What to Write in a Greeting Card: Tips, Ideas & Examples for Every Occasion

The age of carefully chosen greeting cards 💌 and lengthy, thought-out messages 💬 is a thing of the past… WRONG! ❗ Greeting cards — whether handwritten ✍🏻, typewritten ⌨️, or electronic 📨 — are very much still in season! 

Whether you’re someone who hasn’t had much experience in writing greeting cards or someone who just wants to make sure you’re crafting the right messages, we’re here to brush up on your knowledge 💡 on what to write in a greeting card! After all, nothing can replace the sincere 🥹, loving messages 🫶 you write on your birthday 🎂, anniversary 💐, graduation 🎓, and other greeting cards!

Now that you’ve carefully chosen the perfect greeting card for the special person in your life, the next step is to personalize ✨ your card by writing your message! If you’re wondering 🤔 what to write in a greeting card, read on for simple and genuine card-writing ideas, message examples, and even interactive virtual gift options! 💝 

Why Your Greeting Card Message Matters

Everyone is definitely more connected 🛜 nowadays — you can talk to a long-distance friend or video call 📲 your special someone in just a few clicks. A short good morning message ⛅, an inspirational encouragement quote 🌈, or a sweet good night message 😴 are just a few types away.

However, it’s no secret that sincere, thoughtful greeting card messages 💌 still hold an emotional impact on a different level, especially for special occasions! You can convey more of your feelings 🥹, offer deeper support, and show your joy 😄 for specific milestones through greeting card messages for your loved ones.

Although texts and social media messages 🤳 are a great way to show your love daily, don’t hesitate to reserve more special ✨ occasions for greeting cards with carefully crafted messages! If you’re more of a techie and prefer online methods, fret not! There’s an abundant supply of online greeting cards 💌 that you can use for birthdays 🎂, weddings 👰‍♀️, graduations 🧑‍🎓, and other special holidays.

If you're looking for something more unique and fun, Gifft.me offers a variety of online interactive virtual greeting cards to express your love and appreciation 😘 to the special people in your life. They’re free and very easy to deliver, especially if your loved ones are far from you!

Don’t worry if you’re not sure what to write in a greeting card — we’ll help you navigate this through the guide we’ve prepared below!

Check our blog for more tips for what to write for virtual gifts.

Photo by Dmitry Mashkin

How to Write the Perfect Greeting Card Message

Wondering what to write in a greeting card? 🤔 You’re not alone! Read through the short guide 📖 below to wake your creative side up and write warm greetings for cards!

Start with a Warm Greeting

As with anything, first impressions matter! When thinking of what to write in a greeting card 🤔, remember to set the tone of your message through your first line! Use a warm opening greeting 💕 that can captivate your recipient and convey your warm feelings ❤️‍🔥 immediately.

Remember to choose a salutation based on your relationship with your recipient. If you’re writing a sweet birthday card 🥳📜 for a close friend, opt for something friendly like “To my wonderful friend” or “My sweet [Name]”. For a congratulatory message for your younger sister’s wedding 💍, you can use “To my dearest sister”. If you’re writing a thank you note 🗒️ for your boss, something more formal, such as “Dear [Name]”, might be more appropriate.

Personalize with a Memory or Compliment

Personalizing your greeting card is the best way to convey your feelings 🥰 and ensure that your recipient receives your warm thoughts. 😘 When crafting your greeting card messages 💌, feel free to add snippets of shared memories, inside jokes 🤡, or compliments.

For your anniversary greeting card for your wife, you can allude to sweet moments 💗 and write something like “Your love shines through ✨ in each simple act you do for me, from making sure my cup of coffee ☕ is just the right temperature as soon as I wake up to taking our dogs 🐶 to the vet when I’m not able to.”

The more personalized your greeting cards are, the more you can show your genuine thoughts and strengthen the impact of your message to your recipient!

Share Your Well Wishes or Sentiments

Of course, don’t forget to write your main message on the card! Write “Happy Birthday!” 🎉, “Happy Anniversary” 🍾, “Happy Graduation” 🎓, “Merry Christmas” 🎄, “Happy Easter” 🐰, and other greetings that are appropriate for the occasion you’re celebrating. 🥂

Greeting cards are not exclusive to positive occasions, so feel free to use them for tougher occasions and write “Get well soon” 🤕 for well wishes and “My condolences” for sympathy messages. 😔 Just remember to keep your messages sincere and appropriate for the occasion. If you’re not writing for happy times, refrain from including jokes and focus on making your recipient feel supported and loved. 🥰

Add a Thoughtful Sign-Off

Just as first impressions are important, the lasting impact of your greetings often depends on your parting words. Don’t forget to choose a sign-off that matches the tone of your message to reinforce your feelings of warmth or support. 🥰🤗😘

