So the celebration is over and you’ve had your first non-planning weekend in months!  Yay!  You’ve got one final task at hand, though, and you might be thinking it’s the most daunting: writing thank yous for those fabulous wedding gifts you received…

Don’t fret!  With a little time and with a strategy on hand, writing thank you notes can become very easy.  Don’t over-think it; be sincere and grateful.  Remember, a thank you note need not be longer than a paragraph.

Some easy guidelines:

• Introduction: Say thank you and state (specifically) what you’re thanking them for:
  • (Wrapped gift) “Thank you for the beautiful Waterford vase.”
  • (Registry contribution) “Thanks so much for contributing to our honeymoon registry.”
  • (Cash) “Thank you for your generous wedding gift.”
• Body: Give them some details about how you will/are using the gift (shoot for 2 to 3 sentences):
  • “The vase looks great on the mantle filled with fern fronds. It matches our décor perfectly.”
  • “We had a great time scuba diving in Bermuda; the water was perfect.”
  • “We’re planning to use the money towards a down payment on our first house!”
• Closing: Reiterate your gratitude that they shared your day, and let them know they’re an important part of your life:
  • “We’re so happy that you made it to South Dakota for our wedding.  It was so great to see you both.”
  • “Every time we look at our honeymoon album, we’ll think of you.  We had a great time!”
  • “We’ll let you know when we finally find the perfect place; we’d love to have you visit.”

Hot tips:

DEFINITELY hand write a genuine, short thank you note in a timely manner.  Try to mail your thank yous within 3 months of your event.

DO get creative in finding time to write your notes, if needed. Bring a copy of your gift list and a small stack of thank you cards with you anywhere you might have to wait: the doctor’s office, the airport, even waiting on hold on the phone. It only takes two to three minutes to write one thank-you; you can squeeze five notes into a fifteen-minute wait.

Brides, DO enlist the new hubby.  Assign him half the list and hand him the above guidelines.  Even if he refuses to write the note itself, it’s often nice if each note contains his true signature.

DON’T create an “all-purpose template” for your thank you notes. Canned and generalized thank yous are not only obvious and insincere, but can feel worse than not receiving a thank you at all.  Be specific and personalize each note.

DON’T stress over your handwriting! Do your best to make the note legible, but don’t ever use bad handwriting as an excuse to not send a thank you.

Good luck writing!

The folding thank  you card in the photo above was created using light oatmeal and salmon pink cardstock.  Inside, the card is lined with a white writing liner.

Thank You Card: Dogwood Blossom Stationery & Invitation Studio, LLC