The Art of Saying Thank You

It may be the final piece of your wedding correspondence trousseau, but the thank you is certainly one of the most important. A beautifully written and presented thank you note is the last impression you will leave with your wedding guests -- not to mention the first impression of you and your mate as a newlywed couple.

Most guests do not expect to receive a note before the wedding; they know that the couple is busy preparing for the special day. However, aim to mail your thank yous no later than three months after receiving a gift. When you return from your honeymoon, spend a concentrated 15 to 20 minutes per day on this task. Because you will need to write a thank you note for each and every gift received, writing in short periods allows for each note to remain lively and original. One way to expedite the process: Share the responsibility with your husband. (He can help by writing notes for those gifts from his family and friends.)

There are several styles of stationery that work well for thank you notes. Ideal for casual communication, the informal note is usually small in size and comes folded over once. Slightly larger than informals in stiff, flat papers, correspondence note cards can be used for both formal and casual thank yous. For longer messages, the formal letter -- a five-inch by 7.5-inch twice-folding sheet -- still fits in a small envelope. Choosing a combination of these papers allow flexibility according to your short-term and long-term correspondence needs.

Many couples like the idea of matching the look, color and feel of invitations to the thank you notes. By doing so ahead of time, you can save money on design, ink and plate charges by ordering them alongside the wedding invitations. If you’d like to continue the tone set by your invitations but not match them exactly, select a similar ink color, type style and printing method that relates to your overall style. Methods for printing thank you notes are the same as for invitations—engraving, letterpress, embossing, off-set, thermography—but if your invitations were engraved, save money by using thermography for your thank you notes to achieve the same look. At home, you can also hand-emboss your new initials to create that raised effect for a fraction of the cost.

Similar cost-cutting techniques can also be applied to the paper you choose. If you used expensive cream, deckled-edge paper for your invitation, use a thick card stock in a closely matched off-white for a complementary effect. Or use envelopes lined with paper matching the color, pattern or texture of your invitation.

A popular trend in thank you note design is continuing the logo, pattern or motif first introduced on your invitations. Recently, a bride chose to recycle the Moroccan symbol of a hand used on her save the date cards. Another couple included the monogram used on its wedding invitations, simply tweaked with an updated color. It is this attention to detail (in addition to your heartfelt words) that will make your thank yous more than just notes; they’ll be keepsakes for your guests.

Another common practice is ordering different cards to accommodate two levels of correspondence. For example, create cards engraved with your monogram in silver or gold ink for formal writing and additional fold over notes printed with your new married name in a favorite color for more informal, day-to-day communication.

Also remember to stock up; you may receive additional gifts once you announce your marriage or move into a new home and receive housewarming gifts. Order extra, and the thank you stationery you use for your wedding will come in handy any time you need to send a note.

Regardless of its design, a beautiful and graciously handwritten thank you note is a gift in itself.