We all know that one of our favorite parts about getting married is to receive gifts. We have created our bridal registry and we are eager to see how many of those items we will receive. We look forward to sitting down with our spouse to unwrap the gifts and feeling blessed for all the friends and relatives who presented us with gifts. However, we become overwhelmed when it’s time to write the thank you cards. Here is our 20-step guide to assist you in making this experience a pleasant and easy one:

1. Make sure that you have your invitation guest list with complete addresses. This will come in handy when you are ready to mail your thank you cards.

2. Keep a good record of all the gifts you received prior to, at and after the wedding. Use a notebook or computer spreadsheet to record the name of the giver and the type of gift you received.

3. Purchase blank thank you cards prior to the wedding. Thank you cards should preferably coordinate with your wedding colors or theme.

4. It is impolite to send preprinted thank you cards. Handwritten notes are more personable and show that you appreciated for the gift.

5. Assign someone to label your cards while you are on your honeymoon. That way, as soon as you return, you can start writing your thank you notes. Put your return address on the cards as well.

6. Ask your husband to help you with the note writing. This way, it will not be too overwhelming for you and the job can be done much faster.

7. Write your notes in blue or black ink. This will make your note easily readable for everyone.

8. Keep your notes simple, but honest and sincere.

9. Greet the person you are writing the note to. e.g. Dear Cousin Mary.

10. Always say “Thank You.” e.g. “Thank you for the electric blender.”

11. Mention the name of the gift in your note and say how you and your husband can use the gift. If it’s cash, still say how you’ll use the money.

12. Mention your gratitude for the person attending your wedding. e.g. “It was a pleasure seeing you at the wedding.”

13. Say “thank you” one last time. e.g. “Thanks again for your generous gift.”

14. Wrap it up. e.g. “Love, Cindy and John”

15. Because the note is for the giver, be sure to say “you” more often that “I” or “me.” This will put the focus on the giver and show that you really appreciate their generosity. This is not the time to write about to talk about your honeymoon or how much fun you had on your wedding day. This note is to simply thank the giver for their thoughtfulness.

16. Send thank you notes to everyone who assisted you with your wedding – even caterers and bridal shower hosts. They’ll appreciate your thoughtfulness.

17. Write separate notes for each gift you receive, even if they are from the same person.

18. It is important that you send thank you cards for shower gifts within 10 days of the bridal shower and two weeks after the wedding. It is impolite to wait longer.

19. If you receive gifts before the wedding, be sure to send out those thank you cards as the gifts come in.

20. If you receive a gift that you do not like or that you cannot identify, never express that feeling in that note and never ask the person what the gift is. Keep your thank you note simple and sincere. e.g. “Tom and I sincerely appreciate your generous wedding gift.”

Bride tries to narrow down bridal party members.

You just got engaged and you are excited about planning your big day. You sit down to decide upon your wedding party, when all of a sudden you realize that you have more people than spots available for the bridal party. For a brief moment you even thought of just putting everyone in the party and avoid hurting someone’s feelings; that’s before you came to the realization that it would be impossible to put in all your close relatives and friends in the wedding party. Besides, there isn’t enough room at the altar for all these people. So, you start racking your brain about how to manage the situation and make a decision that would be favorable for not only you and your future husband, but for your friends and family.

The issue has been a very delicate one for brides for years, but being honest and open about your decision will make things less complicated. First of all, this is your wedding and you have every right to decide who will be in your bridal party, in consultation with your fiancé of course. Keep in mind that you may have to include people from his family as well, and he should have a say in that decision. These decisions are never made lightly, because you want to be able to look at your wedding photos 20 years from now and still feel comfortable with the people who stood beside you on your wedding day. So, be sure to discuss the wedding party thoroughly with your fiancé and be certain about your decisions.

After you and your fiancé have thoroughly gone through the bridal party – made selections and discussed them for confirmation – decide upon how you would break the news to those who did not make the cut. First of all, you should never announce your decision via email, text message, social media sites such as Facebook or other impersonal forms of communication. Most of all, as indicated before, not saying anything to them at all is never a good idea. The best way to cause a rift between you and the friend or family member who did not make the cut, is to completely avoid the situation and never tell them they did not make the cut. This is never a good idea, but there’s no simple way to tell someone who has expectations to be in your wedding party that they did not make the cut.

However, handling the situation maturely and honestly will ensure that you have done your part. Forever Savvy recommends that you invite your friend to your home or take them out for a drink or dinner and explain the situation. Explain to the friend that all the spots are filled and explain why each person was chosen – relatives of fiancé, siblings – or that you and your fiancé decided upon a small bridal party.  Explain to your friend or family member that because they are special to you, you have another role important for them to play in the wedding.  They can fill spots such as ushers, guestbook attendants and even special assistants to the bridal party. If they are truly a friend, they will understand and respect your decision, and serve in another capacity on your wedding day.

After you have done all of this, call your wedding party to share the good news.