From pre-honeymoon planning to changing your name, the only thing that stops after you say "I do" is the wedding planning. Once you sign your marriage license, you'll have an entirely new set of tasks to mark off. Some of these will be easier to accomplish than others. Here's a head's up on what to expect in the weeks (sometimes months) after your wedding.
Post-Wedding, Pre-Honeymoon
This should technically be planned before the wedding, but it's something that may slip your mind with all the other planning that goes into the big day. Even if you've had a wedding shower, you may receive some gifts the day of your wedding. Make sure you designate someone to be in charge of getting those gifts back to your new home, or some place for safe keeping until you get back from your honeymoon.
Honeymoon Phase
You will also need to make plans for while you are gone on your honeymoon. Talk to a neighbor, close friend, or nearby family member. Ask them if they can keep an eye on your home, check your mail, and possibly take care of any animals, plants, or other important tasks that will occur while you are gone.
Preserving the Memories
Cake– If you plan to save the top tier of your wedding cake, make sure your caterer, baker, or someone you trust, wraps the cake well for freezing. You will also need to let them know where you want to store your top tier (your own freezer or your parents, etc.), and have them in charge of getting it there.
Flowers– If you want to preserve your bouquet, the preservation process needs to start as soon as possible. There are several different ways to have your flowers preserved. From a few petals you can press yourself, to the entire bouquet you'll need to have professionally preserved, make these plans ahead of time.
Dress– Your wedding dress doesn't have to stay hidden in the back of your closet after your wedding. Wedding gown preservation will let you keep your dress in pristine condition. This way you can display it, store it, or save it for your daughter and know it will still look as good as the day you wore it.
Photos– After you get your gorgeous wedding photos back, take some time to figure out which ones you want to frame. Then create an album with the rest so you'll be able to look back on your special day any time. It also makes for an easy way to show off your photos to guests, or others who might not have been able to make it to your wedding.
Making the Big Switch
The biggest change that comes with marriage (other than the whole husband/wife thing) is changing your name, if you choose to do so. You will have to change your name on literally everything. The first step to doing this will be taking your marriage license, and other identification, to the Social Security Administration and having your name legally changed. After this, you will need to get a new driver's license, change your name on your bank accounts (and combine accounts, if you want), change your name on your documents at work, bills, credit cards, doctor's office, and even your airline miles! Whew! When we say everywhere, we mean EVERYWHERE!
Don't Forget to Say Thank You
After the wedding is over, take some time to send thank you cards out to the people who made it possible. This can include family members who lent a helping hand or those late gift givers. Have a vendor that went above and beyond to make your day amazing? Make sure to leave them a positive review as a way of thanking them!
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