The Ultimate Wedding Thank You Card Guide

One of the lessons I learnt when getting married was the importance of delegation. On your wedding day, you can't very well roll up your sleeves and cook your reception dinner, or take selfies while reciting your vows.

Yes, plenty of the people you are delegating to are being paid for their help, but what about the volunteers? The Mother in Law who picks up the flowers from the florist and drops them off to the bridal party. The friend who calmed your nerves, carried your bouquet and fended off the weird relatives you didn't really want to invite.

And then there's all your nearest and dearest who got dolled up, devoted their day to you, and gifted you a thoughtful present.

So one of your first challenges as a newlywed is expressing your gratitude to a boatload of people who made your day what it was. And it is quite the challenge! Chances are you're quite happy to see the back of the "shoulds" and etiquette that come with wedding planning. So in order to help you cross this final piece of wedmin off your list, we've put together this post "The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Thank You Cards".

How soon after a wedding should you send thank you cards?

Typically, these cards are sent two to three months after your wedding. Don't panic if you've left it longer than that though. Wedding thank you cards are typically sent out up to a year after your wedding to all guests that attended on the day, plus anyone who gave you a wedding gift. So you have time to weigh up your options, get your wedding photos back and consider what on earth to say about the ugly regifted placemats your great-Aunt Greta gifted to you.

Why Write Wedding Thank You Notes?

The art of the thank you note is being lost, which is sad in some ways, but for you, gentle reader, t's a bonus. Why? Well, when you go to the effort of writing a thank you note, you're typically doing it because you WANT to, not because some social rules are forcing you. So the act of sending, and receiving a thank you card is a whole lot more genuine than it once was.

The other positive, is that because we are receiving less of them, the thank you notes we do get are all the more impactful and appreciated. Lordy, any physical mail we get that's not a bill is a surprise these days!

So, if I've convinced you not to forgo a thank you and you're ready to tick this off your post-wedding admin list... what are your options?

Well good news, there's a few.

Thank You Cards Personalised with your Wedding Photos

It's not often you hire a professional photographer, so sharing your wedding photos somewhere other than social media is an instant YES! First decision is whether you want to share a heap of your wedding photos or just one.

All our thank you cards are designed, printed and shipped from our studio in Mosgiel, just out of Dunedin. We offer three main styles of thank you cards, tried and tested over our 11+ years:

You can opt to allow a gap for a handwritten message, include a pre-printed thank you note, or a mix of both. Here's the pros and cons:

Handwritten Message

Pros: Personal and traditional, these cards allow you to customise your message for each guest, making your appreciation more heartfelt.

Cons: Time-consuming, especially if you have a large guest list.

Pre-Printed Thank You Message

Pros: Convenient for couples with busy schedules or extensive guest lists, these cards come with a pre-printed message.

 Cons: The message needs to be generic to cover off all the guests so it is less personal - though still a lovely gesture.

What to say on our wedding thank you cards?

I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Writing a message for your wedding thank you notes can be tricky. Communicating your gratitude and excitement via a hand written note can become a chore. And when something is a bit tricky, we tend to procrastinate... so we have collated some thank you card wording ideas to help.

Key Components to Include in your Thank You Cards

To ensure your thank-you cards are meaningful, consider including these elements:

Thank Guests for Their Attendance: Acknowledge the effort guests made to join your celebration, especially if they traveled long distances.

Thank Guests for Their Gifts: Mention the specific gift and how you plan to use it (no need to specify monetary amounts).

Personal Touch/Memory: Reflect on special moments shared during the wedding, such as memorable speeches or fun on the dance floor.

Wording Examples for Wedding Thank You Cards

How to thank wedding attendees for gifts:

• Thank you for sharing our wedding day with us. Your generous gift, love and support is very much appreciated.
• It was so lovely to see you at our wedding and the BBQ the next day. Thank you so much for your generous contribution to our honeymoon fund.
• Thank you for adding to the joyful spirit of our wedding with your presence and lovely gift.
• Thank you for celebrating with us on our wedding day! Your company, love, and wishes made our day complete and we appreciate your love and support.
• Thank you for joining us on our wedding day and for your wonderful gift of the blender. [Partner's Name] and I can’t wait to start making smoothies together. Your presence made our day even more special.
• We are so grateful for your attendance at our wedding and the beautiful framed photo. It now has a special place in our home. Your support means the world to us.
• If they didn't give a gift, or you're not sure what they have gifted you, keep it generic: Thank you so much for sharing our wedding day with us. We have been so blown away by the love and support from all our friends and family as we begin our lives together.
• We have put the beautiful set of wine glasses to good use already!
• We would like to thank you for adding to the lovely memories we cherish from our special day. Thank you for your kind gift.
• We really appreciated the contribution towards our honeymoon. We are all booked for two weeks in Rarotonga after the New Year.

