How to NOT Hate Writing Your Wedding Thank Yous

1. Don’t procrastinate. Got presents before the wedding even took place? OF COURSE YOU DID. Send those thanks out within two weeks of receiving the gifts. We get that there is A TON to do and writing thank yous takes lots of time, but we live in a fast-paced world and people expect a thank you within a reasonable number of days. If you don’t have time to do all the pre-wedding writing, use an app like Punkpost to help you stay on schedule. There’s no shame in calling in the experts when you have so much to do. The sincere message is still all you.

After the wedding, get those thank yous out within two months. Trust, the longer you put it off, the more you are going to dread it. Remember, your friends and fam made a big effort to attend your wedding and, hey, maybe they even bought you a gift or sailed a little cash your way. Keep those things in mind when writing your thank yous.

2. Thank *everyone*. Leading up to your wedding, your friends went above and beyond. While they’re happy to help out, you should show your appreciation for all the support. Obviously, gifts get thank yous, but if someone pitches in with making favors and decorations or hosting an engagement party or shower for you, those things deserve big giant thanks (and maybe a little gift) as well.

3. Consider a spreadsheet your bestie. You never thought the day would come where you found exquisite joy at the thought of a spreadsheet. But with so much going on, keeping track of who did what and who gave you what in a spreadsheet is going to come in very handy… especially when you have a million other things on your mind pre-wedding. Have a shower? Designate a friend to take down the deets in a notebook and then transfer it to your spreadsheet later.

4. Think small batch. If you attempt to write more than three or four messages per night, your sentiments are going to start sounding robotic. There’s no doubt you’re over-the-top thankful for the person you are writing to, so make sure you’re giving yourself the time and energy to express that to them. Split the duties between the two of you. You’re in this together and the gifts were meant for both of you. Regardless of who is writing, be sure to sign with both of your names.

5. Pick bomb stationery. It’s no secret that weddings are expensive, not only for you but also for your guests. We’ve all had the experience where we fly to a wedding, pay two nights in a hotel and buy a gift. While we’re happy to do this, when we don’t receive small thanks, we do feel a little like… um… well.. okay?? Show your guests how much you appreciate them. One way to do that is by using high quality, 100% cotton letterpress cards. Pro tip: Have stamps delivered right to your door from the USPS website. They have tons of dreamy options, including a stamp designed by hand letterer Jessica Hische. Score vintage stamps from Edelweiss Post.

6. Make it fun. You know about 100 Day projects and 50 Days of Lettering, right? Well, here’s your chance to do your own creative challenge. Write two to three artful thank you cards every night until you’re finished. Instead of feeling like a chore, all of your hard work will feel like a fulfilling accomplishment. Trust that your guests will be able to tell that you turned the task into a creative endeavor and will appreciate the time, energy and love you put into each card. Take it a step further and learn a new skill like calligraphy or handlettering and apply it to your cards.

7. Send while honeymooning. Sending postcards is kind of the best. So why not partner your travel adventures into some thank-you-writing adventures? Find postcards along the way and write a few thanks every night while you’re settling into your hotel room. Not only will you sail through those thank yous while the excitement is fresh in your mind, but the size of the postcard will limit your word count and therefore your hand cramps. Added bonus if you’re traveling abroad. International postage FTW.

8. Turn it into a ritual. Whether it’s preparing a perfect cup of coffee in the morning, doing yoga after work or rewatching an episode of your favorite Netflix series before bed, we all have rituals. Handwriting is as meditative as adult coloring books. You need to concentrate on your message and your technique. So turn off the TV, grab a glass of wine or a cup of tea and get to it. You might find that it’s the quiet time you need first thing in the morning or at the end of a busy day. Set up a writing station and turn on some tunes. I personally write my daily Punkposts in the morning and have my own nerdy playlist that I listen to while penning away.

9. Change it up. Rather than writing the same canned, humdrum message to everyone, try techniques that will get a reaction. Turn each thank you into a haiku, rhyme or poem. Send a confetti bomb with your words of gratitude to really wow them. Or, my personal fave Punkpost feature, send a photo of the two of you using the gift with the thank you. The pic can be of anything from swimming in the hotel pool during the honeymoon their money paid for to a snap of the batch of cookies you baked using that KitchenAid mixer.

10. Outsource it! You’ve got the words in mind, but you’re a busy person and can’t devote time to write the cards, hunt down the postage, buy the stationery, make runs to the post office or even source a pen for that matter. Or maybe your penmanship is still a work in progress. Finding time to sit down and write is a luxury. We get it. And that’s why we created Punkpost, to help you deliver that very heartfelt message, by putting your words in the hands of an expert scriptist who will amplify your message. You can send a killer thank you while waiting in line for your morning pour over or on the bus during your daily commute.

Have any tips on making writing wedding thank yous more fun? Let us know @BritandCo!