Each Wednesday, we tackle wedding etiquette. At times, it’s a reader question or one from a colleague, friend or family member and other times we’ll cover a popular issue. This week, we are answering a reader question about thank you notes.
Question: We are going on our dream vacation of a month-long backpacking trip across Europe for our honeymoon. We’d rather not have the pressure of trying to get all of the thank you cards filled out, addressed and mailed while travelling and also, the extra weight in our packs. How long do we have to mail out thank you cards?
Answer: What a fabulous honeymoon. Enjoy! The rule of thumb is three months, so as long as you get on the ball upon your return from Europe, you’ll still be in good shape. It’s acceptable — and would be a fun and thoughtful idea — to send out an email with a fun photo of you and your new spouse from the wedding, or better yet from an exotic locale in one of the early backpacking cities with easy online access, letting guests know you got their gift and a handwritten thank you card is forthcoming once you return to the states. Consider creating a draft of the email prior to the trip, so that you have all of the guests email addresses handy. Then all you have to do is a find charming Internet café in Prague, Pamplona or — the city of love itself — Paris, add the photo, double-check the spelling of merci beaucoup and hit send!
Do you have a solution to share or a wedding etiquette question? Respond in the comments or email Melanie@MyNewOrleans.com.
