When To Send Wedding Thank You Cards?
The wedding is over, you’re back from the honeymoon, and it’s time to face real-life once again. The final task of your wedding journey is to tackle the question of when to send wedding thank you cards.
This part cannot be skipped, as sending thank you cards is a vital aspect of good manners and a way to express gratitude to your guests for their attendance and any wedding presents. Your friends and family made a special effort to support you on your big day, and it’s now time to return the favor.
A personalized thank you card is a beautiful way to show your appreciation and make them feel valued.
Thank You Card Timeline
Proactively plan thank you cards before the wedding, ideally sending them within three to six months after the event. If you’re late, it’s better to send them with an acknowledgment of the delay, ensuring guests still feel appreciated and valued.
Here are some answers to some common questions regarding when to send thank you cards.
When should you send wedding thank you cards?
No one likes extra hassle. Be proactive before the big day, to make sure that everyone who comes as your guest can feel truly appreciated.
To help future-you, while you are planning your special day make sure that you keep the addresses that you used for your wedding invitations. You can then easily send out your thank you cards to all the wedding guests without panicking that you’ve forgotten someone.
In fact, before your wedding is actually the perfect time to be thinking about your wedding thank you cards. Instead of having to do even more wedding-related admin after you have wed. You can order your thank you cards at the same time as your wedding invites. That would mean that you could get them designed and printed at the same time. This is saving you time and money, as well as keeping the theme beautifully tied together. Here are some more tips on writing your thank you cards.
However, if you want to show off your wedding photos, then ordering thank you cards will need to happen post-wedding.
What is the timeframe expected for sending wedding thank you cards?
According to traditional etiquette, you have twelve months – that’s a whole year – in which to send your thank you cards. However, no guests that have bought you a thoughtful present want to wait until your first wedding anniversary to get a thank you. Instead, a caring couple should probably send thank you cards in a much more timely manner.
Aim to send them out within three to six months of your wedding. That gives you enough time to acclimatize to married life first.
If you have a large number of guests to write to, break it up into smaller chunks. Writing 15 thank you notes a day for a week is much easier than writing 100 in one day.
I am really late sending my wedding’s thank you cards. Should I bother sending them at all?
If life got away on you, and you’re feeling guilty about not sending thank you cards – don’t fret. It’s better to send a late note, than no note at all. Just acknowledge on your card that it’s been a while but better late than never.
Or, say you delayed sending your thank you cards so that you could share what you’ve done with your wishing well proceeds. People are understanding and will be thrilled to receive a card.
Choosing Stylish and Personalized Cards
Ideally, you want to use good quality stationery on which to write your thank you cards. It could be on stationery that matches your wedding invitations, or shows a photo of you and your new spouse. Take your time thinking of the perfect card to choose.
If you’re sending the cards soon after your wedding then a favorite wedding photo from the day may be tricky to get. You can instead use a photo from an engagement shoot or similar.
Thank You Card by Email
Sending a virtual thank you card is an option. They do cut down on expenses and if you’re focused on a more sustainable and eco-friendly wedding then this is a great option.
However, a handwritten note will always be more meaningful than an e-card.
Wedding Thank You Note Wording
The writing process does not need to be hard. Your thank you card message can be short and sweet, but make it meaningful with a personal message. If you can, let the guest know how much you appreciate their generous wedding gift and how you plan to use it. If they gave a specific gift, mention that so they know you appreciate it.
“Thank you so much for traveling so far to attend our wedding day. We really appreciate the money towards our first home deposit. We are really looking forward to being able to invite you to our housewarming party! Much love, the newlyweds”
If you don’t know the right words, here are more examples – 7 thank you card wording ideas.
Wedding Thank You Etiquette
Who should receive a thank you card?
- Anyone who gave you a gift. – Whether that was an engagement party gift or a wedding gift, a cash gift towards a honeymoon fund, or something from the wedding registry. You may have thanked the gift giver in person on the day of your wedding but you should still send a personal thank you note as well. If you can, mention in the thank you card what present they gifted and how you plan to use it. This is a way to let the guests know how much it meant to you. This is especially key for those that gave a very generous gift.
- The bridal party and groomsman. – After everything your bridal party has done to help you with your wedding, a thank you card and little gift is a great way to let them know how grateful you are. These thank-yous should be given right after the wedding or even a little bit beforehand.
- Those who hosted your engagement party/hens night/ bridal shower /stag do or any other pre-wedding party – Don’t wait until after the wedding to send a thank you, these should be given within a few days after they have hosted for you.
- Hosts of the wedding guests from out of town. – Give thanks to any friends or family members who hosted out-of-town wedding guests for you.
- Those who helped with the wedding planning process– This isn’t just for those who do the big stuff. You will have kind people in your life who helped with bits and pieces in your wedding planning. Perhaps a cousin did flower arranging or helped with the wedding cake. Maybe close friends helped you make the table decorations. Don’t forget those people who assisted you throughout the wedding planning and actual big day.
- Wedding vendors. This isn’t a must, but if a certain vendor or supplier went above and beyond for you, a thank you would note is a great way to let them know how much you appreciated their efforts.
Final thoughts
Sending thoughtful thank you notes after a wedding is an essential way to express gratitude to guests. By planning proactively, couples can order cards along with invitations to maintain a consistent theme and save time.
Aim to send thank you cards within three to six months after the wedding, breaking the task into manageable chunks. Even if delayed, it’s important to send the cards, acknowledging the lateness while still showing appreciation for guests’ presence and gifts.
For more post-wedding information check out these other great posts:
