Writing Wedding Thank You Cards
Writing thank you notes from your wedding and associated events can be a daunting task. First, there’s the engagement party, then the shower (possibly multiple!), then the bachelorette and bachelor parties, and (finally!) the wedding itself! It is so easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of work that you have on your hands, all the while you are trying to perfect and plan your dream wedding.
So, let’s dig into the ins and outs of writing thank you cards: When to start, how to prepare, some helpful tips and tricks, and, most of all, how to reduce your stress during this very exciting time of your life!
Preparation
1) Organize your guest list
Pull out your laptop and input your guest list with mailing addresses in a spreadsheet. This will serve as your checklist and your best friend for the next few months!
2) Go stationery shopping
Invest in some pretty stationery for your thank you cards (Looking for something custom? I’d love to help! Check out some work I did on my letterpress for an example of my work!). Find something that describes your personality to help to make this process a little less daunting. Or for something extra special, if you’re working with a designer for your wedding paperie, talk to them about creating personalized pieces just for you! Whether they’re simply elegant letterpress printed cards with your initials, or one-of-a-kind pieces with your engagement (or wedding!) pictures, I personally love custom thank you cards for post-wedding mailers—it helps to relive the experience!
3) Go to town
Whenever you’re feeling a little boost of motivation, get started on writing your cards. You’ll thank yourself later!
Tips
Start Early
After each wedding-related event (engagement party, bridal shower, bachelorette party, etc.), set aside a little bit of time to get through some of your thank you card writing to-do's. Even if it's just addressing 10 envelopes, it’s still progress and less work than you have to do down the road.
Receive, and then write
Make the entire process easier on you by writing thank you cards as you receive gifts. You’ll thank yourself after your wedding when you’re halfway through your thank you card writing process, rather than having a daunting list of 400 people to get through.
Sort, sort, sort
Write your thank you cards in similar batches. Try sorting into the following categories: those who gave you cash, those who gave you physical gifts, those who attended the wedding, those who gave you engagement or bachelorette/bachelor gifts, those who attended the shower and those who mailed you a gift, but could not attend the wedding. This will help you to keep your wording consistent and your thoughts organized.
Create a schedule
Designate particular times that you will set aside to finish your thank you cards. This will help you to hold yourself accountable and to a schedule that’s feasible for your lifestyle.
Set personal milestones
Hold yourself accountable to writing thank you cards by setting personal goals for the progress that you've made. This will help you with preventing stress and spreading out the work over a period of time. Add a little bonus to your milestones by rewarding yourself for your achievements.
Divide and conquer
Invite your spouse to the fun! Split up the thank you card list with your loved one so that both partners are contributing efforts.
Return labels are your best friend
Take some of the work off your hands by ordering address labels for your envelopes, or hire a calligrapher to address them! Your hands will thank you later!
Guidelines
Use first names only on personalized stationery until after you’re married—only then it is appropriate to use your new last name on personalized stationery.
Remember to sign both you and your spouse’s name when writing the thank you cards (don't want to forget your hubby now, do we?).
Personalize the note based on your relationship with the guest. They truly will appreciate having a tailored card based on how you know each other.
Be timely! Most people expect thank you cards within two weeks for gifts given before the wedding and thank you cards within two to three months for gifts given at or after the wedding (this is why it's helpful to get started early!).
Write a thank you note to everyone who came to the wedding, even if they didn’t bring a gift.
Don’t include exact monetary amounts.
Although writing thank you cards can be a long and tedious process, it makes a lasting impression on your friends, family and guests to show them that you truly care. I hope this helps!