After months, possibly years of planning your dream wedding…a little R&R is just what you need and we couldn’t agree more.  During the magical, yet chaotic wedding planning journey, it’s easy and understandable to want to relax after experiencing all of these life changing moments. So after your big day, and your well deserved honeymoon, take a little time to relish in the fact that you just married the love of your life and you are about to venture into a life of togetherness.

But don’t get too comfy, there are still a few important things left to tackle. Once you are feeling rejuvenated, get ready to jump back into” tying” up all the final wedding details after “tying” the knot.  We came up with a list of some of the tasks that you should jump right into after saying “I do”.

Change Your Name…Or Don’t

Changing your name after you get married is completely up to you and should be something that you think about with significant consideration. If you do decide to change your name, you should begin the process shortly after you get married and start with Social Security.  Once that is complete you should work on your license, your passport , your bank account and your credit cards, and don’t forget those social media accounts.  Tell your HR department as well, so your tax documents are up to date.

Write Your Thank You Cards

Sending thank you notes is not only a way to show your thanks and appreciation to your guests for their time and generosity but it is also a way for them to get their initial sneak peek into your wedding day photos.  Setting aside a weekend to sit together and work on these thank you’s will help tie up loose ends before starting your new life together.  Etiquette experts suggest that wedding thank you’s can be sent anywhere from 90 days to a year after your wedding, our advice is to get them signed, sealed and delivered as soon as you can, knocking this task off the list.

Freeze Your Cake

Toasting to your one year anniversary with a glass of champagne and a slice of your wedding day cake requires some planning.  Ask your caterer to preserve the top tier of your wedding cake, so you can subsequently freeze it once you get home. This is a sweet and sentimental tradition that dates back to the 19th century and a fun and tasty way to commemorate your first year together. PLANNER’S TIP: Try and toast with the same champagne from your wedding day to really knock the sentiment out of the park.

Finalize Any Vendor Invoices

Review all your wedding vendor contracts and ensure that you have paid and tipped your wedding dream team.  If you find that you have missed payment, make sure to send it out immediately. While we suggest handing over tipping envelopes to a designated VIP to take care of on the wedding day, if something gets missed or forgotten, it is also important that you execute that right away.  

Repurpose Your Flowers

Don’t toss the flowers at the end of the night, repurpose them instead.  Encouraging your guests to take them home is always an option as long as your guests understand what is up for grabs, but you can also arrange to have them make someone else’s day. We love the idea of repurposing or donating your blooms; taking a “fresh” approach on paying it forward.   Anyvent uses ReVased to rehome wedding florals to women’s shelters, nursing homes and cancer support centers in the DC area. We also donate flowers to the UVA Hospital after our Charlottesville weddings. Bestowing your blooms onto others brings beauty and hope and limits your wedding waste.

Leave Reviews For Your Dream Team

Perhaps one of the most significant tasks to complete after your wedding is to leave reviews for your wedding team. If you coveted the work of your vendor team…then let the world know.  A glowing review from a happy couple can go a very long way for a vendor and tagging them on social media is just the icing on the cake. Quite possibly the best marketing a vendor could ask for; a great (public) review from a client speaks volumes about their work and the experience they offer.  We promise that vendors love the love (especially the social kind) so shout it from the rooftops!  BONUS:  Your reviews can also help newly engaged couples just starting on their wedding journey…remember those days?

Just when you thought the wedding fun was over, you get to dive back into marital tasks.  While these may not be as fun as being inspired by color palettes and themes, picking out flowers and going to tastings, it is imperative that these tasks get completed.  The best part is that you have someone to help you handle these, and all that life throws at you, from this point on.

At Anyvent, one of the things we are proud of is how we work with non-profits to repurpose the flowers from all the beautiful weddings we plan.  To see those flowers go to waste is devastating.  If you are like us, and love the idea of keeping your “wedding carbon footprint” tiny,  read our blog, Creating Sustainability in Your Wedding, for some ideas and inspiration on how to give back and get right with the environment.