8 Important Things To Do After Your Wedding Day
Your wedding day finally arrived, and it was everything you dreamed of! You and your spouse can finally begin this new chapter together. After first taking some time to soak up the newly wedded bliss and heading out on your honeymoon, there are a few lingering things needed to wrap up your to-do list.
Clean and Preserve Your Dress
The love you have for your wedding dress shouldn’t end after the big day. During the celebration, your dress most likely encountered everything from food, champagne, and frosting to dirt, sweat, and makeup. There could even be hidden stains from deodorant and hairspray that will appear overtime if not treated properly!
Make sure the dress of your dreams stays in great condition for the rest of your years by getting it cleaned and preserved. With a dress preservation kit from a reputable store like Anna’s Bridal, your gown will be boxed to preserve its beauty long-term so it can remain a family heirloom and a lovely reminder of your special day. After it’s preserved, simply store the box safely away from sun exposure and moisture, like in a closet or under a bed instead of your garage, attic, or basement.
Change Your Last Name
Now that you’ve changed your last name socially (if you choose to change your name at all!), it’s time to make sure all of your accounts match, too—social security card, driver’s license, passport, credit cards, voter registration, insurance, etc.
We’ll admit, it’s not the most fun post-wedding task and it can be a beast to tackle the countless different websites and forms. Looking for a time-saver? We highly suggest using a name change company like HitchSwitch which auto-fills your basic information into each necessary form, so all you have to do is mail them! TIP: Be sure to order a few certified copies of your marriage license to submit to organizations that require proof of your name change.
Just don’t send in your passport yet if you need it for the honeymoon. It can take four to six weeks—or longer—for it to be returned!
Write Thank You Notes
Show your appreciation for your guests’ generosity by writing thank you notes within two months of your wedding. It’s a small gesture with deep impact for the people who came far and wide to celebrate and shower you with love and gifts that will help you start this new chapter together.
Put aside an hour or two each night for you and your spouse to work on together until they are completed. If you’re having writer’s block, use this formula: say thank you, name the gift, and explain how you will use and enjoy it. Your thanks can include not only gratitude for the gift itself, but for their generosity, sharing in your special day, and the impact they’ve had on your lives. Be specific and name exactly what you received from them, and be especially conscious to verify monetary gift amounts, so they have peace of mind that their gift was received in full.
TIP: If you haven’t been sending thank you notes as soon as you receive each gift (which we also recommend!), make another column in your guest address spreadsheet to record who sent what gift. Even if guests didn’t send a gift, it’s still an important gesture to thank each guest for coming to share in your wedding day!
Review Your Favorite Vendors Online
You couldn’t have had your wedding without the hard work of your amazing vendor team. After making sure they are paid in full and tipped, it’s time to let everyone know! Giving your vendors a five-star review can mean the world to them. After a busy wedding season, it reminds them why they do what they do! Plus, your testimony can help them gain future clients and further their business.
If you don’t know which sites they would like reviews on, it never hurts to ask! Then feel free to copy and paste your glowing review to all of their different review platforms for future brides and grooms to see.
Revisit Your Registry
If there are items still left on your registry that are must-haves for your home together, now is the time to purchase! Many of the bigger retailers offer a discount on remaining registry items after the wedding day, but only for a 30-day period.
You’ll especially want to fill the gaps on any incomplete sets (think dishware, flatware, linens, etc.), or bigger ticket items you will absolutely want a discount on.
Make a Plan for Your Wedding Photos
After you receive your wedding photos from your photographer, step one is to sit down with your spouse and relieve the magic of the day! Step two should be thinking about the best way to display them. After all, you paid good money for these beautiful reminders of the day, so why not show them off?
Think about which shots you would like to hang in your home, which ones you would like to include in a wedding album, and which photos could be gifted to parents and grandparents. You could even include some in your thank you notes to friends and family. Don’t forget to share the online album with all of your wedding vendors, too!
Save or Return What You Can
Thought all the decisions were done with planning? Think again! There are a few final items that you will need to make a decision on:
Wedding Cake: Are you saving the top tier of your cake for your first anniversary or opting to order a fresh one? If you’ve decide to save your cake, take a look at these tips from Food Network for optimal freshness.
Registry Items: Did you receive any duplicates you don’t need? Many retailers have a time window to return or exchange gifts, so be sure to check each store’s policy and, if needed, handle this before heading out on your honeymoon.
Bouquet: Did you make a plan to preserve your bridal bouquet? You’ll need to send off your bouquet to your preserver within a day or two after the wedding. Or, you can try pressing some flowers yourself if you have time!
Rental Items: Are there any smaller items your vendors didn’t pick up yet, like vases or a cake stand? Make sure you get those items back within the time window to avoid any fees, and immediately return any personal items lent to you by family or friends before they get lost.
Decor: Don’t need 150 chargers anymore? There are tons of wedding resale sites on Google. You can recoup some wedding costs and make another couple’s day! Sell what you don’t want, save what means the most to you, or consider donating your items or attire to a good cause.
Make New Plans
Life goes on after your wedding! Planning takes up so much time and energy, it can feel pretty odd not having it to focus on anymore. A new chapter of your life is just beginning, so take this time to enjoy being married and plan new adventures together—whether it’s a honeymoon, a fun date night, or blocking out a weekend to enjoy doing absolutely nothing together.
Your wedding was a magical day. Finishing up these final to-do’s will set you on the right path as you embark on your married life together!