Monday, August 9, 2010

Mythical Monday! Thank You Notes

It's time for Mythical Mondays where we clarify
what really is and isn't true about...wedding planning.
MYTH: You have one year to write thank you notes.

TRUTH: A widely held belief that a bride and groom have one year to send thank you notes to their guests is beyond comprehension. How will the guest know you even received the carefully selected gift? Will you even remember what you received as wedding gifts in one year? How motivated will you really be in one year? 

The confusion comes from the notion that a guest has up to one year to send a gift. In actuality, the newlyweds should attempt to get out any thank you's within a few weeks of returning from the honeymoon (a couple of months is really the maximum). Thank you's for gifts received before the wedding should be sent promptly. This goes for engagement, shower, and wedding presents sent to the home.

Thank You Cheat Sheet
  1. Email, texts, and a general shout-out on your wedding web site are not acceptable. The written word still rules here.
  2. Mention the gift. If it is a monetary gift you do not need to mention the amount, rather call it the "generous gift" or something similar.
  3. Include how you plan to use it
  4. Thank the guest for their generosity.
  5. Add a personal sentiment if possible.
  6. Sign your married name only after you are officially married.
  7. Use your maiden name for anything thank you notes written prior to the ceremony, even if it is a wedding gift (i.e., shower gifts, a wedding gift sent to your home that arrives in the days or weeks prior to the wedding).

Sample Thank You Note:

Dear Uncle Jack,
Thank you so much for the place setting of formal china. We are so excited to host our first holiday meal on our china, and even more excited that you will be joining us. We are looking forward to seeing you there. Thank you for being a part of our wedding celebration.
Love,
Lisa

Happy Planning!
Holly

10 comments:

Mrs. Kelley Dibble said...

Oh, how I wish I could forward this to a half-dozen couples that immediately come to mind! The COUPLE is responsible to get these tokens written and mailed. I gave very nice wedding gifts to four couples over the past two (2!) years. How many thank you cards did I receive. I type the answer here:

Anonymous said...

Your timing couldn't be better! I have to start writing thank-yous this week. Great advice :) Now I know what to do

Unknown said...

a year that is beyond ridiculous xxxx

KDC Events said...

I can't stand it when people do not take the time to THANK YOU for the time and money you gave/spent to be part of their day!! UHG!

Kitty Deschanel said...

I agree that waiting an entire year is a bit nuts. We are both procrastinators and didn't send our thank yous for a few months. I have always felt somewhat guilty about it!

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Thanks so much for your sweet visit and comment, Holly. Yes, Lisa would've loved Norther Cal, especially the beach.
Love and blessings,
xoRobyn

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

sorry, of course I meant
"NortherN".
xo

The Single Nester said...

Isn't it crazy that people need assistance in writing thank you notes? What has the world come to? I love thanking people via a hand-written lovely note. So special to recieve something in the mail in this ever-increasingly electronic world.

Melissa Papaj Photography said...

Very good advice...it seems like any more couples don't even send thank you's and if they do it is a generic post card with a picture of them holding a thank you sign, that says "Thank you".

jaquelyn {mama thoughts} said...

I always try to write Thank You's as soon a possible, wedding or otherwise. It's just plain polite!

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