When planning a wedding, there are activities that are enjoyable (cake tasting!), and some that aren’t so enjoyable. For most brides and grooms, thank you cards fall in the not-so-enjoyable category. The pressure to write the perfect, personable thank you card can feel insurmountable and the fact that you have to write 150 of them doesn’t help matters.

Being grateful doesn’t have to be stressful, so today we are demystifying the perfect thank you card. Believe it or not, there is a simple formula to help you write a meaningful card to show your gratitude. Follow these templates to keep it short, sweet, and sincere.

Photography: A Sea Of Love / Flowers: 21 Parc / Rentals: Ultra Pom, Bash Co Events / Found on: Bash Co Events.

Artifact Uprising.

Watercolor Wreath Thank You Card Set by Julie Song Ink.

FOR A GIFT

Dear [name],

Thank you so much for the [choose one: generous, thoughtful, lovely, gorgeous, amazing] [gift name]. [Insert a sentence on how you plan to put it to good use]. [Optional: add another sentence from the “Additional Details” list below]. Thank you for celebrating our special day with us.

Much love,

[names of the bride and groom]

Example:

Dear Ed and Joanne,

Thank you so much for the gorgeous flatware set. It’s no secret that we are major foodies, so it will get plenty of use in our new home. When we’re back from our honeymoon, you’ll have to come over for dinner to test it out! Thank you for celebrating our special day with us.

Much love,

Susan and Paul

Photography: Christine Meintjes / Found on: The Pretty Blog.

Wedding Photo: Roger Ellsworth of EPlove / Found on: Something Turquoise.

FOR A MONETARY GIFT

Dear [name],

Thank you so much for the generous gift. We plan to put it to good use by [insert how you plan on using the money here]. [Optional: add another sentence from the “Additional Details” list below]. Thank you for celebrating our special day with us.

Much love,

[names of the bride and groom]

Example:

Dear Kristen and Don,

Thank you so much for your generous wedding gift. We plan to put it towards our kitchen remodel, which we are going to start as soon as we are back from our honeymoon! We’re looking forward to seeing you at Thanksgiving and eating some of your famous pecan pie. Thank you for celebrating our special day with us.

Much love,

Susan and Paul

Photography: Christine Meintjes / Found on: The Pretty Blog.

Photography: A Sea Of Love / Found on: Bash Co Events.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

• A reference to when you’ll see them next
• A sentimental/funny memory
• An invitation to visit and see the gift in action (or what you did with the monetary gift)
• A sentimental/funny memory from the wedding
• A sentence regarding your personal relationship or personal connection

Fellow Fellow.

If you’re still in the planning phase of your wedding, there a few tricks you can start using now to make your life easier later:

Start collecting addresses immediately. Believe it or not, the thank you card process actually starts before the wedding invitations are sent out. Start collecting home addresses of friends and family now so you have them on hand later. This is especially important if you’re using e-invites, but plan on sending a handwritten thank you card. Tracking down five addresses a day for a month is much easier than trying to track down 150 in a couple days because the cards have to go out now.

Start a spreadsheet. Create a basic spreadsheet that tracks invites, addresses, RSVPs, and gifts. When you’re exhausted and trying to remember which family member got you the neon lava lamp, you’ll be thankful you did.

Get Connected. If you’re looking for some extra help, there are plenty of wedding websites and apps that can do some of the work for you. The Knot’s Guest List Manager, the Red Stamp app, Postable, and Zola are all great resources to help you get started. Last but not least, don’t forget to download some of our totally free printable thank you cards!

Photography: A Sea Of Love / Flowers: 21 Parc / Hair: Styling By Macey / Found on: Bash Co Events.