Everybody loves to receive a thank you note after attending or organising an event, having their effort (and perhaps gift) appreciated. Unfortunately, words can fail even the best writer when faced with dozens — or hundreds! — of personalized thank you cards. Here are some tips and tricks to find the perfect wording and feel for your thank you card messages, whether tailor made or template; for wedding, baby shower or to go with a birthday card.
If you’re planning a wedding, chances are your thank you card template decision is an easy one — thank you cards that go with your wedding stationery suite. But if the choice is more flexible, choosing the template that best suits your personality (and event) can take some thought.
TIP: Go with your gut instinct, rather than a well-meaning relatives. Too much choice? Filter templates by theme, style, colour or what’s popular, until you connect with a design. Remember, you have the freedom to adjust fonts, text sizes, positioning and colourways in Paperlust thank you card templates, and can easily further customise existing designs.
When it comes to choosing your thank you card designs, you should be sure to consider the style of your other event stationery as well as the style of the event itself. If your save the dates, invitations and menus were all floral, it only makes sense to go with floral thank you cards as well. This consistency tends to happen naturally based on your tastes, but it’s a good idea to give it some thought as well. This doesn’t mean everything has to line up perfectly. Just because you used real foil invites doesn’t mean you necessarily need foil thank you cards, but the styles should still be complementary.
Of course, the style of the invitations isn’t the only important factor. The style of the event itself matters too. A super casual barbecue event isn’t going to gel with a very formal thank you card, and a cutesy cartoon thank you card can feel out of touch with a black tie occasion.
The last category, photo wedding thank you cards, is by far our most popular choice but at the end of the day there’s no limit on creativity and on the range of styles available to choose from. And if nothing’s quite right, there are always tonnes of options for customisation, whether that just means tweaking the colour palette and font choices or having designers create a completely custom design just for you. For our sample wedding thank you cards go to our sample pack page and add as a specialised request stating which thank you card sample you want.
Personalised wedding thank you cards
If custom design is more your style, our design associates can create personalised wedding thank you cards just for you. We will carefully discuss your brief with you, whether you want to personalise ideas from existing designs, include custom artwork or start from scratch. Or using a photo thank you card template is another great way to personalise if you want to order and finalise straight away. For the best wedding thank you cards talk to one of our customer service agents on live chat now.
Wedding Thank you photos cards
Thank you card photos are one of the most popular choices for thank you cards, no matter what the event, because they allow you to add a memory to the card: a little piece of the day. This is particularly true for weddings: people will be dying to see your wedding photos and photo thank you card designs are perfect for sticking on the fridge or in a frame for years to come. Even if you don’t want to choose photo cards for your thank you card itself, it’s a good idea to at least include a wedding photo in the envelope as well. People who sent well wishes but couldn’t attend the big day will also appreciate the opportunity to feel like they were part of things.
WEDDING THANK YOU CARDS
It is an overwhelming task, writing wedding thank you cards online, trying to make hundreds of notes sound heartfelt and grateful! However, with a little bit of planning and the right tools at hand the process can actually be a fun extension of the excitement of wedding invitation planning. Paperlust makes the first step of choosing wedding thank you cards templates easy with our wide range ot options.
No matter how big or small your wedding, a lot of people will have contributed in a lot of different ways to make it happen. It’s only polite to thank these people for their love, support and hard work. This is not just a social nicety either. You will likely be eager to show your gratitude in some small way.
TIP: If possible, have your thank you cards in your hands before the wedding actually happens, as well as all the necessary details of your guests. Keep a running list of people who gave you gifts, helped with the wedding, or otherwise showed you support during this time. Note down what they did or what they gave you so that you can thank them specifically. Writing these sort of details down can feel a little bit awkward, like you’re keeping an account of who was the most generous, but it’s worth pushing past the awkwardness of writing such a list to avoid an even more awkward situation: forgetting to thank somebody for something, or thanking them for the wrong gift!
When should you write in your thank you wedding cards?
