Every couple that rides off into the sunset of married bliss will enjoy their honeymoon thoroughly, but they will eventually have to come back to reality, and that is when they must begin handling the housekeeping details of life that await them after they get married. Each of the items below help to close out the business of the wedding and reception itself, get the couple in the right place legally and ensure that the couple is financially set up for that year and the years to come.
Photo Credit: Simply Sarah Photography
1. Name Change After the Wedding
If you or your spouse decided that you want to share a last name, the first thing to do when you get back from your honeymoon should be just that. Figuring out how to change your last name after marriage can be a daunting task. While it can be a pain to stand in line at the DMV or Social Security office, changing names is very important for the person who will be living the rest of their lives with that name.
The name changing process can be complex and headache inducing, but to make it quick and efficient make sure you bring your birth certificate, marriage certificate and supporting documentation ready when you go. Once you’re ready with all of the paperwork first head to the Social Security office to change your card, then to the DMV to change your license, and lastly to the bank to merge your bank accounts. After that make sure you cross all of your t’s and dot all of your i’s. Some may be easier than others but some examples are: any kind of bills, recurring payments, alumni or work associations, payroll, insurance, passport, etc.
Photo Credit: Megan W Photography
2. Store The Wedding Dress
Learning how to preserve the wedding dress is something that ladies may not think about or deal with for years to come. The wedding dress must be dry cleaned just as soon as possible and placed into a sealed and contained storage bag. This bag will keep the wedding dress in the same condition it was right after it was cleaned. Storing the wedding dress is not difficult to do and most dry cleaners can do this service for the bride and put the dress in a bag that will keep the dress for many decades to come. These dresses are great for women to fit into later, and their daughters may even want to wear these gowns themselves one day.
Photo Credit:Desi Baytan Photography
3. Send Thank You Notes and Gifts
The biggest thing to do is to say thank you to the people who shared your big day with you.
If you plan on sending appreciation gifts to your wedding party, those gifts should be sent out as soon as the couple gets home. Wrapping these gifts and getting them in the mail is a very important part of closing out the business of the wedding.
Also, thank you notes for all of the gifts that were given at the wedding should be written and mailed out quickly. Some couples get creative with their thank you’s and incorporate that into their thank you notes. The couple can usually complete these in one night over a glass of wine or beer.
Photo Credit: Photo Pink
4. Finalize The Wedding Album
Whether you have ordered your album from your photographer, or are planning to DIY through sites like BrideBox Wedding Albums, this is something you’ll want to check off your list sooner rather than later. With the holiday season coming up, your family and friends will constantly be asking to see more pictures and you won’t want to be empty handed. Consider creating a parent album as a perfect personalized gift that they can have as a keepsake for life. Other than your memories, and potentially a wedding video, your wedding album is the one thing that will last forever. Make sure that you understand what you want in your album before finalizing anything. If ordered through your photographer, the wedding album should be proofed and finalized with them directly. If you’ve decided to go a more DIY route, using BrideBox Wedding Albums will save you hundreds of dollars on your wedding album and deliver a professional flush mount album for under $200 that you and your family will cherish for years to come.
Photo Credit: Hunter Photographic
5. Return Unwanted Gifts
The best way to avoid unwanted gifts is to create the perfect wedding registry. However, Sometimes gifts were given as duplicates and the giver did not know someone had bought that gift. Other times, the couple gets gifts that they simply do not want, as thoughtful as they were. The couple should spend a Saturday or Sunday returning those gifts and perhaps shopping with the returned cash or gift cards. This can be a fun adventure for the couple no matter how much they like to shop.
Photo Credit: Kreatid Photography
6. Deal With Tax Filings
The couple who gets married in the summer, as most people do, is not going to have very long before they have to decide how they are going to file their taxes. Most couples are going to file as married couples, but there are times when it is better for the couple to file as married, filing separately. When this is the case, it is best to consult an accountant who can tell the couple what to do that is going to be best for their finances.
Photo Credit: Raya Carlisle Photography
When handling the business of getting married, every couple has to make steps that will get them closer to a comfortable married life. The couple needs to get their gifts sent out, return their unwanted gifts and send out thank you cards. Also, the couple needs to help get the bride’s name changed as well as giving the accountant a call to find out how best to file their taxes in the future.
All of these items in tandem all the couple to close out the business of their wedding. No matter how the couple wants to handle these things, they will be able to settle into married life pretty easily once they have handled everything on this list.
