Thank you notes -- a must be done

It's time to thank all of your friends and family that took the time to buy you a gift or send you a card with a monetary present for your wedding shower or actual wedding. According to Peggy Post, you have up to one calendar year to send out your thank you notes.

Writing thank you notes a time consuming chore. Yes, you must do it. Think of it this way -- It takes you 10 percent of the time it took them to purchase the gift for you. Thank you notes must be handwritten, both with the envelope addressing and the actual note. Preprinted thank you cards are just...not a good idea. Neither are email thank you notes.

To make writing them more efficient:
1) Type out (on a piece of paper) a form thank you note with blanks that will allow you to personalize each note. For example: "Dear ___; Thank you so much for the ____. It was great seeing you at the wedding. God bless and take care." You can personalize it as much as you like from there, should you choose to.
2) Address the envelopes and do the thank you cards as your gifts arrive before the wedding. The beauty of online registries is that many of your wedding gifts can now be delivered to you before the wedding. Do your thank yous as your gifts arrive. Then, mail them on the way to your wedding rehearsal. Your guests will be so appreciative to get a thank you from you the Monday after your wedding!
3) Share the load with your new spouse. Write the notes to your respective relatives and friends.

In addition -- if you have a guest that came to your wedding and didn't give you a gift -- still send them a thank you. Don't indicate thanks for a gift. If they did get you something and you send them this thank you, it's a way to start what could be an awkward conversation in an easier way. (You think they didn't get you something, when, in fact, they actually ordered or mailed you something you never received.)

Stress balls are great for writer's cramps... =)