The day has come. You tied the knot and got to marry the love of your life. All that hard work you spent months planning has paid off, and you spent the day surrounded by your friends and family. Take a moment to soak it all in–although we’re sure you’re already riding that newlywed high. You deserve it. Now that the celebration is over, it’s time to think about sending out thank you cards. While thanking your loved ones for their presence (and presents) should be simple, we understand how overwhelming it can feel.
We’re here to tell you it’s not as difficult as it seems. We’re helping you create the perfect mix of heartfelt and simple messages, so you can check this post-wedding activity off your checklist and focus on your honeymoon.
How to Prepare For Writing Wedding Thank You Cards
Stay Organized
Sending out thank you cards begins before the wedding even occurs. As soon as you send out your invitations, put together a spreadsheet of the guest list and their addresses. This way, you can track where to send the cards and what gifts they gave you, so you can personalize the message to them once the time comes.
Share the Workload
Chances are you will receive most of your wedding gifts on your wedding day. This makes opening them and sending thank you cards as you go a little trickier. While it may feel like an avalanche of work after the big day, dedicate time to sit down with your spouse and start writing your notes as you open the gifts. Sharing this workload with your partner will help ease the burden and allow you to stay more organized. For example, have your significant other read off the card and open the gift while you input it into your spreadsheet and write the card (or vice versa). The faster you open them, the quicker you can get your cards mailed out.
Break it Up
Don’t feel like you have to open all of your gifts and write your thank you cards in one fell swoop. Take an hour or two every day to write as many as possible. Once you begin to feel overwhelmed, treat yourself to some kind of reward–whether that’s takeout from your favorite restaurant, a bowl of ice cream, watching your favorite TV show, or a glass of wine.
Match Your Theme
While this tip doesn’t technically revolve around the writing, we recommend that the thank you cards you choose match your wedding theme. This can be as simple as matching the color palette of your big day. This just keeps things cohesive!
Writing Tips
Handwrite the Note
Your guests took time out of their lives to celebrate you, so it’s only fair to reciprocate that effort by handwriting your thank you cards. Typing or sending out digital copies can be seen as impersonal and may offend your guests. We understand that writing messages can be time-consuming, so don’t feel the need to make the message too long. Just enough to express your gratitude.
Include Everyone Involved
If a gift was given by a family or a couple, be sure to include all of their names on the card. Although you may only be acquainted with one or two of them, it’s important to make everyone feel included in your gratitude.
Be Timely
Life is busy–we get it. But you want to be timely in sending out your thank you cards. The sooner you write them, the sooner you finish the task. As we mentioned earlier, you may be working in batches, so don’t be afraid to send them out in batches. There’s no need to wait until you’re finished with every single one to send them out.
Mention Specific Cash Amounts
In the past, mentioning the specific amount of money given as a wedding gift in a wedding thank you card was considered taboo. However, that is a thing of the past, largely thanks to the digital age that we live in. Oftentimes, money is sent digitally or via post, so alright to verify the correct amount in your note. This is a time, however, when you can use your best judgment. You know your guests better than anyone, so do what feels right based on your relationship with that person.
Discuss How You’ll Use the Gift
Whether you received money or a home item, don’t be afraid to touch on how you plan on using it or where you’re going to put it. It further shows that you appreciate the sentiment behind the gift.
What to Write in Wedding Thank You Cards Examples
Wording for a Registry Gift
Dear [Guest’s Name(s)],
Thank you so much for the charcuterie board and wine glasses. You know how much we love our wine nights in! We’re looking forward to seeing you again when we can enjoy a charcuterie night together. Thank you again for thinking of and celebrating with us!
All the best,
[Your Names]
Wording for a Cash Gift
Dear [Guest’s Name(s)],
Thank you so much for celebrating our wedding day with us! [Partner’s Name] and I were thrilled with your generous and thoughtful gift of [dollar amount]. Thanks to you, we’re one step closer to buying our first home together. We look forward to seeing you again soon. Thank you for celebrating with us!
Love,
[Your Names]
Wording for Honeymoon Fund Donation
Dear [Guest’s Name(s)],
We are so grateful for your generous contribution to our honeymoon. We’ll think of you as we enjoy sailing around Hawaii! We can’t wait to see you soon. Thank you for celebrating our big day with us!
Sincerely,
[Your Names]
Wording for Those Who Couldn’t Attend But Sent a Gift
Dear [Gifter’s Name],
Thank you so much for the blender. It was so kind of you to think of us! [Partner’s Name] and I wish you could have been there on our wedding day. It wasn’t the same without you. We hope to celebrate together in the future!
Love,
[Your Names]
Wording for Someone You Don’t Know Well
Dear [Guest’s Name(s)],
Thank you for the absolutely beautiful bedding. It will look perfect in our new bedroom. My mom has spoken so fondly of you over the years, and [Partner’s Name] and I were so happy to finally meet you in person. Thank you for your kindness and for sharing in this exciting time in our lives!
Sincerely,
[Your names]
Wording for Someone for Attendance Only
Dear [Guest’s Name(s)]
Thank you so much for attending our wedding! It was such a delight to see and celebrate with you. We wanted to take a moment to send you the warmest well wishes and let you know how happy we were to see you there!
Sincerely,
[Your Names]
Wording for Your Wedding Party
Dear [Member of Wedding Party],
Thank you so much for being a [role] in our wedding party. You mean so much to [Partner’s name] and me. Having you by our side throughout this process and on our wedding day made it all
the more special. We can’t wait to share more meaningful experiences with you!
Love,
[Your Names]
Now that you’re set up for success about what to write in your wedding thank you cards, it’s time to find the perfect cards! We’ve rounded up some of our favorites from Etsy–with everything from cards that include a photo of you and your significant other to minimalistic styles that are simple yet elegant.
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