In Case of Emergency! What to Do If You Forget to Affix a Stamp on Your RSVP Card?

2020.04.05 published

I received a consultation from a friend.

Recently, I received a consultation from a friend who is around 25, more than 5 years younger than me, who is about to get married.

"Um, Haruno-san.

I'm really careless, and it seems like I forgot to put a stamp on the reply postcard included in the wedding invitation.

I noticed it when I saw the reply postcard that came back from a friend and realized it was different from what I had prepared...

It seems that my friend noticed it and took the initiative to put a stamp and send it back to me.

Forgetting to put a stamp on the wedding reply postcard and making the guest bear that burden is the worst, right?! What should I do...!"

she said.

Furthermore, she mentioned,

"I looked it up on the internet and found that in case I forgot to put a stamp on the reply postcard, I should apologize and return the stamp to the person!"

But she is unsure if that response is really good.

At that moment, several women around my age were gathered, and they commented,

"Give a stamp!? A 63 yen one!? No way, no way! I don't use stamps and I don't have any at home, so maybe they had to go out of their way to buy it from a convenience store or post office, and to add more stamps to their inventory would be troublesome!"

they said with disapproval.

@haruno45

So, what should be done?

From her perspective,

"Even if they say it's outrageous or something, there is no correct answer, to begin with. Forgetting to put a stamp on the reply postcard is such a rare mistake that it's not in any manual.

I want to know how to handle situations like that. It's difficult to just take the information from the internet at face value and think for myself."

But what would you do...??????

In this article, I'll introduce the ideas that we adults came up with, saying "How about doing this??" or "I might do this."

@haruno45

① Contact immediately

First, the moment you realize it, it's best to contact them and apologize.

If it's a casual friend, it's okay to send a message on LINE: "I received the reply postcard! Thank you! I'm really embarrassed, but did you happen to put a stamp on it...? Did I forget to put a stamp...? I'm really sorry!!!! I apologize for the trouble I caused you....!!!"

You can also consider sending a gift (like a Starbucks ticket) via LINE as an apology.

If unfortunately the guest is not a casual friend, it's best to call as soon as possible or apologize directly if it's a workplace relation.

In the case of family, it might be better for parents to apologize on your behalf.

② Bring a gift or treat them when you meet next time

When apologizing, it might help to treat them to lunch or cover coffee costs, as it could slightly alleviate any negative feelings if the other person thinks "That's really rude."

Or you might prepare a small gift worth around 1000 yen...?

Spending 3000 yen on a box of treats might feel excessive, and at the same time, receiving something worth around 300 yen might feel a bit off, so it’s essential to find the right budget.

The last time we were discussing this,

"I would probably buy some macarons from Ladurée, maybe around 4 in a small box...?"

"With a Starbucks card, you can get a drink for 500 yen, which is nice and neat. Although, given that drinks are more expensive these days, I might appreciate receiving 600 yen worth more, haha!"

"I would choose some snacks, food, or seasoning worth within 1000 yen. Something consumable."

We shared opinions like this.

This idea of bringing a gift or treating to lunch as an apology seems suitable for casual relationships. However, when it comes to relatives or workplace relationships, giving something that's only a few hundred yen might feel challenging.

Nonetheless, writing an excessively formal apology letter might feel too heavy, so depending on the relationship, simply apologizing directly might be the best option.

We concluded this discussion recently, but what do you think?

Depending on one's character and the relationship with the other person, there might be cases where bringing a 3000 yen (or more) gift is appropriate, or it might be better for both parents to go and apologize.

Overall, forgetting to put a stamp isn’t a crime; it’s just a blunder, so I want to maintain the mindset of, "Well, let’s overlook it a bit for each other~~."

That’s how I felt.

(Of course, still paying close attention to details.)

What would you do???

If.

You forgot to put a stamp on the wedding invitation reply postcard.

How would you respond when you realized it???

While the stamp price is merely 63 yen, it seems this issue could incur a cost of worry that exceeds that amount.

Although of course, I want to avoid forgetting the stamps in the first place, even if I fall short, I believe I need to constantly hone my ability to think independently and communicate to recover from such situations...!

@haruno45

(Everyone, it's not good to take information from the internet at face value! This is a message from the internet!)