How to Write Heartfelt and Gracious Engagement Party Thank-You Cards

Getting engaged feels like a whirlwind. You're smiling so much with the happy news your cheeks hurt. Now, there's a wedding to plan. But first, you'll likely celebrate your "yes" moment with some parties or gifts, which means it's time to add "write engagement party thank-you cards" to your to-do list.

It's become common for the friends and loved ones of the affianced duo to host an engagement party for the happy couple, be it right after the question is popped as a surprise or a week or two later to celebrate the big news. At that party, you'll be showered with congratulations and some guests might bring gifts. It's important to show your gratitude to all those who showed up for you and your S.O. and celebrated this happy moment with you.

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But where do you start? Penning thank-you cards for an engagement gift can leave you feeling the woes of writer's block, especially when you have multiple to write. And you might be unsure just how to put your immense gratitude into words. Lucky for you, we've rounded up tips, tricks and examples for how to write the perfect engagement gift or engagement party thank-you notes. We even have a few ideas and inspo for where to buy your engagement present thank-you cards, too.

In this article:

• Do you need to send engagement thank-you cards?
• When should you send engagement thank-you cards?
• How do you word an engagement thank-you card?
• Where can you buy engagement thank-you cards?

Do you need to send engagement thank-you cards?

After getting engaged, you might feel a little all over the place. After all, there are so many people reaching out to say congrats and a wedding to plan—you might just need some time to soak it all in, too. But don't let writing your engagement thank-you messages fall to the bottom of your to-do list.

Here are our tips for proper engagement party etiquette when it comes to thanking your nearest and dearest: You should send handwritten engagement thank-you cards to anyone who sent you an engagement gift as well as the host of your engagement party. Everyone loves receiving mail, and handwritten notes are genuine and classic. They show you took the time to pause and show gratitude. But, if you're pressed for time, electronic thank-you notes are also an option.

For those who just attended the party or perhaps sent a kind card or sweet message, a heartfelt text or phone call to show your gratitude for their well-wishes should suffice. All in all, it's important to take the time to thank your loved ones properly.

When should you send engagement thank-you cards?

To help ensure you don't procrastinate too much, it's always a good idea to try and get your engagement party thank-you notes out the door as soon as possible. The sooner you write them, the sooner it's off your to do list. In general, you should try to write your thank-you cards within one or two weeks after the party or receiving the gift.

You'll also want to make sure you get them done before you start sending out save-the-dates or invitations, just so your thank-you cards don't get lost in the shuffle.

However, if you are running a bit behind, remember that a late note is always better than no note at all. Your loved ones will appreciate it no matter what.

How do you word an engagement thank-you card?

We get it, thank-you notes are hard. You feel so much gratitude for your loved ones, but once you sit down and put pen to paper, it's hard to put it into words. After all, there's only so many ways to say "thank you." Here are our top tips for what to say in an engagement thank-you card to your friends and family.

Saying thanks for attending the party

Whether the party was hosted by yourself or someone else, it's always a nice touch to say "thank you for attending our engagement party" to your attendees. After all, they celebrated one of life's biggest moments with you.

Start by thanking them for taking the time to celebrate with you. Then reflect back on the party itself. Did they come early to help set up? Did they bring a special dish, drink or anything else needed for the party, such as cutlery? If it was a surprise party, did they do a good job keeping the secret? Thank them for any and all ways they helped out. Here's an example of what to say.

Dear [name],

Thank you so much for attending our engagement party. It was such a joy to see you there and we appreciate you taking the time to celebrate our big news with us! Seeing all of our loved ones in one place had us beaming.

We especially loved the casserole you brought to the party. Your tasty meals always steal the show and this party's dish was especially delicious! The fact that you took the time to make something so yummy for our event means a lot to us. We are so excited to bring together our two families and can't wait for this next chapter of our lives.

We also can't wait to celebrate the big day with you! It is going to be so much fun, so stay tuned for a save-the-date!

With gratitude,

[Your names]

Saying thanks for hosting the party

If a friend or family member threw you an engagement party, sending an engagement party thank-you letter to the host is a must. After all, hosting a party is a large time and monetary commitment. Let them know all the things you loved about the party and that you can't wait to celebrate your big wedding day with them, too. You may also want to consider sending the thank-you note along with a thank-you gift for hosting the engagement party. Here's an idea for engagement party thank-you card wording.

Dear [host's name],

Thank you so much for hosting our engagement party. The fact that you took so much time and effort to throw us an event means so much to us!

The party truly went off without a hitch. The food, the decor—all of it was amazing. We especially loved your custom cocktail. But ultimately, our favorite thing was seeing all of our loved ones together in one place. This is such a special time where we are blending together our families and the party was the perfect way to celebrate this.

