A Guide To Writing Wedding Thank You Cards

Once all of the excitement of your magical wedding day has finally settled and you’re busy enjoying the start of married life, it’s time to complete the final task on your wedding planning to-do list. Writing your wedding thank you cards is just as important as sending out personalised wedding invitations to all of your guests. It’s polite and good manners to say ‘thank you’ to your guests for joining you in celebrating your special day, and for the wedding gift that they bought you.

The Wedding Thank You Card

If you didn’t order Wedding Thank You Cards as part of your gorgeous wedding stationery – to match your save the date cards, personalised wedding invitations and RSVP cards – you can write your personal messages in beautiful handcrafted cards that complement your wedding theme. Alternatively, pick out your favourite wedding photo and have it printed into a thank you card that perfectly shows it off.

Wedding Thank You Card Writing Rules

Formal wedding etiquette dictates that you should send your wedding thank you cards no later than three months after your wedding day. Replying in a timely fashion helps you manage the whole thank you card writing process, and ensures that you don’t overlook any of your guests.

If you receive gifts before the wedding, it’s perfectly acceptable to write and mail wedding thank you cards before the big day. You just need to adjust the text so that you thank your guests and look forward to celebrating with them on your wedding day.

There’s no need to fret if you’re got writer’s block, as writing wedding thank you cards doesn’t have to be a complicated job. You simply need to follow the 3 basic rules:

Begin your wedding thank you card message by thanking your guest for sharing your special day with you.

Next, thank them for their gift, and mention what you plan to do with it.

Finish off with well wishes.

Add Some Personal Touches

No one wants to receive a wedding thank you card that features a generic message. You want your guests to know that your thank you note is heartfelt and personal, and that you value their presence and presents.

As you open your wedding gifts, it’s a good idea to keep a list of the senders and the items, so that it’s easy for you to offer specific thanks instead of referring to ‘the gift’.

It’s important to put in a little extra effort when you’re writing wedding thank you cards. Although it can be time consuming, handwriting a thank you card shows the recipient that you care, and creates a better impression than a message that is typed.

Inserting a photograph from your wedding day, in your wedding thank you card, is a lovely way to keep the memory of the celebration alive. If your wedding day planning was super organised, and you have a good selection of photos besides those that were professionally taken, include a snap that features the guest you are thanking.

Write wedding thank you cards to everyone, even if you didn’t receive a gift from someone. Not every guest that attends a wedding arrives with a present for the happy couple. Guests using a wedding gift service may opt to have the gift sent directly to you. Other guests may choose to give you a gift after the wedding, and some may not be able to afford to attend your wedding AND buy you a present.

Include detail in your wedding thank you cards by mentioning the specific gift, how much you love it and what you plan to do with it. If you received a monetary gift, it’s polite to thank your guest for their generosity without mentioning the exact amount.

As you’re mostly writing to close family and friends you don’t have to use formal language in your wedding thank you card messages. Keep the tone light, relaxed and informal so that the writing process is a pleasure. When thanking guests like coworkers and business associates, simply modify your thank you message accordingly. A wedding thank you message that is universally appropriate is always sincerely crafted.

Choose the correct closing for your message. How you finish off really depends on the gift giver you are writing to. ‘Much love’ and ‘warm wishes’ are perfect for friends and family. Guests that you don’t know so well can be addressed with ‘kindest regards’ or a simple ‘thank you’.

Share The Workload

Now that you and your partner are finally married it’s important to share everything. That includes the task of writing wedding thank you cards. Working on this final wedding project together is a great way to identify how well you work as a team.

Whilst it’s perfectly OK to suggest the wording for the wedding thank you card message, do make sure that you allow your spouse to express their individuality and creativity. After all, writing wedding thank you cards should be an enjoyable project, and not a chore. Resist the urge to constantly look over your spouse’s shoulder and to micromanage the workload. Be thankful that you have help in writing the Wedding Thank You Cards.

Split the task and write your wedding thank you cards over the course of a few evenings, or sit down together on a rainy afternoon and complete all of the cards in one go.