Article about tacky Love Stamps in Boston Globe...
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US brides say post office 'love' lost in the mail
By Christopher Doering, Reuters, 10/7/2003
WASHINGTON -- When 33-year-old Nicole Oden put the final touches on nearly 100 wedding invitations in August, she never imagined the simple task would nearly force her to turn her back on love.
Together, Oden and her mate spent nearly three hours combing through the U.S. Postal Service's Web site looking for the perfect postage stamp. A last-ditch stop at their local post office turned up a stamp with the word 'love' on it, which the irritated bride said 'wasn't even close to ideal.'
This year the post office has no stamps with images or words that convey a wedding theme, although the first-class stamp that Oden eventually did use spells out the word 'love' in several colors and abstract shapes.
Oden is not alone in her frustration.
U.S. brides are growing increasingly concerned that after shelling out hundreds of dollars on invitations and sophisticated calligraphy, they can't find an appropriate stamp. They are left to use stamps many say look tacky.
'If you are a bride and you're sending out formal invitations, there really isn't any sort of stamp that is appropriate,' said Oden who officially married her husband in March before he was deployed by the U.S. Navy reserves to the Mediterranean. The couple plans to hold a formal wedding ceremony later this month.
'For a bride who has paid attention to every detail for this event for a year, it really does matter,' she said.
In the past, the Postal Service offered stamps with a love motif featuring an angel or a rose placed over a love letter.
'Your invitation sets the tone for entire event and tells the guests what to expect,' said Julie Raimondi, executive editor with The Knot Inc. , a Web site for wedding planning.
'When you go through the process (of putting together your invitations) and you put a stamp that makes it feel like you're mailing your electricity bill, you're losing something in the process,' she said.
Each year some 2.3 million couples in the United States say 'I do.' The average U.S. wedding involves 100 to 150 guests, meaning that more than 200 million invitations are mailed annually, according to The Knot.
That translates into millions of dollars in revenue for the postal service. Couples typically spend 60 cents on a stamp for the invitation and enclosures, and 37 cents for the reply envelope to be mailed back by the guest.
Postal Service officials have promised to unveil a more traditional wedding stamp soon for brides to be.
In January, the post office will begin issuing stamps designed for wedding invitations. The new postage will not explicitly say 'wedding' so that the stamps can be used for other occasions such as Valentine's Day, officials said.
'The little things count,' said Postmaster General John Potter, who has spoken with several new brides and brides-to-be about stamps. 'My concern now is that the colors that we have on the stamp may not match the colors that are going to be used by the wedding parties.'
Two of the stamps the agency will debut feature a bouquet of flowers. Another will say 'I love you' with candy hearts.
The new designs 'give people more of a choice and it would seem to better match the theme of the weddings and invitations a lot better,' said Devon Frala, who sent out 60 invitations with postage of flags and classic cars for her May wedding.
To be sure, what suits one bride may not be ideal for another. But some would like to see stamps with doves, lace or two wedding rings interlocked considered as possible choices in the future.
US brides say post office 'love' lost in the mail
By Christopher Doering, Reuters, 10/7/2003
WASHINGTON -- When 33-year-old Nicole Oden put the final touches on nearly 100 wedding invitations in August, she never imagined the simple task would nearly force her to turn her back on love.
Together, Oden and her mate spent nearly three hours combing through the U.S. Postal Service's Web site looking for the perfect postage stamp. A last-ditch stop at their local post office turned up a stamp with the word 'love' on it, which the irritated bride said 'wasn't even close to ideal.'
This year the post office has no stamps with images or words that convey a wedding theme, although the first-class stamp that Oden eventually did use spells out the word 'love' in several colors and abstract shapes.
Oden is not alone in her frustration.
U.S. brides are growing increasingly concerned that after shelling out hundreds of dollars on invitations and sophisticated calligraphy, they can't find an appropriate stamp. They are left to use stamps many say look tacky.
'If you are a bride and you're sending out formal invitations, there really isn't any sort of stamp that is appropriate,' said Oden who officially married her husband in March before he was deployed by the U.S. Navy reserves to the Mediterranean. The couple plans to hold a formal wedding ceremony later this month.
'For a bride who has paid attention to every detail for this event for a year, it really does matter,' she said.
In the past, the Postal Service offered stamps with a love motif featuring an angel or a rose placed over a love letter.
'Your invitation sets the tone for entire event and tells the guests what to expect,' said Julie Raimondi, executive editor with The Knot Inc. , a Web site for wedding planning.
'When you go through the process (of putting together your invitations) and you put a stamp that makes it feel like you're mailing your electricity bill, you're losing something in the process,' she said.
Each year some 2.3 million couples in the United States say 'I do.' The average U.S. wedding involves 100 to 150 guests, meaning that more than 200 million invitations are mailed annually, according to The Knot.
That translates into millions of dollars in revenue for the postal service. Couples typically spend 60 cents on a stamp for the invitation and enclosures, and 37 cents for the reply envelope to be mailed back by the guest.
Postal Service officials have promised to unveil a more traditional wedding stamp soon for brides to be.
In January, the post office will begin issuing stamps designed for wedding invitations. The new postage will not explicitly say 'wedding' so that the stamps can be used for other occasions such as Valentine's Day, officials said.
'The little things count,' said Postmaster General John Potter, who has spoken with several new brides and brides-to-be about stamps. 'My concern now is that the colors that we have on the stamp may not match the colors that are going to be used by the wedding parties.'
Two of the stamps the agency will debut feature a bouquet of flowers. Another will say 'I love you' with candy hearts.
The new designs 'give people more of a choice and it would seem to better match the theme of the weddings and invitations a lot better,' said Devon Frala, who sent out 60 invitations with postage of flags and classic cars for her May wedding.
To be sure, what suits one bride may not be ideal for another. But some would like to see stamps with doves, lace or two wedding rings interlocked considered as possible choices in the future.
