Sympathy Card Etiquette

Sympathy Card Etiquette

At Times of Loss And Grieving

What to do when you hear about a death in the family? Should you call? When should you not call?

Sometimes the best way to offer your condolences properly is to send a sympathy card.

A card should be very simple, perhaps with the only words, "With Deepest Sympathy" at the very top. If in doubt, choose a vanilla card.

Sympathy Card Etiquette

Proper Sympathy Through A Card

If you are attending the funeral, sometimes signing on the register is not enough. You might want to offer a more personal message in the form of a card or a letter.

After you sign the register at a funeral home, you usually offer the family your sympathy in person. However, they might be busy attending to other things. If you did not get a chance to speak to them, write a letter of sympathy or leave a sympathy card.

If you are attending the funeral with someone who could not make it, offer to take a handwritten note from the absentee to include it with the register. Or if you are unable take a note, you may write one on that person's behalf.

Sympathy Gift Etiquette Series

Sympathy Cards

If you are sending a message on behalf of your whole family, get them to personally sign it before sending.

While you should keep it brief, you could include a short ancedote or a quote of the person they are grieving to show how much he/she will be missed.

Sympathy Gift Etiquette Series

Sympathy Gifts & Flowers

Whether it is a death, or simply someone in hospital due to a very bad accident etc, one can always offer flowers and an sympathy card with a personal message.

We often send flowers along with our cards.

Just remember to stay away from the 'romantic' flowers. Any good florist will know what to do so when you get flowers, just mention that they are for 'sympathy' purposes.

If the flowers are for people from a different culture, you might want to double check what colours are auspicious.

Read on to find out what 'in lieu of flowers' in Sympathy Gift Etiquette

Sympathy Gift Etiquette Series

Saying Thank You

Flowers, cards from friends, contributions from friends, funeral or memorial assistance, personal condolences must be acknowledge with a thank you note or message. This basically means anything personally written, said or helped.

A simple vanilla coloured card may be printed:

The family of O'Darlings wishes to thank you for your kind expression of sympathy

These days with the convenience of email, you may wish to send and e-card and a short personal message to thank everyone.

Messages from strangers and the public, while it is kind, may not be personally thanked, but you could issue a general "thank you" message on the board or on the relevant websites.

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Sympathy Card Etiquette

Gift Etiquette

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