Do You Put a Return Address on Funeral Thank You Cards And Other Funeral Thank You Card Etiquette
There are so many etiquette rules to follow after any type of life event, including weddings, the birth of children, and funerals. If you have recently had to say goodbye to a loved one, you may have many questions about the etiquette surrounding funeral thank you cards, including who they should be sent to, when they should be sent, and if you put a return address on these types of cards. Read on to see some of the questions you may have and learn the etiquette rules surrounding these specific questions and situations.
Who Should You Send a Thank You Card To After a Funeral?
One of the questions you may have regarding thank you cards is who you should send a thank you card to after a funeral. There are many people that you should thank following a funeral. Some of those people include:
- Anyone who had a job or role at the funeral, including pallbearers, speakers at the funerals, and religious leaders who may have led the funeral
- People who donated to the funeral, if applicable.
- Anyone who donated to a charity or organization on behalf of your loved one
- Individuals who sent flowers, either to the family after the death of a loved one or for the funeral
- People who you felt went above and beyond or showed support in other ways, including those who may have brought food to the family, those who helped with household tasks, or those who helped you with funeral arrangements
How Can You Keep Track of Who to Thank?
After a loved one has passed away, you may feel like you are in a fog. There is a lot going on, and you may have to make funeral arrangements in a short period of time. As such, you may feel overwhelmed, and it can be hard to keep track of who to thank. One of the best things you can do is keep a log book where you ask visitors to sign in or write down any information about who sent meals, who came to visit with your family, and who helped in your time of need. At the funeral, you can quickly collect the small cards on the flowers so you know who to thank or snap a quick photo with your cell phone of all the cards on the bouquets.
Do You Need to Send Thank You Cards to Those Who Sent Sympathy Cards?
Following the death of a loved one, you may have individuals who send sympathy cards to your family. You may also have individuals who call to express their sympathies, send a text message or even send their sympathies via social media. You may wonder if you need to send thank you cards to individuals who sent sympathy cards or their condolences in any of the other manners listed above. You are not under any obligation to send out thank you cards to those who have sent a card or expressed their condolences to you and your family. While there is nothing wrong with sending a thank you card if you feel inclined, you are not expected to do so.
What Timeframe Should You Stick to When Sending Funeral Cards?
Etiquette states that you should try to send thank you cards within about two weeks for happy occasions. Unfortunately, a funeral is not a happy occasion, and a family may be dealing with a lot after the death of a loved one. As such, there is no hard and fast timeframe that you should stick to when sending funeral cards. You should try to mail the cards out within a month of the funeral. This is because it gets easier to forget to mail them out the longer you wait. But no one is going to fault you if you take time to heal and recover a little bit before you send out funeral thank you cards.
Do the Thank You Cards Need to Be Hand-Written?
Old school etiquette rules state that thank you cards should always be hand-written. However, this rule is out the window in the age of technology. It is not seen as rude to send out pre-printed thank you cards following a funeral. However, you should always include a hand-written line in the note thanking the recipient for whatever you are thanking them for. For example, you can include a note that says something like, "Thank you for the flowers you sent. They were beautiful." Or "Thank you for contributing to a charity on behalf of my loved one." A simple hand-written note conveys your sentiment without you needing to hand-write each and every thank you card completely.
Do You Put a Return Address on Funeral Thank You Cards?
Yes, you should put a return address on funeral thank you cards. This ensures the card is returned to you in case it cannot be delivered to the sender. If a thank you card is returned, it is recommended that you call the recipient and thank them. Alternatively, you can ask for their new address and e-mail the thank you card. If you do not place a return address on the funeral cards, you will not know if the card could not be delivered for any reason.
If a loved one has recently passed away, the team at ObituariesTomorrow.com can help you with everything you need for a funeral, including a guest book and funeral prayer cards, as well as everything you need after a funeral, such as funeral thank you cards. Our team can work with you to ensure that everything is perfect and that you receive high-quality products within the timeline that you need them. Visit ObituariesTomorrow.com to see the products that we have available or to place an order.
