What To Do AFTER Your Wedding – FREE CHECKLIST

Congratulations on tying the knot! Or maybe you’re being super prepared and reading this prior to the big day and if that’s the case – big high fives all around!

Often, there is so much emphasis on before the day, that you get to the days after and think "What's next?" Don't worry; I've got you covered. Let's chat about some essential steps to take after your wedding to ensure a smooth transition into married life.

Think of this as our friendly post-wedding checklist and we’ve even divided this into two sections – for the days post-wedding to the weeks and months ahead.

Days After

1. Update Your Social Media (If you want to)!

This is often the first thing most couples do the day after – update their status to ‘Married’ on Facebook. This can include changing your last name and sharing wedding photos. It's a fun way to celebrate with your wider social group and share with those who couldn’t make it!

2. Freeze Your Cake

If it's part of your tradition, save the top tier of your wedding cake to enjoy on your first anniversary. Properly wrap and freeze it to maintain its quality. This sweet ritual adds a nostalgic touch to your anniversary celebration.

Or, you may just not want to waste any leftover cake and can do this so you can enjoy it later.

3. Collect Items From Your Venue

The excitement of the day being over, have you checked whether anything needs collected from the venue? Gifts or cards, your own décor items? Make sure if you don’t visit, that you check-in with your venue manager to make sure everything was collected and there is nothing that requires another trip out.

4. Return Hired Items

If you hired any items for your wedding, check when these need to be returned and how (e.g. in original boxes and packaging, clean and put through the dishwasher). Also make sure if you have all items and quantities hired and if not – inform on return so they can invoice appropriately.

5. Settle Any Outstanding Payments

Double-check that all wedding-related bills and vendor payments have been settled, including any for late returns, breakages or lost items. This clears any remaining financial obligations and allows you to start your married life without lingering debts.

6. Drop Off Wedding Gown/Suit To Drycleaning

Drop in wedding gowns and suits to the dry cleaners to best preserve them. You can make a decision whether you’ll be keeping these or selling at a later time.

7. Preserve Your Bouquet

If you'd like to keep your wedding bouquet as a memento, consider preservation methods such as drying or pressing the flowers. This creates a lasting keepsake that can be displayed in your home, serving as a beautiful reminder of your special day. The best thing to do is hang this upside down in a dark place (like the garage) and then drop it into a florist.

8. Store or Repurpose Wedding Décor

Decide what to do with leftover wedding décor. You can keep sentimental items, sell or donate decorations, or repurpose them in your home. This helps declutter and allows others to benefit from your gently used items.

9. Gift or Repurpose Florals

You likely have an abundance of beautiful blooms - so what do you do with them?

We always recommend gifting them to family or special friends that very night of your wedding (saves you collecting them), but do delegate this role to someone who won’t forget. If you have a coordinator who is staying to the very end, then ask for them to add this into their runsheet.

If the following day though, you can either choose to gift or take to your local retirement village - this is something we do as stylists and floral designers for our clients when requested. We have a number of partners around Christchurch and the residents absolutely love it! We simply take them out of the vases and pop them into others to then deliver in the days after the wedding. If this is something you’d love to do - then just ask!

10. Take a Moment

Really relish in this time together in those first few days – whether it’s just at home or you’re heading away on your honeymoon. It will get a little more quiet, and you can chat and reminisce over your wedding day!

Proceeding Weeks/Months After

11.  Deactivate Your Wedding Website

A small but mighty detail here, particularly if you’re paying for it monthly like I was. This is one I completely forgot about myself and it was almost one year later before I remembered to cancel it.

12. Send Out Thank You Cards

Expressing gratitude to your guests for their presence and gifts is a heartfelt way to show appreciation. Aim to send personalized thank-you notes within three months of your wedding. This thoughtful gesture acknowledges their support and leaves a lasting positive impression.

Remember, this can be as simple as sending a digital thank you card.

13. Store Your Wedding Cards

Most keep their cards as keepsakes - you may want to display these someway or simply store them in a box. It’s a fairly insignificant detail to many, but figure out somewhere you can put this so it’s away from any potential water or moisture damage.

14. Organise Your Wedding Photos and Videos

Once you receive your wedding media, take time to select your favorite moments. Creating albums or digital slideshows allows you to relive the day and share memories with loved ones. It's a wonderful way to keep the celebration alive.

15. Return or Exchange Unwanted Gifts

It's common to receive duplicate or unsuitable gifts. Most stores offer return or exchange options, especially if items were purchased from your registry. Handling this promptly ensures you can enjoy gifts that truly fit your new life together.

16. Leave Vendor Reviews

Providing feedback to your wedding vendors is both helpful and courteous. Positive reviews can boost their business, and allow other like-minded couples to find their best suited vendors. We recommend posting reviews on Google.

If you have constructive criticism – send them email outlining any issues. This offers valuable insights for improvement for their processes and delivery. Your honest opinions contribute to the experiences of future couples.

17. Update ID’s

Where you’ve chosen to change your surname, the easiest and most cost-effective way to do this would be updating your drivers license.

Pop-in to your local NZTA and update this. You’ll need to go through all the usual – form, eye test, photo and pay the fee along with bringing in your marriage certificate for proof of name. You’ll then get a brand spanking new drivers license. Too easy!

We have an easy guide for changing your last name including checklist here.

18. Update Your Insurance Policies

Review and adjust your insurance policies to reflect your marital status. This includes health, auto, and home insurance. Combining policies can often lead to savings and ensures both partners are adequately covered.

19. Update Legal Documents

Review and update beneficiary information on accounts like retirement plans and life insurance policies aswell as Wills and Trusts where needed. This ensures that your assets are designated according to your current wishes, providing peace of mind for both partners.

20. Notify Employers and Update Records

Inform your employers of your new marital status and any name changes. This ensures that records are up to date and can affect benefits and tax information. It may also impact your email addresses or in-house profiles and they can update this where needed.

21. Avoid The Post-Wedding Blues

Planning your wedding is such an incredible journey—exciting, emotional, and full of anticipation as everything builds toward your big day. When all that hard work finally comes together, and you say "I do," it’s truly a magical moment. But let’s be real: coming down from that wedding high can feel a little...meh. To avoid post-wedding blues, it’s a great idea to dive into something fun—whether that’s hanging out with friends, picking up a new hobby, or starting a fresh project.

Remember, you’ve spent 12+ months thinking and planning your wedding and then it’s all done. You’ll be very surprised at how much it occupied your mind, and things will feel fairly quiet for you. Keeping your mind busy with something exciting can help you transition smoothly into the next chapter of your adventure. What are your future plans? Where would you like to visit? Make some plans so you have some things to look forward to – even if it’s planning out date nights.

This is such a crucial and often forgotten phenomena – but we’ve got you! We’ve put together a great read with some science-backed ideas here.

Finally, take time to enjoy each other's company and embrace your new life together. The wedding was just the beginning; now it's time to build a fulfilling and joyful marriage.

Remember, there's no rush to complete everything at once. Pace yourselves and tackle each task together. This post-wedding period is a special time to bond and set the stage for your future as a married couple.

Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness and love!