When your wedding day is over and you can't stop smiling because not only was the day so amazing but now you are officially married to your best friend. It has been months or maybe years of planning your big day and now that giant weight on your shoulders is gone. So what happens next, besides living happily ever after of course ;-) [Photo by Susan Elizabeth Weddings]
Picking up Your Stuff
Most venues will allow you to pick up your items the next day rather than have to take them with you on your wedding night. You will definitely want to take your card box and guest book with you, but the rest of the items can get packed up and stored for you to pick up. Be sure to provide your venue with a detailed pack up plan so that nothing is forgotten or gets tossed that you wanted to keep. Of course, talk to your venue in advance to confirm when you can pick up your items and if they have to be out that evening, you can come up with a plan for you and your vendors who you may have rented items from.
Completing your Marriage License
Sometimes your officiant will handle this step for you, but other times it will be the couples responsibility. Talk to your officiant about this before your wedding day so that you are aware who is handling it.
After your wedding when your marriage license is filled out, you will now need to get it to the registrars office. You can mail it or drop it off (if you live close to it, you might as well drop it off!). Once they received it and processed it, they will mail you your official marriage certificate!
Sorting Through Gifts
Opening your cards from your guests can be such a fun extension of your wedding. Many guests will choose to give you checks, rather than cash. When this happens, some will be made out to Mr & Mrs, while others just to the individual that they know. You may already have a join account, but not everyone is in that position. Additionally, you might not even be planning to change your last name. That said, talk to your bank prior to your wedding about how this will work and what your options are.
Thank you cards
As you go through your gifts, start a list of what you received and who you need to thank. You should have all of your addresses handy from mailing your invitations. If you are planning to order custom thank you cards with a photo on them, you can always use a photo that your photographer sent from your preview pictures.
It's never too early to buy stamps, so you might as well get on that before your wedding. Your goal should be to send out your thank you cards within three months of your wedding. Don't worry though, everyone understands it is a busy time in your life so if you are a little late, it'll be ok!
Photos & Albums
Your photographer will let you know how long it usually takes for them to get photos back to you. Typically they are able to send you a preview album within a week or two so that you can get a sneak peek. If you didn't already order an album you can talk to your photographer about options or create your own through a website like Shutterfly. The albums from the photographers can be pricy but they are so beautiful and something that you will look back on for a long time.
Changing Your Name
If you are planning to change your name, there are a lot of documents you'll need to update. There are services like Hitchswitch and Miss now Mrs that will send you the documents that are needed and help you get organized for making the switch. If you want to begin the process on your own, the first step is to request the change on your Social Security card once you have your official marriage certificate in your hands.
#njwedding#njweddingplanner#njbride#newjerseybride#monmouthcountynjwedding#weddingblog#njweddingblog#STPweddingplanningguide#STPblogseries#jerseyshorewedding#njdayofcoordinator#weddingideas #wedding#bride#weddingdetails#weddingdecor#weddingdesign #weddingideas #weddingplanningtips #weddingtraditions