| In this day of email and text messaging, an actual | | | | instance, you might add in a line saying, "Thank you for |
| handwritten note on proper stationery is a rare treat, | | | | letting me wear your pearl bridal jewelry for my |
| indeed. However, this is just what your wedding guests | | | | wedding, Aunt Sarah. I got so many compliments on |
| deserve in thanks for the gifts that they give you. As | | | | the pearl strand, and it was such a pleasure to tell |
| the art of writing a proper thank you note is a dying | | | | everyone that it was the same bridal jewelry that you |
| one, here is a refresher for anyone who could use | | | | wore when you married Uncle Fred." Or to your |
| some pointers on writing gracious thank you notes for | | | | sister-in-law who did a reading during your ceremony, |
| their wedding gifts. | | | | you might say, "The reading that you did at our |
| The most important thing when it comes to thank you | | | | ceremony was lovely. Henry and I were so glad that |
| notes is to actually write them! For each and every | | | | you could be a special part of our wedding.". It is just |
| gift, no matter how large or small, fabulous or hideous. | | | | as important to thank people for their non-monetary |
| Promptly. In your best handwriting on good stationery. If | | | | contributions to your wedding. |
| this sounds like too much effort, just think about how | | | | Cash gifts are becoming more and more common, |
| much longer it took the guest to purchase and send | | | | and they often present a dilemma to the newlyweds |
| you a gift. By comparison, a few minutes to dash off a | | | | when it comes to writing the thank you notes. The |
| note is really nothing. | | | | basic formula is actually fairly straightforward. You do |
| With that out of the way, we can move on to the | | | | not name the specific amount of the cash or check |
| specifics. First is that each thank you note must be | | | | present in your note. Instead, you thank the donor for |
| personalized, at least a little. This is why pre-printed | | | | their gift, by saying, "Thank you for your (thoughtful, |
| generic thank yous set at each place setting at the | | | | kind, generous, extremely generous - going up the |
| wedding reception ("Thank you for sharing our | | | | scale from smallest to largest amount of money) gift." |
| wedding day and for your kind gift.") are an atrocity. A | | | | Then go on to say how you used it or plan to use it, |
| proper thank you note need not be long (those little | | | | based on the approximate buying power of the size |
| notecards are mercifully small), but it does need to be | | | | of the check. If someone gave you $50, for instance, |
| addressed to the donor by name and it should also | | | | you might say, "Your gift allowed us to complete our |
| mention the particular gift that they gave. | | | | wedding china set, for which we are grateful. We will |
| This is a sample of a basic thank you note that you | | | | think of your generosity every time that we eat on our |
| could use for most gifts: "Dear Mr. Martin, Thank you | | | | china.", or something like that. In this situation, politeness |
| so much for the beautiful place setting of our china. | | | | is more important than brutal honesty, so if you lost the |
| Todd and I are really looking forward to entertaining on | | | | $50 at the roulette table on your honeymoon, thank |
| our lovely dishes. We hope that you will be among our | | | | them for the china anyway! |
| first dinner guests when we get back from our | | | | Once you have a few thank you notes under your |
| honeymoon in Tahiti. It was wonderful to see you at | | | | belt, you will find that they get easier and easier to |
| our wedding, thanks so much for coming. Sincerely, | | | | write. It is such a simple thing to do, and yet it makes |
| Susan Jones Gerber | | | | such a huge impression on your guests. If there is one |
| If the guest is a close relative, or did something to | | | | thing that the bride's mother loves to hear, it is what a |
| make your wedding special, you can certainly mention | | | | gracious and appreciative young woman she has |
| it in the thank you note for the wedding gift. For | | | | raised. |