Hand-delivering invitations vs Mailing

Stalking this because I'd like to know as well!

Hmmmm I'd also like to know....

I've had a wedding invite hand delivered to me. I honestly didn't think anything of it. Honestly, I said: oh what a pretty invite lol and didn't think anything about the mailing of it lol

Jumping on the band wagon..

WHERE'S PARIS?!?!?! SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING!!!!

I personally would not care if I got it hand delivered. If you were my friend I'd love that you came to my house and dropped by. Just not at odd hours.

My invites are simple. One invitation card, an rsvp and an envelope. I am ASSUMING it won't go over, but I am having it weighed just in case. From what I HEAR, it'll fall under an ounce which will just be the regular stamp.

I'm not positive what the official etiquette is on this, but I remember reading a post awhile ago that someone said this is how invitations use to be delivered and therefore it's acceptable and provides a personal touch. Personally, I wouldn't be offended, I just would be worried about setting it down and forgetting it if I received it during a big family gathering (I'm picturing a holiday dinner). Also, make sure you still include stamps for the response cards if you're using them so they don't have to bring it back to by hand.

I spent $118 dollars for outer envelope and reply envelope. $0.66 for outer/$0.46 for reply. Mailed 106 invitations.

I did hand deliver my next door neighbor's and I had a few friends over who are invited that took theirs with them and gave me the RSVP cards that I had to mail because my wedding planner is tracking the responses for me locally in St. Louis.

I think technically they are supposed to be mailed but that's dumb and stamps are expensive so I'm hand delivering the one's I can.

I see nothing wrong with hand delivering the ones to the people who live close to you. I wouldn't deliver the ones to those from OOT, I'd mail them. I was thinking about that too, since I don't have addresses for 90% of my guest list.

Some of our friends and family wondered why we didn't hand deliver versus mail since we lived so close. I can't quite remember how much I spent though. Maybe $150 including STDs?

If your wedding is formal - no. If it's not - do it. Just be sure to still address it like you do the others. I've read up on this and asked the most proper women I know and that's the consensus that was reached.

I hand delivered some of the STDs and will be doing the same for invites. I would have no problem if someone gave me an invite in person & i know my family would be fine with it too.

ETA: I just made sure that i marked down who i hand delivered to so they didnt end up with a 2nd one

It's formal in the sense that people will wear normal wedding attire - nice dresses/suits - but it is a rustic setting so a little more laid back and they know we aren't a cookie cutter couple. Sounds like it would be all right if I hand delivered some. Thanks everyone!

We actually had some of our guests who, when we asked for their address, told us to save on postage and just give them the invitation which we did. I think it depends on your relationship wtih the guest as well as how they feel about ettiquette or how inconvenient it would be to try to hand deliver the invitation.

From a pure etiquette standpoint, weddings invitations should be delivered in the mail. Email and hand delivery are frowned upon.

However, the strict etiquette standards that used to be associated with weddings are relaxing. Weddings have become such a huge expense, that it is quite normal to look for ways to save money.

There are lots of wedding traditions that are debated all the time as far as "is this tacky"? The bottom line is this: if whatever you're planning to do to save money isn't likely to be viewed as insulting or rude to those you're inviting to the wedding, then what difference should it make to those you aren't inviting to your wedding?

If hand delivering invitations is something that wouldn't raise an eyebrow among this group of guests, then that's fine. However, if you find yourself hesitating to personally hand the envelope to an invitee because you're suddenly embarrassed, go with your gut and put a stamp on it.

Thanks @Centerpiece. No shame here in doing it and I wouldn't expect anyone to be insulted by it. Friends of the family and OOT guests will get them mailed, but I figured close family and friends would be okay.

I would totally have hand delivered mine, but most of the people we invited are from OOT, so I just mailed them all. I do have a friend who moved to the States from France last year, and I mailed her invite. She mentioned that it is common to be hand delivered wedding invites where she is from, because she was surprised I mailed it when we see each other most weekends. I just thought it was interesting for her to say that, since I always heard it was "proper" to mail them.

I honestly don't think it matters and would be totally fine with someone hand delivering me an invite.

If they bitch, just tell them you'll gladly take the invite back

Ha. Not everything.

Traditionally invitations were hand delivered (hence the reason there's an outer and inner envelope).

"Hand delivering your wedding invitation adds a personal touch. Guests find the gesture more intimate and appreciate your extra effort in bringing the invitations yourself. Usually, the couple hand delivers invitations to members of the wedding entourage and their close friends, or if they are having a really small, intimate affair with just a handful of select guests. This way, they are able to spend time with invitees as well as make them feel special and honored for being recipients of such a personable gesture."

I'm sure the mailing rule is something the post office itself came up with.