You’ve said your vows, the bouquet is tossed, and your wedding gifts are already being put to good use, but there’s one more thing left to cross off your to do list: thank you cards.
After the marathon of planning a wedding comes to an end, picking up your pen and blank thank you cards can feel a bit anticlimactic. Not many couples look forward to writing thank you cards to each of their guests.
Writing thank you cards doesn’t have to be an uphill battle! With a few tips and tricks (and some handy wording suggestions), you can get your thank yous ready to send in no time at all.
Keep these dos and don’ts in mind when you’re writing your thank you cards:
Things to Do when Writing Wedding Thank You Cards
A little planning and preparation go a long way when it comes to thank you cards. Make the process easy and painless with these tips:
- DO add a column for thank you cards to your guest list. Tracking what gift each guest sent you and noting whether you’ve sent a thank you card as you send them will help keep you organized through the entire process.
- DO order your thank you cards at the same time as your other wedding stationery. Gifts will start rolling in as soon as you announce your engagement, and if you order your thank yous early your cards will be available the moment you need them. Plus, you can make sure they match the rest of your stationery suite.
- If a gift arrives before your wedding date, DO send thank you notes within two weeks. For gifts received at your wedding, you have about four months to send your thank yous.
- DO send a thank you note to every guest, even if they didn’t get you a gift. Not every guest will have the means or ability to get you a gift. You should also send a separate thank you card to each person who contributed to a group gift.
- DO write separate thank you notes for engagement, shower, and wedding gifts, even if you receive multiple gifts from the same person.
- DO sign both of your names, regardless of who is actually writing the notes.
Things NOT to Do when Writing Wedding Thank You Cards
Don’t inadvertently commit one of these thank you card faux pas’ when writing your cards:
- DON’T type your notes. Always handwrite thank you notes – it’s more personal.
- DON’T mention specific cash amounts if your guests gave you a cash gift.
- DON’T use your married name or initials before your actual wedding date, it’s bad luck!
- DON’T waste time printing out your return address on every envelope. Instead, order pre-addressed envelopes.
- DON’T use a generic thank you message. Always mention the gift giver by name and say something nice about the gift they gave you.
Thank You Card Phrasing Ideas
Writing personalized notes for each guest and gift can be time consuming. To help save you some time, we’ve written a few sample messages you can customize to suit your specific note.
For cash gifts
“Dear _______, Thank you so much for your generous wedding gift. It will go a long way to helping us achieve our dream of _________. It was wonderful to see you at the wedding, and I can’t wait to see you again soon.”
For gifts from your registry
“Dear _______, Thank you so much for __________ and for celebrating with us on our wedding day! Your _______ has already been put to use as we start our lives together (OR) We can’t wait to try your ________.”
For gifts not on your registry
“Dear _______, Thank you so much for __________ and for celebrating with us on our wedding day! What a unique and special gift. We can’t thank you enough for your thoughtfulness.”
For guests who attended your wedding but did not give you a gift
“Dear _______, It was wonderful celebrating with you on our wedding day. Thank you so much for sharing our special day. Hope to see you again soon!”
For a gift from someone who didn’t attend your wedding
“Dear _______, Thank you very much for the _______ you sent in honor of our wedding. Your __________ are already being put to good use (OR) Your _________ look wonderful in our new home. We’re sorry we won’t see you at our wedding – hope to see you soon!”
For guests who made a charitable donation in your name
“Dear _______, Thank you very much for your heartfelt donation to _______. This organization is close to both of our hearts and we’re so grateful to you for remembering our wishes on our special day.”
For a gift from someone you don’t know
“Dear _______, Thank you so much for joining us at our wedding, and for the lovely ________. It was wonderful to meet you!”
For a gift you don’t like, or which you already have
“Dear _______, Thank you so much for the _______! What a unique and thoughtful gift. (ONE SENTENCE ABOUT THE GIFT). It was lovely to see you at our wedding, and we can’t wait to see you again soon!
For a group gift
“Dear _______, Thank you very much for your thoughtful contribution to our new _______! We’re so grateful to have such wonderful friends.”
For your bridal party
“Dear _______, Thank you so much for being my bridesmaid and for all the hard work you put into getting ready for my special day. I couldn’t have done it without you and I’m so thankful to have you as a friend.”
For vendors
“Dear _______, Thank you for the ________ for our recent wedding. Your wonderful ________ looked beautiful and were just perfect for our wedding.”
Much Thanks!
When the hustle and bustle of planning your wedding is over, it can be difficult to summon the motivation to write and send your thank you cards. Thank you cards are an important component of any wedding stationery suite, and as tempting as it may be to simply pick up the phone to say thank you, make sure you take the time to write out a short but heartfelt note for each gift and gift giver.
