Wedding Thank You Card Wording Templates & Free Spreadsheet

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How lovely that you are wishing to thank your wedding guests, parents, family, friends and wedding party with a wedding thank you card. It’s really great etiquette and very polite to write wedding thank you messages after the big day.

This guide with take you step-by-step through when to send wedding thank you notes and how to manage the logistics of sending thank you cards to wedding thank you card word templates and beautiful wedding cards to buy.

Plus, I have a free spreadsheet, to help you organise those all-important wedding thank yous! Hoorah. Yes, I have you covered today.

Photo: Maree Frances Photography via Hazel Gap Wedding

Hopefully, your wedding bouquet is drying, your wedding photos have arrived and you have a post-honeymoon glow.

It means it’s time to send your wedding cards. I know what you are thinking? You just aren’t sure you have the time or headspace to buy, write and post-wedding thank yous. But I am here to the rescue with my easy breezy wedding thank you wording formula.

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Why Should You Send Wedding Thank You Messages?

Saying thank you will lift your spirits post-wedding, while politely giving thanks to your guests and wedding suppliers.

People like validation that you are happy with the gifts you gave them, be it a physical gift, contribution, money, attendance, service (suppliers) or their time.

A small gesture such as a wedding thank you note, really goes a long way. It’s thoughtful and considerate.

When Should You Send Wedding Thank You Words?

Time is of the essence when it comes to sending thank you notes. It’s a good idea to send out thank-yous within 2-3 months of your wedding day.

That being said, if you have left it longer there is no need to fret. A late thank you letter is better than no thank you letter. So if you are still within a year of your wedding, do send out a thank you card.

After a year of being married, it may be best to tread carefully and think through if it’s still appropriate for you to send a wedding thank you. If it’s important to you do it as it will still be appreciated.

It may be appropriate to send a thank you later in certain circumstances. For instance, you have a honeymoon gift fund and would like to send your message, after the honeymoon. That way you can share your experience and joy in using your gift.

Photo: Summer Lily Studio via Pretty Purple Humanist Wedding

Who Do You Send Wedding Thank You Notes To?

It’s really up to you who to send thank you messages to post-wedding. It’s a good idea to send thank yous out to your whole guest list for attending, especially if guests had to make special arrangements, travel, stay over and dress up for the occasion. Not just those that bought you a wedding gift.

It’s also important to thank those who helped you plan your day beforehand, helped on the day or immediately afterwards.

Don’t forget about your wedding suppliers! Even if you don’t wish to send a special note, do consider leaving them a review if they did a great job at your wedding. Wedding suppliers cherish positive feedback. It not only helps their business going forward too, but it helps other couples who are looking for amazing suppliers.

💡 Think about sending thank yous to:

• Wedding guests that attended the day or evening
• Wedding guests that couldn’t be there but joined via live stream
• Wedding guests that couldn’t attend but sent a gift
• Your wedding party (family members, bridesmaids, bridesmen, groomsmen, groomswomen, flower girls or page boys)
• Wedding guests that sent you a gift
• Wedding guests that made a charity donation
• People that made something for your wedding or helped by contributing their time

Photo: Photography by Bea via Sage Green Grey Farm Wedding

How Can You Send Wedding Thank You Messages?

So how to say the perfect wedding thank you? Do you go paper or paperless? Let’s dive in.

Traditional Wedding Thank You Notes

Traditionally wedding thank yous are sent or given out in card form through the post or delivered by hand.

You can buy or DIY your own wedding cards. Alternatively, think about asking your wedding stationery designer to whizz some up for you. Your wedding photographer may have options too for wedding thank you photo cards using your favourite wedding portraits.

If you are short on finances post-wedding, then double up and pop thank you messages in birthday or Christmas cards. Or try using postcards as a budget note sending option.

✨ Where to source wedding thank you cards:

• Buy online or on the high street
• Make them yourself
• Hire a pro to create a personalised design
• Order from your wedding photographer

Modern Wedding Thank You

For a modern and perhaps easier option, you can send thank you messages digitally. You may wish to send a digital thank you note due to budget constraints, lack of time or your carbon footprint.

It is nicer to send a physical thank you card, however, a digital thank you is better than no thank you at all. But be thoughtful about how you send them.

