter
- Weight. A letter stamp covers 1 ounce, and the letter rate stops at 3.5 ounces.
- Shape. USPS charges the nonmachinable surcharge for square envelopes and for vertical ones, even when they weigh under an ounce.
- Texture. Envelopes that are rigid, lumpy or closed with clasps, string or buttons cannot go through the sorting machines and pay the same surcharge.
- Size. A letter can be at most 11-1/2 by 6-1/8 inches and 1/4 inch thick. Beyond that it is a large envelope.
- Reply cards. The postcard rate applies only up to 4-1/4 by 6 inches. A larger card needs a letter stamp.
Wax seals and ribbons
USPS says not to mail wax seals, strings or ribbons exposed. Its two suggestions are to put the decorated invitation inside another envelope, or to take the invitations to a post office counter and ask for them to be hand-canceled, which it does for free.
Before you buy 120 stamps
- Assemble one complete invitation: every card, the reply envelope, the liner, the ribbon.
- Take it to the post office and have it weighed and measured.
- Buy stamps for that exact piece, plus one for every reply envelope or card.
- Check usps.com first. Stamp prices usually change in January and July.
Sources:
- USPS, How to Send a Letter or Postcard
- USPS, First-Class Mail
- USPS, Notice 123 Price List
- USPS, Domestic Mail Manual 101, Physical Standards
- USPS, new prices for July (press release, Apr 2026)
- Zola, When To Send Save The Dates (Jul 2025)
- Zola Help Center, When should I send out my Save the Dates & Invitations?
- WeddingWire, When to Send Wedding Invitations (Feb 2020)
- WeddingWire, When to Send Save the Dates (Aug 2021)
General information for planning, not legal or financial advice. My Wedding Plan is independent and not affiliated with the sources cited.