Wedding Blog
I just saw that the price of a first class stamp is supposed to increase by one cent to $.42, beginning May 12.Now, the RSVP date for our invitations is May 1, although the wedding date is after the increase. The most logical solution, of course, would be to use the forever liberty bell stamp.
You, liberty bell forever stamp, are just not interesting enough for my invites.
But I would really like to use some of the much more fun looking $.41 stamps. Like any of these:
Star Wars
Tiffany glass
Flowers
Do you think I should use the forever stamps on the response card envelopes, even though their design is not so cool? Or is there enough time before the postal rate hike to use the prettier, more interesting stamps?
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It’s just a stamp. I’ve been invited to many weddings and not once have I ever thought, ‘Wow, that stamp just didn’t go with the invite…what were they thinking?” Most people probably won’t even look at the stamp. I’d go with the liberty bell. If someone does notice it, maybe they’ll start humming the song from Monty Python (it’s called, “The Liberty Bell” 
That is really crappy. Well at least Canada has done it right by introducing permanent stamps. Which means that in 10 years from now they are still good. (There is a P on the stamp and no value)
Only thing is that when you purchase them they are at the current price.
stamps are stamps… no one will even notice. I mean if you want to take pictures by one nice stamps, other than that… its not a big deal. Well I find at least
I’d risk it. There should be enough time to use the stamps you really like, and hopefully everyone will send theirs back in, or add an extra 1 cent to make sure it gets back to you.
I risked it, and totally went all out on my James Stewart stamps for the RSVPs.
I have no real advice other than to say that we used the Star Wars stamps (because that was the only thing the post office supposedly had that day) and people LOVED THEM. Seriously loved them. The older people . . . not so much, but even some of them got a chuckle out of it. My friends and our parents’ friends thought they were awesome.
(Just know that some of them are odd shaped and make it look awkward on the envelope)
I sucked it up and am going with the forever stamps for our RSVPs. I can only have so much control over such things and this is one thing I just have decided isn’t worth risking or worrying about.
I’m going the Forever Stamp route for the response cards. While it’s no Yoda stamp, the Liberty Bell isn’t that bad! 
You still can put cool stamps on the outside!
I’d just go with the forever stamps. Really, no one will notice — at that point, whatever impression you were going to make with your invitations has already been made because they’ve presumably look at everything else before looking at the response envelope, right?
Also, if you are as OCD as me, you might want to know that the Tiffany stamp is from a memorial window he did — so, it’s a stamp about death. it can be found in real life at a new jersey cemetary. I, of course, found this out AFTER using it on our save-the-dates.
I had the same problem last year with the stamp increase. I just used the stamps I liked and stuck 1 cent stamps on the envelopes too. I’m tired of the post office and these increases.
I’m in the exact same boat. Late May wedding, with an RSVP date of that first week…I think the fact that the increase isn’t until May 12 is totally to our advantage! Get the stamps that you like best, and (hopefully) all of your guests will be prompt with their replies. Think about it: they’ve got about TWO weeks for a LATE reply. You’re golden.
I’m in the same boat as well…my wedding is 5.17, and my rsvp date is 5.1, so I figure by the 12th I will be calling everyone I have not heard from anyway!
My RSVP date is May 7th and I already put .26 cent postcards stamps on our Rsvp’s. I am not going to take them out of the envelopes to add a .1 cent stamp so I am going to risk it. People have 6 weeks to respond!!
We are going to use the Star Wars stamps too. FI freaked out when I told him about those…he LOVED it!
I’m all worried about the same thing! My RSVP date is April 30th…but I have to give the final count by May 13th so if anyone mails their RSVP that late then I guess it’s tough luck for them. We can’t control everything in the wedding process, especially our guests. If they wait too long, that is not your problem unless of course they show up for a free meal at the wedding…
We had the same problem with LAST year’s rate increase, and just bought little stamps (2 cents or 3?) and added them to all our reply cards just in case. Our rsvp date was closer to or after the increase though, so we really had to, but I think you’ll have enough buffer so I wouldn’t worry about it! They have almost 2 weeks after the due date to drop it in the mail, since that’s the postage date not even when you’ll receive it, so I think you’re totally fine.
Drat. I already stocked up on the flower stamps planning to use them on the RSVP envelopes. There’s no way I’ll plow through them all before the rate increase, and after the rate increase, they’re no good.
The USPS is getting a little rate change happy. Remember when they were just .29 cents? I’m doing photostamps, and our reply date is May 9th, just short of the May 12th deadline. I think I might just make the stamps 42 cents, to save myself some worry.
