Ideas for what to write in the card for a wedding or bridal shower gift

Part of being a perfect wedding guest is finding the perfect wedding gift. But once you’ve found it, an important task looms ahead: writing a note to go along with your gift. If you’re shopping online, the limited space adds pressure, too: what exactly can you type in a few words or less to convey your love and well wishes for the newlyweds?

Don’t let that blank card or blinking cursor lead to a case of wedding guest writer’s block. Whether you’re giving a wedding or bridal shower gift, I’ve got you covered with a few one-liners that will work for any gift message (even the shortest online ones):

One-liners that work for every wedding card you’ll ever have to write:

• Congratulations and best wishes on your new life together!
• Wishing you a life full of joy and happiness!
• To love, laughter, and happily ever after…wishing you all the best in your new life ahead.
• Sending you lots of love as you embark on the adventure of marriage!

But if you find yourself with more room to write, or you feel like you should write something more, what should you say? I have a few ideas for you!

If you’re looking for something a little longer and more meaningful, try this formula:

Congratulations + Wedding Mention + Wishes for the Future

Start by congratulating the couple:

• Congratulations to the future (or new) Mr. and Mrs. _______!
• Congratulations _______ and ________!

Add a look forward (or back) to the wedding:

• Looking forward to celebrating with you in June!
• So sorry we won’t be there to celebrate with you at the wedding, but we are sending our love from afar!
• Your wedding was such a beautiful celebration of love!
• So sorry we missed your wedding–we heard it was a beautiful celebration of love.

Close with well-wishes for their new life together:

• Best wishes on your new life together!
• Wishing you a life full of joy and happiness!
• Sending you lots of love as you embark on the adventure of marriage!
• Blessings to you in your marriage!

For a Shower Card:

Use the same formula as above, with a few tweaks:

• Address the card to the bride only
• Because showers are pre-wedding celebrations, only mention looking forward to the wedding

Here are some full-fledged examples, taking a line from each category above:

Congratulations to the future Mr. and Mrs. Roberts! We look forward to celebrating with you next month. Best wishes on your new life together!

Congratulations Mary and Ben! So sorry we missed your wedding–we heard it was a beautiful celebration. Sending you lots of love as you embark on the adventure of marriage!

Congratulations! So sorry we won’t be there to celebrate with you at the wedding, but we are sending our love from afar! Wishing you a life full of joy and happiness!

Optional, yet meaningful touches: Adding a quote or Scripture verse, a piece of marriage advice, or a personal memory.

In cases where you are giving a gift to a younger family member, pieces of advice or meaningful words written in a wedding card become precious treasures of your wisdom and legacy. But think carefully about what kind of legacy you’d like that to be. I once had a family member write to me in a wedding card: “My #1 piece of marriage advice: lower your expectations.” It still makes me laugh, but I can’t say I remember that in a “good” way!

Stick with positive, uplifting words of encouragement and advice!

When it comes to wedding and shower cards, don’t stress!

Most brides and grooms don’t save them, anyway! All you need to do is wish them well, send your love, and most importantly…sign your name, so they can write you a thank you note!