Remember to Say "Thank You"

Two simple words that mean alot --"Thank you." When you thank someone you're showing your appreciation for something they've done for you. There are times when we get so caught up in ourselves and what's going on around us that we forget to thank those who helped to make certain things possible. One such instance is forgetting to thank your wedding guests. A wedding is a day that is very special for the bride and groom and often in all of the excitement, many guests don't receive any thanks for the gifts they gave or the contributions they made to help make the wedding event an enjoyable one for the bride and groom.

Now I know this isn't true for every bride, but there are some brides who are egocentric and believe everything about their wedding day should be about them. "It's MY wedding and I want things MY way!" As hectic and time consuming as planning a wedding can be, there are brides who don't think about showing gratitude for those who helped bring the event together. They only care about things going perfectly so that their wedding will be the perfect day for them. Even some nicer brides may overlook those two magic words in the atmosphere that surrounds a wedding. Couples sometimes spend a year or more planning their wedding and forget the fact that many of their friends and family also contributed their precious time and money in an effort to make the couples day more special.

Being surrounded by people who mean the most to you should not be grounds for taking advantage of their gratitude. It's not right to treat your friends and family as if they're your personal assistants. These people care about you and you should care enough about them to at least thank them for their help. Wedding guests today have to not only spend money on a wedding gift, they also have to spend money for travel and a hotel. If they're a part of the wedding party they have to spend even more on dresses or tuxedos, matching shoes, hair, make-up, etc.

It would be good etiquette to write thank you notes for wedding gifts within a month following your wedding. Some couples tend to think they have up until a year after the wedding to get their thank you notes sent out but this is not a good idea. By this time you might not even remember which person gave you which gift. The best thing to do is send handwritten, personal thank you notes to each guest. Try to mention your appreciation for whatever gift is was you received from that guest. It shouldn't be too hard to write a personal line or two, after all, these are people you know and are familiar with. It's better if notes are handwritten rather than typed or emailed. That shows you put some time and thought into it rather than just rushed through at your convenience.

Recipients of thank you notes might even appreciate a touch of humor. One newlywed who was married last year wrote a thank you note to a guest who gave her silverware that said she hoped the "lovely gleam would distract guests from poor cooking." I'm sure the recipient of that note smiled when they read that and actually felt that their gift was greatly appreciated. Another reason you should write thank you notes within a month after your wedding is beccause you're still really excited about the wedding and the gifts. If you wait a year, much of that excitement will die down.

Beyond sending thank you notes, some brides also give gifts to party hosts and wedding attendants. They also may leave gift bags at the hotel for their out-of-town wedding guests. It's possible to contact hotels, airlines, and car rental companies ahead of time to see about getting reduced wedding rates for your guests. The couple can take time during the wedding reception to make a toast to their guests to express their many thanks to their family and friends.

Everyone can't afford to give gifts to their wedding guests and that's fine. However, one thing that everyone can afford is to personally thank each of their guests. It's easy and inexpensive to buy thank you cards and stamps and write each of your guests a little thank you note. Sure it may be time consuming but it was also time consuming for many of them helping you plan your special day. Show them your gratitude, don't forget to say "Thank you." I'm sure it will be greatly appreciated.