I totally think you should do Star Wars. I did Marvel Super Heroes for my save-the-dates, and I thought they came out great. You can always get a little 1center for a little extra security. The Forever stamps, while nice, don’t feature Mark Hamill. And let’s face it, anything with Mark Hamill is a go, adding extra stamps or not.
Our RSVP date is April 21 and we are using pretty 41 cent stamps. Even with a May 1 deadline, that is still almost two weeks before the rate change. I would use whatever stamps you want. I don’t think you need to add a one cent stamp.
Since they are supposed to RSVP by the 1st you should be fine with the $.41. If you are nervous, start calling people who have not responded on the 1st. This way you can remind people of the postage increase when you call to remind them ou have not recieved a response.
I’m with endb. No one will notice the stamps. And the forever stamps aren’t TOO bad. At least they’re not the flags.
However, people WILL notice if the rsvps are returned to them…
As an added note, the 1c stamps aren’t the prettiest stamp either.
i disagree with previous posters who said that no one will notice — they definitely do! i’ve gotten very positive comments on my custom stamps…
I gotta tell you - I’ve been invited to a lot of weddings and not once do I remember what the stamp on the envelope looked like. I’d go for the practical liberty bell.
Maybe I’m crazy… But I like the LB ones. I think the fact that they say “Forever” on a wedding RSVP is kind of romantic and sweet.
Ok…so are they changing the wedding stamps too. The ones with the hearts on them that are meant for invitations that have 1oz and 2oz stamps? Does anyone know if they are going to make those with the increased rate. Does this mean that the 2oz rate changes too? Because I really liked them and I’m going to be rather annoyed if they don’t. The mail is a mysterious beast.
I’m with Tricia! I think its adorable that they say “forever” and even if they said something totally ridiculous, I would still use them because its more important to me that the RSVPs return to me safely than if the stamp matches my envelopes.
You could always take some of your engagement pics and ZAZZLE it up!
Another vote for the Liberty Bell, b/c sometimes people take “forever” to RSVP.
They have one with just yodas on them too!!! my husband was stoked that these would be used for our thank you cards!
Stress! Stress!
I’m sending my invitations May 2, so they’ll be fine. The issue is my POSTCARD RSVPs. Those little bastards! The RSVP date is June 1st…so I’ll be sending the invites BEFORE the rate change and receiving the RSVPs potentially AFTER the rate change. I called USPS to ask when they’d be selling the new rate postcard stamps, and they said they won’t have that info until March. So if March comes ’round and I find out that they won’t be selling the new rate stamps in time, I’m figuring that I’ll buy a whole bunch of kitchy lower postages and put them all together to make 27 cents. You could do something similar–get like, 3 kitchy stamps in lower denominations? It would be more fun than the forever stamps. I also called Zazzle, and they said that they may not even have the new denomination available for order until “the first week in May,” which isn’t very helpful.
Thoughts?
We’re going to stock up on the Liberty Bell Forever stamps now even though we are getting married in 2009. We’re fortunate b/c we’re getting married in Philadelphia in a building that overlooks the Liberty Bell pavilion and Independence Hall, so it works out great for us!!
I just wanted to provide a little more info about the rate increases. A new law was passed, stating that rates will be adjusted each and every May from this point forward in order to match inflation. The law even allows them to give just 45 days notice of the rate hike, but as of now the USPS vows to give at least 90 days notice.
Also, to answer Jen, the cost of 2 oz letters will go up 3 cents, to $1.00
USPS is getting on my nerves. I was disgruntled when the price was jacked up to 41 cents and they didn’t update the incredibly cute Hershey kiss stamp, especially since I’m not digging the wedding stamps (pastels are not my thing or in my palette). That being said, I’m doing postcard RSVPs and all I can find is a panther design. I’ll probably just use that. For the response card, I wouldn’t worry about it. Just use the forever stamps. No one will probably notice.
i, for one, have never noticed a stamp. ever.
that being said, when i got to the PO for my invites, i will probably take whatever is “cute”
if they have nothing, i wont be upset.
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Ms. Dahlia, Detroit/Cleveland
Age and Occupation: 24, PhD Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, IT System Administrator
Engagement Date: December 31, 2006
Wedding Date: May 2008
Blogging Since: September 19, 2007
Venue: United Methodist Cathedral & historic downtown hotel in Cleveland
About Me: I enjoy cooking, dancing and swimming. I am a geek and apply game theory to my everyday life. Winter is my favorite time of year, especially when spent curled up with good coffee and a book by Madeleine L'Engle.
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