Thank You Note Etiquette
Ettiquette requires sending a thank you note after receiving a gift.
Phoning, thanking the gift giver in person, or even e-mailing your thanks is usually not the proper way to thank someone. Three important aspects of a thank you note:
First, write your thank you notes promptly after a gift or service has been received. Thank you notes should be mailed within a few days of receiving the gift.
Second, thank you notes should reflect your sincere gratefulness. Try to thank the person in the same tone you would use if you were talking to them face-to-face.
And third, personally write your thank you notes to give them a personal touch. A handwritten thank you note is also like a gift in itself.
Preprinted thank you notes let guests know the gift has been received. However, you should follow-up with a handwritten, personal thank you note. The outline of a typical thank-you note is as follows:
Salutation: "Dear Mrs. Smith", "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Smith", "Dear Uncle Dan" and "Dear Sue" are all ways of starting the note.
The first sentence begins with yourself (and/or spouse or baby): "I would like to thank you" or "Dan and I would like to thank you" to let the recipient know who is thanking them.
Mention the gift: Be as specific about it as possible. Tell the person how nice it is and why. A few descriptive words you can use when they fit the situation are: appropriate, beautiful, charming, elegant, generous, lovely, perfect, special, unique and useful.
Tell them how you plan to use the gift: In the case of money gifts, you should not mention that it is a check, cash or even the exact amount of the gift. An example would be, "Your generous gift is highly appreciated. We have it earmarked for our house fund."
Thank the person again: Maybe include a personal thought about your relationship with the giver or a special memory of the event.
Close the note: Give a heartfelt closing with something like "Fondly," "Best regards," "Sincerely," "Love" or "Cordially" and sign your name.
What not to write in a thank you note
Writing thank you notes can be fun, but you need to be careful not to step on any toes in the process. Do not mention you are going to return a gift for any reason. Also, you should not say that you received the same gift from someone else.
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