From brides.com
During the busy yet exciting time that is your wedding and honeymoon it’s easy and understandable to want to relax after experiencing these two big life events. But there are still a few important items left to get done. Many couples forget about these important tasks that they still need to cross off their to-do lists after the wedding is over. From thanking your guests and vendors to finding creative ways to utilize your florals and favors. Below are post-Wedding checklist tasks to do after your Wedding and honeymoon are behind you.
Send Thank You Cards
One of the most obvious and important after wedding task is writing your thank you cards. And when it comes to sending these out, the sooner the better. It’s best to aim to have this done within 90 days after the wedding. Key family members like your mom and mother-in-law will thank you. You might consider writing them during down time on the plane to and from your honeymoon.
Ensure You’ve Paid and Tipped All Your Vendors
Check that you’ve paid and tipped all of your dedicated vendors. Review the contracts just to be sure you didn’t forget anyone, and send payment immediately if you realize you still owe them. And when it comes to tips, it really is all up to you. There are some etiquette considerations to keep in mind, but ultimately, the choice is yours when it comes to vendor tip amounts.
Leave Vendor Reviews
If you were happy with your vendors, share it. The best way to accomplish that is to send a personal review to the vendor or post online reviews. Other couples will appreciate your real feedback, and your vendors will love the potential to grow their business.
A testimonial from a happy couple goes a long way. Feel free to tag exceptional vendors on social media too. They love the the positive feedback. Write thank you cards to vendors that went over the top. They’ve earned the extra praise.
Freeze the Wedding Cake
Toasting to your one-year anniversary with a slice (or two) of wedding cake requires a bit of pre-planning. Ask your caterer to wrap up a piece or the top tier of your wedding cake, and have someone you trust transport the cake back to your home. Cover the slice in saran wrap and then tin foil before you pop it in your freezer. And be sure it’s in a protected place. You wouldn’t want the cake to get crushed under anything in the freezer.
Have Your Wedding Dress Cleaned and Preserved
Your wedding gown deserves love after you’ve taken it off. If you plan on preserving your dress for years to come, have it cleaned as soon as possible. Stains will set the longer you wait. Even if you don’t think you’ll pass down your wedding dress or veil, you’ll want to remember how fabulous you looked in it. You can call your bridal dress shop to get recommendations for companies that clean and preserve gowns. Some shops may have discounts on the service that you can purchase when you get your wedding dress. Point out the stains when you mail in your dress so the company can be sure to remove all of them.
Repurpose Your Flowers
Don’t throw out your flowers, recycle them instead. Besides encouraging your guests to take home the extra centerpieces, you can also arrange to have your beautiful flowers dropped off at hospitals or nursing homes and coordinate the delivery with your florist. There are so many leftover flowers after the wedding. Bringing them to a nursing home or a hospital could really just brighten up their day.
Give Your In-Laws and Parents a Personalized Gift
If your in-laws or parents helped you out with your wedding and pre-wedding festivities like hosting the rehearsal dinner or helped you pay for the wedding, show them that you appreciate their contribution with a personalized gift.
Finish Your Registry
Here is another post-Wedding checklist tasks to do after your Wedding. Don’t forget to buy whatever is left on your wedding registry. Many retailers will even offer discounts on the remaining items. But don’t wait to long for this task. This offer is usually only good for about 30 days after your wedding, which will fly by. Now’s the time to purchase more expensive items and complete sets. You don’t want one salad plate, three dinner plates, and a single cup and saucer. Close out your registry when you’re finished purchasing what you want.
Review your Social Media
You put time in to come up with your clever wedding hashtag. Be sure to get good use out of it. The following day is the best time to check the relevant social platforms. With Facebook and Instagram Stories ruling the content world, newlyweds will want to make sure they take time to view all the fun wedding footage posted before the 24-hour expiration time. If there’s anything you really love, ask the guest to send it to you so you can save it to your own highlight reel.
Change the Name on All Your Accounts
Perhaps the most boring, but very important post-Wedding checklist tasks to do after your Wedding is to change your name on all your accounts. There is no rule that says that one or either of you has to change their last name. But if one of you does choose to do so, make it a priority to complete the change across the board. Do this immediately before it gets lost in the shuffle. The list includes your driver’s license, passport, credit cards, bank accounts, and social security card. Be sure to let HR at work know that you’ve changed your name so your company can update your insurance and tax information.
