Wedding Thank You Note Tips and Tricks
Advice for Writing Personalized Gift Thank You Notes
Sep 10, 2009
Beyond thanking wedding guests for their thoughtful and generous gifts, thank you notes are a way of showing appreciation for the impact family and friends have had on a very special day. Thank you notes aren't anyone's favorite part of the getting married,but they're important nonetheless. Read on for little-known tips and tricks to help make the wedding thank you notes a breeze.
Addressing the Thank You Note Envelope
When it comes time to decide on thank you note cards and stationary, it's worth taking a moment to consider how the envelopes will be addressed. Etiquette prefers handwritten envelopes over any other option for a personal touch, but this can be impractical, time-consuming, and downright painful for the bride and groom's hands. There are alternatives to addressing the envelopes by hand:
Mailing Labels – Print mailing labels with each guest's address on a personal computer, or have the same printer design mailing labels to match the wedding invitations. Some people consider this tacky, compared to a hand-written envelope, but it can be a real time-saver.
Delegate Envelope Addressing – Friends and family members might be willing to help newlyweds by addressing thank you note envelopes. If someone in the family does calligraphy or has especially attractive writing, this can be a big help.
Wedding Reception Games – Another big time-saver is to design party games at the wedding reception that require guests to write their name and address on an envelope – to win a prize from a draw, for instance. This option is less than elegant, though, so it is really only appropriate for a casual wedding.
Thank You Note Planning and Timing
Gift thank you notes should be mailed within two to three weeks after the wedding – two months is the very outside of politeness. So it's important to schedule time to write thank you notes every day, a little at a time, until they are done.
Some wedding experts recommend using the wedding registry as a way to stagger the chore of writing thank you notes. By keeping an eye on what has been claimed and purchased on the wedding registry, it's possible to write note cards thanking friends and family as they purchase the gifts. Then it's up to the bride and groom whether they'd like to send the thank you's before or after the wedding itself.
Saying Thank You for Money Gifts
Money gifts can be one of the most difficult things to thank guests for, but writing a thank you note for money doesn't have to be difficult.
There's no need to specify the amount of the money gift – just thank guests for their "generous" or "thoughtful" gift, and tell them, if possible, where the money will be spent. Even if it means repeating the same purchase on all the gift thank you cards, guests like to know that their present will go to good use and will be appreciated.
Wedding Themed Stamps Add Flair and Color
As a final touch, it can make writing thank you notes more enjoyable – and add flair for the recipient – if the newlyweds take the opportunity to use colorful, flashy or wedding-themed stamps for the thank you note envelopes.
Little details really do make the difference and they are noticed by friends and family who receive thoughtful, personalized thank you notes.
For the basics on writing thank you notes, see Writing Wedding Gift Thank You Notes.
 |
