When planning your wedding, there are always umpteen things to do before, during, and after the event. For instance, it’s important to know when to send thank you cards after your wedding is over since waiting too long could waste the opportunity to show gratitude to the friends and loved ones who made it a day to remember. In this article by City Hall Wedding, responsible for city hall weddings in New York and more, we explain everything you need to know about when to send out thank you cards after your wedding.
When To Send Thank You Cards
Everything from the design of your wedding to the aesthetic of your cards is in your hands when getting married in New York. Customarily, it’s appropriate to send out your thank you cards anywhere from one to three months after your wedding. However, it’s not unheard of to present thank you notes after even a year.
While the timing is subjective, getting your notes out as soon as possible after your wedding day is a good idea. The sooner you can give your gift-givers notes of thanks, the more likely you are to complete the task so there isn’t too much time between the big day and when their thank you card arrives. Getting your thank you notes out as soon as possible helps guests feel appreciated for the gifts received.
Who To Send Thank You Cards To
When it comes to who to consider for your thank you cards, first establish a list of who participated in your wedding shower. Anyone who helped bring the wedding or bridal shower together automatically gets a spot on your thank you list. Next, consider those who gave you wedding gifts, whether during the bridal shower or ceremony or from afar through a wedding registry.
While it may not seem like an option, if you think you’ll be particularly swamped after your wedding, consider sending out thank you notes before the wedding day. It sounds odd since there is no way of knowing who will give a gift and who won’t, so it’s up to you to put forward your best guess. Remember that some gifts may come far late in the game, such as items that arrive in the mail long after the day is over; others may come early, such as gifts you receive for your engagement party.
What Kind of Cards To Send
If you’re looking for the kind of card you want to send your guests, consider sticking with the same style surrounding your wedding ceremony to bring back fond memories of the event and for the sake of consistency. For example, consider using thank you notes with a relevant floral theme if you used red roses during the ceremony. The cards themselves don’t need to be elaborate or special; they only need to get the message across.
Generally, there are two kinds of wedding thank you cards you can send out, both equally valid for your guests. The first is a general and simple thank you card, which thanks the individual or group for their attendance and gifts. The other is a personalized card, which contains not just the thank you but a detailed message for the recipient of your letter. You may also combine the two ideas, buying a stack of generic thank you cards while slipping a personalized letter written on a separate piece of paper into each.
No matter which option you choose, your gratitude will be the same. All that matters is that your guests feel appreciated for their attendance. If you want a few tips on how to make your thank you card more effective, consider some of the following tips:
Be As Personal As Possible
When it comes to your thank you letters, one way to make them stand out is to be as specific as possible with your recipients. Addressing them by name, talking about the gift and how much you enjoyed it, and other touches can make your message that much more thoughtful. The more personal you are, the more earnestly the message will be received.
Double-Check Your List
As you write letters, try to double-check your list. This includes addresses, names, and what they got you. Consider making a spreadsheet, depending on how detailed you want to get with your thank you notes.
Handwrite Your Notes
Another way to ensure your notes are personal and beautiful is to handwrite them with a pen. Between you and your spouse, pick the one with the best calligraphy, or exchange the job between each other as you go. It’s a great demonstration and exercise in teamwork and helps make your notes appealing and amicable. We guarantee you’ll enjoy the task much more when it’s a team effort!
Keep It Simple (For Your Sake)
While we would all love to have the ambition of a large thank you letter that gets into the finer details of the gift, the reality is that you have many guests to cover. As mentioned above, we encourage you to use a spreadsheet for your documentation before you start to help you determine an appropriate length for each letter. Understand how many letters you must get through and strive to keep things as simple as possible.
Depending on your schedule, you may want to consider other more convenient options, such as having your notes printed instead of handwritten. While it may bring the appearance down a touch, saving time and getting it all done is better than never doing the task at all. As long as the content in each letter is unique and speaks to your relationship with them, your recipients should appreciate the gesture.
City Hall Wedding is here to make all your wedding endeavors easy. If you have questions about how to get married, what to do when choosing a venue, or how to set up a ceremony that has everything you want, contact us. We want to help make your big day something truly special.