How to Write Heartfelt Wedding Thank You Cards

After the wedding, you and your new spouse will want to take some time to write heartfelt thank you cards to your guests. A personal thank you card is the most appropriate way to say "thank you" to your guests for attending your wedding. Additionally, it is proper etiquette to send a thank you note to friends and family who have given you a wedding gift. Thank you cards are the most sincere way to express gratitude to your guests after your wedding.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Stationary and stamps
• A nice pen
• A complete guest list with correct addresses
• A greeting card system for ease of sending

1. 
   Thank You Cards

   Send your thank you cards out immediately. Sending thank you notes should be a priority after your wedding. You should send your thank you notes within two weeks of returning home from your honeymoon, or sooner if possible. Many guests will send wedding gifts in advance of the wedding day. As such, you should send a thank you card after receiving the gift so that an extended time does not pass between receiving the gift and expressing appreciation with thank you card.

2. 
   Thank You Cards

   Send a thank you card to express appreciation. The rules of wedding etiquette indicate that you should always send a thank you card for gifts. However, you should also send a thank you card to everyone who has helped you plan and put together your wedding and related activities. This would include friends and family who threw a wedding party or bridal shower. Also consider vendors who may have gone the extra mile to ensure that your wedding day was special.

3. 
   Thank You Card Set

   Never send preprinted thank you cards or ecards. By sending a preprinted thank you card, you are telling the receiver that he or she is not important. Sending a personalized, handwritten card tells someone that you care, and expresses true appreciation for your wedding gift. A serious etiquette violation would be the dreaded ecard. You should never send an ecard instead of a thank you card for an occasion, especially for wedding thank you's. Chose some nice stationary that is blank on the inside for your wedding thank you cards. You will want to handwrite your thank you card, and sign your and your spouse's name. You may also consider using a card system, such as SendOutCards. I have attached a link below to check it out for free.

4. 
   Send Out Cards

   If you are pressed for time, send a short thank you card. In our busy society, thank you cards are often forgotten when we get busy. It is always better to send a brief thank you card after a wedding, than no card at all. To make the task of sending a thank you card quick and easy, use a system such as SendOutCards. This will allow you to send heart felt cards in your handwriting quickly and efficiently. You can even add pictures of your special day or guests with a mouse click.

5. Always avoid starting your thank you note with "I" or "We". Generally, you always want to express appreciation to the giver, and not place attention on you. Always start your opening statement with a word such as "you." For example:
   
   "Your generous gift of...."
   
   "Seeing you at our wedding was a true gift..."
   
   "Thank you so much for your....."

6. Express sincere appreciation for the gift and gift giver in your thank you card. Share how much your fiend means to you, and how you will use his or her gift. Let the receiver of your thank you card know how much you value them, and how special it was to see them on your day. A sample may be:
   
   ".... we look forward to dinners using our new china with your family...."
   
   "... the true gift was you celebrating our wedding day with us....."
   
   "... we look forward to using our new blender to make smoothies....."

7. How will you use the cash. If you receive cash, tell your friend how you will spend the money in your thank you card. Express how the money will help to pay for your honeymoon or to buy something for your new home.
   
   ".... Thank you so much for your generous gift. We will use the money to help redecorate our living room."
   
   Avoid sharing that you will use the money to pay for debt, as it makes the gift of cash sound imprisonable.

8. 
   Thank You Card

   Split the work with your new spouse. Sending thank you cards can be a daunting, tireless, and never ending task. Split the work load with your spouse to cut the time in half. Also, consider taking your thank you cards on your honeymoon. Although your honeymoon is a time to get away for your new love, there is often a lot of down time on a plane or even in the airport that can be spent sending thank you cards. Also, send your cards from wherever you are while traveling. This will ensure quick delivery of your thank you cards, and show your friends how much you appreciate them.

9. 
   Pen and Ink

   Use blue ink in your thank you cards. Colorful ink may be tempting, however, it is more appropriate to use blue or black ink in your cards. Blue ink is most pleasant to the eyes, and will make your thank you notes more personable. Also, use a nice pen or even a fountain or calligraphy pen for an added special touch to your thank you cars.

10. 
    New Return Address

    Use your new return address on your thank you cards. Getting married means that you may now have a new address. Make sure and use your full return address on your thank you card so your loved ones can update their address book.

Tips & Warnings

• Send out your cards immediatly
• Choose nice stationary or thank you cards that are blank inside for wedding thank you notes
• Use a card system such as SendOutCards to send out thank you cards quickly
• Choose nice stamps
• Write a few cards per day
• Do not send ecards
• Do not put off your thank you notes... you will never get to them
• Never choose pre-printed thank you cards

Resources

• Try SendOutCards for FREE
• Send a real, handwritten card from your computer
• Send 3 Thank You Cards for Free

[dlcass]

on 3/4/2009 Saying thank you is almost a lost art. Thanks for reminding us to be grateful.

[NightowlMama]

on 3/2/2009 sending an ecard wow now that's tacky. PReprinted are bad too. Great advice.