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Believe it or not, the wedding tasks aren't over after the reception is done. Once you get home from the honeymoon, it's time to start working on the thank you notes. Before you write the first one, take a look at these nine common mistakes so you can avoid them.
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Sending out emails. You might be tempted to cut costs by emailing out your thank yous. Don't do it. People took the time out of their busy lives to attend your wedding and give you a gift. You should show your appreciation by mailing out a proper thank you.
Ordering pre-printed cards. There are cards you can buy that will have generic thank you messages already printed on the inside. These are too impersonal to send out to your wedding guests. As time consuming as writing out each card will be, your guests will appreciate the effort.
Forgetting your theme. If possible, have your thank you notes match your wedding stationery so there is a cohesive theme from start to finish.
Making it generic. Just like all of your other wedding details, find a way to make your thank you notes stand out. Whether it's a beautiful photo of you and the groom, or bold colors and fonts, choose something that will wow your guests when they open up that envelope.
Skipping specifics. Don't just write a generic "Thanks for coming and for your generous gift" message. Instead, go into detail about what you love about the specific gift. And if it's money, then let the guests know what you plan to do with it ("We'll be putting it away to save for our first home.").
Improper addressing. You should be as careful addressing the envelopes for the thank you notes as you were for the wedding invites. While you don't have to spend the money on calligraphy, print out mailing labels if your handwriting isn't neat enough.
Making mistakes on the postage. Thank you cards and notes can come in all shapes and sizes. Before you mail yours out, bring a sample down to the post office to make sure it doesn't need extra postage.
Trying to do it all at once. If you have a super small wedding, this might be possible. If not, don't try to write out all of your thank you's in one session. You're better off doing a handful each day so you can put some thought into each one--and keep your hand from cramping!
Waiting too long. While you don't have to send them out the minute you get back from the honeymoon, you should aim to have everything done within three months of the wedding.
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