Okay, so I had this event last weekend, a small get-together for my local photography club. I wanted to send out thank you notes afterward, but I’m terrible at writing these things. I always feel like I’m either too formal or too cheesy. So, I decided to do some digging and figure out how to write a decent “thank you for coming” letter.
First, I brainstormed what I wanted to convey. I didn’t want just a generic “thanks for coming.” I wanted to make it a bit more personal. I jotted down a few things:
- Appreciation for their attendance (duh!)
- Mentioning something specific about the event – maybe a good conversation or a funny moment.
- Reinforcing the sense of community.
- Looking forward to the next event.
Then, I looked up some sample letters online. I didn’t copy anything directly, of course, but it gave me a good idea of the structure and tone I wanted to use. I noticed most of them were pretty short and sweet, which is definitely my style.
I decided to keep it simple. No fancy language or anything. Here’s the basic structure I went with:
My Thank You Letter Template
Start with a warm greeting: “Hi [Name],” or “Dear [Name],”. I went with “Hi” because it felt more casual and friendly for my group.
Express gratitude: “Thank you so much for coming to [Event Name] on [Date]!” Straight to the point.
Add a personal touch: This is where I mentioned something specific. For example, “It was great chatting with you about [topic you discussed].” Or, “I really enjoyed your presentation/sharing”. If you have a funny inside joke or a common sharing, you can add in it.
Reinforce community (optional): For my photography group, I added something like, “It’s always so inspiring to connect with fellow photography enthusiasts.”
End with a forward-looking statement: “I hope to see you at our next meeting/event!” or “Looking forward to seeing you again soon!”.
Then put the simple end:”Best,” and My Name.
So, I drafted a few versions, playing around with the wording. I read them out loud to make sure they sounded natural. I tweaked them a bit here and there, swapped out a few words, and finally, I had something I was happy with.
Finally, I typed up the letters (or emails, in my case – I sent them digitally to save paper!), double-checked for any typos, and hit “send”. It felt good to get those out and express my appreciation in a way that felt genuine and not forced.
The whole process, from brainstorming to sending, probably took me about an hour, but it was worth it. I think the personal touch makes all the difference. It is my little tip.
