Tips for Conquering Thank You Notes

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You are newly engaged, working full-time, planning your dream wedding and your first shower is right around the corner. With each shower you will be given amazing gifts but what about those thank you notes? Have no fear. I promise that you can tackle all your thank you's in a timely manner while making them sincere.

Here are a few tips to keeping things organized and getting those notes completed quickly:

1. Have one notebook that keeps record of ALL your wedding/shower gifts. One of the things I did when my best friend got engaged was to purchase a spiral notebook. We wrote down every gift she ever received in that notebook whether she got it in the mail or from a shower. She was able to keep track of each gift and check them off as she completed her thank you notes. When I got married she passed the notebook on to me and I got to add my gifts. It was kind of special for us and we can pass the notebook on to our little girls one day. Having one notebook keeps your gift count in one place and it also fits in your purse or bag.

2. Have guests write down their address on an envelope as they sign in. At each of my showers I skipped the traditional guest book and had guests sign a canvas with paint pins. At my church shower the hostesses had a great idea and left a stack of envelopes that corresponded with my thank you notes lying out. As guests signed my canvas they also took one envelope and wrote their address on it. It was such a great idea and I couldn't believe that I hadn't thought of it before. When it came time to write that set of thank you notes I didn't have to worry about finding addresses or writing them on each envelope. It was a lifesaver!

3. Make it easier by printing fun labels. With a long list of thank you notes make everything easier. Print out fun labels with your address on them. This saves time and you do not have to rewrite your address 500 times. This is also a creative outlet. Don't laugh! How many times do you get stressed or overwhelmed? Take 10 minutes to make fun labels or print off a few pictures to slip into the thank you note envelopes of those closest to you. Keep one area in your house or apartment strictly for thank you note writing. You will be able to see what needs to be accomplished plus have an area that is free from distraction. Make things easier when it comes to writing sweet messages.

4. Enlist the help of others when it comes to addresses and saying thanks. I personally wrote each thank you note myself. I wanted to make them special and I might have lost a bet to my husband that left me addressing each note but some people ask bridesmaids and friends for help. I think it is personal preference but you should always be aware of who gave you a gift. You do not necessarily need to know every gift you were given and whom it was from but you do need to know who took time to purchase you a gift and send it to you. This helps when you pass them in the grocery store you can also say thank you there. If you do not feel comfortable with someone writing them ask friends to look up addresses and put them on envelopes.

5. Start now. This is my best piece of advice. You may think I have plenty of time after the wedding but trust me you will not want to be working on thank you notes right after you get married. Also you will get a lot of gifts at the wedding, which only adds to your growing list. Once you finish one shower start on the thank you notes. Make it a goal to complete one set of thank you notes before you go onto your next shower. Keep a bag of them with you in your purse so when you have ten minutes waiting at the doctors office you can finish two or when you have a few extra minutes on your lunch break you can knock out five notes. Start now and finish early! I promise it will be worth it.

How are you handling thank you notes? Do you have any other suggestions or tips for other brides? Feel free to share or comment below.