There are some couples for whom sending out printed invitations is a necessary burden (even a few who opt not to at all).
There are some couples that can find the perfect pre-designed invitation (like our Humble Beginnings line).
Then there are some couples who need to have a custom made invitation to tie in perfectly with their wedding.

And then…
Then there are the couples who will analyze every last bit of minutiae, choosing only those details that best express their style.

We love these couples.

It’s these couples who opt, almost without fail, to hand-cancel their wedding invitation stamps. Of course they’re using stamps – custom or vintage, new if the design just happens to be a perfect match.

In theory, hand-cancelled postage means the inkjet spray that plagues the postage of most letters is replaced by a hand-applied rubber stamp displaying the date and location of the invitation’s origin. Hand-cancelled postage is the perfect finishing touch to a well-considered wedding invitation. The thing is, getting your postage hand-cancelled is not always a fairytale.

Where’s Waldo?

The first challenge is finding a post office that will hand-cancel to begin with. You may have noticed that post offices aren’t always the friendliest places in the world. You may find that your local postal employee is just not familiar with the concept of hand-cancelling. It’s one practiced by us crazy wedding folks and the fine philatelics (stamp collectors).

If your postal employee isn’t familiar with the process (or is unwilling to assist), your best bet is to try another post office. Trying to educate a postal employee on postal regulations is likely to go over just like you think it would.

A Double Tap to the Top

Your next hurdle is the dreaded double-cancel. It’s possible that your invitations will take a trip through the inkjet monster even if they have been hand-cancelled. Ways to try to avoid this include:

• Asking that your invitations be dropped in the metered mail bin.
• Paying the non-machinable fee for each invitation.
• Taking your invitations to your nearest Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC). We’re in a city of a quarter-million people and don’t have one. The nearest one is about 45 minutes away. Your invitations would go from your local post office through this facility. Dropping them off here reduces risk of someone putting them through the inkjet monster.

Other Options

You may want to consider applying for your own Mailer’s Postmark Permit (MPP). It allows you to stamp the cancellation mark yourself and gets your invitations closer to your guests when they leave your hands.

If you’re getting custom-made invitations, your stationer may offer this service. We love taking care of hand-cancelled mail for our couples. The one caveat is that your invitations will carry the postmark of your stationer’s location. In our case, your invitations would be postmarked from Tampa Florida.

Is It Worth It?

I think it is, but I’ve got skin in the game. You’ll have to decide for yourself.

If you do opt for hand-cancelled mail, know that digitally-printed markings may still wind up on your invitations. The only way to avoid these completely is to hand-deliver them.

Of course, that’s a pretty cool option, too!