After your wedding you and your partner will be caught up in feverish excitement, leaving for your honeymoon and celebrating life as a married couple.
However, just because the party's over doesn't mean there aren't still a few things to think about.
Many newlyweds aren't quite sure of the post-wedding timeline when it comes to gift thank you notes or if they should they be sent straight away, or even before your honeymoon? What messages should the cards contain? Is it acceptable to have pre-printed messages?
Here are some tips that will help you navigate your thank you notes.
Time Frame
Obviously the sooner the better. Don't worry about delaying your honeymoon by a few days to get this sorted, though, because a response within four to six weeks is acceptable.
If you are sent gifts before the wedding, it's good etiquette to respond to these straight away (or at least within 2 weeks). This is not only good etiquette you will be thankful when you return from your honeymoon knowing that a few thank you's are done and dusted.
To save time, make sure you have gift cards prepared well in advance of your big day. You can order them along with your wedding invitations and have them handy to fill in with notes as soon as you receive gifts and after your honeymoon.
What to write
It's good manners to write a hand-written note to everyone who gave you a gift - emails are a no-no! While pre-printed messages can seem like a good time-saver, many guests will have spent significant time and money choosing your gift and travelling to your wedding, so the personalized thanks will be appreciated.
It doesn't have to be long, simply greet your guest by name, express your thanks and refer specifically to their gift and how you may use it.
Even if someone did not give you a wedding gift, be sure to send them a card thanking them for their attendance itself.
If a guest has traveled far or made a significant effort to attend your wedding be sure to thank them for this too.
