11 Things You Have To Do Right After You Get Married

This entry is from our Expert Guest series where wedding and honeymoon professionals share their best tips on creating memories that last a lifetime.

You’ve spent months planning and preparing, so after you get married, you will likely want to relax. After you’ve relaxed, whether that is a honeymoon or just a few days doing nothing, it is back to reality. Getting your marriage license, changing your name, organizing gifts, thank you cards… there is so much to do! We gathered the eleven things you must do shortly after your wedding.

Your First Tasks After You Get Married

Marriage License

Usually, your wedding officiant is responsible for handling the paperwork required to receive your marriage license. The time will vary, but you can expect to receive your marriage license within a few weeks after the wedding. Once you do have the marriage license, you can move forward with some other tasks after getting married.

Name Change

Changing your name requires more than just updating your Facebook and Instagram profiles. First, you must have the official marriage license. Next, change your Social Security card through an application on their website. Next, bring all documents with your new married name to the DMV for a new driver’s license. Next, update all financial institutions including bank accounts, credit cards, and any bills. Lastly, everything else – post office, professional organizations, medical records, voter registration, employer – make a list to tackle these.

Tell Your Employer

Now is the time to inform your employer that you are married, even if you choose not to change your name. Your new married status will likely require changes to your payroll, taxes, benefits, and health care. Tackle this sooner rather than later to avoid any issues later on.

Write Thank You Cards

You probably received lots of gifts over the recent weeks, so get started on those Thank You cards! The longer you procrastinate this task, the more daunting it becomes. Knock out your thank you cards while the wedding and gifts are still fresh in your mind. Typically, guests expect a handwritten thank you within two months of the wedding. Our tip: divide these up a few per day for the first few weeks as newlyweds to make the task more manageable.

Organize Finances

Hopefully, you discussed finances prior to the wedding, so now is the time to take action. If you plan on merging accounts, now is the ideal time to do so. We recommend visiting the bank to handle all the paperwork and talk with a banker regarding any questions you may have.

Check Your Hashtag

If you had a hashtag, check it out! After your wedding, you will likely be waiting at least a couple weeks to see your professional photos. Now is the perfect time to check out the hashtag to see what your guests posted. If you used Snapchat, be sure to check those within 24 hours of the wedding!

Thank and Review Vendors

Along with your guests, vendors appreciate being thanked! A great way to thank your vendors is by reviewing them on sites like Google, The Knot and Wedding Wire. These reviews are also a useful tool for engaged couples when choosing their vendors.

Organize Gifts and Registries

Received duplicate items? Didn’t get something you really wanted? Re-thinking why you even registered for that in the first place? Now is the time to organize those gifts! Return anything you know you won’t use or just don’t like. If there was anything on your registry that you didn’t receive, many stores offer a discount for any items you didn’t receive. These discounts usually have a time limit, so try not to procrastinate organizing your gifts after the wedding.

Share Your Photos

When you receive your professional photos, share them! There is no shame in sharing the most magical day with everyone. Share them with family members, then post on social media. Be sure to tag your vendors – they love to relive the day as much as you do!

Wedding Dress Preservation

Saving your wedding dress? Get is professionally cleaned, ideally as soon as possible after the wedding. You do not want to remember your wedding day by the stains or worse, smell, that set into your dress. Getting it professionally cleaned ensures that it will remain perfect for years to come.

Plan Your Next Adventure

This is just the beginning for you and your new spouse! Getting married is so exciting, followed by a lot of tasks and stress. Don’t let that get you down. Start planning your next adventures are a married couple. Going on a honeymoon? A weekend getaway? A staycation? The most important thing is to enjoy this new chapter of your life.

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