Step 1: Grab your address list
Remember when you (or a family member) gathered your guests’ names and addresses when you sent off those wedding invites? Grab that list so you don’t have to backtrack. If you can print them off your computer with a label-making program, half of your work is done already! By the way, if you used the Guest List Manager on The Knot, log into your address book on The Nest. All of your contacts will be there; it’ll keep track of the gifts and addresses for you!
Step 2: Get your gift-givers straight
Most gift registries keep a master list of who gave you what, so print out a copy. For all the people who went off your registry, the sooner you jot down what they gave you, the better (before postwedding brain freeze sets in).
Step 3: Divide and conquer
Split up the task with your spouse during commercial breaks (have him do his friends and family, and you do yours). Try for 10 a night. Is one of you on a writer’s strike? At least agree to sign the card so both of your names are there. Hint: The person who doesn’t write the cards becomes the envelope-licker and stamp-sticker.
Step 4: Start writing
Just like you don't want to open a boring gift, no one wants to read a boring thank-you. Say why you love the item, thank them for their support, or mention something funny, like how they were a dance machine at your reception. If the gift was money, mention how you plan to use it (house down payment, amazing honeymoon). Once it’s signed and sealed, put a fat checkmark next to the guest's name and beg your new spouse for a quickie hand-massage. Phew, just a few more to go!
Check out our Newlywed To-Do List for tips on getting those post-wedding chores done
Get more love and relationship advice from the experts at The Nest
-- Riann Smith
See More: Couple Issues , Love & Sex , To-dos
62593184 
jarodlovesme8
We were married on the beach so I had a friend write thank you in the sand. My husband and I put our bare feet in the pic. We printed the pic on cardstock at our local STAPLES store and it was super cheap and cute! My guests loved it :) A variation could be a beach on your honeymoon and it could be printed on a postcard.
62396163 
shmarpler
Hmm, wish i had read some of the label ideas BEFORE my wedding! However, my husband did write down the gift inside each card. I have a stack of cards by our couch, and try to write a few each night. It really hasn't been as bad as I thought it would. We only have 2 gifts without cards.
62286950 
roniemorales
We went to Maui for our honeymoon and we bought stamps from Maui for our thank you notes. The envelope looks pretty with a stamp with a surfer and wave and adds a personalized touch of our honeymoon. Veronica and Daniel
62201063 
vacimino
Purchased cute return address labels (with our married names) from etsy.com and used them to seal the envelopes. I coordinated the envelopes/cards and labels
61981425 
jacks5jl
For addressing the envelopes I used my computer and printed all the address. Made my life extremely easy. Writing the Thank You's not so much.
61918507 
ChoWilson
We used bulk sms messaging to notify and remind guests of the wedding, so we used it as well as cute store-bought thank you cards. Cheap and in-your-face asap!
61848020 
winegirl93465
Send thank you cards in a postcard style with your picture on it from the wedding. Saying Thank you for sharing our special day! Didn't need to personlize each one and I got rave review from the guests. 24 for 12.99 at Wallgreens
61793893 
sandelswan14
We learned as we were cashing our wedding checks at our bank that if the check is written out to Ryan AND Sandy Johnson, both our signatures needed to be on the back of the checks, but if they wrote Ryan OR Sandy Johnson then only one of our signatures were needed (whoever was cashing the check). Since this was two days after our wedding, the bank still had my maiden name under my account but the checks had my married name and all checks had AND. Therefore, my husband had to sign every check and I had to write two signatures on each check (my married name and my maiden name). My hand hurt and I learned to always write OR on wedding checks to newlyweds. Just thought this was interesting!
61764613 
chosking1112
Wish I had read this earlier! :( I'm definitely experiencing thank you note hell right now!!! I'll have to keep these tips in mind for my sister, who's getting married next June!!
61727949 
reg2bears
My mom has always done this and it worked super for our wedding gifts. When you are opening gifts, take the card that came with it and write on the back of the card what the gift was. That way you have it written and you have it on the card telling you who it came from. It has been a snap getting my thank-you cards done, using the back of the card as a reference.
61567764 
Cheree&CalvinOmtvedt2009
After reading this, it made me think of what my husband and I are doing for our Thank You's to our family and friends. We went to San Fransico on our honeymoon and we stopped in a couple of little shops while we walked around. We got post cards, some from Fisherman's Warf, from Peir 39 and the others from China Town. Fun idea and the area to write isn't too bad! Newleyweds, Calvin & Cheree
61534271 
harp311
Use a glue stick to seal the envelopes! It's cheap, and a lot cleaner than a wet sponge...plus your tongue will thank you!
61045956 
hudysgirl
What worked great for me was as yes replies came in for the wedding, I filled out the address for the thank yous and stamped them/put return address label on them. That way I only had to address a few thank yous a day and after the wedding all I had to do was write out the thank you.
60020810 
sapatterson
Some of the best advice I got was to address the thank you notes at the same time you address your invitations; you never have to compile your list of addresses more than once and it makes starting the darn things a bit less intimidating knowing you already have them all addressed. Even if some of your guests don't come to the wedding, they usually send a gift anyway; and if you address some you don't use, what have you lost? a few cheap envelopes, instead of hours trying to locate that one sticky note your honey-bunch brought home from work 3 months ago. I enlisted the help of my bridesmaids for addressing - two on invitations, paired up with two on thank-yous to make the process less daunting and whole lot more fun. (Wonder if I could get them to come back and write the notes too...) Oh yeah, if you have the forethought, ask your maids to do this for non-wedding guests they invite to showers too!
59302008 
Queenie1!
Newly engaged - follow this rule of thumb - write a thankyou note - within a day or two of receiving the gift - I purchased delightful thankyou cards - from my local supermarket - yes - 10 for £1 - and immensely enjoyed waxing lyrical - for those of you who aren't that way inclined - purchase shop similar ONLY already with a verse included! R.x