We can't thank you enough for your kindness. You put so much work into this amazing party and that means the world to us. We only hope we can repay you with amazing food and fun at the wedding.

Love,

[Your names]

Saying thanks for giving a gift

You may have received an engagement gift or two, be it a framed photo from the big yes or new items for your shared home. Sending a thank-you note for an engagement gift always shows your appreciation in a sincere and tangible way. Unless the gift was very specific to one member of the couple, it's also important to sign off with both of your names.

Dear [gifter's name],

Thank you so much for our new set of bath towels. It means so much you thought to gift us something during this special time. As we build our new home together, these towels will especially be put to good use!

We're so excited to be engaged and we really appreciate you celebrating with us. We can't wait to see you soon. Thank you so much again!

With gratitude,

[Your names]

Saying thanks for a cash gift

Cash engagement gifts have become increasingly common and, just like any other gift, you'll need to write a thank-you. Here's an example of engagement thank-you card wording for a cash gift.

Dear [name]

Thank you so much for the lovely gift for our engagement. It means so much that you thought of us during this exciting time. The card was so lovely and your gift will definitely be put to good use as we save up for our wedding. We are so thankful to have you in our lives and can't wait to celebrate the big day with you!

Much love,

[Your names]

Saying thanks for a gift card

Gift cards are an easy way to send a gift both from afar and in person, so you might find you have a few gift card thank-you messages to write after your engagement. Let them know why the gift card they chose was such a good pick and how you'll put it to good use.

Dear [name]

Thank you so much for the gift card to Crate & Barrel! We are so excited to be engaged and this is the perfect time for us to pick out new decor and kitchen gear as we kick off this new phase of our lives. We can't wait to go shopping and we'll definitely let you know what we find!

Thank you again for the gift card and for celebrating our engagement. We can't wait to see you soon!

With thanks,

[Your names]

Saying thanks for the well-wishes

Perhaps someone sent you some amazing engagement wishes via card or text, or gushed with you at the engagement party. They may not have thrown you a bash or gotten you a gift, but they were there for you during one of the biggest days of your lives, so it's a kind gesture to send them a thank-you.

Dear [name],

Thank you so much for the well-wishes after our engagement. It was such a special moment for us and receiving your congratulations made it all the more special. We're so happy to be able to celebrate this exciting time in our lives with you. We can't wait to see you soon!

Much love,

[Your names]

Where can you buy engagement thank-you cards?

Now that you have an idea of what to say, it's time to get shopping for thank-you cards. Pick something that reflects you and your partner's personalities, and something that leaves room to include a custom engagement thank-you message. In fact, picking out fun thank-you cards can be what gets you excited to write them.

The Knot Invitations

The Knot doesn't just provide expert advice and super-useful wedding tools. You can also order all of your engagement and wedding stationery from The Knot Invitations, including thank-you cards that work for engagement parties, gifts, weddings, holidays and more.

If you know you want matching stationery for your wedding, you can browse for a theme you like and order the corresponding thank-you cards, with a plan to order the matching save-the-dates and invites later. You can also order custom thank-yous that include your names and your picture, perhaps even a picture from your engagement session. The Knot thank-you cards can easily be ordered and customized online, and you can even sort by number of photos or no photo at all.

Papier

Papier offers such pretty personalized stationery—and the elegance continues with their thank-you note sets. They have numerous designs just for wedding events where you can add an engagement photo, if you'd like. There are also many illustrated designs that get the message across if you haven't had your engagement shoot yet and the gifts and well-wishes have already been rolling in.

Amazon

Running a bit behind on your thank-you cards and need something fast? If you have Amazon Prime, consider Amazon. With a Prime subscription, there are plenty of options for thank-you cards that can get to you in two days or less.

Etsy

Etsy brings together many small businesses and artists all into one site. On Etsy, you can find unique and custom engagement thank-you cards to fit any scenario, budget or personality. Want to feature a custom sketch of your pet? Etsy has a thank-you card for that. Or maybe something that reflects you and your partner's interests, such as a "Star Wars" themed thank-you. They've got that, too. On Etsy, you can also buy digital downloads and print your thank-you cards at home to save money.

Paperless Post

Looking for a fast, affordable and environmentally friendly option? Consider digital thank-yous. While not as traditional as a handwritten letter, virtual thank-you cards have become more and more accepted. The benefit of online cards is that you can send them quickly and don't have to wait for snail mail. Just pick a design, type in your custom message, enter their email and voila. Paperless Post has so many lovely options and they also really look like physical cards.