The price per ounce for postage in 1863 was three cents. In 1958, a mere 95 years later, the cost for postage increased to four cents. In 1963, it increased to five cents. 1971, eight cents … 1974, ten cents – a $0.02 jump that created quite a stir. Fast forward almost 40 years, and we’re looking at another $0.02 increase on January 2, 2011. The cost of postage in the New Year will be $0.46, or 46 cents – a whopping 1433% increase in 148 years.
Traditionally, wedding invitations are mailed in double envelopes. The inner envelope may be lined, is not gummed, and fits into the outer envelope. The outer envelope is gummed for sealing and addressing. More recently, the inner envelope is often left out in the interest of saving money and postage.
Now, something else that should be noted here is that The United States postal service issues a love stamp each year specifically denominated to cover the double weight of the invitation and reply (a rate slightly less than the cost of two regular stamps). My personal favorite is a little gem designed by some Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, Maryland. At 61 cents, it will cover the cost of the extra weight of your wedding invitation:
So the Facebook “Events” application is kinda Neanderthal in it’s ability to send a unique invitation. As a result, you’ve decided to send your cleverly designed and well made wedding invitations to all 972 of your Facebook friends. Don’t worry, the cost of postage will only set you back $592 dollars or so.
Now, let’s talk about dead mail. Those sad little envelopes that never get to the intended recipient and for some reason can’t make their way back to you? That’s called dead mail – it goes above and beyond just the regular tragedy of “Return to Sender”. You sent an invitation to your über-rich second-cousin-in-law that lives in Rhode Island because you knew she’d 1) be hurt if she wasn’t invited and 2) send you a large large LARGE and pricey present. But she never received the invitation. And you never got it back in the mail. It wound up in the dead letter office, a facility that houses the 100+ million letters that are undeliverable as addressed. The 61 cents you spent on that double enveloped piece of artwork you called an invitation is down the drain. Officially.
A better choice is OBVIOUSLY to save yourself the cost of postage, not to mention the hassle of addressing each envelope by hand (in your best penmanship, I might add). Why not create a slick and savvy electronic invitation? Send out the link in any way you see fit: Post it on your blog, put it as your status, tweet it for crying out loud – but let your friends know just how good looking your spouse-to-be really is. Your wallet (or your daddy’s wallet as the case may be) will thank you, and you can stash the cash in your nest egg fund to begin your new life.
