Writing Your Thank You Notes

While we may not admit it, receiving gifts after the wedding is one of the highlights of the reception for many newlyweds. We all love getting gifts, and it’s a thrill receiving your first gifts together as a couple. Whether the gifts range from expensive and elaborate to inexpensive and thoughtful, thanking your guests afterward is a priority, and this is where thank you notes come in.

Writing thank you notes is not a common occurrence in our everyday lives, so if you’re unsure of where to begin, have no fear, we’re here to help (you can send us a thank you note if you like). Thank you notes can be written before the wedding, using a basic framework or template, and then customised afterwards for each guest, or written completely from scratch after the wedding. The important thing is to be prepared to write and/or send them out immediately after the wedding. When things drag on too long it’s often embarrassing for us to send something late, which comes across as careless. Instead we often give up and don’t do it at all. This is the last thing you want to do, so prepare your schedule to have a few hours after the wedding to take care of this. An ideal timeline for sending out thank you notes is two to four weeks, the maximum if you spent time away on a honeymoon.

Your thank you notes should always be written by hand. Unlike invitations and other stationery where it’s completely optional to make them handwritten, thank you notes should always be handwritten. Make it as personal as you can to show your sincere thanks to your guests. You should always use either a nice paper to write the notes on, or contain them within thank you cards.

A nice touch is to both mention the gift, and mention how you plan on using it, and how it will help you and your spouse as you move forward in life. This kind of detail is especially rewarding for your guests, particularly when they took the time to get you a thoughtful gift.

You should also take this time to thank your guests for coming to your wedding and being a part of your special day. In the event the thank you note is being sent to someone who sent a gift but couldn’t attend, let them know you’re sorry they couldn’t make it, and if illness was the cause for the absence, that they get well soon and you’re thinking of them.