Thank You Note How To

I finally sent out the last of my thank you notes yesterday.  It was a pretty big undertaking that stressed me out over the last 6 weeks since we got married.  I didn't want to forget anyone!  I decided to write all of our thank you notes and have Mr. 3 sign them because 1) he has terrible handwriting, 2) I didn't want to add to the confusion of figuring out who would write what note, and 3) my mama had bought me super beautiful stationery with my new monogram.  Here's a few tips to make your thank you note writing a breeze:

1. Get them out within three months...but really ASAP.  I've heard rumors that you have a year to write your notes, but according to the Emily Post Institute, it's really three months.  Regardless, I would not want these things haunting me for the next 10 months.  I have to get started on my Christmas cards soon!  Additionally, you guests will begin to wonder if you received their gift.  A few of my parents friends started asking around the 1 month mark.

2. Wait to send all of your notes at once.  I wrote many thank you notes as gifts came in prior to the week before the wedding...but once that week came, I had no time to send them out.  From that point on, I held off until after the wedding and I waited to send out all the notes for the gifts we received.  I knew if I started sending them out as they were written I would have had second guessed myself and gotten confused about which ones had been sent vs. which ones were left.  If you send them out all at once, you can cross check them against your registry lists.

3. To keep track of gifts you received on the day of your wedding, use the inside flap of the card envelope to write down what gift you received as you open the gift (ditto if you received a gift card or check), making sure to put the card back in the envelope so that you have the names of the gift giver handy.  This note will give you something to reference, but will take minimal time and speed up the gift opening process.  Once you have opened everything, make a master list of gifts using the notes on the envelope flaps.  If you are making a keepsake box you can discard the envelopes and just keep the pretty and thoughtful cards!

4.  Make your notes personal.  You should start off thanking them for the item, state how it will benefit/brighten/add to your married life, then end with a personal note so that it's not so generic/form sounding (a notable memory from the wedding is a good option to include).  A note should look something like this:

Dear ___________,

Thank you so much for the wedding gift money.  We are really looking forward to buying new toss pillows for our couch.  We were so glad you came to the wedding, it wouldn't have been the same without you burning up the dance floor and you sure did show all our other guests how it's done!  Thanks again for your well wishes and support.

Love,

____ & _______

5.  Be sure to send thank yous to people who may not have been able to gift you anything, but who really supported you during the engagement/wedding...especially if their efforts added to your day.  One of my mother's friends could not attend our wedding, but she wanted to do something for me that would help me out on my big day.  She made a few hundred pink and green southern buttermints (my wedding colors) in the shape of roses and leaves....which is NOT something you can purchase online or at the store.  You have to know a sweet Southern lady with know how and time.  In my opinion, buttermints are essential to a proper Southern wedding and I couldn't have imagined our reception without them....so I sent her a very heartfelt thank you for handmaking all those pretty mints!

6. Even if you (the bride) are filling out all the notes, make sure the groom signs them!

Hope these tips help you with your notes!  If you have any to share, please send them our way...Briana's shower is coming up, so she will have plenty to write!