Thank You Cards Guide – Post Wedding April 21, 2021
You are appreciated! Thank You Cards Guide – Post Wedding.
While you’re wrapping up your festivities and transitioning into staring at your sparkling second ring on your finger, one last thing left to do is to send your thank you’s.
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Whether you chose a physical wedding invitation suite or a full-on digital/email one, we’re sharing a guide for you today on how to ensure that you send impactful and heartfelt thank you cards.
1. Check your list
For the most part, your guests will most likely be the same group through all the celebrations associated with the wedding, like the engagement party, bridal shower, bachelorette, bridal party, and all other similar ones.
Even those who could not make it physically or did not send a gift but attended (either virtual or in-person).
From your wedding planning binder where you used the guest list part, you can go over the names and add quick notes underneath and add something ‘special’ or ‘significant’ about them.
Whether it be a special memory or something that they have done that contributed to the wedding, this doesn’t have to elaborate yet, but this is just a good reminder and will help you later on as you write the thank you card.
2. Send ASAP
Sending thank you cards while the memory is still fresh will have more impact and become more heartfelt. Waiting too long to send it might create a disconnect to be ‘appreciated.’
1-3 months is a good time frame to send your thank you cards out. If you are mailing the cards physically, start choosing the card 1-2 weeks after the wedding and getting them ordered.
The ordering process alone (including choosing a design!) of the thank you cards might take up to a month already. Add another 1-2 weeks of writing and personalizing them. That means you won’t be able to send them out realistically until 2 months out. Unless, of course, you have used a digital/email card!
As what we always suggest with tasks, break it down in to chunks and set deadlines appropriately.
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3. Categorize, Divide and Schedule
It might seem that writing thank you cards is for the recipient alone, but actually, this is also good for the sender/writer.
An article written on Forbes.com about the benefits of writing Thank You cards:
“Gratitude is good for the brain. According to Dr. Christian Jarrett, in the Science of Us, talked about a brain-scanning study published in NeuroImage, “which brings us a little closer to understanding why these [gratitude] exercises have these effects. The results suggest that even months after a simple, short gratitude writing task, people’s brains are still wired to feel extra thankful. The implication is that gratitude tasks work, at least in part, because they have a self-perpetuating nature: The more you practice gratitude, the more attuned you are to it and the more you can enjoy its psychological benefits.” These psychological benefits include a feeling of wellbeing.”
Written by Nancy Olson for Forbes.com
As you plan to write, categorize your list. For example group the friends together and the families together. When you group them, it makes it easier to write and pull up stories from your memory.
Schedule them accordingly. You definitely do not need to do all of them in one sitting. Do it per category so it is more manageable and impactful for you and your partner as well.
4. Personalize
It is definitely ok to have a ‘generic’ message. But adding a personalized note just to ensure that you have a “specific” memory about them.
It can be as short as “I will always remember all the fun and great laughs we have! Let’s make more memories!”
CREATIVE TIP: If you have a photo booth at your wedding, you can also insert a printout of their photo/s or photos together to really bring in that personalized feeling!
SMART TIP: You can still type out the message, cut it out, and stick it to the card. Just ensure that you sign the bottom part and write a short note. Adding you and your partner’s handwriting is important to elevate your recipient’s ‘feeling’ when receiving the card.
HANDWRITING HACK: Add your ‘signature’ handwriting to your printed out message easily with these steps!
- Sign your note/signature on a white paper
- Take a picture
- Log in to Canva (free sign up to use) – (you can also use their thank you card templates for free!)
- Create a design (a canvas of 400 x 200 usually works)
- Upload the photo of your signature to Canva
- Click on ‘EFFECT’ and choose ‘REMOVE BACKGROUND.’
- Adjust/resize the image accordingly (to your preference)
- You can leave a space where you can personally write your recipient’s name (this will enable you to bulk print and still personalize!)
Here is a video to help you with the steps on how to upload:
5. Enjoy
This is a great experience for you and your partner! Almost also reliving the wedding and all the great memories you have together! Play fun music
Make it an afternoon date. Have some appetizer and pour some wine and enjoy the process! Have a good laugh!
6. Double-Check
We do not want to send personalized notes to the wrong people do we? Just go through them one more time before you seal the envelope and mail it out!
Sign it with a heart or a smiley to make it more alive/animate!
There you are! Thank You Cards Guide – Post Wedding!
