Interested in the 2019 USPS forever stamp lineup? Details are here!

On November 20th, USPS issued a press release detailing the 2019 Forever Stamp Lineup. Here are five sets that I’m particularly excited about, and why.

All images sourced from the United States Postal Service.

Wild and Scenic Rivers

What they are: “This issuance celebrates Wild and Scenic Rivers — exceptional American streams that run freely through natural landscapes without man-made alterations. The pane of a dozen different designs features photographs that represent the more than 200 rivers or river segments designated within the Wild and Scenic Rivers System.” - USPS

Why I love them: I do SO many nature-themed wedding sets for brides. I always love being able to pull in an at-price current stamp that helps to tie in vintage ones. I’m particularly excited about this set because it features 12 stamps that are ALL gorgeous in their own right. Bravo, USPS on pulling some beautiful images across the sheet. (clapping emoji hands here)

Walt Whitman

What they are: “With this stamp, the 32nd in the Literary Arts series, the Postal Service honors poet Walt Whitman (1819–1892) on the bicentennial of his birth. The stamp features a portrait of Whitman based on a photograph taken by Frank Pearsall in 1869. In the background, a hermit thrush sitting on the branch of a lilac bush recalls “When Lilacs Last in the Door-yard Bloom'd,” an elegy for President Abraham Lincoln written by Whitman soon after Lincoln's assassination on April 14, 1865.” - USPS

Why I love them: First, this is a 3-ounce stamp (currently worth $0.92, though rates are scheduled to go up early in 2019), which is awesome because with everyone getting super creative with their mailings/wedding suites (read: lots of inserts, wax seals, etc.) I am running out of ways to get more and more postage on heavy/irregular sized envelopes. Second, the GORGEOUS lavender hue will pair so nicely with so many existing vintage stamps — I’m excited to have more violets in my lineups!

Frogs

What they are: “In 2019, the Postal Service issues Frogs, four new stamps in a booklet of 20, featuring digital illustrations of four North American frogs: the Pacific tree frog, the northern leopard frog, the American green tree frog and the squirrel tree frog.” - USPS

Why I love them: Say what you will about amphibians, these bright green stamps will add such a fun pop to your correspondence. With an extensive vintage hoard of green stamps, the sky is the limit on pairing these with some gorgeous green hues. I can’t wait to pair these with some of those vintage low-value greens that I love using so much.

California Dogface Butterfly

What they are: “The California dogface graces the seventh non-machineable butterfly stamp for use on irregularly sized envelopes, such as square greeting cards, invitations or announcements.” - USPS

Why I love them: I’m all about the butterfly stamps. This will mean that eventually those beautiful blue butterflies will go away (OMG, please no!), but it’s time for something new, and these open up some new possibilities with different color schemes… pinks, yellows, oranges… I’m loving the idea of shifting away from a heavy blue phase. Though, I still love the idea of having a little something old and blue on the outside of a wedding invitation.

Coral Reefs

What they are: “Four new postcard stamps celebrate the beauty and wonder of coral reefs. Each stamp depicts a type of stony coral, along with associated reef fish, in a highly stylized manner: elkhorn coral, shown with two French angelfish; brain coral, with a spotted moray eel; staghorn coral, with bluestriped grunts; pillar coral, with a coney grouper and neon gobies.” - USPS

Why I love them: OK, so these might be a little too bright for most of my brides, but the more I look at these, the most I love them. These are postcard stamps, so they are currently worth $0.35. I feel like there are some fun tropical weddings that could pull these into some fun response envelope designs. Thoughts?