How to Compose the Perfect Wedding Thank You Cards + Free Downloads

This post comes from our blog intern, Aubrie!

The single most forgotten chore involved after saying “I do” can be concluded in two simple words: thank you. After returning  from your romantic honeymoon escape, you will most likely walk into an altered state of your home, towering with gifts and goodies you’ve accumulated all the way from the charming wedding shower to the memorable big day. Sure, writing out thank you cards for each and every gift is a tedious process, but showing gratitude is a very important gesture. Your guests will be thrilled to know just how much you appreciated sharing  your special celebration in their company. You will want to take the time to make your notes thoughtful and personal. So to keep the task stress-free, we’ve gathered some helpful tips and tricks to keep in mind:

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When to Respond

How long is too long before getting started on this project? On average thank you cards should be sent about 4-8 weeks  after the wedding ceremony. However, the earlier you start, the faster the process will get done. Unless you had a very intimate celebration, you’ll want to designate writing them over a span of time. The writing shouldn’t be left all up to the bride either. Both sides of the couple should pitch in their time to create a collaborative effort!

The Stationary

Commonly, thank you cards are designed and printed with the invitations to create a cohesive look across all the stationary used regarding your wedding. Even if you want to alter the thank you cards to be a little different, it’s still best to have them made well in advance so that when the time comes you really only have to worry about what to write.

To make the process even simpler, here are four free downloadable card designs, handcrafted by our Graphic Design team to match the save the date, invitation, and rsvp stationary  and table top decor we’ve already shared! Simply click on the download link provided below, save the design, choose your paper, print, fold, and hand-letter your personal messages.

Downloads: 

Thank You Cards 1 & 2

Thank You Cards 3 & 4

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Who to Address

First and foremost, do yourself a big favor and save the list that you used to invite your guests. Before you even start start to tackle that tower of gifts, find the invite list and note which gift came from which guest next to their name and address. Everyone that gave a gift or attended the ceremony should receive a handwritten thank you card for their generosity and cordiality.

What to Include

Keep your notes simple, to the point, but also very specific to the guest you are addressing. You’ll probably want to mention a few details pertaining to why you love their gift or how you will use it in the future. Even if a guest did not give a gift, it is still important to send them a thank you card.  You just can simply say something like “Thank you for attending our wedding celebration and making our day so unbelievably special. Looking forward to seeing you again.” 

To add another personal touch to thank you notes you can include a photo that was taken with you and the guest (or guests) at the wedding. You can ask your photographer to snap small Polaroids during the festivities to incorporate later with the cards. The photo will enable you to give something back to the guest as a token of appreciation in addition to thanking them for the gift.

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+ If you’ve already been through the process, feel free to share some helpful tips for writing thank you cards in the comments below!

See more wedding inspiration on the BLDG 25 Blog.

Follow Aubrie on Instagram and Tumblr!

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8 years ago

Perfect tips – it’s definitely a daunting task, but an important one!

Warm Regards,
Alexandra
http://www.littlewildheart.com

8 years ago

Wow!! I love these simplistic but super gorgeous designs! Will download all of them :)

8 years ago

SO important and beautiful!

http://juliettelaura.blogspot.com

SNS
8 years ago

Very informative. Thank you.