Name Recognition

• Always address gift givers personally by name, such as "Dear Aunt Grace," "Dear Martha," or "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Hammerstein."
  
  

Opening Lines

• Commence with a warm comment or one that will have special meaning to the recipient. Example: "Remember when I used to play dress-up in your attic and dream of a fairy tale wedding? I'm so glad you and Uncle Bob could finally see it come true!"
  
  

Thanks for the (Fill in the Blank)

• Never refer to a wedding present generically as a "gift," "present," "thing" or "stuff." Otherwise, your recipient will assume 1) you're writing everyone the same note, 2) you already forgot what she gave you or 3) you don't like her gift.
  
  

Singing Praises

• Compliment the recipient's taste and originality, let him know how you plan to use the gift, or let him know the gift will always remind you of his love and generosity.
  
  

As If I Didn't Have Enough Toasters

• Refrain from comparing a gift with someone else's, such as "We''ll add your check to the $5,000 Uncle Marvin gave us," or implying it's something you didn't want or need, such as "You wouldn't believe what I got on eBay for that kooky hooka."
  
  

In Closing

• Even if you already thanked the person three times, it's always good manners to say it one last time before you sign your name. Thoughtfulness and consideration will be remembered long after the gadgets and gizmos wear out, fall apart or find a new owner at a garage sale.