Words of Congratulations for a Wedding

Compose a Heartfelt Message

Receiving a wedding invitation card is often a time for joyous preparations. After all, you want to celebrate the day with the happy couple. But there may come a time when you cannot attend as a guest. You may have prior conflicts, an emergency situation, or not be able to afford the travel costs. Regardless of the reason for not attending, you should send a heartfelt message in a letter to the couple expressing your words of congratulations to them.

As you compose your message, keep the following tips in mind:

• A poem or quotation on love and marriage can be a good way to begin or end a letter.
• Lighthearted humor may be appropriate, depending on your relationship.
• Speak about your personal thoughts on love and how it applies to the couple.
• Write down future hopes for the couple and their happiness.
• Make a sincere apology for not attending the wedding.
• Propose getting together to view photographs and talk about the wedding after the honeymoon.

Keep in mind when you are sending the letter. If you send it before the wedding, you can mention how you are happy to help with any preparations before the blessed event. If you are mailing the letter after the wedding, you could write a short note about how everyone raved about the bride’s dress, wedding cake or other aspect of the wedding.

Helpful Words of Congratulations for a Wedding

Not everyone is a natural wordsmith. A thesaurus can help you find the right words instead of repeating the same ones. Write out a rough draft or two before transferring the message into the card.

Helpful Websites

You can also use verses, quotations and poems from the following sites to get started:

• Things Remembered Popular Messages: Choose one of the wedding messages for the couple to begin a letter of congratulations.
• Sandy Jane Designs Quotes: Scroll down to find a list of one-liners perfect for a wedding card.
• The Flower Shop Card Message Ideas: These are short messages meant to be used for sending flowers, but can also work in a letter to the couple.

A simple letter can be very meaningful.

• Stampers’ Versalog: Twelve different verses are available that are appropriate for weddings.

Helpful Programs

Even if you are unable to write your own words of congratulations for a wedding despite using the websites listed above, you can still find help creating a meaningful letter to the bride and the groom.

Use the Personalized Letters by Personal Creations website help you create personalized letters with an elegant design. Choose the "Wedding Day Missed Letter!" to write your congratulatory words to the couple. Simply fill in the blanks with the appropriate information, preview and order.

Another program that helps compose letters is the WriteExpress. Helpful letter writing tips are included on the opening page. Order one of the three software versions in order to get help writing a congratulatory wedding letter. Use other features of the software to write letters for numerous other situations.

Send the Congratulatory Letter

If you know you cannot attend the wedding, you should send your letter as soon as you possibly can. In cases of an emergency situation, you will want to send your message of congratulations as close to the actual wedding date as possible.

When you will not be attending the wedding, it is appropriate to send a gift in lieu of your presence though it is not required. You can choose something from their wedding registry or enclose a monetary gift in the card with your words of congratulations for a wedding. If you happen to live close to the couple or their parents, you may also choose to drop off your congratulatory letter and gift.

A simple letter or note to the couple can be a nice way to congratulate them on their marriage even if you cannot attend the festivities. By carefully planning what you wish to say and being sincere in your wording, the couple will feel your presence at their ceremony even when you’re not there in person.