Have you ever spent a lot of time and money searching for the perfect wedding gift for your cousin, best friend, or other only to receive a thank you note months later that went something like, "Dear Kelly, thank you for the crystal vase. Sincerely, Jennifer." I don't know about you, but it leaves me feeling...Un-thanked? Gypped? Regretful?

Maybe I am too harsh on these thank you note writers, but it seems to me that the art of thank you note writing has been lost. Now, I know only too well how difficult it can be to write note after note after thank you note - we had 300+ guests at our wedding! But, it does need to be done and so it should be done right.

So, to express sincere gratitude for a wedding gift you have received here are some helpful tips.

How to write wedding thank you notes:

1. Be timely. For gifts received before the wedding, write and send a thank you the day the gift is received. For gifts received after the wedding, begin right away and send out the notes as you complete them. Complete all of your wedding thank you notes within 1-2 months of the wedding, despite what any etiquette books or website may say.
2. Hand-write and address all wedding thank you notes and use appropriate stationary. Yes, your hand will probably get cramped, so develop a plan of attack. For example, set a goal to write 10 thank you notes a day during the week and 20/day on the weekend until you are finished.
3. Never begin your thank you notes with "Thank you for..." Always start with a personal note. For example. "Dear Uncle Bill and Aunt Susan, It was wonderful to see you at our wedding and to get the chance to catch up with you a bit."
4. Express your gratitude in at least 2 different ways. For example, "The clock you gave us is extremely beautiful. Thank you so much for such a generous gift."
5. If you can, include a sentence about how you are using the gift or where you have placed it in your house. For example, "We have placed the beautiful vase you gave us on our dining room table for all to see."
6. Enlist the help of your husband - no matter how poor his handwriting is. Make sure he follows the tips listed here on how to write wedding thank you notes, as well! He can write thank you notes for given from his friends and certain family members.

Example of a wedding thank you note:

Dear Uncle Bill and Aunt Susan,

It was so wonderful of you to make the trek to attend our wedding. We had a great time catching up with you and hope that this note finds you well.

The dishes you gave us are just perfect. We have already used them several times for special company and we hope that next time you are in town we can use them during dinner with you.

Thank you so much for such a wonderful gift.

Sincerely,
Kelly and Matt Kons

Dear Mike and Jane,

I had such a great time dancing with you both at our wedding. It was such a blessed day for us and we are so happy you could share in our joy.

We really appreciate your generous gift of money. We plan to use all of the money we have received towards new living room furniture and we look forward to having you over to see it.

Much Love,
Kelly and Matt Kons

As you can see, these wedding thank you notes are not elaborate or long. But, they do express sincere gratitude and appreciation as well as care for the lives of the people who they are written to - and that is what is important when writing your thank you notes.

Best Wishes!

Kelly Kons
http://www.bwedd.com/truecompanions/

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