For a congratulatory card, end with something like “Best wishes”. For a sympathy message, you can use “With love” or “Take care”. Ensuring that you have a thoughtful sign-off can leave a lasting impact on your recipient! 😉

Keep it Simple and Genuine

Lastly, keep it simple but genuine. 🥹 Even if you’re writing a longer-form message, ✍️ it’s best to remain straightforward, use clear language, and avoid clichés so that your recipient immediately feels your thoughts and emotions. 💖

Simple card greetings can make your messages more powerful 💪, sincere 🫶, and honest, in that they can convey your love 💕, appreciation 🥰, and support 💗 without the risk of misunderstandings. Make your greeting card messages touching and heartfelt by going straight to the point and expressing your feelings without beating around the bush.

Photo by lilartsy

What to Write in a Greeting Card (Ideas by Occasion)

Want more greeting card message ideas? 🤔 Whether it’s for a birthday 🎂, an anniversary 💐, a wedding 👰, a congratulatory note🥂, or a sympathy message, here are some ideas on what to write in a greeting card to give you some inspiration! Don’t forget to add personal touches to customize your messages based on your recipients!

Birthday

• Happy Birthday! May all your heart’s desires come true!
• Wishing you the Happiest Birthday filled with love and laughter!
• Cheers to getting wiser (and older)! Happy, Happy Birthday!
• Another trip around the sun is worth celebrating — Happy Birthday!

Create a birthday wish for free in our AI message generator!

Anniversary (including for couples and partners)

• Happy Anniversary to the love of my life! Every day with you is a blessing.
• I thank God every day for the blessing of your presence in my life. Happy Anniversary!
• My love for you grows stronger every year, and I’m truly excited to spend the rest of our lives together. Happy Anniversary, my love!
• Happy Anniversary! The year sure passed by quickly, and it’s probably because I was busy spending the happiest days of my life with you!

Is it your first anniversary? The message needs to be special! So check out these 1st anniversary message ideas!

Wedding or Engagement

• Congratulations on your marriage! This is truly the start of a wonderful life together!
• Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. [Name]! I wish you a happy married life filled with love, laughter, and blessings!
• Congratulations on your engagement! Get ready for an arduous process of wedding planning!
• I heard the pleasant news, and honestly, I’ve known this was gonna happen for ages! Congratulations on your engagement! I look forward to seeing how you continue to grow in love together.

New Baby

• Congratulations on the new blessing in your family! May your child grow to be as loving and wonderful people as you.
• Congratulations on your little one! Praying for his/her good health and blessed life!
• I've heard the wonderful news, and I’m thrilled to meet your little one! Hope you are recovering well and can enjoy your time with your baby!
• Your family is growing! This is truly a blessing, and I’m sure you’ll be great parents to your wonderful son/daughter!

Got a big family? Check these I love you messages for friends, family, and more!

Graduation

• Congratulations! We’re all proud of you and what you have become throughout the past years!
• Happy Graduation! You made it through another phase of your life, and I’m sure you’ll do even greater things next!
• Congratulations on closing this chapter! May the happy memories and lessons learned guide you as you continue navigating life.
• Congratulations on your graduation! This is just the start, so brace yourself because adulthood is so much more than essays and final exams!

Photo by Mak

Thank You

• Thank you for your kindness! I appreciate your sweet words and positivity.
• Thank you for taking the time to be with us on our special day despite your busy schedule!
• I’m truly grateful for your help! Let me know when you’re free so I can treat you to something nice!
• Thank you for going out of your way to help me — I truly appreciate it!

Sympathy and Condolences

• I am sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
• My deepest condolences. Although [Name] may have gone, the memories you’ve shared with him/her will surely remain.
• My condolences to you and the family. I am always here if you need anything.
• I’m so sorry for your loss. His/her kindness, warmth, and legacy will remain with us forever.

Get Well Soon

• I hope you can rest and recover during this time off. Get well soon!
• Sending healing and recovery — get well soon!
• I miss having you around, so get well the soonest you can!
• Get well soon! Let me know if there’s anything you need.

Check also Gifft.me's AI friendly message generator!

Encouragement and Thinking of You

• Life doesn’t always go as planned, but I know you have what it takes to flourish anywhere!
• Just wanted to drop by and let you know I’m thinking of you! I miss you!
• Don’t be afraid to risk things to reach your dreams! I’m rooting for you!
• You are seen and loved. Don’t dim your light so others can shine.

Friendship and ‘Just Because’

• You always make my day brighter just by being in it. Thank you for being my friend!
• Having a friend like you makes my life a lot brighter (and more chaotic)!
• Thank you for being my ride-or-die!
• I’m so lucky we found each other! My life would’ve been boring without you!

