Thank You Notes:How things go wrong... and how to make them go right

 A list of Thank you cards accumulate after a bridal shower...

 

and though you TRULY are grateful...it is a tidbit overwhelming..... 

This is my thank you note story....well thus far a least!

    I had my first bridal shower over my spring break week. It was a good introduction to the wedding event season that was beginning...(three months prior to the upcoming nuptials). It was a lovely shower with all my college and high school girlfriend. We rented a beach house and had a shower and bachleorette weekend! It was wonderful to see all my close friends (9 of whom make up the bridesmaids)...and I had a blast. 

   Saturday morning we had the bridal shower, and it was ADORABLE...we played silly games, and such....and of course I got WONDERFUL PRESENTS....

                      

That set of thank you cards was really easy....as they were my BEST FRIENDS....I could write whatever I wanted and I knew they would be fine with it and LOVE whatever I wrote.... and the best part...I had the rest of spring break with nothing to do but write these 20-25 thank you cards!!

   

     Then...on to the next bridal shower, and where I started to make mistakes!! (oops!)

       

        The Next bridal shower was in my hometown...let's call in Smallville South Carolina.... and it was thrown by eleven of wonderful ladies and gentlemen that went to my church/ were the Dr's Wives/ other family friends....and 70 people were invited. This shower was, however, thrown in the middle of my head and neck/ cognition block at school during a weekend that I really needed to be studying....But I had as great time as it was too a wonderful event...let me clarify that I knew one of the three showers I was/am having would have to be during school as there were only sooo many weekends before the wedding...so I did provide this date..because it was earlier in the block.. 

        So this shower was again a wonderful one,be it slightly different from the one when I goofed around with my girlfriends. Again, I was showered with Many Wonderful gifts!! While I was at home, there were also wedding presents being delivered to the house from the various local stores...

When I got home from the shower I complied 2 lists...one of bridal shower presents, and one of wedding presents!! I then asked my mother, if I should just (in my limited time....remember this is during a busy block) write the shower ones for now, and wait the two-three weeks to write the wedding ones after my big test (the one I had yesterday)...no big deal right?? ....oh noo...

       So I wrote them...I looked up online (thank goodness for the internet) polite ways to write thank you cards for hostesses, for guests, for guests who sent presents but couldn't come, for hostesses who could attend, etc...and then I put my one personal touch to them, trying to make each one individual....It was not easy...but I finished in about a week and a half..writing a couple every night during my "study break" to watch my various TV addictions.I mailed all but two of the hostess thank you notes as I didn't have their address on hand, and theirs got mailed about a week later...when I was able to hunt down their addresses..

and do you know what happened next...

1) My mother got a phone call from a lady who asked if the wedding present she sent was lost as the thank you note was only for the shower present and she knew that I had both in my possession

2)Someone else went to my mother and asked if I had Christopher writing the thank you cards as the handwriting was...unlady like...

      Now I spent A GREAT DEAL of time thinking about each and every card, and even writing them...but come on.... Im going to be a doctor and you expect perfect handwriting??!?!  I admit...my handwriting isn't the best..but now I'm just self conscience.. In my defense.. I wrote them after writing notes and study guides all day..I offically have a HUGE bump on the side of my finger from writing so much lately.... Break please...

But the lady who called about the wedding present informed my mother that thank you cards were sent in order of the date recieved, not event, and I truly felt bad....I really appreciated her gits and wanted her to know that....

So...to the point!! (whew...)

I have looked up the CORRECT information on thank you notes so that I know in the future as well as others!!!  *if this is not correct or you know a better way PLEASE let me know...I am trying to do things the right way from here on out... I really appreciate that so many people care about me and I really don't want them to think otherwise!!

THANK YOU NOTES

-Must be sent as early as possible

-Must be personal, handwritten 

-Cannot be pre-printed or typed

-Thank them for the gift as well as thanking for attendance/ regrets for not being able to attend

- Try not to make the card all about you.Don't start with, "I," "me," "my," "we," or "our."
-Try to focus more on the gift giver than the recipient.

Most Importantly!!

It's important not to procrastinate...thank you notes should be sent out no later than two weeks after you get back from your honeymoon (which for me and the lack of honeymoon due to Christopher starting dental school two days after the wedding...is two weeks post wedding....)

AND...If you receive a wedding gift prior to the wedding...send a THANK YOU immediately! Though it is correct to send separate thank you notes for shower presents and wedding presents received at the same time (at least I did something right!)

So now that I know what to do...I get to spend the next two days getting caught up on my thank you notes before classes start again on Monday....Then only three weeks until my next shower....and 35 till the WEDDING!!

Hope you enjoyed!!
<3 A