Most brides and grooms are oozing gratitude, and they feel a need to send thank you cards to their loved ones by the time their wedding rolls around. There’s so much for which to thank people – from the help they gave you wrapping wedding favors to the gifts they presented to you at the wedding. You might have already had to send the same people thank you cards for your engagement and shower gifts.

To pay your friends and family the proper respect, you have to make sure you choose your words wisely in your thank you cards. Here’s how you should write your wedding thank you cards –

Pick the right thank you cards.

The design and type of thank you card says a lot about you and your guests. You should keep their needs in mind as you choose. Would they like a photo of the two of you? Are they green and therefore would prefer an e-card? Are your guests traditional and therefore require handwritten, proper sentiments? You can mix and match for your guests, too. There is no law stating everyone has to get the same exact kind of thank you card. 

Check on spelling and grammar.

For starters, make sure that you are spelling your guests’ names correctly and that you use proper grammar when writing. You should already have everyone’s name correctly spelled from the place cards and wedding invitations. But if you have any doubt, call and ask. After all, you would not want to misspell the name of your new husband’s boss.

Personalize the cards.

Even if you choose photo cards that feature the same printed note from you on each one, you can still personalize what you write to reflect the experiences of your wedding and the gratitude you have for your guests. For example, you could write, “You mean so much to us, and your presence and generosity made our fall wedding all the more special. Thank you for your generous gift and your love.” If you’re writing the notes by hand, address everyone in that particular household (who came to the wedding or signed the card) by name and then discuss the gift they sent. For example, you could write, “Dear Uncle Joe and Aunt Teresa, Thanks for the toaster. We used it to make breakfast after the honeymoon, and we thought of you.”

Sign the card appropriately.

Be sure to sign off with the right signature. You might want to use, “Yours truly,” for friends and colleagues and “Love,” for family. If you’re printing a note that will be the same for everyone, you can use something like “Kisses.” You can be more casual if you know it won’t offend anyone on your guest list. And you should both sign your name to the cards regardless of who actually wrote it.

Add the finishing touches.

Creating a return-address label that matches the stationery or printing the envelopes with a design on it or adding a seal to close the envelope tell guests that you paid attention to every detail because they’re worth it. You might also consider stamps with hearts or other love-related designs or ones with your photos from the wedding on them. If you’re sending e-cards, just make sure you have everyone’s e-mail address correctly written.