How to say thank you for Monetary Gifts:

• Many of the examples above can be tweaked to suit. It's up to you whether you specify the monetary amount
• Thank you so much for celebrating our wedding day with us and for your generous gift [of $X (if you want to specify the amount)]. We plan to use it towards our dream vacation. Looking forward to sharing more memories together.
• We are incredibly grateful for your thoughtful gift [of $X (if you want to specify the amount)]. We used it to purchase a new coffee maker, which we love. Thank you for making our day special.

How to thank wedding guests who traveled:

• Thank you so much for traveling all the way from [City/Country] to celebrate our wedding. Your presence was truly a gift, and we are so thankful for the [specific gift, if any] as well.
• Your journey from [Country] to be with us on our special day meant more than words can express. Thank you for the [specific gift] and for being part of our wedding.
• We sincerely thank you for your company, gift, and good wishes and for helping us make our wedding day an occasion we will always remember.
• Thank you for being there on the most important day of our lives. We only hope that you had as much fun at our wedding as we did!
• Thank you for travelling so far to be with us on our wedding day

How to thank people who contributed to a group gift:

• Thank you so much for the wine fridge. It will definitely be getting a lot of use in our new home! We are so lucky to have friends who know us so well, and we can’t wait to have you all over to open a bottle or two!
• Thank you so much for the beautiful patio set. It’s perfect for our new home, and we can’t wait to host summer parties with you all. Your generosity is overwhelming.
• Your contribution to the group gift of the kitchen appliance set was incredibly thoughtful. We’ve already started using it and are grateful for friends like you.

How to say thank you to friends/family who couldn't attend but sent gifts:

• Thank you so much for the set of wine glasses. It was so kind of you to think of us! [Partner's Name] and I wish you could have been there on our wedding day—it wasn’t the same without you. We’re looking forward to more opportunities to celebrate together in the future!
• We missed you at our wedding but were so touched by your thoughtful gift of the cookbook. We look forward to trying new recipes and thinking of you. Thank you for your kindness.
• Though you couldn't be with us on our special day, your kind wishes and lovely gift of the vase were deeply appreciated. We hope to see you soon and share more happy times.

How to say thank you to wedding party members:

• Thank you for being a wonderful [Role] at our wedding. Your support and presence made our day even more special. We look forward to many more celebrations together.
• We are so grateful for your help as our [Role] on our wedding day. Your toast was unforgettable and meant so much to us. Thank you for being a part of our special day.
• Thank you again for your support and love. You are a special friend and incredible bridesmaid

Wedding Thank You Card Printing Options

Thank you cards come in all shapes and sizes, so just pick the one that resonates with you. All our stationery is NZ made, even our envelopes.

Postcard style thank you cards

The postcard style is a flat card measuring 105x148mm. This can be printed on both sides. Perhaps pop a photo on the front and then a preprinted “thanks” on the reverse? Cute paired with a magnet for someone’s fridge and not too much room if you don’t feel like writing a long thank you message!

Greeting card style thank you notes

A folded card, measuring 210x148mm when unfolded. We can design these to sit tall (portrait) with the fold at the lefthand side, or long (landscape) with the crease at the top. It’s usually whatever will suit your favourite wedding photo! Either way, these should sit on a bookcase or mantlepiece quite nicely.

Add photos to the outside of the card and leave lots of room for a handwritten message inside the card – or get us to print a special note on the inside to help get your note-writing underway. We also often add a group photo from the wedding on the inside.

Concertina style thank you cards

A concertina thank you card is another folded style of card. Suitable for sharing lots of shots from your wedding day, while still allowing you plenty of room for a thank you message. You can get three or four panels, depending on how much room you need!

When your friends or family pull the card out of the envelope, the card is all closed and only the top panel is visible. They open the invitation to reveal all the important wedding details on the panels inside.

Wedding thank you cards with no photos

Getting your wedding photos on a greeting card is all well and good, but if you want to share your gratitude prior to getting these photos (like, on your wedding day!) then we have some lovely cards for this sort of situation too:

Saying thank you with a gift

It's likely your new inlaws or your parents contributed a great deal to the wedding (financially and emotionally!). For an extra-special thanks, a printed wedding photo can be a special gift indeed. A collage of photos from the wedding, or one of our celebration prints can be a lovely way of thanking your parents for all of their support.

For your bridesmaids and any friends who spent a substantial amount of time contributing to your big day, you may wish to give them a small gift accompanied by your thank you note. I love the personalised wine labels for this - it's a fun way of adding personality, showing you've put some thought in, and a memento that your giftee can keep if they choose to.

Our labels come in a variety of sizes, so if cider, beer or spirits are more their thing, you can get something that suits! We can also customise the text, so if you want to add your thank you message right on your wine labels - no problem at all!