After the wedding checklist
A few things only happen once you're married. The license has to be registered before you can order a marriage certificate, and the certificate comes before a name change. Thank-you notes, rented items and the last payments round out the list.
The 13 tasks for after the wedding
Officiant submits license
The officiant sends the signed license in for registration; check that it went.
Order marriage certificates
Once it's registered, order certified copies; you'll need them to change a name.
Send thank-you notes
Aim to send them within three months.
Return rented items
Return the suits and rentals on time to avoid fees.
Preserve wedding dress
Have the dress cleaned and boxed if you want to keep it.
Review vendors online
Leave reviews for the vendors who did a good job.
Confirm final payments/tips
Settle the last invoices and any tips not given on the day.
Create keepsake box
Keep the invitation, a program, cards and anything else you want to hold on to.
Change your name
If either of you is changing names, start with the certificate, then your ID.
Organize wedding photos
Back up the photos and pick the ones for prints or an album.
Review budget vs. actual
Compare what you spent with what you planned.
Donate or sell items
Pass on the decor and anything else you won't keep.
Post-wedding debrief
Talk about the day together while it's fresh: what you loved, what you'd change.
These are the tasks in the “After the Wedding” group of the free wedding checklist. Put in your wedding date there and each one gets its own due date, with anything already late marked overdue.
What should already be done
And the rest of the earlier groups: 12+ months before, 10-11 months before, 8-9 months before, 6-7 months before, 4-5 months before, 3 months before, 2 months before, 1 month before, 2 weeks before, 1 week before, the night before. Anything left over can still be caught up.
Questions
- What should I do after the wedding?
- The checklist has 13 tasks for this stage: officiant submits license, order marriage certificates, send thank-you notes, return rented items, preserve wedding dress, review vendors online, confirm final payments/tips, create keepsake box, change your name, organize wedding photos, review budget vs. actual, donate or sell items and post-wedding debrief.
- How long do we have to send thank-you notes?
- Aim for within three months of the wedding, and two weeks for gifts that arrived before it. Log gifts as they come so nobody is missed.
- How do we get our marriage certificate?
- The officiant sends the signed license in to be registered, usually within days. Once it's registered, order certified copies from the county, state or provincial office; most places don't send one automatically, and you'll need one to change a name.