You know those stunning wedding stationery suites you see on Pinterest that feel so colorful, creative, and original? They all likely have one thing in common: an envelope chock-full of an eclectic array of vintage stamps. Vintage stamps are a huge trend in wedding stationery lately, and they truly do take your wedding invitations from humdrum to holy-wow. Today, then, we’re breaking down this super swoon-worthy trend. Read on—and get ready to upgrade your stationery game to straight stunning. 

Why Vintage Stamps?

For the most part, snail-mail is a thing of the past—which is why wedding invitations are even more special and celebrated these days. There’s now a whole new level of nostalgia attached to receiving something beautiful that isn’t a bill (or total junk) in your physical mailbox.

"We've been curating collections of vintage postage since we started our business and it's still one of our favorite details. The best feedback we received was that a bride's guest called her to say that she felt like she was being invited to a queen's wedding when they received the beautifully stamped invitation in the mail." 

Vintage stamps add to this experience for your guests, creating an aesthetic that feels regal and worthy of their time from the moment they lay eyes on that dreamy envelope. 

The Importance of the Envelope

Your wedding invitation envelope is literally a guest’s first impression of your wedding. Before they dive into your stationery suite, the first thing they’ll see is the outside of that envelope. You want your invitation to create a cohesive, aesthetically-appealing experience for your guests from the outside in—every aspect of your suite should give guests a taste of the style of the affair they’ll attend. Plus, vintage stamps just tend to look better on a wedding envelope—stunning stationery and show-stopping calligraphy deserve stamps that are as stylish as they are. Vintage stamps take something obligatory (postage, ya gotta have it) and turn it into a piece of art in and of itself. 

Sourcing Vintage Stamps

Sourcing vintage stamps can be pretty tricky, as good ones can be hard to find. Plus, vintage stamps represent much smaller amounts than the modern-day 49-cent stamp. To get the right amount of postage required, you'll need a solid amount of vintage stamps for each envelope. You’ll need to work backwards to achieve this—you have to start with the amount of postage you need for each envelope and then curate a collection that gets you to the dollar-amount you need and looks good doing it. We recommend working with a pro like Underwood Press to source a collection of vintage stamps for your envelopes (check out the stunning stamp collections she's sourced). A stationery pro will be able to curate cohesive, creative, colorful collections for each envelope that work with your color scheme and invitation aesthetic.

Overall, vintage stamps are such a fun, creative way to step up your wedding invitation game and set the stage for the unforgettable experience your guests can expect from your Big Day. Never underestimate the power of pretty postage!

Hero Photo Courtesy of Underwood Press