The etiquette for thank-you cards for wedding shower gifts

It's interesting:
"Linda is beautiful. She’s intelligent. She’s funny. She can cook like Nigella Lawson and she’s got the patience of a saint. Paul, I can say with my hand on my heart that you’re one of the luckiest men alive. And she writes a cracking Best Man speech as well."

Wedding showers are a fun time for brides-to-be as they prepare to enter their new life. Shower guests spend their time and money choosing a thoughtful gift for the happy couple, so brides should take the time to properly thank each one with a hand-written, well-worded note.

1. Timing

   • According to Cindy Hobson from The Knot, wedding shower thank-you notes should be written within two weeks of the receipt of the gift, which means two weeks after the date of the shower, not the wedding. For wedding gifts, thank-you notes should be sent within three months. Between showers and the wedding, gifts can pile up, so it's better to get the shower thank-you notes out of the way before the wedding. But if you are running behind, a late note is better than no note at all.

   What to Send

   • Etiquette expert Peggy Post writes that only stationery is appropriate for thank-you sentiments. Choose hand-written notes, not fill-in-the-blank or printed ones. Phone calls, emails and posts on your website or Facebook page also aren't appropriate for wedding gifts. Email and text messages are great for many things, but only old-fashioned snail mail will do for thank-you notes. According to Hobson, you shouldn't use stationery with your married name or initials until after the wedding.

   Who to Thank

   • Anyone who gives you a shower gift should receive a thank-you note, even if you thanked them in person. Write a separate note to each person who contributed to a group gift. Those who hosted the shower should also receive a thank-you note and gift, ideally within two days of the event, according to Post. Those who gave shower and wedding gifts should receive separate notes for each gift.

   What to Say

   • Make the notes personal. Rather than a generic note about a "wedding gift," refer to the specific item received and how you will use it. For example, "Thank you so much for the beautiful pitcher. We can't wait to use it at our first dinner party." For anyone who gives a gift of money, mention what you plan to do with it. If possible, make reference to the person as well as the gift. For example, "I really enjoyed catching up with you at the shower and hearing all about your new job and the kids' latest adventures." Keep track of who gave what gift, to make sure that you refer to the correct gift and gift giver in your thank you notes. You don't want to thank Aunt Sally for a crystal bowl when she actually gave you bedding. Never let the gift giver know that you plan to exchange or return their gift. Make sure your thank-you notes are neat and tidy, no scrawled handwriting or scratched-out mistakes. Same goes for the envelopes.

Source: www.ehow.com

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