5 Steps to Writing Thank You Notes
First, let’s start with a little wedding thank you card etiquette. Your busy minds are wondering about the dos and don'ts of thank you cards. Here are two important tips you’ll want to remember: 1. Thank you cards should always include a handwritten note and 2. they should be sent within three months of the wedding. However, you can start sending them as soon as you start receiving gifts, which some guests will send before the wedding.
5 Steps to Writing Thank You Notes
Wedding thank you card wording isn’t as difficult (or boring) as some might make it out to be, especially if you refer to these helpful steps and tips.
- Order the right style of thank you cards. You can get folding thank you cards, non-folding thank you cards and thank you postcards. Think about how much room you’ll want for writing and choose accordingly.
- Start your thank you with "Dear [first name(s)]" or omit "Dear" and just go with first name(s). When writing thank yous to couples, be sure to mention the names of both people.
- Keep your wording simple but sincere, and try to mention a personal note about the recipient (see below). One to two (maybe three) short paragraphs is plenty for most thank yous.
- Always mention the gift and how you plan to use it. If the guest gave money, you don’t need to mention the specific amount, just what it was/will be used for.
- End with a warm salutation like "Love" or "All our best," and remember to sign both of your names. You’d be surprised how often the bride or groom will sign just his or her name when writing to a close friend or family member.
5 Ways to Make it Personal
- Mention how beautiful or handsome they looked. A stunning dress or striking suit color is often appropriate.
- Mention a specific memory from the night, like if the guest made a funny joke at dinner or had some awesome dance moves.
- Mention how you’d like to plan a future visit with the person or couple.
- Mention a song you chose specifically for them. “Did you catch the Macarena? That was for you!”
Mention how you plan to use the gift.
Here is an example of a well-written thank you note. Notice how this thank you doesn’t include everything mentioned above but is a nice combination of a few different etiquette tips.
Dear Jerry and Diane, Thank you so much for coming to the wedding. We really enjoyed dancing the night away with you two! We look forward to having you over for dinner soon and enjoying some drinks in that fantastic set of glasses you gave us.
Love,
Luke and Mary
