Stationery

Dealing with USPS – Hand-Cancel the Invitations

The assumption is that avoiding the machine and canceling by hand results in a gentler handling of your precious invitations.

How to Hand-Cancel Your Wedding Invitations

If you’re considering hand-canceling your wedding invitations, be prepared for a multi-step process that may involve asking for a favor from your post office (hand-canceled mail may not be something they do often!). 

Choose a Slower Time of Day to Visit the Post Office

There are certain days and times that are more conducive to assisting with higher volumes of mail and hands-on customer service. The employees will certainly appreciate you honoring their slower times of day to handle your request. Not sure the best time to drop by? Call ahead!

Bring a Complete Invitation Set With You to Weigh and Measure

While hand-canceling mail does not incur an additional charge on its own, you don’t want to end up surprised when your lavish invitation suite costs twice the postage you expected. The easiest way to avoid that is to measure an invitation at the post office and get the exact final tally. Once your suites are assembled, bring one complete set to the post office during an off-peak window to have it weighed and measured for accurate postage.

Ask About the Hand-Canceling Process (and Be Polite!)

Explain to the post office employee that you’re mailing wedding invitations and have questions about both the postage required and whether or not they need to be hand-canceled. They’ll appreciate your proactive approach to mailing your invitations correctly, which takes the burden off of them in the case that special attention (or additional postage!) is needed.

Be Prepared to Be Flexible—Or Push Back

Because USPS hand-canceled mail isn’t common, there may not be a standard process at the post office. Some will be willing to do it, while others will pass it back to you. And, still others might refuse to do it at all. This is where you’ll have to exercise flexibility, but also be willing to push back when told that hand-canceling isn’t possible.

Some clerks will do it for you, but be cautious; some clerks may also tell you they don’t hand-cancel anymore; this is not true. You can always request to speak to the manager or try another post office!

Expect That They Still May Not Be Perfect

Even after hand-canceling, you have to be okay with some invitations arriving less than perfect. Hand-canceling does not mean your invitations will avoid all contact with sorting machines. They will be processed through outgoing and incoming facilities with varying technology and a high volume of other mail. They will be transported in large bins and in overstuffed mail sacks through rain, wind… you get it!

Hand-Canceling FAQs & Etiquette

Do Wedding Invitations Have to Be Hand-Canceled?

Wedding invitations do not have to be hand-canceled, but some couples choose to do so to make sure their invitations look crisp and perfect upon arrival. I highly recommend hand-canceling your invitations to prevent potential damage from automated sorting machines, particularly when your suites include delicate details such as wax seals, ribbon or handmade envelopes. But if your local post office is resistant to hand-cancelling (which they might be, especially at a busy location!), a secondary outer envelope in your wedding invitation suite can also provide protection.

Is There a Charge to Hand-Cancel Wedding Invitations?

Hand-canceled invitations should not have an additional cost to send when sent through USPS. However, it’s important to consider that while hand-canceling does not require extra postage, some specialty invites can run into the issue of being non-machineable—and that does come with an extra charge, which you’ll want to build into your wedding invitation postage budget.

An invite that is non-machineable is too big or thick to run through a machine (just as the name would imply). That means it will cost more to send because it has to be processed manually. Always have your invitations weighed and measured for length, width and thickness.

Does Hand-Canceled Mail Take Longer?

Delivery times for hand-canceled invitations shouldn’t take longer than standard mail, but should isn’t always a promise. Always assume that anything that deviates from the norm could take longer, and build that into your invitation timeline and RSVP deadline. Depending on how each post office processes its mail, hand-cancelled pieces may experience a slight delay due to the additional handling required. To be safe, it’s best to allow an additional week for delivery when sending hand-cancelled mail.

Should I Hand-Cancel Save-the-Dates?

Because most save-the-dates are a simple flat card, similar to a postcard, they can be sent through standard mail without hand-canceling. If save-the-dates include delicate embellishments, are crafted from specialty materials such as leather or textiles, or fall outside standard envelope dimensions, I recommend hand-cancelling.