You should get started on your thank you notes as soon after the wedding as possible, as they should ideally be sent out within three months of the big day. If you had a large wedding, that doesn’t leave you a lot of time! It’s best to try to power through some each day, to pace yourself, and make sure you can give attention to each one. You can even begin to write your thank yous as gifts and calls come in before the wedding. With the right supplies, it will feel like a treat to sit down and knock out a few notes! Keep your wedding thank you card messages brief but sincere to make sure everything stays manageable.
Wedding thank you card wording FAQ:
How to write wedding thank you cards
Knowing what to say in wedding thank you cards is a lot more stressful than writing other forms of thank you cards and one of the questions we get asked all the times at paperlust is how to write thank you cards for a wedding? This is not only because the event is so formal and a lot of etiquette rules apply, but also because you are often writing hundreds of the things, so staying inspired to write good wedding thank you card wording can be tricky. Here are some of our tips for wedding thank you cards wording.
What to write in wedding thank you cards
Should I write thank you notes addressed to both partners in a couple or should I write individual notes to each partner?
This relies on common sense, but as a general guide you should send thank you cards in the same combination as you sent your invitations. This only changes if there are significant changes in their relationships during that time period: a breakup or a marriage, for example. Usually if people live together or are in a long-term relationship it is best to send joint thank you cards, and if they don’t then you might choose to send separate ones. If you want to send a more heartfelt, personal message to one partner (for example, your bridesmaid/best friend) then you might address one thank you card to the two of them and include a separate, individual note to your friend. Use your own discretion. As long as they both get thanked, it’s fine.
Do I need to use completely different wedding thank you wording for each guest, or can I use a template in every card?
It’s usually considered mandatory to write individual, personalised messages to each guest: you don’t want friends to see one another’s thank you cards and have a case of deja vu, after all! A template can feel unappreciative, since it might appear that you didn’t actually feel thankful enough for their individual contribution to put that into words. That said, a template that is highly customised for each person might work, as long as you are committed to individualising it properly. In general, though, imperfect thank you cards are much better than no thank you cards! If you’re super busy or you have a condition that makes writing difficult, it’s fine to just do what you can. If that’s the case, consider having a few different templates that you can rotate to keep things from being too similar.
How do I go about wording a thank you card for something before the wedding?
It’s good to write thank you cards for gifts and assistance you receive before the wedding as they happen, to save on the mountain of work after the big day. The actual ‘thank you’ part will be basically the same as your standard wedding thank you card wording. Then, if you’re writing to someone who is invited to the wedding, you might say either “Can’t wait to have you at the wedding in a few weeks” or “We will miss you at the wedding” if they’re not going to make it. If they weren’t invited, just don’t specify anything in that way. Thank them for their gift or their help and leave it at that.
What traditional wedding thank you card etiquette should I follow?
If you’re into following traditional wedding etiquette, you should definitely carry this over to your wedding thank you cards! After all, handwriting a thank you note is about as traditional as it gets. The Paperlust wedding thank you card etiquette guide:
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Write your notes by hand! This is always good advice, but especially if you’re following the rules of etiquette.
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Write individual notes for individual gifts: not by item but by occasion. If you received an engagement gift, a kitchen tea gift and a wedding gift, that means three separate notes are required.
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Use neutral paper - probably white, ivory or cream - and write in blue or black ink.
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Use formal language, including full names and titles for each guest.
Remember, even though it’s an overwhelming task, it is such a good thing that you have so much to be thankful for and so many people to thank!
Another piece of traditional wedding etiquette you might want to observe is the tradition of wedding thank you gifts for people who were vital to your big day. Your wedding party are the most important people to consider giving wedding thank you gifts to, along with your minister and your parents. There may be other people too, so have a think and see what feels right.
Thank you cards for wedding gifts vs wedding thank you cards for money
When selecting thank you cards for wedding guests, is there any difference between wedding gifts thank you cards and wedding money thank you cards? The simple answer is no, you can usually use the same type of card for guests who gave money or a physical gift. The only exception is if you are creating custom wedding thank you cards with Paperlust and you want a printed message inside each card. In this case you should keep the language neutral about whether the gift was money or physical. If you know the percentage of gifts given as cash you can have two separate printed messages printed on the inside of your card in this case.
