A Word to the Wise: Thank You Notes

OK, here's the deal. Personal Experience #1 from my hiatus: 2 different brides - one sent a thank you card 3 days after her bridal shower and within 2 weeks of returning from her honeymoon. The other has not yet sent ANY thank-you note for her shower or wedding gift. There are a few schools of thought on the acceptable length of time that can pass before your guests begin to wonder if perhaps their $150 blender was lost and you didn't receive it - or worse yet, that you're an ungrateful recipient.

So how long is too long? You've got three months, sweetie. That's straight from Emily Post, Queen of Etiquette. But how, in the afterglow of the wedding & honeymoon are you supposed to find time to write out 200 thank you notes - each one personal and thoughtful?

1. When you buy postage for your wedding invitations, double the amount and purchase enough for your thank you cards as well. You're excited to go to the post office now (don't forget to ask specifically for wedding postage - unless you don't mind assorted fruit or the American flag on your envelopes) - but in a couple of months, when you have to rush to the dry cleaners after work, fly home (across town) and unload the dishwasher before you can start dinner when your hubby gets home in an hour, you're going to find it a little more difficult to swing by the post office for stamps.

2. Send notes for shower gifts within a week of your shower. Your guests will be impressed that you're so "on the ball" even in the midst of your planning - and you'll have fewer cards looming in the future. Plus, since showers can take place months before the wedding, you don't want to forget about thanking your guests altogether. "Well," you think, "what if someone gives me a shower gift and a wedding gift. Can't I just write one note for both presents?" I'm afraid not, dear. This is not a time to cut corners! If someone made the special effort to buy 2 gifts for you and took time out of her schedule to attend a shower and your wedding, the least you can do is take the time to send two separate notes of gratitude.

3. Be organized. I used this easy-as-pie Wedding Gift Listfrom Microsoft Templates to keep track of who gave what gift and when a thank you card was sent. You can use it at showers (have a bridesmaid do the writing) or when you and your hubby open presents! My husband enjoyed the "opening" part, while I took care of jotting down all the particulars. Then, over the next 2 weeks while we would watch television after dinner, I would make it a goal to write 5-10 thank you cards, address the envelopes & slap on a stamp. If this spreadsheet isn't quite your style, there are plenty more to be turned up in a Google search - and they can be printed or downloaded for electronic use, whichever works best for you.