After a refreshing honeymoon of basking in the sunlight, it’s time to show your gratitude for everyone who showed up for your wedding. Especially if you had a big, grand wedding, making the time to sit down and write personalized cards can seem like an insurmountable task. But, alas, it must be done! So, here’s a simple guide to writing thank you cards to kickstart the process:
Firstly, have a positive attitude! It’s a joy to be able to give cards to those who have supported you not just through your wedding, but often through life’s’ ups and downs. Giving wedding thank you cards is such a simple, yet meaningful way to show your gratitude. As Wendy Bomers, a writer at American Greetings, once said “(The great thing about writing thank you cards is that) you get to relive your special day over again and think of all the wonderful people in your lives.” Such a beautiful way of looking at writing cards.
Next, it’s time to decide who gets a card. Naturally, the parents of the bride and groom should receive thank you cards. A great tip is to make sure the bride writes the thank-you note to the groom’s parents and vice versa. This would most certainly earn the couple some brownie points. Everyone else who gave you a gift should receive a card. This should be regardless of whether they could attend your wedding. But let’s not forget those who played a big role in your wedding – the bridal party and groom party. Though a lot of couples do not write thank-you cards to them, they should not be taken for granted. Needless to say, they were probably more than happy to do it without any formal thanks, but who wouldn’t appreciate a thank you card? Lastly, if a wedding vendor did an excellent job and went beyond their usual “call of duty” then they truly deserve some thanks. A thank you card, a cash tip and a gleaming review would definitely be appreciated.
Using a template is one of the best ways to make the process more efficient. However, in order to make the messages more sincere and personal, always personalize your message based on the gift that you received. For example, you can make a specific template for each category: one for physical gifts, one for cash or gift cards and one for honeymoon fund donations. A rule of thumb for thank-you notes for physical gifts is to acknowledge the gift, elaborate on why you love it or how you would use it, and then compliment the giver. If you’re feeling creative, throw in an inside joke to make a personal connection. For cash or gift cards, follow the same steps except that you should write about how you plan to spend the money. When thanking the givers who donated to your honeymoon, throw in how they made your vacation that much more special and how much their contribution means to you.
Finally, be sure to mail out your thank you cards promptly. The sooner, the better! In fact, according to Diane Gottsman, a national etiquette expert based in San Antonio and author of “Modern Etiquette for a Better Life” (Page Street Publishing, 2017) she believes there is a hard cutoff date. “Let’s get things straight: You don’t have six months to a year after your wedding to write thank-you notes, that rule is outdated,” she said. “You should have them all sent out within two months after your wedding.”
Desire something to simplify the process with templates that can still be tailored to your preferences? Why not try out Basic Invite. With Basic Invite, your card can be edited into any color imaginable. The unlimited color options can be instantly previewed online to make sure it’s exactly how you want it. You can even tailor the elements of each design to your liking, down to the tiniest detail. Desire to check the quality and coloring of the invite before committing? No problem! Basic Invite is one of the few companies that allow customers to order a printed sample of their actual invitation before they even place their final order.
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On the other hand, if you feel that you don’t know where to start, you can check the speech guidelines at TrustMyPaper and get an idea of how it should look