Money7 years ago

Just Married? This Post-Wedding Checklist Is Everything You Need to Know

by Sara LaTorre

Your wedding was everything you had ever dreamed it would be. You made one of the most meaningful commitments that a human being can make to another. After the stress leading up to this huge life event, your honeymoon is exactly what you need to completely relax. But what about when you return to “real” life? So many hours were spent each week on picking flowers, choosing entrees, and creating seating charts, prepare great wedding gifts. Just think of the amount of free time you have to get organized and get stuff done.

Take it from a girl who just celebrated her first year anniversary, these are the post-wedding tasks every newlywed couple should do.

Scroll through to read our post-wedding checklist for a stress-free beginning to your happily ever after.

WRITE THANK YOU CARDS

I can honestly (and shamefully) say I contemplated sending out an e-blast thank you note to everyone. Who really cares whether it’s handwritten anyway? As it turns out, a lot of people. Procrastinate all you want, eventually you and your spouse are going to need to spend some hours writing heartfelt thank-you’s for kitchen appliances and generous monetary gifts.

TO CHANGE YOUR NAME OR NOT

Whether you’re changing your last name, hyphenating, or not changing it at all, it’s natural to stress out about it. I opted for the maiden-name-as-a-second-middle-name option. I chose to get help with the process using HitchSwitch, a service that sends filled out and pre-addressed paperwork (wherever possible) for the important agencies like the DMV, financial institutions, and passport office.

Like most people, I had to inevitably spend 4 hours at the social security offices wishing I had eaten a bigger breakfast. The best part is that once it’s done, it’s done.

DECIDE ON YOUR LIVING SITUATION

First comes marriage, then comes home. Or that’s what many of us were bred to believe. However, this becomes tough when you live in a city with skyrocketing real estate prices that have not seemed to level off in years. Many successful people are actually advising renting where you want to live and buying an investment property in a more affordable area.

PUT YOUR WEDDING ALBUM TOGETHER

My husband and I received our first look photos the second day of our honeymoon. It’s amazing to see these because you get to relive the best day of your life while sitting poolside. Once you get the sneak peaks and the rest of the photos, make sure to send digital copies to your family members. Then spend a day with your spouse choosing the best of the best and inserting those into a fabulous album. Just add wine and you’ll have the perfect night in!

SPLURGE ON KITCHEN AND HOME ITEMS

While it may not be a normal choice for you to spend $250 on a mixer, now is the time (if a mixer is something you desire!). Many people these days opt out of gift registries and instead give cold hard cash. This is the perfect opportunity to replace that mismatched old silverware set and start married life off in style!

ENJOY REFERRING TO YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER AS HUSBAND/WIFE

After over a year of feeling pretentious every time I referred to my “fiancé”, it’s a relief to be able to mention my husband without feeling like an annoyance. Plus, wedding small talk will no longer be a thing. As exciting as getting married is, you get sick of talking about planning a wedding every day. It is oh so nice to no longer obsess about mundane wedding details like centerpiece accents and song choices. You might even regret the amount of time you spent stressing about those details. Hindsight really is 20/20! Oh well… Time to enjoy married life.

Shop a few of our favorite products for married life below.