10 Things To Do After Your Wedding Day
Was your wedding a success? A special day that you will now remember for the rest of your life? That is excellent to hear… We are however afraid to say that your to-do list does not end yet. There are still lots of things to do after your wedding day.
We recommend completing these tasks as quickly as possible so that you can finally sit back, relax and enjoy being a married couple!
10 Things to Do After Your Wedding Day
1) Say Thank You!
Your guests may have travelled far and wide, spent a small fortune and dedicated a day of their lives to watch you marry- a small thank you will go a long way. As well as their presence, most likely they have given you a gift, therefore, a thank you is necessary.
We know the thought of copious amounts of handwritten thank you cards is not a pleasant one, but it must be done to show your guests your appreciation. A general rule is no later than 2 months after the wedding should the “Thank You” cards be sent, your guests understand you will have a few hectic weeks ahead but you do not want to leave it to long otherwise the emotional value may decrease.
2) Change Your Name – Only if you want to!
It is tradition for the bride to take the surname of her groom. If you have decided to change your name then handling the social media name updates is a piece of cake, but legally changing your name might be a bit trickier. Firstly, you will need your marriage or civil partnership certificate, although it will not always be a valid form of proof, but most will accept it.
If you are a wife taking your husband’s surname the process is simple enough, however, if you are a husband taking your wife’s surname, wanting to double-barrel or to combine the surnames it could be more complicated. Make sure to research which is the best option for you.
3) Create and order your wedding album
A lot of photographers will include your wedding album in the package you purchase with them. After the wedding we recommend liaising with your photograph to finalise the album and put your order in. It can sometimes take time to create the album so the sooner you do it, the sooner you will be able to
Some photographers do not include the prints or album costs into their package deals, if this is the case with your package it is time to make the album! This can be an incredibly fun and emotional process for you and your husband, remember to cherish the moment. It can also be a long process deciding which images will be featured in the album, therefore take your time, and choose wisely. Once you have chosen the images you want to be featured, you can then buy an album which is suitable.
4) Return or sell anything you no longer need!
The wedding planning process may have meant purchases which cannot be used after the wedding were made, now you are left with things you will never use again. Why not return or sell your unwanted decorations, gifts, accessories etc. This can either be done to the shop you purchased the product or on an online retailer like eBay. Not only will this help declutter your overflowing loft, but it will also mean you have some money back after an expensive day!
5) Clean and Store the dress
We advise having your dress professionally cleaned regardless of how you plan to store it. Once it has been cleaned, roll, or fold the dress in a clean white sheet in a dark and dry place- this will preserve it best.
You can store it away yourself, or you could also have this preserved professionally. However, the cost of this will fluctuate depending on beadwork, length of the dress, stains etc. Even if you have the dress preserved it will need to be protected from extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, and excess moisture.
6) Preserve the bouquet
If you had a floral bouquet it may be a good idea for you to preserve it, something to look back on in years to come. You could either press or frame the flowers depending on your preferences. Pressing means only a few flower strands can be preserved, however, framing allows the entire bouquet. We advise having these arrangements sorted one month before the wedding takes place to secure your preservation.
TIP: On your big day, ask the caterer/reception venue to store your bouquet safely in the fridge to preserve it.
7) Freeze the cake
Did you know you can eat your wedding day cake up to a year after the wedding? Yep. If you wish to do this, make sure to put it in the freezer as soon as you can to ensure it stays as fresh as possible.
8) Take down your wedding website and registry
If you decided to have a wedding website and online registry it is important to update and remove any information you no longer want on the internet about you and your hubby. Often, if you forget they will still appear after your wedding when someone searches your name on the internet.
You may wish to leave the registry up slightly longer than the website as common etiquette give your guests up to a year to gift a present. But this is your choice!
9) Limit the post-wedding blues
Why not organise a post-wedding celebration; perhaps a dinner, romantic getaway or name change party? On average, weddings take 2 years to be efficiently planned. The transition from wedding planning every day for 2 years straight, to going back to normal can be a big adjustment for some brides, therefore give yourself something else to plan and build up to.
10) Recommend your suppliers
If you loved your wedding day and everyone who helped make it as special as it was why not share and shout about your wedding suppliers.
The wedding industry works very much on word of mouth and reviews. It can be the reason you feel confident trusting a supplier with an element in your wedding. If you think your selected supplier did a good job, why not help them out and recommend your suppliers online and to friends looking to get married.
At the Wedding Guide we work with wedding suppliers in Essex. If you used one of our suppliers, why not leave them a review?