Thank You Card Etiquette

What occasions require a thank you card? Is it acceptable to send pre-printed notes? How soon should you send one?

These are typical questions asked by brides-to-be, moms-to-be, graduates, etc. Although the practice of sending thank you cards has been around for a long time, not everyone is familiar with the etiquette behind it. To learn more or just confirm what you thought you knew, read on.

For basic thank you card writing, make sure you do the following:

• Send your thank you cards as quickly as possible after the event, receipt of the gift, etc.
• For most occasions, informal stationery is fine. The only exception would be weddings, when formal stationery typically is used.
• Always make specific reference to the gift received.

This last item nicely introduces the hand-written vs. pre-printed thank you note debate. Whether you hand write a card or use pre-printed ones, always include a personal message. Most etiquette experts agree that it’s simply bad form not to do so, especially considering the cost of some wedding gifts. Cost aside though, the gift-giver probably put a fair amount of thought and effort into selecting the gift; personalizing your thank you shows you’ve gone the extra mile.

• Address the thank you card to the person(s) who signed the gift card.
• The formality of the salutation should reflect the relationship that you share with the person.

What occasions require your sending a thank you card? Generally speaking, you should send a thank you note for any of the following.

• Wedding gifts
• Bridal or baby shower gifts
• Gifts received by mail
• Notes or gifts of congratulations

Does the thought of writing a thank you note give you writer’s block? Don’t worry, following are samples to help you along. Just keep in mind that the reason why you send a thank you card (and the reason people enjoy receiving them) is because you express your heartfelt feelings about the gift and the thought that went into its selection. Follow that guideline and you won’t go wrong.

Wedding Thank You Card Samples

Dear Marjorie and Jack,

You two always know how to select the perfect gift! We just love the CD collection you gave us as a wedding present.

You'll have to come by soon so we can enjoy our first dinner party together as married couples. We'll be sure to crank up the CD player that night to enjoy the new tunes.

Love,

Gina and Bill

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Dear Mr. and Mrs. Reingold,

Thank you for the lovely candlesticks you gave to us for our wedding. They'll be sure to keep the romance burning at our table for many years to come.

Best wishes-

Elissa and James

Baby Shower Thank You Card Sample

Dear Mary Jean,

I just love the baby sleeper, receiving blanket, and bunny rattle you gave me at the shower. As always, you were too generous. I can't wait to use them with Baby - I know she'll look adorable in them.

I hope we can spend a little time together before baby arrives and I'm up to my ears in diapers!

Love,

Jennifer

To see more samples for baby shower thank you cards as well as other events, visit LCI's All Occasion Thank You Verses page. Also be sure to check out LCI's selection of foil thank you cards.

Tags: thank you cards, thank you wording, thank you notes