Romantic/Love Messages

• You are my best friend, my partner, and my love forever.
• Thank you for making me feel safe and loved every day. I love you!
• No matter how hard I try, I can’t begin to explain this feeling of warmth, joy, and thrill you give me. All I know is that it’s called love.
• You are the best part of my life yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

We have many, many examples of romantic messages in our blog! Check these Valentines messages for boyfriend or these I love you wife messages!

Mother’s Day / Father’s Day

• Happy Mother’s Day to the superwoman of our lives! Thank you for being our haven and home!
• To the most wonderful and beautiful mom, Happy Mother’s Day! You are a blessing to us!
• Happy Father’s Day, Dad! You’ve been an incredible part of my life, and I am lucky you’re my father!
• To the king of dad jokes, Happy Father’s Day! We’ll laugh at your jokes today!

Holidays (Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc.)

• May the light of the Christmas star shine brightly on your home today — Merry Christmas!
• Happy Easter! May this season remind you that there is always the promise of hope and a brighter tomorrow!
• Wishing you a Thanksgiving filled with fun memories and great food!
• Time to pop the champagne and dance all night — Happy, Happy New Year!

Tips to Make Your Greeting Card Message Stand Out

Now that you have an idea of what to write ✍🏼 in a greeting card 💌, we’ve got some last tips to make your messages memorable and heartfelt! 🫶❤️ First, always keep your recipient’s personality and your relationship with them in mind while crafting your message. It’s important to use a tone that is not only appropriate to the occasion but will also resonate with your recipient.

If you’re congratulating your fun friend on his engagement, feel free to include jokes 😜 like “I don’t know how you made her say yes, but congratulations!” For a sympathy message, you can also insert quotes that can help your recipient feel comforted and supported. 🥰 For your niece who’s graduating, don’t forget to highlight achievements ✨ and positive traits to keep your message upbeat 😄 and encouraging.

Lastly, don’t hesitate to take your time 😉 and even write a draft before you make your greeting card. This will allow you to gather your thoughts and write a simple but genuine message 🥰 that your recipient will surely appreciate.

Photo by Brooke Cagle

When You’re Struggling With What to Write in a Greeting Card

Still struggling with finding the right words for your greeting card messages? 🤔 Don’t worry, it’s more common than you think! What you can do is start with your relationship 💖 with your recipient. How do they make you feel? 🤔 How would you like them to feel as they read your message? The answers to these questions will help you make a personalized message that is perfect for the occasion. 👌

There’s also a wealth of greeting card message examples online 🛜, especially on Gifft.me! Browse 🔍 through our blog to check different birthday 🎈, anniversary 💝, and holiday messages that you can take inspiration  ✨ from as you craft your own. If you want something more advanced but still personalized, try Gifft.me’s AI tool, which can create customized greetings based on your answers to a series of prompts!

How to Use Gifft.me to Send Thoughtful Virtual Greeting Cards

What if we told you there’s a way to send greeting cards to your loved ones from across the globe 🌎 for free? And without having to register for an account? Yes, you heard that right! Through Gifft.me, you can send virtual and interactive greeting cards 📨 to anyone for free! 😁

From virtual gift boxes 🎁 to virtual bubble wraps to virtual singing greeting cards 💌, Gifft.me offers a wide range of greeting card templates for different occasions 🥳🎄 that you can customize depending on your purpose. You can write a personalized greeting card message and even add a photo 🖼️ before sending your virtual gift 💝 via link to anyone around the globe! Short on greeting card message ideas? You can even seek the help of our AI generator to write a personalized message for you!

Gifft.me is entirely free, so there’s no harm in trying! Try it out now and watch your recipients have fun virtually unwrapping their gifts!

Final Thoughts

Greeting cards are a great way to convey your feelings 😟☺️💔😊  for different occasions and milestones. Not only can greeting card messages express your thoughts 💗, but they can also show your loved ones that you value them and their presence in your life greatly.

When thinking of what to write in a greeting card, always remember that sincerity is key! 🗝️ No matter how short or long you want your message 📜 to be, always write from your heart ❤️, and we’re sure that your recipient will feel your intentions well. With the card writing tips and greeting card message ideas we’ve shared above, you can start writing greeting cards that will reach your loved ones' hearts no matter where they are in the world! 💕

For more greeting card message ideas for any occasion you can think of, browse through Gifft.me’s blog! And don’t forget to make use of Gifft.me to wrap your greeting cards in fun and interactive virtual gifts 💝 that your family, friends, and special someone will surely enjoy! 💙💚💛