Are you preparing for a wedding and the barrage of wedding gifts that are coming your way soon? Be prepared to fire off wedding gift thank you notes as soon as those gifts start hitting your porch. We’ve got you covered with the proper wedding gift thank you etiquette plan so you can focus on your honeymoon.
Mentally Prepare for the Gifts
Engagement Gifts. Wedding Shower Gifts. Wedding Gifts. Mentally prepare now for the gigantic gift explosion that’s about to hit the fan. The gifts are coming and so are the stacks of thank you note cards you will need to thank friends and family for their thoughtful gifts. Don’t worry. If you’re mentally prepared before the gifts arrive, that’s half the battle.
Wedding Gift Thank You Etiquette Response Times
How long can you wait to send a wedding thank you card? We’ve got the wedding gift thank you etiquette breakdown response times for you here:
- Shower Gifts: As a rule, shower gift thank you card notes should be mailed within two to three weeks of receiving the gift.
- Early Wedding Gifts: If gifts arrive before your special day, wedding gift thank you notes should be sent out for those gifts before you walk down the aisle. Performing this task before the wedding also reduces the notes you have to write when the wedding is over.
- Day of the Wedding Gifts: Gifts that arrive on your special day have some wedding note thank you card leniency. Guests know that you’re busy and about to embark on your honeymoon and adapting to your new life. Day of the wedding gifts should be acknowledged in thank you notes within two to three months after your wedding day.
If the same person gave you a gift for your shower and your wedding, you should write separate notes for gifts received at different times. A combo wedding gift thank you note is perceived as a wedding gift thank you etiquette no no.
Wedding Gift Thank You Etiquette Backup Plan:
If life has gotten in the way and you know you can’t crank out the wedding gift thank you notes within a reasonable amount of time, consider calling the people who sent you gifts. In the age of emails and texts, a personal phone call to assure them you got the gift with an explanation of how much you appreciate it goes a long way. Always follow up that conversation with a written thank you note when you can.
Keep a Record of the Gifts
The key to managing your wedding gift thank you note duties is to make a list of every gift you get. Make a list of each gift in a notepad, index cards or on a computer file. Include the following in your thank you note file:
- Giver’s name
- The store where it was purchased (if you have that information)
- The date it was received
- A brief gift description
Thank You Note Writing Tip: Always provide a brief description of the gift in your thank you notes. Broad thank you note messages leave people wondering if you even enjoy your gift or know what it was.
Categorize the wedding gift thank you notes in ascending order based on the date the gift was received and cross them off the list when you send the thank you notes.
Your wedding gift thank you notes should be handwritten and come across as warm and personal.
Stationery Suggestions
Pick a style that works for you but consider formal white or ivory stationery for wedding gift thank you notes.
Monogrammed Thank You Notes: If you choose note paper with your name and initials on it and you have agreed to take the name of your partner, remember that maiden name initials should only be used for pre-wedding thank you notes.
Who Should Write Them?
It doesn’t matter whether you or your partner decide to write the wedding gift thank you notes. Consider divvying them up between the two of you, with you taking gifts sent from your friends and family and vice versa. If your wedding shower is a joint affair for both of you, the same rules apply.
What to Write
Wedding gift thank you notes don’t have to be long. They should, however, be handwritten. We don’t recommend creating a typed universal thank you message for all guests.
Your wedding gift thank you notes should come across as warm and personal. Remember that your guests took the time and money to find you a personal gift or pick a gift off your registrar to please you.
Here are a few wedding thank you etiquette writing tips for you:
- Write neat and don’t cross out words.
- Use a blue or black ink pen. Pencil and colored pens leave smudges.
- If you’re thanking someone for a monetary gift, don’t mention the amount but tell them what you plan to do with the money.
- Insert a photo from your special day in the thank you notes if possible.
What If You Hate the Gift?
We know, we know. Not all wedding gifts are perfect. Some are downright head scratchers. A personal wedding thank you note, though, should still be written for gifts you don’t like or gifts that were damaged when you opened them. Never mention you plan to return the gift for something else. Make your own arrangements with stores to return gifts or to replace damaged gifts. Never trouble the gift sender with those issues.
Plan Your Wedding
Are you in the planning stages of your wedding as you contemplate wedding gift thank you etiquette duties? Give The Roberts Centre’s professional event planning staff a call. Contact us today at 937-283-3272.
