Tis the season to be thankful! Thank you notes have, sadly, become a lost art. There’s nothing like a hand-written thank you note to make your friends and family feel truly appreciated for their presence and/or presents. Thank you notes can be tricky though, especially if you’re exhausted from all the wedding mayhem. Here at Bridal Hot List, we’re suckers for sentimentality and we have a few tips to make your ‘thank you’s memorable as your ‘I do’s.

Have an Address Sheet

An organized bride is a prepared bride. Hang on to your addresses from your save the dates and invitations so you can use them for thank you notes. If you get any cards or packages in the mail from loved ones who couldn’t make the ceremony, hang on to the return addresses. If it helps, keep all the addresses stored in an excel sheet with the person’s name, then address, then what they gave (so you can thank them specifically for it!).

Personalize Everything

What makes for a well thought-out gift? Making it personal, and the same goes for thank you notes. Don’t be tempted by the easiness of buying a box of fifty generic ‘thank you’ notes and just signing them all before shipping them out. It may be tedious, but the effort will not go unnoticed. Be sure to thank the person specifically for whatever they got you. If they didn’t get you anything, thank them for showing their support and joining you in the celebration. You want to make sure your loved ones do feel like you appreciate them as much as you do.

Make it Fun

Keep it light! The formalities are over (for now). Get personalized cards made from the wedding that remind your loved ones immediately how much fun the wedding was. Including a group wedding picture or fun newlywed pictures is a cute way to personalize your thank you notes. If your style is more simplistic, opt for typography cards similar to your wedding invites. You can order personalized stamps with an image of the wedding if you want to do something subtle, or even add on to make it super personalized.

Opt for Handwritten

When was the last time you got a handwritten note? Handwriting makes notes feel just that more special and personalized. If you don’t want your wrist to cramp up, you can opt to scan your handwriting in and turn it into a font online. Free online tools like MyScriptFont.com make this super easy. At the very least, make sure you and your partner both sign each card and write a quick ‘thank you’ or ‘love you’. If you have time, try to add something specific regarding the gift or your relationship. Inside jokes can go a long way.

Mail it Promptly

You deserve a break after planning the biggest day of your life, but it’s smart to send your ‘thank you’s as soon as possible. If you’re doing your honeymoon immediately after the ceremony, be sure to have your notes in the mail within two weeks of your return, preferably within one week. Your loved ones know that you want to enjoy your time as a newlywed, but it is simply good manners to thank people promptly.