Here’s Why Your Wedding Invites Should Always Include a Self-Addressed, Stamped RSVP Card

It’s your best shot at getting guests to RSVP.

With the popularity of email, texting, and automatic bill paying, having postage stamps on hand is becoming less and less common. When someone needs a stamp, this scenario is common: They scourge around looking in drawers and in their wallet, and then (hopefully) mooch one off their coworker. When your guests receive your wedding invitation, make it easy for them to RSVP by having a stamp already on the card. If your address is included, too, they have no excuse not to drop the card in the mail right away. If you know your guests are still going to want a digital option, provide a link to the RSVP field of your wedding website on the note.

It’s worth the cost.

A first-class stamp for each envelope will cost you just 50 cents and these responses will then get delivered within a few days of mailing. That’s a small price to pay in the grand scheme of wedding spending. If you want to save some money, instead of enclosing a card in an envelope, go with a postcard RSVP, which cost 35 cents each to mail (for the standard-size, rectangular variety, that is).

It’s worth the effort.

Your wedding to-do list might be a mile long, but spending a few minutes stamping each envelope and penning your address is well worth the time and effort it takes. Wouldn’t you rather give guests everything they need to RSVP in a timely manner than to have to spend hours tracking down everyone’s responses later?

It’s good etiquette.

Every couple wants to take care of their guests and show how glad they are to share this important day with loved ones. Family and friends may be using vacation days or giving up part (or all) of the weekend to celebrate with you. They’re driving for hours to reach the wedding venue, paying to stay in hotels, buying you gifts—and you’re thinking of not spending 50 cents for a stamp? Many couples are concerned with following the rules of wedding etiquette—another way of saying ‘good manners’—and this is a prime example of showing yours are impeccable!

This story originally appeared on Martha Stewart Weddings.