Adding a personalised graphic or photo is one way, and a personal message rather than a generic copy/paste note is best. Be sure to message recipients individually rather than in groups.

If cards just aren’t you, why not invite them over for a thank-you meal, send a balloon or give them flowers picked from your garden?

👉 How to send digital thank you messages:

• Make a phone call
• Write an email
• Send a text message
• Fire over a Whatsapp message
• Craft a DM/Messenger note (be aware some guests may not be active on social media)
• Record a video message
• Whizz over a voice note

Photo: Lex Fleming Photo via Disco Wedding Ideas

How To Organise Wedding Thank You Messages

What To Do On Your Special Day or Immediately After

Yes, organising your wedding thank you notes does start on the day itself! That’s if you open any of your wedding cards or gifts.

Whenever you chose to open your wedding cards and gifts, open up a wedding spreadsheet, notes app or grab a pen and paper.

You can snag my free wedding thank you card writing spreadsheet to help!

Why? So that as you open up your wedding gifts, you can record who they are from! Then you won’t get muddled or forget who gifted what. You could even take images of the gifts and add notes that way if you prefer.

Another tip is to immediately after your wedding start to make notes of any special memories or contributions from guests or suppliers. You can then incorporate these into your wedding thank you wording to ensure your message is really bespoke.

In The Weeks After The Big Day

Now you have opened all your cards and gifts and noted down who gifted what, as well as other special memories or donations. It is time to think about sourcing your wedding cards, photos, wording and graphics. Think about keeping them on brand to your wedding styling for a really coherent and consistant look.

Try to give yourself a deadline in your calendar to prompt you to do this. Within the first month of getting married or coming back from your honeymoon is ideal.

If you are posting your wedding thank you notes, ensure you purchase stamps and find the addresses of your guests. Hopefully, though, you have these from when you sent out your wedding invitations.

It’s also a nice idea to buy or find a special pen to write your paper messages. Writing with a decent pen not only feels nicer and makes writing easier, but the result will look more polished and your handwriting will glide and flow.

Once You Have Your Wedding Card Supplies

You have your wedding thank you supplies and your notes, so you’re now fully prepared and ready to prepare your wedding thank you wording!

It’s a great idea to have an idea of what you’re going to write before you sit down to write your messages. It helps to avoid writer’s block and procrastination. But it also means you can have others’ help in writing your messages if you so wish.

You can use the wedding thank you wording templates below to start you off.

🖊 Include this wedding thank you wording outline:

• Thanking for their attendance/commiserations they couldn’t be there
• Sharing your thoughts of your wedding day and memories with that person
• Thank them for their card/gift/money gift/contribution/donation/service or product (supplier)/time
• Include why you like the gift and how you’ve used or enjoyed it
• Send your well wishes and sign off

Writing Your Wedding Thank Yous

It’s time to start writing! Fire up your spreadsheet or list and arrange all your supplies and writing. Block out some time together as a couple (candle and playlist optional) and sit down to write.

You don’t have to do all the writing in one go, take your time and break up your card writing list into sections. For example, you could write for half an hour each evening to make it a more manageable task.

It may be nice to write them somewhere other than the kitchen table to make for a more enjoyable experience. Head outside, and sit in a cosy pub or cute cafe to do the task at hand.

Be sure to include all your guests’ names in the thank you note. For example, if sending to a family, ensure all their names including the children are mentioned. Especially if they included their names in your wedding card. Don’t just include your bridesmaid’s name for example but not their plus one.

Sending The Thank You Messages Out

It is good etiquette to send all your wedding thank you notes out at the same time. That way loved ones don’t get them at different times, wondering if they will be getting one too.

Simply save up all the handwritten thank-yous and post in one go.

If you are going digital, create digital drafts and send them out as close as possible. Some email providers allow email scheduling which may be a good option for you. Just be prepared for multiple incoming messages if sending via text message in one go.

Photo: With Love Rose Photography via Boho Fairytale Wedding

Wedding Thank You Card Wording Examples

So without further ado, take a look at these wedding words you can copy and paste, then tweak to create your perfect thank you message!

Gorgeous Wedding Thank You Cards, Postcards, Note Cards & Letter Sets

If you are searching for the perfect wedding card, here are some of my favourites to help you find yours!

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Papier Wedding Photo Thank You Card Set