Dear Aunt Petunia,
Thank you for the gravy boat. I love it.
Love, Ally
If you were Aunt Petunia, how would you feel about this thank-you note? Well, I think Aunt Petunia would probably be less than happy. While she did receive a card in the mail, more thought has been put into the paper and monogram than into the words within.
Las Vegas brides, while it’s important to spend time choosing your wedding stationery before your Las Vegas wedding, you also need to consider what will be written within those cards. If your handwritten thank-you notes usually look like the one Aunt Petunia received, take these tips to heart. Then, pick up your favorite pen and start writing.
Start Early
If you don’t feel like writing thank-you notes two weeks after your wedding, you really won’t feel like it two months after your wedding. Set goals per week, and make your deadlines. While the excitement of the wedding is fresh, finish and mail all your thank-you notes.
Begin with a Personal Salutation
Have fun with your introductions. While “Dear Grandma” may be appropriate for some family members, use applicable greetings for other others, like “Hey Brenna!” or “To the coolest bridesmaid, Summer.”
Recognize Gifts Given
Specify what you’re thanking each guest for, such as “Thank you so much for the awesome speaker system.” Be yourself, and don’t feel like the thank-you note formality always needs to affect your word choice. Also, if you received money, you don’t need to say the amount. Just mention the “generous gift.”
Show Some Excitement
Rather than have a short and sweet message, feel free to elaborate. Discuss how you have used the gift, how you plan to use it, how it will benefit you, and even how this gift is bringing you and your groom closer together. Share your enthusiasm through your words and be sincere.
Acknowledge Your Guests’ Presence
If your guests attended your wedding, let them know how much you appreciated this. Mention a memorable moment, such as when a friend started the conga line or when you saw a family member smiling at you as you walked down the aisle. If someone who sent you a gift was unable to attend the wedding, mention how glad you are to have their support for your marriage.
Send-off with a Summary and Signatures
End your message with a quick summary of your gratitude, whether it’s a “Thanks again” or a more detailed conclusion. Then, sign your name and let your groom sign his name too. Even if your groom isn’t writing any letters, this lets your guests know you are both grateful.
Seal and Stamp
If your groom has excellent handwriting, let him help you write thank-you notes. If he doesn’t have particularly discernible handwriting, write the notes yourself. Let your groom contribute by licking the envelopes, sealing them shut, and adding stamps.
Final Thoughts
Whether you have writer’s block, hand cramps, a busy schedule, or a bad case of “I just don’t feel like it right now,” pick up your pen again. Better to write your thank-you notes now than never. Then, you will enjoy your gifts guilt-free, and your wedding guests will be glad to know you appreciate their presents in the mail and their presence at your Las Vegas wedding.
(Author: Allyson Siwajian © 2010)
(Photographs: first image provided by Debra Hansen, additional images by Allyson Siwajian © 2010)
4 comments on “Dear Aunt Petunia: What to Write in Your Thank-You Notes”
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At last! Someone who undersnatds! Thanks for posting!
I think I would just ask them, saying you are worried that maybe it got lost. If they did get it, it might job their sense of responsibility to get their thank you cards out. I’m afraid this is a problem with many of the younger generation, we once wrote a very large check for a relative and never got a thank you.
Hey, at least Aunt Petunia GOT a thank you note! I’ve attended 2 weddings in the past year that we were family of the bride. Neither gift did we receive a thank you note (not even a quick e-mail). I am not judging their gratitude, but I honestly wonder if the couple even received it (a $50 bill enclosed in a card). Is there any tactful way I can ask the couple now..over 3 months later?
Great blog! A pleasure to read.