DEAR ABBY: My daughter was married last weekend and received several unmarked gifts. When sending out thank-you notes, how do you know what to say and to whom? There were several guests that would never have come empty-handed, yet there is no way to match the mystery gifts to the right guests. Not sending a thank-you note to someone I'm sure brought a gift seems awkward and embarrassing. -- AT A LOSS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
DEAR AT A LOSS: For the people whose cards were not included -- or were lost -- your daughter and/or son-in-law should send generic thank-you letters rather than ones that are specific. They should say something like this: "Dear (----), 'John' (or 'Carol') and I want to thank you for sharing our special day with us. Your presence at such a sacred and meaningful time meant more to us than words can convey. Fondly, (----)."