A funeral is always an emotional and incredibly difficult time. Having lost a loved one you are feeling dazed and crushed. But soon after a funeral you might start to think about sending your funeral thank you cards.
When people have shown their support, be that through sending you a card or message of sympathy, flowers or just being at the funeral, you will probably want to thank them.
But knowing what you say or write in your thank you notes can be hard. How do you express the appreciation you feel for the support shown during such a tough time.
If you’re struggling with your funeral thank you notes then this guide will show you what to write, when to send them and some useful wording examples amongst much more.
Hopefully it will give you the confidence and any help that’s needed to make the process of sending sympathy thank you notes that much simpler.
Funeral Thank You Wording
Whilst you can write your thank you cards any way you want, the following guide is a good template for how to construct a simple note of thanks:
- Start your thank you note by addressing the recipient – “Dear ______” is the standard greeting and works perfectly for a message of thanks
- Next thank them for their support, condolences, gift or whatever way they were there for you. Something simple like “thank you so much for thinking of me during such a difficult time. You words were really comforting when I need them most”
- Follow this with a thoughtful sentiment or few words about how they helped – “I will never forget your support and friendship”
- End your note or card by possibly saying thanks again or something like “All my love” before signing your name (handwritten rather than printed)
Your note doesn’t have to be anything particularly special but just ensure it acknowledges whatever it was the recipient did and offers your thanks.
Sample Thank You Notes for After a Funeral
The example thank you messages here are split into different categories – thank you for attending the funeral, for helping with it, for flowers, money/donations and condolences.
Thank You Wording for Attending the Funeral
When sending a note to someone who attended the funeral, be that family, friend or acquaintance, make it clear you appreciated them being there and any effort it may have taken them to come.
Dear ______,
Thank you so much for being at the funeral. It was really important to us for you to be there and we know it would have meant the world to [the deceased’s name].
Sincerely,
________
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Dear ______,
We were so pleased you could make the funeral and even more so to hear the wonderful memories and stories you shared. To remember [deceased’s name] in such a heartwarming way was so appreciated by the entire family.
Warmly,
________
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Dear ______,
We were touched greatly have you attend [deceased’s name]’s funeral. He/she would have definitely wanted you there, without a doubt. Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
________
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Dear ______,
Your presence at [deceased’s name]’s funeral was greatly welcomed. We wanted all his/her friends to be there so it wouldn’t have been the same without you. Thank you for making the effort.
Sincerely,
________
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Thank You for Helping with the Funeral Notes
Thank those who help plan or arrange the funeral with these message examples.
Dear ______,
Thank you for all your help with planning the funeral. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Sincerely,
________
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Dear ______,
When you volunteered to help it took such a burden off my shoulders. It made a huge difference and allowed for everything to go smoothly. I really appreciate the assistance, thank you so much.
Kind regards,
________
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Dear ______,
The planning of the funeral was very stressful so having someone to take on some of the load was a relief. Thank you for all you did, I won’t forget it.
Many thanks,
________
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Dear ______,
You made a really hard day that bit easier. Thank you for your help and support, it was truly appreciated.
Sincerely,
________
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Wording for Money
If someone made a donation or sent a gift then these thank you note samples will show you how to offer your gratitude for their kind gesture.
Dear ______,
We can’t find the words to thank you enough for your donation. It has eased so much pressure off of us during this awful period and we appreciate it enormously.
Sincerely,
________
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Dear ______,
Thank you so much for your generosity. It was such a kind gesture and one we truly appreciate.
Warmly,
________
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Dear ______,
Your donation in the honor of [deceased’s name] was absolutely amazing – a really heartwarming gesture. As a family we were so pleased to see how much he/she meant to you.
With love,
________
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Dear ______,
Such a thoughtful donation has not gone unnoticed. We were both shocked and thrilled to see your incredible generosity. Our thanks and gratitude.
Sincerely,
________
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For Funeral Flowers
Many people send flowers to a funeral. Use these thank you messages to show your appreciation for a beautiful bouquet.
Dear ______,
We are so grateful for the lovely flowers you sent to the funeral. They were beautiful and really helped brighten a tough day.
All our love,
________
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Dear ______,
Thank you for your beautiful arrangement. It was so thoughtful and we are beyond grateful to have received it.
Sincerely,
________
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Dear ______,
The gorgeous flowers you sent were just perfect. To have your support and love throughout this time has been a blessing.
Love,
________
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Dear ______,
I know that [deceased’s name] would have loved the flower arrangement you sent. Thank you for a lovely gesture.
Love,
________
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Sympathy Thank You’s
You will probably have received some messages of condolence, so thank those people for their kind words with these notes.
Dear ______,
Thank you ever so much for your kind words and thoughts. It’s been incredibly difficult so knowing friends are there during our hardest moments is
With love,
________
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Dear ______,
I can’t express how touched I was by your card and kind words. It means the world to me to receive such support at this time. Thank you for everything.
Love,
________
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Dear ______,
It’s at the toughest times that real friends show their worth, and having you there for support and a shoulder to cry on has been invaluable. I will never forget it.
All my love,
________
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Condolence Thank You Notes
Thank you for your warm condolences. It’s been so hard to try and find any comfort but having friends like you is a real blessing.
With love,
________
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Dear ______,
Thank you for reaching out and for showing such understanding. Your card was a kind and thoughtful gesture, one that helped during such a difficult period.
My thanks,
________
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Tips for Writing Your Thank You Notes
- Don’t worry about making your notes impressive and very ‘wordy’ i.e long. Short and to the point is ideal. Be honest and speak from the heart and that will be good enough.
- If you have a large number of thank you’s to write and send and so need some help you can buy packs of thank you notes with prewritten messages printed in them. If you decide to go this way then try to include a short personalized message too.
- Even if it’s been some time since the funeral has happened don’t worry about it being too late to send your notes. Ideally, if you can, you’d send them within a few weeks of the funeral. But people will understand if you’re busy with other things during such a difficult time and so if it takes longer than that they won’t mind.
- If the list of people to thank is just too long or overwhelming then don’t be afraid to ask for some help. A family member or close friend will be glad to offer some assistance in getting through them all.
- If you do take some time with sending your notes then remember to sign your full name or include your last name. This is especially key for those you aren’t that close to or know that well.
- If you would prefer to sign your note “from the family of…” then that’s perfectly fine. Often thank you notes are sent on behalf of a family instead of one single person. However if the flowers, gift, card etc. was addressed to you directly then you can just sign your own name.
Acknowledging the time, effort and thought that went into friends and loved ones involvement in a funeral is not only polite but should be rewarding.
Hopefully the funeral thank you note examples provided here will have helped you to write your own notes and make it clear how much you needed and appreciated their support.
