Writing thank you notes is a lost art! Yet, people LOVE being thanked for gifts and sweet gestures of kindness. Don't fall victim to these come mistakes when writing your thank you notes! Order your thank you notes when placing your invitation order, so you are prepared. It's nothing like writing 100 thank you notes all at once instead of knock them out as the gifts arrive.
1. Don't wait (1) one year to send out a Thank you! Old etiquette suggests you have up to a year to send a thank you after a big event, but three months is a better time frame. And if gifts are received after the event, do get a personal note in the mail within two to three weeks.
2. Getting the names wrong. Nothing is worse than writing a thank you note to guests you don’t know very well and spelling their names wrong!
3. Forgetting about the children. If a gift comes from a family with kids, be sure to list all of the childrens' names in your thank you card.
4. Writing generic messages. Avoid the phrase "Thanks for your generous gift," which sounds like something you would see on a greeting card. Instead, personalize your note by telling your guests how you'll use the gift.
5. Focusing on the money. Although your guests may have been generous, it's a big no-no to gush about the cash value in your note (e.g. "Thank you for your gift of $200"). People, not gifts, come first: Focus instead on your gratitude for their support and say how terrific it was to spend time with them at the wedding.
6. Forgetting guests weren’t actually there. Some people send gifts even if they can't attend the wedding. When you're writing thank you notes, don't lose focus and thank them for their presence at your special day when they didn't actually make it (you would be surprised how often this happens!).
7. Ignoring plus ones. Your thank you notes need to address both recipient's names. If you didn't find out their guest's name during the invitation stage, do a little research. Joe Smith's date probably signed the wedding card that came with your gift.
8. Inconsistent photos. Create a plan for all of your guests when it comes to inserting your pictures. You can't enclose wedding portraits in some notes but not all; there should be no favoritism towards those who were able to give larger cash amounts.
9. Typing your thank you notes on the computer. While it's acceptable to print thank you notes on a computer, always leave room to handwrite your message. This personal touch is always the best etiquette, because it shows guests that you took the time to write out your thank you notes.
10. Resorting to electronic thank you notes. Sure, the graphics on e-cards are cute and it's ridiculously easy to compose a note and blast it out to your guests. However, emails can sometimes get lost or stuck in a spam filter, so don't take the easy way out and steer clear of this over-casualization.
Check out the many personal note cards that are available in our E-shopping Boutique.
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