New Weddings stamp

The United States Postal Service will issue its second version of the Yes I Do stamp March 21 in St. Louis, Mo., and nationwide.

The first-day ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. during the St. Louis Stamp Expo at the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel, 9801 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, Mo.

The stamp is denominated 70¢ to fulfill the first-class rate for mail weighing more than 1 ounce and up to 2 ounces that went into effect Jan. 26. This rate often applies to wedding invitations sent with RSVP cards and enclosures.

The Yes I Do design originally appeared on a 66¢ stamp issued April 11, 2013 (Scott 4765).

The stamp features stylized flowers and the words “Yes I Do” from an illustration created by Michael Osborne. USPS art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

The Postal Service contracted with stamp printer Ashton Potter to produce 20 million stamps in panes of 20. It is not known if press sheets will be offered.

Technical details and first-day cancel ordering information for the new 70¢ Yes I Do stamp are included in the box on this page.

70¢ Yes I Do stamp
FIRST DAY— March 21, 2014; city— St. Louis, Mo., and nationwide.
DESIGN: artist, designer, typographer— Michael Osborne, San Francisco, Calif.; art director— Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, Md.; modeler— Joseph Sheeran.
PRINTING: process— offset with microprint “USPS”; printer and processor— Ashton Potter USA Ltd., Williamsville, N.Y.; press— Vari-size security press; inks— black, cyan, magenta, yellow; paper— nonphosphored type III, block tagged; gum— self-adhesive; issue quantity— 20 million stamps; format— pane of 20, from 180-subject cylinders; size— 1.42 inches by 0.84 inches (image); 1.56 inches by 0.98 inches (overall); 7.15 inches by 5.92 inches (full pane); plate numbers— “P” followed by four single digits; marginal markings— plate number in four corners (stamp side); “©2012 USPS,” plate position diagram, USPS logo, bar code 587600, promotional text, website information; USPS item No.— 587604.

First-day cancel ordering information
Collectors requesting first-day cancels are encouraged to purchase their own stamps and affix them to envelopes.
The first-day cover envelopes should be addressed for return (a removable label may be used), and mailed in a larger envelope addressed to Yes I Do Stamp, Retail Manager, Clayton Post Office, 7750 Maryland Ave., Clayton, MO 63105-9998. Requests for first-day cancels must be postmarked by May 21.
The Postal Service’s uncacheted first-day cover for the 70¢ Yes I Do stamp is 587616 at $1.85.