Saying ‘thank you’ for gifts, attendance at weddings, is a must
Your wedding and shower invitations are in the mail. Guests are busy searching for the perfect outfit to wear to your celebrations, and while they are at it, they are busy searching for the perfect gifts to bestow upon you.
As they are busy spending their time and money on you, this is the perfect time to remind you of your responsibilities as a gracious host.
And how should one be a gracious host?
Thank your guests properly, by golly.
First, have a receiving line to thank them for showing up and then send them thank you note(s) for their gift(s) in a timely fashion.
Here are a few “thank you” questions that I am asked on a regular basis:
How long do I have to respond with a “thank you” note?
I heard up to six months.
I hate it when I send a gift to a couple and then I have to wait six months for a thank-you note. I am unsure they have even received the gift and hesitant to call to find out.
I feel that a month is the appropriate amount of time to respond. If a bride waits much longer than that, it becomes a real chore. Besides, her enthusiasm for the gift may have begun to fade.
If she has a very large wedding, it is understandable that it will take a little longer to write personal notes. Oh, and by the way, get your bridal shower thank you notes out before the wedding.
You certainly don’t want to have to do those along with your wedding thank you’s.
I am so tired of writing thank you notes after three bridal showers and one very large wedding (300) guests. I am overwhelmed with the amount of thank-you notes I have to write. I personally thanked all gift givers at all of my showers. Is it necessary to write a thank-you note, too?
How wonderful to have such a generous group of family and friends. Even though you personally thanked your givers at all of your showers, you still need to send a personal note of thanks. Can you guarantee that you spoke to everyone at the shower, they heard your thanks, and remember it, too?
Your guests took the time and money to purchase your gift and they attended your function. Don’t they deserve a simple three-line thank-you note within a proper time frame?
Take the pile and divide it up into manageable parts.
Do you have 200 thank-you notes you need to write?
Write out 10 thank-you notes a day for 20 days and that job will be complete!
Can we type or e-mail our thank you’s?
No. Please spend the time and handwrite them.
How do I write a simple thank you note? I hated school and I find writing notes to be absolute torture.
Here is a three-step guide that will help you overcome your fear:
1. Name the gift. “Thank you for the fluffy yellow bath towels.”
2. Describe how you will use the gift or what is special about it. “The color matches our new bathroom wallpaper.”
3. Add a personal thought about your relationship.
“You are a dear friend. I was so happy you were able to attend my bridal shower and share this special time with me.”
What should you say if you receive a monetary gift?
Mention how you plan to use the money. Here is an example:
Dear Uncle George,
Thank you for the generous wedding check. It was a nice surprise. Mark and I have added it to our savings account. We are saving for a down payment on a house.
We feel confident that we will be in a new home by the end of the year. Thank you for your generosity and for sharing our wedding day with us.
Love,
Mark and Jill
K. Joy Schaeffer is a bridal consultant. You can e-mail your bridal questions at bridejoy@yahoo.com.