Some Assembly Required

So the invitations went out, as some of you have already found out.  Lisa and I spent 3 nights engaged in just the post-addressing phase, so it was certainly a laborious task that has prompted some reflection.

Since we chose an invitation with an odd sized envelope, we found out that we'd have to pay a "little extra" for postage.  Our trusted public servants at our local Postal Service told us that we'd need 97 cents in postage and so Lisa spent a lot of money on stamps.  When she was at the Post Office to drop off our completed work, another employee said that we'd only needed 75 cents.  I've never been one to knock the US Postal Service, but honestly, your rates so difficult to understand that your own employees don't know what postage we need ??  

I will add a complement to the Postal Service marketing genius who created the self-adhesive stamp - a clear improvement to the old glue backed ones.  Another innovation that surely came about after May 16, 1996 (original air date of Seinfeld's 

"The Invitations" episode) but was new to me was the envelope "licker" that we purchased from Staples.  No concern of glue toxicity for us.

Finally, for the adult years that i've received my own wedding invitations, I have come to loathe the inner envelope.  Mostly on environmental grounds - trees are dying for these useless envelopes - but also on the understanding that people probably have to spend money on them. I am moderately curious as to how this tradition started - probably some sort of one-upmanship in a small town or 2 weddings competing for guests.  I decided at some point (I think it was my sister's invitation back in 2005 - no offense Anne) that I would be the person to change that wasteful tradition.  I was not.  I blame  a system stacked against me - the inner envelopes were just included in our invites, so we already had them and they frankly have practical use with their lack of glued flap - plus, I didn't want any of you to think we were being chinsey (wedding frenzy got to me)