As spring blooms into summer, it is wedding planning season, and couples nationwide are finalising guest lists, selecting elegant invitations and carefully budgeting every detail. Yet there is a subtle but critically important factor that is almost always ignored, and we notice it when, well, the USPS postage has to be paid. On July 13, 2025, the figure of First-Class Forever stamp rate regarding the United States Postal Service (USPS) got raised from $0.73 to $0.78, which could put a little unexpected pressure on your wedding stationery budget as well.

Five cents may not sound like a lot—until you multiply it by the number of guests, along with wedding cards and RSVP enclosures, and suddenly that’s hundreds of dollars in postage alone. We walk through what this hike will look like for the brides and grooms of the soon-to-be-married affectionately, and how to budget smartly in response to these new prices.

Running the Numbers on New USPS Postage Rate

Most Wedding Invitation Suites Include

• An outer envelope
• The wedding invitation card
• One or more insert cards (for directions, accommodation, etc.)
• An RSVP card with a pre-stamped return envelope or postcard

“Typically, you will need two stamps per guest — one for the invitation and one for the RSVP return,” shares Le’Trice Penn, owner of Lepenn Designs.

Let’s Do the Math:

• 1 guest = $1.56 worth of stamps ($0.78 each x 2)
• 150 guests — $234 in stamps alone

That is, if your invitation suite is less than an ounce. 40-pound max: It’s even lower for many suites, especially ones with luxe embellishments — it may require additional postage and quickly.

When Standard Postage Isn’t Enough

USPS postage rates are based on the weight, shape, thickness (nonmachinability), and machinability of your mail piece. Given that most wedding invitations do not fit the standard-sized rectangular envelope and still weigh less than an ounce, they will require a Forever stamp of 78 cents or higher.

Things That Might Add to Your Postage Costs

Weight Over One Ounce

• Weekend itineraries, envelope liners, and thick cardstock inserts all add weight.
• First-class stamps went from $0.49 to $0.50, and the rate for each additional ounce increased to as much as $0.29, up from a previous price of $.028

Unusual Shapes or Sizes

• Square envelopes or other odd shapes are classified as “non-machinable” and charge a $0.44 surcharge.
• USPS requires this to be manually sorted, which is more expensive.

Decorative Embellishments

• Wax seals, ribbons, metallic accents, buttons, or layered details may trigger hand-sorting fees.
• These design elements also increase the chance your envelope gets damaged in USPS machinery, so you might need to request hand-canceling (an extra cost and trip to the post office).

How to Navigate the New USPS Postage Rates Without Wrecking Your Budget

Consider Wedding Invitations an Investment. These are the first thing your guests will see of your party, so. But it certainly does not mean you cannot be strategic about everything. Smart Tips to Keep You Safe from Over-Exceeding Your Budget:

Send a Full Invite to the Permit Office

Put together a complete invitation suite and get it weighed and measured by the post office before you order your stamps. How else could you be sure that the postal rate is precise?

Simplify Your Invitation Design

• Stick to lighter-weight paper and reduce the size of your layouts to one ounce.
• Only insert the essentials or the most important ones.

Use Postcard RSVPs

• Postcard stamps now cost $0.61, compared to $0.78 for an envelope.
• You save 17 cents per guest, which adds up quickly with a large guest list.

Go Digital for RSVPs

• Gather RSVPs on your wedding website
• This eliminates the cost of return postage entirely and streamlines your guest tracking.

Consider USPS “Wedding” Stamps

• The Two-Ounce Wedding Stamps through the USPS are lovely and currently priced to handle invitations for heavier suites in one fell swoop.
• These commemorative stamps generally come in themes that work well for weddings and can be less expensive than using multiple Forever stamps.

Buy Forever Stamps Early

• Forever stamps fix your price today for tomorrow, should prices increase again prior to mailing your invitation.
• If you have a wedding date that is months away or even over a year away, it makes sense financially to purchase early.

USPS Postage: The Sneaky Line Item in Your Wedding Budget

Let’s put this into perspective. According to national wedding statistics:

• The average couple has 100 to 150 invitation documents
• Invitation printing average base price: $300 – $600
• Instead, postage costs now tack on $1.56-PLUS per suite for a total of $234–$350+

Those costs could easily double, or if you go fancy with the other extras (wax seals, non-machinable envelopes), then probably triple and quadruple. And believe it or not, this is one expense that comes before the wedding even starts (as opposed to catering or florals).

Last Words: Spend Wisely, Mail Nicely

Your wedding invitations are so much more than just paper they’re a tangible preview of the beauty and joy to come. However, during this time of growing USPS postage prices, there is something to be said for half inspiration and half practicality when you consider your own invitation suite. Thankfully, with some forethought and great design choices, you can still deliver beautiful invites without dumbing down your budget.

With a solid understanding of the effects from the upcoming USPS postage hike in July of 2025, some well-suited advanced preemptive planning against any potential surcharges that could befall your wedding, and dollars-off measures like digital RSVPs or postcards over $100+ cards (which is apparently possible via thriving Etsy artisans), you can masterfully balance between form over function vs cost.