After the party is over and the presents have all been accounted for, it's time to write the Thank You Notes. Clients often ask me questions like - "How many Thank You Notes should I order?", "How long do I have to write them?", "How short is too short?", "How can I make it personal when I really don't know the person? and my all time favorite “Can I send a thank you note by email?”
Well here are the answers and some tips for those questions.
How Many Thank You Notes Should I Order?
Since we've started selling invitations and stationery at RM Creative Events our clients often ask how many thank you notes they should order. The answer is at a minimum, the same number of invitations you order and to be safe, an extra 10-25 depending on the increments you can order. Figure, you will more than likely get a gift from at least every person/couple you send an invitation and you will want a few extras on hand for the occasional mistake, to send to anyone who made your party special like a D.J., decorator, caterer, or event planner.
Better to have a few extras at the end of the day, then to be short.
How Long Do You Have To Write Your Notes?
Rule of thumb, as soon as possible. When you receive your gifts it is only appropriate that you should thank the gift givers in a timely manner. There are variations on what is acceptable - for instance weddings. Most guests who give gifts on the day of the wedding know that it will be a couple of weeks and up to a month before they will be receiving their thank you note. Why? Because by the time the happy couple finally make it back from the honeymoon and settle in, it may already be two weeks past the date of the wedding.
For baby showers and baby gifts, again most gift givers expect some delay in receiving a thank you note. Depending on how close to the due date the shower is thrown or gifts arrive, mom and dad may be tied up with their new bundle of joy.
For other parties and events like Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, thank you notes should be written immediately following the party.
Tip for being timely: When a gift comes in, keep a spreadsheet or document with the following information - The name and address of the gift giver, the date the gift came in, a description of the gift and a column to check for when the thank you note was sent.
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Name
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Street Address
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City, State Zip
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Date received
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Gift Description
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Thank You Note
|
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Myers
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14 Walnut Street
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Philadelphia, PA 19106
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10/10/2010
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Tiffany Glass Vase
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x
|
How Short is too Short?
When writing a thank you note three well thought out and/or heartfelt sentences can be more effective than two or three rambling paragraphs or one short sentence. Keep in mind, most thank you notes or informal cards are small in size and only really leave room for a few lines.
A good format for an appropriate thank you note is as follows:
· Address the person/people you are thanking.
· Tell them who is thanking them.
· Express your appreciation for the gift.
· Share how you might use the gift.
· Thank them again.
· Signature
An example would be:
Dear Aunt Mary,
Scott & I wish to thank you for the beautiful Lenox candle sticks you gave us for our wedding. We appreciate it and they will make a wonderful addition to our first family Thanksgiving table this year. Thank you again.
Love,
Sarah & Scott
Try to keep the notes personal sounding. This may be daunting at times, especially when you have a lot to write, but if you think to add a personal comment about your relationship with the gift giver then you will have accomplished that goal.
Dear Aunt Mary,
Scott & I wish to thank you for the beautiful Lenox candle sticks you gave us for our wedding. We appreciate the time you took to pick them out as they will make a wonderful addition to our first family Thanksgiving table this year. We had a great time dancing with you at the wedding. Thanks for celebrating with us.
Love
Sarah & Scott
How to Make it Personal?
Often times we receive gifts from friends of family and friends who hear about our special events and choose to send a gift or have to deal with the occasional guest who is a close friend of a relative, but not someone we know well. Remember, they took the time to think about you and your special occasion, so it is only right that you take a few minutes to think about them and thank them. They don’t have to know that you don’t know them as well as they might know you.
With the basic thank you note outlined above you can accomplish a personal touch simply by changing up the wording a little. For example you could try:
Scott & I were delighted to receive …
Scott & I were excited to receive…
When writing about how you will use the item try:
This lamp fits perfectly with our living room décor
The baby blanket will be perfect for covering up the baby when we take her out in the Fall.
Email Thank You Notes
Email thank you notes have their time and place but not when it comes to thanking people for gifts received for a special event like a wedding, mitzvah, birthday party or anniversary party. People have put time, thought, money and energy into purchasing a gift for you. It is common courtesy to take the time to handwrite a note.
Final Thoughts
Remember, try to send out your thank you notes in a timely manner. We are all busy and sometimes other things take priority, but we need to remember to thank those who took the time to think about us.
If you have questions, need more information on writing thank you notes or have etiquette questions, feel free to contact us we are always happy to assist.
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RM Creative Events Management, Inc. is a full service mitzvah, wedding and special event planning company. We offer invitations, décor, concept to completion planning services, partial coordination packages and day-of coordination and management of your event. Contact us today for all your event planning and management needs. 