How to write wedding thank you cards for money
What to write in wedding thank you cards for money can seem unimportant at first, but it does differ from wedding gift thank you cards. It is important to mention the amount of money that you received, this is important for two reasons. First, you are letting them know you safely received the money, either by wire transfer or in cash, the second you are confirming you received the correct amount. Wedding receptions can get very busy with so many people and it isn;t unknown for money to be misplaced or otherwise.
Thank you cards for other events
Whether the event is a birthday, graduation party, or a celebration of life, heartfelt thank you cards are a lovely way to show appreciation for support and generosity. Writing sympathy thank you cards can be an emotional but helpful way to work through grief, recognising the love and support around you. Don’t force or rush the process. If it feels right, go with it. If not, now is not the time to worry about etiquette. Paperlust also has a great range of wedding shower thank you cards that can match your entire wedding suite.
Baby shower thank you cards, thank you cards for a baby
Your baby shower is really one big present party, so thank you cards are a necessity. Keeping track of who gave what is tricky when you’re opening everything in front of everyone, so organise for a close friend or relative to sit next to you, writing down everything as you go along.
TIP: Note down the gift on the back of each card as you open it (it looks more friendly than keeping a running spreadsheet!).
When should you write your baby shower thank you cards? Most likely, your baby shower will be only a few weeks before your due date, so don’t delay in writing your thank you notes! Once bub arrives, you will not feel like writing them. And even if you have an iron will, you may not have a spare hand to hold the pen!
Engagement thank you cards
Your engagement party is almost a trial run for your wedding. Family and friends gather, bring gifts, and celebrate your love. It’s a great opportunity to practice the logistics of putting together a big party, from catering to booking venues and coordinating set up and pack down. Of course, this extends to the engagement thank you cards too. With everyone coming together to help and celebrate, they definitely deserve to be thanked! Take the opportunity to show how grateful you are and they won’t think twice about getting involved and helping you out with the wedding itself. This also saves you from getting stuck when you write your wedding thank you cards, thinking all the way back to the engagement and trying to remember what people gave you or did to help early on.
Business thank you cards
Relationships are everything in business, and making a habit of recognising the support of other businesses and individuals can go a long way. Ordering a batch of business thank you cards means it’s easy to make a habit of expressing your gratitude and going the extra mile in a really simple and affordable way. Whether you’re thanking staff members, other businesses or clients, a card will always be appreciated and build strong relationships with those around you. Paperlust has a range of corporate thank you cards that are professional looking and perfect for a small, medium or large business, however casual or formal.
Newborn thank you cards
Having a newborn is an event in itself, and brings on tonnes of support from friends and family members in the form of well-wishes, cards, gifts, meals and other things. It’s always best to acknowledge the love and support in writing! Really the only way to do this when you’re juggling a newborn (and potentially other kids too!) is to make sure you’ve got your newborn thank you cards on hand well before the due date so you can simply grab one and jot in a quick message when you need to. Keep stamps and addresses on hand too to make things easy for yourself. Then it’s just a matter of filling them in as soon as you can after someone visits or gives you a gift so you don’t forget about it, or keeping a thorough list to be written later.
There are also other events you might require thank you cards for, including birthday or party thank you cards, baptism thank you cards, and sympathy thank you cards.
Wording your wedding thank you cards
Think about the involvement and contributions all your guests made to the wedding, baby shower, birthday or other event. When you begin thinking about all the work people put into your day it is overwhelming. Take that gratitude and channel it into your writing!
Keep it simple – you’re going to be writing a lot of these! Best to get to the point and be concise but sincere.
Unlike save the date cards and wedding invitations, your thank you card wording doesn’t need to be uniform or put in any special way. The best thank yous are genuine, personal and from the heart.
Brainstorm ideas for the thank you card notes with your partner, especially for their family and friends. Sign from both of you. It can seem impersonal for people to get a thank you card from you when they only met you for the first time at the wedding.
Now to the nitty-gritty: how do you word the things? It can seem completely overwhelming.
