Photocopied thank you notes from bride & groom? Is that OK?

A thank you letter should be handwritten on a sheet of letter paper or a note card that has NO pre-printed message, not even the words "Thank You." It should name the gift with a positive adjective, tell something you particularly like about it, and recognize some good quality in the giver.

Aubergine is correct that this couple was wrong to expect, or even to anticipate, gifts. Unless directly "What gift might you like?" the people connected with the wedding shouldn't be mentioning gifts.

The notion that if a large number are VERY rude, then those who are only moderately rude are praiseworthy is foolish.

Photocopied thank you notes from bride & groom? Is that OK?

A friend of mine for the past 10 years got married. He moved away about 7 years ago but we've stayed in touch and I was very touched that i got invited to his small ceremony/reception. I couldn't go, as the wedding was on the opposite coast but they set up a PayPal account for gifts to go toward a down payment for their first house.

I got a thank you note and inside, a typed messaged printed on copier paper was glued to the inside. The bride and groom both signed it at the bottom but it was a very generic thank you for the money. There was no mention of the wedding which I thought was weird (e.g, we were sorry you couldn't make it to the wedding or it was great seeing you at the wedding).

Am I completely out of touch, and if so, when did it become OK to literally slap a boilerplated message onto a thank you card and call it a day?

With people becoming busier and busier and weddings becoming more expensive, some couples are opting for "easier" ways to say thank you. It's not uncommon to have generic cards now. I would be glad that you even got a Thank You card as there are some people (not just newlyweds) that don't feel the need to even send a card/letter/email in response.

Sadly, weddings these days have turned into fund raising events. But that aside...

It was grossly inappropriate to send thank you notes like that which you received. My suggestion is to try to find better friends.

Have a polite day.

Etiquette takes over where laws end.

well the first clue should have been the gouging of guests for house money. this is so far beyond the bounds of polite society that you should have known you were no longer in that realm... so the photocopied thank you note shouldn't have been a big surprise.

The next present you send them can be a photocopy of a check, perhaps.