Thank You Card Etiquette 101

After your wedding day has come and gone, facing a stack of thank you notes can be daunting. Where do you even begin?

Even though you might be tempted to skip the thank you cards altogether, Christa Talarowski, founder of Oakville-based stationery boutique Anista Designs says not to underestimate the importance of showing your gratitude. “These notes show appreciation for your guests participation and attendance,” Talarowski explains. “These are special people in your life, and thank you cards can give you the opportunity to let them know it.”

Talarowski also says it’s important to get your cards in the mail ASAP. “The best time to write your thank you cards is right after you return from your honeymoon, or one month after your wedding,” Talarowski advises. The best time to send them out? One to three months after the day, according to Talarowski. “Some people suggest sending your cards within a year, I don’t suggest it,” she says. “Waiting too long may result in your guests’ addresses being out of date.” For gifts received before your wedding, send thank you cards within two weeks of receiving the gift. “This prevents it from becoming an oversight,” Talarowski says.

Here are 5 more thank you card recommendations from Talarowski to make the entire process easier:

1. Order your thank you cards at the same time as the rest of your wedding stationery. This will allow you to have two sets of addressed envelopes printed at once (one for each invitation and one for each thank you card). This will also ensure that your invitations and thank you cards to match.
2. Make a list of the gifts you received, and who sent them, so you can write personalized notes. This allows you to be organized when gifts start to arrive.
3. Divide and conquer your list. Task your new hubby with writing half of the thank you notes. It will make the process quicker.
4. Don’t write all your thank you notes in one sitting. “If you have a lot of notes to write, write them as the gifts arrive, or spread out the work over a couple of days,” Talarowski advises.
5. Consider having your stationery designer include a general message on the inside of the card. For example, “thank you for being part of our special day”. Write names above the general message and a personalized, specific message below it, and include details on how you plan to use their gift.