These Wedding Thank-You Card Templates Are Legit Essential

One of the biggest perks of your engagement season? Receiving wedding gifts, of course! And yes, if you’re getting gifts, you’re going to need to write wedding thank-you notes, too. While many couples may gripe about this task, it’s really important to show your guests that you appreciate their thoughtfulness. So what exactly does wedding thank-you card wording look like? Well, turns out there’s a wedding thank-you card template you can use to make the process a breeze. Our fill-in-the-blank wedding thank-you card templates and examples will save you a ton of time when getting through all those thank-you cards.

Wedding thank-you card template for a gift from your registry received before the wedding

This is among the most classic wedding thank-you notes, and probably the one you'll write most often. The goal here is to add a personal detail about each gift into the wedding thank-you card wording, so that your friend/family member will feel that the gift is truly being used and appreciated. This is also a good template to follow for covid wedding thank you card wording if you had to postpone or reschedule your big day due to the pandemic.

Dear [Name of Guest],
Thank you so much for the [name the gift]! [Talk about how you have used or will use it. For example, "We already used the slow cooker to make beef stew last night—yum!"] We are looking forward to seeing you at the wedding and can't wait to celebrate together.
Thank you for thinking of us!
Best,
[Your names]

Wedding thank-you card template for a gift off your registry from a guest who couldn’t attend the wedding

This can also be a good template to follow for covid wedding thank you card wording, as many guests are unable to attend due to the pandemic. Again, use your wedding thank-you card wording to thank the person for the gift in specific terms—answering the question, "What are you planning on doing with this gift?" Then, express your regret at not seeing the person at the wedding, and your hope that you'll be able to see them soon (even if they live across the country and you have no idea if or when you'll see them again).

Dear [Name of Guest],
Thank you so much for the [name the gift]! [Talk about how you will use it. For example, "We're so excited to use the gorgeous platter when we host Thanksgiving this fall."] We missed you at the wedding, but are looking forward to seeing you soon.
Thank you for thinking of us!
Best,
[Your names]

Wedding thank-you card wording for cash gift from a guest who attended the wedding

Figuring out how to write wedding thank-you notes for cash as a wedding gift can be a little tricky, but you can still make a cash gift feel personal by adding a little detail about how you plan on spending the money within the wedding thank-you note. You don't have to discuss your financial history at length, but perhaps just allude to a major purchase you're aiming toward—a house, new furniture, a dog, etc. Your guests will love knowing that their financial contribution is being put to good use.

Dear [Name of Guest],
Thank you so much for your generous gift! We've been saving up for [a major purchase, like a house, a car, a dog, etc.] and we truly appreciate your thoughtfulness and support. It was so wonderful to see you at the wedding—thank you for making the trip to celebrate with us! Looking forward to seeing you at [a specific place where you'll see the guest].
Best,
[Your names]

Wedding thank-you card template for a bridal shower gift you didn’t register for and don’t like

Okay, so this is a tough one. If you receive random gifts that you really don't like (a weird set of figurines, a strange piece of artwork, etc.) you of course still need to write wedding thank-you notes, but you can be a little less specific with this one. Simply thank the guests for their generosity and tell them you're looking forward to seeing them soon. No need to mention the fact that you returned their gift (or perhaps are planning on re-gifting it to your unsuspecting cousin).

Dear [Name of Guest],
Thank you so much for the [name the item]. What a unique and creative gift—we appreciate your generosity. We're looking forward to seeing you at the wedding.
Thank you for thinking of us!
Best,
[Your names]

Wedding Thank-You Card Writing Tips

Keep track of your gifts.

Amid all the excitement of receiving your first wedding gifts, you may forget an essential task—keeping track of each and every gift and who sent it. While some online wedding registries organize this information for you, we recommend having your own list, using a tracker like the Guest List tool on WeddingWire.

Gather your guests’ addresses.

Right after creating your guest list, you’ll want to ask each and every one of your guests for their current address. The WeddingWire Guest List tool actually does this legwork for you, reaching out to your guests to collect their addresses. By having all of your guests’ addresses at the ready early on, you won’t be scrambling during the thank-you card writing process.

Handwrite them.

Sorry, email thank-you notes are a no-no. Thank-you notes should be handwritten, no matter how terrible your handwriting may be. Electronic or pre-printed thank-you notes feel too impersonal—your guests spent time and money selecting your gift, so It’s important to take the time to write them a thoughtful note.

Buy new stationery—and a new pen.

One of your first post-engagement purchases should be new stationery that can be used to write your thank-you notes. For those who are changing their names after marriage, you may actually need two sets of stationery—one with your maiden name, and one with your married name or monogram, especially if you’re opting for more formal stationery. An easy way to avoid this is by keeping your stationery informal and including just your and your partner’s first names. Don’t forget to buy some new, easy-to-write-with pens, as well—writing thank-you notes with a poor-quality pen can be a real drag.

Include a personal note.

As you’ve seen in the wedding gift thank-you note templates above, it’s important add a personal touch to each note. Whether you say something specific about the gift received or add a brief detail about your relationship with the card recipient, making each thank-you card unique is pretty essential. 

Split the task with your partner.

Writing thank-you notes should be a shared task between you and your partner. Before getting started, talk to your future spouse about how you’ll divvy up the workload—perhaps you’ll write thank-you notes for your side and your partner will handle his or hers. Or maybe you’ll write thank-you cards for family members and your partner will handle those for friends. However you share the responsibility, just make sure that expectations are managed on both sides. And, no writing thank-you notes is not a task you can delegate to wedding party members!

Pace yourself.

While it might seem like a good idea to write all of your thank-you notes in one night, you’re going to get burned out pretty quickly. Instead, try to tackle a few thank-you notes at a time, trying to write them as soon after receiving the gifts as possible. And yes, it’s totally okay to write thank-you cards while watching Netflix.

Don’t forget the stamps.

This is a biggie—make sure you have plenty of stamps handy at all times. You don’t want to be ready to send a bunch of completed thank-you cards only to find out you’re all out of stamps!

Thank-You Note FAQs

Why do I have to write thank-you cards?

While planning a wedding is a big responsibility, so is being a wedding guest. Thank-you cards aren’t just about the gifts, they’re about showing gratitude for the time, effort, and money your loved ones spent preparing for and attending your wedding. 

How long after the wedding should I send out thank-you cards?

Here’s the thing: For presents received before the wedding, you have two to three weeks to send the note. For gifts received during or after the wedding, you have up to three months—but try to send them ASAP!

Do I have to write separate thank-you notes for shower and wedding gifts?

You’ll need to send a thank-you card for every gift you receive—so yes, that means you’ll need to send a separate thank-you note for shower gifts, engagement gifts, wedding gifts, etc. Be sure to have plenty of stationery handy and stick to a schedule so you don’t get overwhelmed!

Do I have to send a thank-you note to a guest that didn’t send a gift?

As the saying goes, their presence at your wedding is present enough, so yes, it’s a good idea to send thank-you notes to guests who attended your wedding, but did not send a gift.

Should wedding guests write thank-you notes?

From an etiquette perspective, there’s no need for guests to write thank-you notes to the couple (technically the gift is the “thank you”). However, if the guest wishes, a kind email thanking the couple for their hospitality is a kind, but unnecessary, gesture.