Post-Wedding Gratitude: The Sweet Spot For Thank-You Notes

Wedding thank-you card etiquette states that you technically have a year from the day you receive your present to thank the gift giver, but it's good practice to get your notes of appreciation out sooner, if you're able. One to two months is considered perfectly acceptable, but going on three or more months is either lazy or inconsiderate.

3 months is the goal for sending thank you cards

Three months is the goal for sending thank you cards. While technically you have a year from the day you receive your present to thank the gift giver, it's good practice to get your notes of appreciation out sooner, if you're able. Send late wedding thank-you cards and guests may assume you've forgotten about their gift or presence at your wedding before your note hits their mailbox, which can cause hurt feelings or breed resentment.

Within one to two months is perfectly acceptable, but going on three or more months is either lazy or inconsiderate. For any gifts that arrive after your honeymoon, you have three months from the date you received them to send your thank you cards.

To help you get your wedding thank you cards sent out on time, try writing a few each night or write them as you open your gifts. Yes, typing is easier than writing, and pre-printed cards are even easier. But both are viewed as impersonal. Take a couple of minutes to write out your thank you notes and remember—only use blue or black ink and keep it neat. Don’t send a card that has smudges or words crossed out.

I've always gotten thank you notes from wedding gifts within a couple of weeks after the wedding, and I've always been really impressed by how quickly couples have gotten them out, which has been really nice.

I was also told that if you get cash or a gift card you should say something like "Thanks Aunt Pam for the Amazon gift card. We used it to buy a vacuum cleaner!" No idea if that is actually correct, but that is what we did. I sent mine out two weeks after.

1-2 months is acceptable

One to two months is a perfectly acceptable time to send out thank you cards for a wedding. It is considered good practice to send out thank you notes sooner rather than later, as delaying them may cause hurt feelings or resentment.

If you receive a gift within weeks of the wedding, it is expected that you will send a thank you card shortly after. Writing a few notes each night or as you open your gifts can help you stay on top of this.

It is important to note that the "one year limit" is for guests to send gifts, not for the couple to send thank you cards. Therefore, you should aim to get all your thank you notes in the mail by three months after your wedding.

When writing your thank you notes, remember to use blue or black ink and keep it neat. Avoid sending a card with smudges or crossed-out words.

If you are unsure about the etiquette surrounding thank you notes, it is always a good idea to consult with a wedding planner or a friend who has been through the process before.

1 year is the limit for gifts, not cards

The 1-year limit is for guests to send gifts, not for the couple to send thank-you cards. While technically, you have a year from the day you receive your present to thank the gift giver, it's good practice to get your notes of appreciation out sooner, if you're able. If you send late wedding thank-you cards, guests may assume you've forgotten about their gift or presence at your wedding before your note hits their mailbox, which can cause hurt feelings or breed resentment.

It's best to send thank-you notes within a couple of weeks after the wedding. Within one to two months is perfectly acceptable, but going on three or more months is either lazy or inconsiderate. If you get cash or a gift card, you should say something like "Thanks Aunt Pam for the Amazon gift card. We used it to buy a vacuum cleaner!"

To help you get your wedding thank you cards sent out on time, try writing a few each night or write them as you open your gifts. Yes, typing is easier than writing. And pre-printed cards are even easier. But both are viewed as impersonal. Take a couple of minutes to write out your thank you notes. And remember—only use blue or black ink and keep it neat. Don’t send a card that has smudges or words crossed out.

If you're procrastinating, it's best to get your notes of appreciation out sooner, if you're able. If you're young, you may not have sent thank you cards for things unless it was a formal occasion and your mom told you to like your high school graduation. All things considered, you should aim to get all your thank-you notes in the mail by three months after your wedding.

2 weeks is the earliest recorded time

Two weeks is the earliest recorded time for sending thank you cards after a wedding.

This is based on the idea that you should get all your thank-you notes in the mail by three months after your wedding. Within one to two months is perfectly acceptable, but going on three or more months is either lazy or inconsiderate.

If you get cash or a gift card, you should say something like "Thanks Aunt Pam for the Amazon gift card. We used it to buy a vacuum cleaner!"

It's not hard to do, we had our sneak peek photos within 24 hours, about 10 days after the wedding I used a photo and designed thank you cards, collected them in store 2 days later with some stamps, sat and wrote them out and then couple days later posted them at the mailbox near my house.

Only use blue or black ink and keep it neat. Don’t send a card that has smudges or words crossed out.

Don't send late cards to avoid hurt feelings

Wedding thank-you card etiquette dictates that you technically have a year from the day you receive your present to thank the gift giver. However, it's good practice to get your notes of appreciation out sooner, if you're able. One to two months is considered a perfectly acceptable time frame to send out thank you cards. Three months is the latest you should aim to get all your thank-you notes in the mail.

If you send late wedding thank-you cards, guests may assume you've forgotten about their gift or presence at your wedding before your note hits their mailbox, which can cause hurt feelings or breed resentment.

Writing a few thank you notes each night or writing them as you open your gifts can help you get your wedding thank you cards sent out on time. Typing is easier than writing, and pre-printed cards are even easier. However, both are viewed as impersonal. Take a couple of minutes to write out your thank you notes and remember to only use blue or black ink and keep it neat.

If you get cash or a gift card, you should say something like "Thanks Aunt Pam for the Amazon gift card. We used it to buy a vacuum cleaner!" No idea if that is actually correct, but that is what we did.

If you procrastinate, you may find yourself in a situation where you have to send out thank you cards within a couple of weeks after the wedding, which is either lazy or inconsiderate.

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