October 2012 Weddings

Um, Almost Shed Some Tears at the Post Office

So, I was excited to head to the post office today and get my invitation weighed and buy my postage. I figured my invitation would be $0.45 because it has very little in it. MAN WAS I WRONG!

My invitation has a raffia bow tied around it. That bow (that mother freakin' bow) made my invitation a "package". So instead of $0.45 per invitation it is $1.95 per invitation. I can't believe that a stupid tiny bow could add $1.50 to my postage!

That would put us at around $200+ for postage. There is no freakin' way. So I have my Mom coming over tonight for an emergency "fix our invitations" party. We'll have to untie all the bows, unravel them to make them flat and turn them in to some kind of belly band. Without the bow, the postage goes back down to $0.45.

Then, the lady also told me that I needed to put my return address on the front of the envelope or risk having it delivered back to us. ???? I have been putting return addresses on the back of envelopes forever and never had that problem (including our STDs). She said that the automated machine could send it back to us instead of to the "to" address. Well, I already have our return address on all 92 invitations. I guess we'll have to risk it.

I have so much work to do now . . . and I thought I was almost done with invitations!
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Re: Um, Almost Shed Some Tears at the Post Office

  • I am SO sorry to hear that! That does not sound like a good start of the day! I can't believe that added THAT much! For my STD's I had a heavy string but it only made it 64 cents per invitation. I can't imagine a ribbon making it $1.50 more! I hope everything works out for you and that you will still be happy after re-doing them!
  • What a bummer! I'm with you though, there's no way I'd be adding 1.50 per invitation cost! That's really weird about the return address. I've been doing that for a while now and I've never had a letter sent back to me. Going to the post office is never a fun trip!
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  • That really stinks.  I would be careful putting anything on the outside of the envelop though.  It could easily come off or they my still get you for having the hand-cancel the invites.  Also, I have never heard about the whole return address on the front thing.  I have done both and never had a problem.
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_october-2012-weddings_um-almost-shed-some-tears-at-the-post-office?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:56b9bcef-1e34-456e-81f5-cfaa107456b2Discussion:32afed9d-d529-4464-a2db-cc0927149404Post:4f95efe8-dcee-469e-95dd-f94d0e8a0fa6">Re:Um, Almost Shed Some Tears at the Post Office</a>:
    [QUOTE]That's really weird about the return address. I've been doing that for a while now and I've never had a letter sent back to me. Posted by Bryan&AmyC[/QUOTE]

    I knew I couldn't be the only one lol. My Mom said she does it too.
    172 Invited. image
    130 Accepted. image
    42 Declined. image
    0 Can't find the mailbox. imageWedding Countdown Ticker




  • The bow is around the invitation on the inside like above. That's how small the bow is.
    172 Invited. image
    130 Accepted. image
    42 Declined. image
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  • That is SO odd to me that it came to $1.95! I still can't get OVER that for you!
  • I knew that could happen about the bow, but didn't realize it could be that small.  Good thing you hadn't sealed them yet!

    Never heard of the return address thing.

  • We have a similar bow, raffia also, and ours is going to be 85 cents... I wonder what makes yours more!
  • Hold on a sec....The bow is INSIDE the envelope?  I thought it was on the outside so they were charging you extra.  If this is the case, take it to another post office and say nothing about a bow.  I sent out several Christmas cards last year with HUGE bows on them and they were fine.  The clerk is lying to you.

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  • That's so weird! And what a pain! :( Ugh. Hope your day gets better!
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  • Did they see what your invite looked like when they told you $1.95?  If you just put it all in the envelope and had them weigh the envelope, then how would they know there was a ribbon inside.  And, why would they call that a package???  When I took our invite to the post office, I put everything inside the envelope and they weighed it.  She never asked to see the contents of the envelope.

    Also, I've NEVER heard of having problems with the return on the back of the envelope.  I plan on doing this, have done it before, and have received things with the return on the back without a problem.

    I think the person at the post office is crazy and that you should try a different one!
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  • I've never heard that about the return address.  I really hope it itsn't true, because mine are also on the back of the envelope.  In fact, I got the matching envelopes from VP that preprinted the return address on them, so I don't see how that could be true.  As PP said, I would try taking them to a different post office and see what they say.
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  • Yeah mine has a bow on the inside...It was $.85 for mine because the bow makes a bump. I would take it to another post office to be sure.
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  • I'm sorry to hear that!
    I'm with everyone else on this one, My bridal shower invites were card stock and have a pretty thick bow around them! Maybe the person had no clue what they were doing. . . try taking it somewhere else, FedEX or another post office.
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  • I had everything in the envelope when she first did it (and didn't mention the bow). She weighed it and slid it through this little slot thing. It fit through the slot but caught on it. She said that the extra charge was because the envelope wasn't flat (the bow makes a lump in the middle of the envelope).  She said that could make it catch on their machine.

