Ballpark Estimate: $0.50 to $3.00 per card
After your wedding day has come and gone, it’s time to start the process of writing your thank you notes. This is an important step to acknowledge the generosity of your wedding guests. Whether you had a big formal wedding or a small casual one, etiquette says that it’s only proper to send such written sentiments.
Timing
How long you have to send a thank you depends on whom you ask, but many people say that you should try to get through your thank you’s within about a month or two of your event.
Keep Lists
As you open each wedding gift, you should keep a master list of the givers and what they sent. You’ll also want to keep an extra copy of your guest list so you will have all of the contact information you’ll need to address your correspondence. In fact, these two lists will be essential to guide you through your thank you process.
Get the Message Right
The experts say that the message you write in each one should specifically name each gift and share your appreciation for it. If you received money, you should acknowledge the gift and mention something that you and your spouse plan to do with it, such as use it toward a new living room set or to save it toward your goal of buying your first house.
Delegating
Who writes the thank you notes can be up for grabs. Ideally, each spouse would write the notes for his or her own family and friends, but in real life, one of you may have more time to devote to the task than the other, and therefore, will be in charge of writing all of the notes. In such a case, the other spouse may at least want to sign his or her name.
Custom Cards
Wedding planners usually recommend ordering coordinated personalized thank you notes at the same time as your wedding invitations. This will allow you to keep a uniform look to your stationary and can also ensure that you’ll be prepared when it’s time to begin. You may select customized cards that match your invitations, or you could prefer some with a monogram or your married name on it. These can be ordered through better stationary stores like Crane & Co., or you can shop online at places like Fine Stationery, Wedding Paper Divas, and Invite Papers.
Some stationary shops also offer unusual high-end designs and photo options that incorporate images of your wedding right into the card.
Preprinted Cards
If you didn’t order custom thank you notes, you can opt instead to buy generic thank you cards that come already printed at a local stationary store or discount house with a stationary section, such as Crane & Co., Hallmark, Target, and Walmart.
When shopping in a generic card section, your best bet in such a case is to steer away from the very casual options and look for something simple and elegant. You may also select a card that has some elements that are representative of your ceremony or reception. For instance, if you had a theme of shells or butterflies, thank you cards with these images on them can be very fitting. If you want to make more of a statement, you can also try to find some thank you notes that match the shade of your bridesmaids’ dresses and centerpieces. Perhaps you incorporated a lot of lavender or hot pink into your event. If so, you can look for thank you notes that match to continue the theme.
What It Costs
What you spend on thank you notes depends on the quality of the paper you select, what type of printing you desire and how many cards you will need.
Preprinted Cards
If you go for preprinted cards, which you can buy at any local card or stationary store, these can usually be bought right off the rack in small packs of 8 cards in them. They start at about $5 a pack, so for 100 cards, you would need 13 packs at a cost of $65. This can go on up as high as $10 for a set of 8, or $130 for 13 packs, if you select designer cards or those with extra detailing.
Customized Cards
If you want a more traditional thank you notes, though, your best bet is to order customized cards. You can also get these through a better card or stationary store, or through a small printing shop. You can also order them through the many online card websites. Engraving, raised borders, hand-torn edges, three-dimension bows and lined envelopes can all add up significantly. Metallic inks and custom art will also increase the cost, too. You can expect to the price to start at $100 for basic custom thank you notes, but higher end options can go up as high as $300 for the same quantity.
(Keep in mind that as the quantity of cards you select goes up, the price per card can sometimes go down.)
So 100 wedding thank you cards can range from $65 to $300 and up, or between 65-cents and $3 per card.
Budget Options
If you don’t have much money in your budget to allocate to formal thank you cards, with some careful shopping, you may be able to find some less expensive versions online, or buy a big pack of preprinted cards that comes with 50 or 100 cards in one that sells for less. In such a case, buying bulk preprinted card may you keep your costs to 50 cents or less per card. Remember that the look of the card itself isn’t nearly as important to recipients as the actual message it contains.
Order Extras
In addition to ordering enough thank you notes for all of your wedding guests, you’ll also want to have plenty of extras so you can write a formal note to thank your vendors for their efforts in making your day a success.