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This weekend Mr. Fro Yo and I went to the post office to send out our save the dates. I finally had an opportunity to go to the post office, and I waited diligently in line with my bag of save the dates. Screaming children ran around, but I kept a smile on my face because this was a huge step in inviting our guests, and I was so excited. Finally it was my turn. I got to the counter and happily started taking out our save the dates and informed the postal worker that I would like to have these hand canceled.
The postal worker did not have a smile on her face and flatly told me that they don’t hand cancel.
I politely asked if it was just this post office, or if it was all post offices in Austin. She said it’s all of them, and then called the next person in line. Wow.
Now I don’t think that our save the dates will get damaged per se, but the picture magnet is on the side of the stamp in the envelope and I just didn’t want them to arrive damaged in any way.
It was such a disappointment! Did any of you have struggles with the post office during the wedding process?
Maybe you can find a P.O. to do it in the suburbs? Ugh. what a pain though.
@Mrs. Mary Jane: I just let it go for the save the dates and heard that they made it to their destinations safely. Maybe that’s true, or maybe my guests are lying. Either way I’m going to have to figure out something else for the actual invitations.
That is a bit insane. I live in NJ and sent out my save the dates this past monday. I asked to hand cancel and they said SURE. The postal worker walked over to an empty window and handed me a lovely red cancel stamp. She told me to make sure I got part of the postage stamp in the cancel ink and then she walked away.
10 minutes later I handed her my invites and the stamp. What a bummer! I am so sorry to hear about your trouble.
i have never heard of hand stamping ever. here you are not going to be allowed to touch a hand stamp that is property of the postal service any ways. everything is done by a machine. i’m pretty sure most postal offices would rather use a machine then have to stand there hand stamping save the dates, or wedding invites cafeully for fear of getting yelled at that they are being to rough. know what i mean? they are just doing their job… sure it might not be the job we want but what can we do.
That’s so frustrating! I hope they don’t get smushed. 
@anvil_chick: most post offices will let you hand cancel yourself so that they can continue working with other customers. Apparently not mine.
i’ve heard that even if you do hand cancel, they will still go through some sort of machine either at the point of origin or at the destination. i highly doubt that the machine will ruin the magnets. the envelopes might not look too pretty, but who really pays attention to that?
We sent out some save the dates for an event we did at work a few months back that had real birthday candles inside that we didn’t want to break, so we had the PO hand stamp them. Strange that some will do it and some won’t.
I know post offices are very busy and I’m sure that can make it hard for the workers, but I have met some seriously grumpy postal workers. Some of them don’t seem to know what customer service is!
I’m so sorry you had such an unhappy experience…I have to say, mine was pretty disappointing too, as you enter the post office, you feel like those little pieces of papers are your babies, and you want to send them off with tender loving care, only to be stopped by a gruff postal worker that could care less! (Oh, yes, I know the feeling) - we ended up not hand-canceling (this was for our invites) and I sent one to myself to check quality/wear, and it was okay in the end. Whew!
Bummer! I had the same experience in Seattle…apparently none of the Post Offices here will hand cancel. I didn’t care about the STDs as much as the actual invites, but I didn’t hear about any being damaged. I would check some suburban or rural areas if you are really set on having the invitations hand canceled.
Woah…maybe it was THAT particular post office or maybe that employee!! I guess she was having a rough day…GEEZ!
Keep in mind there are 600,000 postal employees and some of them may be floating around on Weddingbee.
You may want to consider that for only .44 you can send a letter (or a wedding invitation) from one end of the country to another. What else can .44 get you these days?
The Postal Service has been closing offices, laying of long-time employees and cutting operating costs everywhere. Hand cancelling takes a lot of time and is not cost-effective. The employee who may have been a little gruff with you might just be more concerned about being laid-off or reducing waiting time in her office - I wouldn’t take it personally.
That’s not cool, especially after all of the work that everyone put into your STDs. I’d try to call and see if there is another post office that will hand cancel.
Argh, that stinks! I tried to visit less busy post offices during non-peak times, and was always allowed to hand cancel my envelopes myself.
Although frustrating, at least they didn’t watch you hand cancel all of your save the dates only to find out later that they put them through the nasty machine anyway. Hopefully you will have better luck with your invites 
When I mailed our save the dates I asked the lovely USPS employee for non-forever stamps. And she replied: “So, I guess your cards are too good for the forever stamp?” I was not amused.
As Michelle Tanner would say, “how rude!” I’m sure that they’ll arrive safe and sound, though.
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Mrs. Frozen Yogurt, Dallas Age and Occupation: 28, Special Projects Coordinator Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Equity Trader Engagement Date: March 19, 2009 Wedding Date: April 2010 Venue: Marie Gabrielle, Dallas About Me: I was born and raised in Texas, and have lived in several of the cities across the state, but I currently reside in Austin. I went to college in Boston and have a special place in my heart for the Northeast. I love reading, shopping, wine, reuniting with college friends that are scattered across the country, reality TV, trying out new recipes, and attempting all the DIY projects that come along with wedding planning. I'm a "bleeding heart, save the world type" and thankfully my job allows me to work on legislation and policy to help out those in need. I met Mr. Frozen Yogurt in a bar, though he doesn't even drink! And now we are planning a modern yet vintage wedding in Dallas while dealing with the trials and tribulations of first time homeownership.
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