    That's when I told her that there was a bow in it, but I didn't understand how just that little bow could make that much of a difference. I'm still in shock and still don't understand.

    I sort of got an attitude (and I apologized to her for it, but just told her I was upset). So, she had another employee come over and do the same thing and the other employee agreed with her.

    The other employee also agreed with her on the return address thing, but I am NOT changing that too! It's all ridiculous.
    172 Invited. image
    130 Accepted. image
    42 Declined. image
    0 Can't find the mailbox. imageWedding Countdown Ticker
  • I am doing vintage stamps and am paranoid that things aren't going to go through and I am going to have all my lovely envelopes sent back to me wasted and leaving me at square one.

    RE the return address or any other issues, I think it is smart to mail one to yourself before sealing them up and adding postage.  I plan to do that.

  • I've never had a problem with return addresses being on the back. I sent my invitations out on Monday and people started getting them today. I can see about the bump causing extra postage but there's no way the address thing is legit.
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_october-2012-weddings_um-almost-shed-some-tears-at-the-post-office?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:56b9bcef-1e34-456e-81f5-cfaa107456b2Discussion:32afed9d-d529-4464-a2db-cc0927149404Post:087de694-e7ac-4c16-8067-211f09a49eab">Re: Um, Almost Shed Some Tears at the Post Office</a>:
    [QUOTE]I had everything in the envelope when she first did it (and didn't mention the bow). She weighed it and slid it through this little slot thing. It fit through the slot but caught on it. She said that the extra charge was because the envelope wasn't flat (the bow makes a lump in the middle of the envelope).  She said that could make it catch on their machine. That's when I told her that there was a bow in it, but I didn't understand how just that little bow could make that much of a difference. I'm still in shock and still don't understand. I sort of got an attitude (and I apologized to her for it, but just told her I was upset). So, she had another employee come over and do the same thing and the other employee agreed with her. The other employee also agreed with her on the return address thing, but I am NOT changing that too! It's all ridiculous.
    Posted by ktelizabeth86[/QUOTE]

    I still think you should try another post office from what pp have said about their past invites/cards.  Also, I know it may not look as nice, but since it's a papery bow, would it be worth maybe trying to flatten the knot before taking them there?  Maybe try putting a book on it to see if it lessens the knot protruding...I don't think that would ruin the look of it.
    Bummer!

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  • You should be able to put the return address on the back of the envelope with no issue. I did on all 127 of my invitations. The woman at the post office told me they either need to be 1. On the front of the envelope in the traditional spot, or 2. On the back flap of the envelope. She said she has encountered people who have tried to place them in weird spaces on the front of the enevelope and they are not mail-able this way.

    As for your postage issue...holy cow! I never would have guessed a tiny bow could add that much to postage!
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  • I would definitely go to a diiferent post office. I don't see why your invitation should cost any more that 85 cents to mail. I even asked my mail lady that was just here at work and she says try other post office, that one might just have new or stubborn employees. Also, have them hand cancel your invites (no charge) and then the "machine" won't mess them up at all.
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  • Wow! I thought you meant that the bow was on the outside of the envelope, too! Now this makes me really worry about my plan to tie a bow of twine around my invites. YIKES! That does seem pretty ridiculous...
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  • I found another place down the road, and I am going to go get a "second opinion" after work!!! Thanks ladies!
    172 Invited. image
    130 Accepted. image
    42 Declined. image
    0 Can't find the mailbox. imageWedding Countdown Ticker
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_october-2012-weddings_um-almost-shed-some-tears-at-the-post-office?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:56b9bcef-1e34-456e-81f5-cfaa107456b2Discussion:32afed9d-d529-4464-a2db-cc0927149404Post:cd37f978-9a38-4263-be4b-83664ff5f85c">Re: Um, Almost Shed Some Tears at the Post Office</a>:
    [QUOTE]I found another place down the road, and I am going to go get a "second opinion" after work!!! Thanks ladies!
    Posted by ktelizabeth86[/QUOTE]

    Definitely do this! Let us know how that goes!
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  • Exactly this. I mail cards with bows all the time...I'm a former cheerleader and I seek things with bows out! Never any extra postage. I agree with Cathy, try another post office, don't mention the bow. If they say 0.85, mail it from that one.
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  • Wow, sounds like that postal worker was just being an a** to you.  People put their return address on the back all the time.  If it were my FI in there sending them he would have told them off about it, probably get kicked out, lol.  Good luck!
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  • I hope you found better postage. 

    Thank you for sharing the part about the return address on the back...
    We just sent our seal and send wedding invites out on Monday (with our return address printed on the back of the envelope).  By Tuesday morning, we had 2 in our mailbox!
    At first, I thought they were returned for some reason or another, but there was nothing noted on the envelope.  Now, after reading your post, I think they were just mailed to us in error!

    I know some of the guests did get their invites today as well, so I'm hoping that these are the only two that the machine read wrong and mailed to us.  I will ask at the post office to see if that was why they were sent to us. 
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