Your wedding has come and gone, and you are happily enjoying life as a married couple. But wait, there’s still a few post-wedding tasks that need to be done before you can officially settle into married life. Make sure you add these 8 items to your to do list so that you can keep things on track and make sure you’re truly ready to embark on this journey called marriage.
1. Clean and preserve your wedding dress
Whether you purchased a trendy designer dress or found your gown in a thrift shop, you almost certainly will want to keep your dress in pristine condition. The first step is to have it professionally cleaned; we suggest asking your salon if they can recommend a cleaner who can take care of that for you. Inform your cleaner of any substances they cannot use on your dress so they can be sure to clean it properly. Choose a trustworthy wedding dress preservationist who specializes in bridal gowns. Typically, you’ll receive your professionally-cleaned and preserved gown in a moisture- and insect-resistant sealed package. Store your gown in a dark, cool, dry place to keep your dress as perfect as the day you wore it.
Photo Credit: Intimate Weddings
2. Send thank you cards
Your friends and family all deserve thank you cards for being a part of your big day. These should be sent out within 3 months after the big day, giving you and your spouse plenty of time to write personal and heartfelt notes to each individual person. Remember that these people were all there to share their love and support and celebrate your union, so being honest and genuine is key. Be sure to mention the gift you received by name, and if possible, how you plan to use it as a married couple. And, if any of your vendors provided truly outstanding service, sending them a thank you card as well is a nice gesture they’ll appreciate.
Photo Credit: Smock
3. Review your vendors
How did you find each of your wedding vendors? Chances are, you checked online resources to read reviews about each of them before you decided to hire them. Having an online community of responses and reviews is one of the best ways vendors are able to reach new clients, so leaving them an honest and positive review online is a great way to demonstrate how grateful you are for their efforts on your wedding day. Other brides will certainly take your thoughts into account when they are looking for their wedding photographer or florist!
4. Change your last name
Are you taking his last name? There’s more to it than simply changing your name on social media. Take care of all the legalities of changing your last name. You’ll need your official marriage license stating your new last name on it. Update your social security card, your driver’s license, all of your bank accounts and anything else that has your legal name on it, such as your employer’s payroll, utilities, insurance, passport and more.
Photo Credit: Shining Star Photo Booth
5. Handle gift registry returns and exchanges
You set up a wedding registry in hopes of getting the exact number of items you registered for, but in reality it never works out that way. Perhaps you got a few extra hand towels, or an extra set of silverware, or several gifts that weren’t on your registry at all. Take care of all your returns and exchanges as soon as possible, since all stores have different return policies. Many stores have special discounts for leftover items on registries, so if you want to purchase any items for yourself, do so within the allotted time period to enjoy your savings.
Photo Credit: Huffington Post
6. Order your wedding album
A wedding album is the only guaranteed way you’ll be able to relive your special day over and over. You can choose the best images from the day to tell your fairytale story. Take the pictures your photographer sent you and organize them into a logical timeline so that you can put them in the right order. Then, start designing your album by choosing different layouts for each spread. Ask your spouse for his input so that you can make your beautiful family heirloom together. When you’ve sorted out what kind of album you want and how you want your images to look, place your order and get ready to treasure and preserve your memories forever.
7. Remove your wedding website
Did you create a wedding website with information, photos and a countdown? After your wedding is over, it’s time to take it down – especially if you’re paying to host it! You might also want to remove your registry from all the stores you registered for gifts from. Although etiquette indicates that people have up to a year after the wedding to send gifts, you can take your registries down earlier if you think your friends and family won’t need it. This way, people won’t get confused and you’ll be able to take down sensitive personal information from the internet.
Photo Credit: Wix
8. Take care of extra and leftover wedding décor
Your DIY projects turned out beautifully, and you most likely have some leftover supplies in addition to your gorgeous glittery centerpieces. Instead of letting them collect dust and take up storage space, find a way to repurpose them. You can return any unused supplies to the craft store, and put up listings on Craigslist or eBay for your décor items. Or, simply post to Facebook to see if any of your newly-engaged friends would be interested in taking them off your hands. If you aren’t able to sell or return your leftover décor items, consider donating them – this way, you’ll be able to start off married life clean and uncluttered.
Photo Credit: Stagetecture
Your world revolved around planning your wedding, and you’d think that after the party’s over, you’re all done. In reality, there are still a few huge to-do items to cross off your list before you can really move forward past the wedding. Make sure you keep track of these 8 tasks so that you can take care of them after your honeymoon and really start enjoying married life. Congrats!
