Couples budget the paper and forget that every invitation is really two mailings β the one going out and the reply envelope coming back.
At $0.78 each, 180 invitations with reply cards is $280.80 before anything is weighed. Not ruinous, but it belongs on the spreadsheet rather than arriving as a surprise at the counter.
The price is fixed, which is useful
Forever stamps hold at $0.78 through July 2026. That is a real planning advantage: you can buy all the postage now at a known figure.
| Stamp | Price | Held through July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Forever | $0.78 | Yes |
| Additional ounce | $0.29 | Yes |
| Reply envelope, if separate | $0.78 | Yes |
Best deals on Forever stamps
Designs couples keep choosing
The USPS 2026 preview includes some bold releases, but wedding mail keeps returning to the florals.
| Stamp | Character | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Wedding Roses | Soft blush petals, elegant script | Traditional and garden weddings |
| Vintage Rose | Muted, engraved, like older correspondence | Rustic, vintage, boho |
| Wedding Blooms, two-ounce | Delicate watercolour branches | Spring and minimalist themes β and it covers the heavier suite |
| Made of Hearts | Dense florals in soft tones | Floral-themed weddings |
| Celebration Bloom | Light, poetic watercolour | Spring, understated designs |
The two-ounce entry is worth noting: it solves the weight problem and the design problem in one stamp, rather than requiring a second Forever stamp that overpays by a good margin.
Where not to buy
Offers of 50% off with free shipping and "authentic USPS stamps" in the description are counterfeit. The risk is specific here: fake postage on wedding invitations means a portion of your guest list simply never learns about the wedding, and you find out from the people who did receive theirs.
One couple reprinted and re-sent an entire mailing after roughly half the invitations failed to arrive. Buy from the official store or a verified surplus seller whose provenance you can check, and treat the discount ceiling as 25%.
Four checks before you stamp 180 envelopes
- Weigh a complete assembled suite. Heavy stock plus inserts crosses one ounce more often than not.
- Match the reply envelope. Same design family β it reads as deliberate rather than leftover.
- Mail one to yourself first. You learn the transit time and see exactly how it arrives.
- Ask for hand-cancelling if the envelope is delicate or sealed, so it is postmarked rather than run through the machine.
What else the stamps get used for
Buying slightly over covers save-the-dates, thank-you notes and guest book pages, and leftover designs end up framed or used in table decor often enough to justify the overage.
Where to buy
The USPS official store for current wedding issues and the two-ounce rate, or a verified surplus channel such as Forever Stamp Center for reply and thank-you postage in quantity.
The short version
Count both directions when you budget, buy while the rate is fixed, use a two-ounce stamp rather than two Forever stamps on a heavy suite, and test-mail one to yourself before committing 180 envelopes.
More on buying Forever stamps
- π Veterans Holiday Stamps: What Is Veterans Day?
- π USPS Holiday Stamps: A Handmade Seller's Secret Weapon
- π Forty Trays Seized: Acceptance Letters That Never Arrived
Stamp enthusiast and partβtime columnist based in Los Angeles. With a background in office administration and a personal passion for collecting Forever Stamps, she provides readers with practical tips on buying, storing, and using stamps effectively.