The trick is to ask yourself:
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Who am I writing to?
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Did this person attend the event?
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Did this person play a role in the event?
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Did this person give a gift or a card?
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Has this person had another significant role in our lives?
You want to be sure that you acknowledge all these points if they are relevant.
Who am I writing the thank you card note to?
It is up to you whether you use formal or informal greetings and terms of address in your thank you cards. It’s usually best to base this on what your relationship is to the person in question. No need to go all formal with your good friends, but best not to be overly familiar with your Dad’s boss.
Be sure not to leave anybody out in your address – mention both names if writing to a couple, and children’s names as well for a family.
If possible, mention the name of any plus-ones who also attended.
Most importantly, check and double-check the spelling of all names! It is the height of rudeness to misspell somebody’s name because you couldn’t be bothered to make sure you had it right. A word of warning: beware of using Facebook to find the name of people you don’t know. I’ve been at weddings where people have been thanked in the wedding program by the silly name they have listed on Facebook to keep their profile hidden from employers! If you aren’t sure of somebody’s name or who they are, always ask someone who knows. This might mean speaking to your partner, parents or in-laws. Again, this extra check can save you from a lot of awkwardness later.
Did this person attend the event?
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Yes
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Thank them for their time and support. Tell them it meant a lot to you that they came to celebrate with you.
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Make special mention of any travel or extra effort they had to go to in order to attend.
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If they looked fabulous on the day or drew attention with their winning dance moves, tell them! If you remember chatting to them at the reception about when they used to babysit you, reference that too. These sorts of specifics will tell them that you noticed their presence individually, not just as part of the group. But don’t grasp at straws. If nothing comes to mind immediately, keep it general.
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e.g. It was wonderful to have you at our wedding, and we are so grateful for the effort you made to be there! It made our day even more special to have your smiling face beside us (looking gorgeous in that red dress, wow!).
When to send wedding thank you cards?
Whilst we all know that you send thank you cards after the wedding, what most people want to know is when to send thank you cards after the wedding? Well no one's expecting the cards to arrive in the week following your wedding, because of course you will be on your honeymoon, however it is polite to send wedding thank you cards within three months of the wedding itself.
Cheap wedding thank you cards
Organizing a wedding or any event in general already requires a large investment. Between save the date, invitations, menus, and so on, you might feel like there is not enough to fit thank you cards into the budget.
But Paperlust has your back, and there is no need to spend much on your cards. You can choose a simple but beautiful design and even upload a photo to make it more personal. Choose a one-side flat format (or make some wedding thank you post cards) to keep the cost low. And our digital print is the most affordable option with a high-quality result.
You should not leave out thank you cards because of a tight budget, we have plenty of affordable options, and your guests will know you appreciate their attendance and even their gift.
Order thank you cards
Ordering your thank you cards in Paperlust is easy.
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Start by choosing your favorite design, browse our designs by theme, occasion, or print type.
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Customize the chosen design, explore the different print options we offer, and select envelope details.
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Save your changes and proceed to checkout.
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After checkout, a designer from our team will revise your files and adjust them to make them perfect. A proof will be sent to you for approval.
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Once you approve, we get to work, and your thank you cards will be ready to ship within ten days.
Remember that you can resize elements, change the font, color, change foil colors, and add more text in the special request box. If you want to make any major changes or start a design from scratch, you can use a custom order inquiry.
Thank you cards online
Online services are here to make our life simple. You can make so many things from the comfort of your home, from grocery to clothing, and receive them at home within days. Years ago, you must have taken time from your busy day to stop by a local printing store, make an appointment and spend a couple of hours choosing the right colors, materials, and design.
Nowadays, Paperlust has everything you need online, and it does not matter if it is the middle of the night or if you can not decide and spend hours going back and forth between your favorite designs. You are free to make as many changes as you wish, explore each possibility and see in real-time the result.
Ordering your thank you cards online is the best decision you can make. There is no pressure on time, you can share your potential design and ask for opinions, and you can even work with a team of professionals to design a unique thank you card.
