Thank You Notes for Wedding Gifts How Long

Guidelines for Thank You Note Length

A general rule of thumb taught in writing classes is that traditional paragraphs should have five sentences. Those sentences include a topic/introductory sentence, three supporting sentences, and a closing sentence. As the size of most wedding thank you notes is just big enough for one large paragraph, this is a good starting point for writing your thank you notes.

Another way to gauge how long your thank you note should be is to think about what you want to say. The following should be included somewhere in the note:

• Appreciation for the gift
• What the gift will be used for/where it will be placed/how unique you think it is
• Thank the person for any additional help they provided in the wedding planning process or on the actual wedding day
• Personal note regarding seeing them at the wedding (or how much you missed them if they could not attend)

Longer thank you notes should be written to people who participated in the actual wedding day and also gave a gift. If Aunt Mary made the wedding cake, be sure to tell her how much it meant to you, how lovely it was decorated, and how all the guests enjoyed the flavor(s), as well as thanking her for her gift. Family and friends who helped decorate the reception hall, gave a scripture reading at the wedding ceremony, or helped make the food are all examples of people who should be written a longer thank you note.

Any pre-wedding activities (like an engagement party) or gifts (such as a bridal shower gift) should not be mentioned in a wedding gift thank you note: a separate thank you note should have been sent shortly after the activity.

Examples of Wedding Thank You Notes

Wedding thank you notes should always be handwritten. Do not buy cards with a pre-printed message in them or print them off your computer. Thank you notes should be personalized and handwritten.

Use the following examples of thank you notes to judge whether your length is proper.

Monetary Gifts

Dear Uncle Mark and Aunt Susan,

Robert and I appreciate the gift of money you gave to us. We plan to use it as part of a down payment on our home in Smithtown. Since you were unable to attend the wedding, we look forward to inviting you to our new home very soon. We will call you later this month to set a date. Take care and we will see you shortly!

Love,

Allison and Robert

Registry Gifts

Dear Glenn, Yolanda, Billy, and Mandy,

Thank you so much for the waffle iron, batter mix, and cookbook. We made a delicious breakfast our first morning together and will think of you each time we use it. Dancing the Hokey Pokey with Billy and Mandy was so much fun. Glenn and Yolanda, you two can still swing after 30 years together; hopefully we can say the same in 30 years! Thank you again for the useful gift!

Love,

Terry and Jordan

Gift of Service

Dear Caroline,

Patrick and I just wanted to express our gratitude to you for all of your help in decorating for our wedding reception. The floral centerpieces were stunning. Everyone complimented us on them and we said that they were your design. The scarlet hydrangeas were the perfect addition to what we were envisioning! We plan on keeping one as the centerpiece on our dining room table. It was so generous of you to give of your time, let alone give us a wedding gift, too! The extra set of dishes will come in handy when we have company.

Your artistic touch in the centerpieces made them beautiful. Thank you for the gift of your time, abilities, and the dishes!

Love,

Matthew and Robin

Thank You Notes for Wedding Gifts: How Long Before Mailing

Thank you notes for wedding gifts should be mailed out in a timely manner. Etiquette often dictates that thank you notes can be sent up to three months after the wedding. However, try to get them out within two to four weeks after the actual date.

Should you forget to write them or simply put it off writing the thank you notes for wedding gifts, how long is too long? Even if it has been six months or more since your wedding, a thank you note should still be written and mailed. “Better late than never” certainly rings true when it comes to writing thank you notes.

Although writing the wedding thank you cards can seem like a chore, it will go by quickly once you start doing it. By enlisting the help of your new spouse and sticking to the main point of the note — thanking the guest for his/her generosity -- you will fly through the thank you cards in no time at all.