Perfect Wedding Thank You Notes
Once the wedding is over and you have come back from honeymoon suitably rested and de-stressed it is time to look over your wedding presents and write your thank you notes. If your wedding was particularly large then this task may seem overwhelming but never the less it is one you must do.
Thank you notes don’t need to be very long and neither do they need to written with a unique personal message for each individual guest. Before you write them out, sit down and write out a short message which you can use for everyone. It doesn’t need to be very long, one side of the note paper is perfectly adequate.
Before you start you need to set yourself up somewhere comfortable to sit and write, have enough note cards and envelopes for everyone, a good supply of pens and the names and address of all your guests. Tip: if you set up a spreadsheet for your guest list during your wedding planning you can add in fields for names and address which will save you time when writing your thank you notes.
It is important that you don’t leave it too long before sending out your thank you notes. Most of your guests will understand that you have been away on honeymoon but you should aim to get them sent within two months of the wedding day. Leave it any longer than that and you will have to write out a longer note explaining why it has taken you so long!
The etiquette regarding thank you notes says you should never type them. This is unforgivable and implies that you have merely set up a generic note on your computer. Hand writing your notes gives a more personal impression and one which shows you have taken time and trouble to write them. You can type the addresses on labels for envelopes though! Emails and text messages are not acceptable either as it implies you are too mean to purchase note cards and stamps!
When it comes to what to write there is no tried and tested format to go by. Your thank you notes should come from you and express your own sentiments, but there are some useful tips you can go by though:
• Make it personal by mentioning the gift they have given you and how you have used it.
• Say how much you enjoyed the wedding day and how much you appreciated them joining you.
• Keep it brief, around 100-200 words should be sufficient.
If the gift was cash or vouchers or a cheque then you should try to mention what you have spent it on or are going to spend it on. You don’t need to send proof or go into any great detail but make sure they know their contribution has been useful to you.
Finally, choose your note cards carefully. I have mentioned that you only need to write one side of the card or paper, but if you choose A4 then you are going to have a lot of writing to do! Choose a smaller size such as Duke so you can keep the note short without it looking like you ran out of words to say. Thank you notes or cards don’t have to match your wedding stationery, but some stationers do offer matching thank you cards as part of a design package.
