Everyone talks about planning. wedding, you know what no one talks about? After the wedding! The ceremony & reception are over. You’ve spent 90% of your brain function for the last several months planning and preparing for the big day and now it’s behind you. Now what?
Post Wedding To-Do’s are important tasks and honestly, ones that ultimately effect the rest of your life.
We know how easy it is to get carried away in the pre-wedding planning and feel lost once “normal life” kicks back in. Thats why we put this article together, to help couples navigate the post wedding chores with ease.
Post Wedding To-Do’s
What to Do When the Wedding is Over
Immediately following your wedding day is twighlight. It’s a period of time that seems to go a million miles an hour but also stand still at the same time. Weird, right? The honeymoon is a thrilling experience and gives you both a chance to soak in the love you share.
Inevitably, as life goes, the honeymoon will come to an end and then back to life as you know it. As these days progress, getting your legalities in order become increasingly important.
Post Wedding Name Change
Social Security Card
First thing’s first, and this is an obvious one, it’s time to change your name. This topic does not apply if you are not going to take a new last name. If you are, however, the time has come. Perhaps you have considered this prior to this moment. Will you keep your maiden name and drop your middle name? Will you drop your maiden name and keep your middle name? Should you keep both your middle name and maiden name and simply add your new last name?
The first place you should change your name is with the social security office. For more information on what is needed to change the name on your social security card, check out the Social Security Administration’s website FAQ, here.
Driver’s License or ID Card
Second on the list of post wedding to-do’s, changing the name on your drivers license or identification card. It’s a great idea to visit the website of your local DMV to inquire about what documents you will need prior to arriving at the office. Once you have applied for a new social security card you do not have to wait for the physical card to come in. However, it is advised that you wait at least 24 hours before trying to change the name on your drivers license so that the national database has time to update with your information.
Bank & Financial Accounts
Every couple has their own ideas and systems for how they will handle their finances. If this is not a conversation you have had yet, now is most definitely the time to bring it up. If you plan to have joint accounts, getting those set up is next on the list.
Adding or updating the beneficiary on existing accounts is another detail that often goes without. though post wedding. While it isn’t a pressing matter, it is a task that should be considered and noted for another time.
It is also important to update your name on any personal accounts once it has been changed on your social security card and ID. When heading to the bank to update your accounts, be sure to take a copy of your marriage license for verification purposes!
Post Wedding Conversations
It’s easy to get caught up in wedding planning and put off important coversations about life after the vows. If this is you, now is a great time to sit down and talk about the logistics of life and things that each of you expect from the other. Communicating with each other early on is a key component in a healthy relationship so set aside some time and get down to the nitty gritty.
Print Your Wedding Photos
This task will likely come a few months post wedding, once your photographer has delivered your gallery. We encourage all the couples that we celebrate with to take time to put together a wedding album. Websites like blurb or shutterfly offer great photo book printing options. Having an album put together of your wedding may seem redundant, especially if you plan to have prints made to hang in your home. A small piece of advise from some of our team that have been married for 15, 20 and 30+ years… Print the album and look at it often. There is something special that takes place on your wedding day, a blissful love that doesn’t show itself everyday. Reflecting on these albums will help you through the hard days and is a beautiful memoir to the life you are building together.
