First, let’s get this straight, you DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT have one year to get your thank you’s out (Who came up with that?) If you wait a year, you look plain old bad (and ungrateful). Three months sister, and then you’re pushing it. And be sure that your groom takes half the notes, even if he’s got poor penmanship.

No matter what, thank you notes should be handwritten, include a specific mention of the gift, an expression of your utter joy, some mention of how you plan to use the gift and a few blurbs unrelated to the gift (such as, “It was so nice to see you and Fang at the wedding. We hope you will visit our new home soon.” When the gift is money, do not specifically mention the amount, but mention how you plan to use the money. (”Thank you for your generous gift, Lucy and I will be putting it toward the purchase of a new canoe”).

Be sure to write separate (and different) thank you notes to those friends who jointly bought you a gift. If they’re like me, they will call one another and compare notes.

Lastly, Here’s a thank you note horror: I once received a thank you which asked where I bought the gift because the bride wanted to exchange it. Gag, barf, horrible, etiquette disaster.