Engagement Rings > Proposal Ideas & Advice > Thank You Notes
Thank You Notes
Every engagement, shower and wedding gift deserves a prompt thank-you note. Here's how to keep the process manageable.
Engagement gifts, shower gifts, wedding gifts - you'll probably never receive more presents at any one time during your life than when you tie the knot. Unfortunately, many a couple's enthusiasm quickly dampens at the thought of writing the many thank-you notes that must follow. Cheer up! The whole process of reflecting back on your treasures can rekindle all your best engagement and wedding memories. And with the right system, you can have your obligations polished off in no time.
As a rule, thank-you notes for shower gifts should be mailed within two or three weeks, and early wedding gifts should be acknowledged before the big day. Besides the fact that it's good manners to respond promptly, there's a practical reason for this: The work won't get a chance to pile up. If you're falling behind, consider calling the people who sent gifts by mail to assure them the package did arrive; then follow up with a written note as soon as you can.
Keeping a record of all the gifts you receive - in a notebook, your computer, or on index cards - will help tremendously when you send your thank-you notes. Record the giver's name, the store where the gift was purchased (if you know), the date it was received, a brief description of the gift, and finally, the date the thank-you note was sent. You can refer to this listing as you write - since proper etiquette dictates that you describe the gift in your note - and use it to keep track of which gifts you've acknowledged. If the same person gets you a gift for multiple events - say, a shower gift and a wedding gift - it's good etiquette to write a separate note for each gift.
Your Stationery
When writing thank-you notes for engagement or shower gifts, decorative note cards may be used; your wedding thank you's are often written on more formal stationery. If you choose notepaper embossed with your name or initials, keep in mind that you should use your maiden name on any pre-wedding thank you's. Paper that displays your married name shouldn't be used until after the wedding.
