Free guides
Thank-You Note Guides: When to Send and What to Write
Free guides for every thank-you note: when to send it, what to write, and example lines you can make your own. Start with the timelines for weddings and the holidays, or jump to your occasion below.
Start here
Wedding Thank-You Timeline: When to Send Each Note2 weeks before, 3 months after, and one list to track it all.
Holiday Thank-You Timeline 2026: When to Send Each NoteHanukkah starts Dec 4, Christmas is Dec 25. Here is when to send.
Hanukkah Thank-You Notes: Eight Nights, Eight NotesHanukkah 2026 starts at sundown Dec 4. One short note per night.
What to Write When You Don't Love the GiftThank the thought, not the item. Kind and true lines.
Timing
- Is it too late to send a thank-you note? How long you have for every occasion
- Thank-you card etiquette
What to write
- Thank-you note examples for every occasion
- How to write a thank-you note to someone you don't know well
- How to say thank you in other languages
Weddings
- Wedding thank-you note etiquette: who, when and what to write
- Wedding thank-you notes for a cash gift or check, with 12 examples
- Wedding thank-you note examples
Holidays
- Holiday gift thank-you notes for Christmas and Hanukkah gifts
- What to write in a holiday thank-you note to a teacher
- Thanksgiving host thank-you notes, with 12 examples
- Holiday cards
Baby showers
- Baby shower thank-you card wording, with examples for every gift
- Baby shower thank-you note examples
More occasions
- Birthday
- Graduation
- Teacher
- Sympathy
- Coworker
- Clients and business
- Quinceañera
- Bar and bat mitzvah
- Eid
- Diwali
Frequently asked questions
How soon should you send a thank-you note?
Within about two weeks for most gifts. For wedding gifts, within three months after the wedding is the widely accepted guideline.
What should a thank-you note say?
Name the gift, say one true thing about why it mattered or how you will use it, add a line about the person, and close warmly.
Is a late thank-you note still worth sending?
Yes. A late note is always better than none. Add a short apology and send it.
Ready to write yours?
Write your note in your own words, or start from a suggestion and change any word. Send a free digital card, or have a real card printed in a handwriting style and mailed for you from $3, postage included.