You'll thank me later

I haven't run into this nearly as many times as the dreaded registry card, but it's just as vile and well worth mentioning. I'm speaking of ...dum dum DUM...the pre-printed thank you card. 

Let me clarify. The pre-printed thank you notes I'm referring to involve printing a message inside the card that goes something like this: "thank you for your lovely gift and for sharing in our first day as man and wife. Love, Jane and Jon Doe"

I have had brides inquire about these before, and like the registry card, I have always put my foot down. I hear all the same excuses, "it's so much easier this way", or "they won't mind as long as I send a thank you", or "it will save so much time", and on and on. 

I completely understand that planning a wedding can be quite a task. Loads of decisions, stress and credit card bills. So much so that it's easy to overlook the commitment your guests have made by ticking off the "will attend" box on your reply card. But consider the time, effort and costs they incur by just attending your soiree. There may be plane tickets to purchase, hotels to book, cars to rent. Depending on your dress code, they may need to throw in a new dress and tux rental. And the icing on the cake? A lovely gift for you and your groom.

So put yourself in their shoes for a moment and think about how you would feel if you received this type of empty sentiment. Kind of a downer, right? You don't have to write a novel, just a thoughtful note of appreciation will do. You can find some great tips right here. 

Don't take the easy way out on this one. If you do, you might consider following up your thoughtless correspondence with one of these: