10 Things to Do After Your Wedding Is Over
Write Reviews
Reach out to all your amazing vendors and leave them a review! If you are not sure where to leave a review, just shoot them a quick message, I guarantee they’ll be thrilled to hear you had a great experience.
Remember, vendors aren’t responsible for it raining, for that baby that cried during the ceremony, the minor glitch in the wedding day plan. Be honest but be nice, and include details. If you had vendor issues, send some feedback directly to the company so they can work on improving specifics.
2. Tip
Did your photographer stand in the freezing rain to get that perfect photo?
Did your day of coordinator come fully prepared and have a sewing kit to fix your mom’s dress minutes before the ceremony?
Did the DJ bring out the best energy for all your friends and family?
Did the florist make all your floral dreams come true in spite of unexpected shipping delays?
Whatever the reason may be, if you feel like your vendors went truly above and beyond and deserve a little extra thank you, feel free to send them a tip! Tips are not required and typically not expected but always appreciated. If you don’t have a tip prepared to give them at the end of the night, don’t worry, you can always reach out for their venmo/paypal after the wedding.
Depending on your photography package price, a tip between $100-$1,000 is customary.
3. Presents
Open all those fun presents but make a list! You have time to write thank you notes but it’s good to get them out of the way ASAP (don't wait a year). Order a fun set of stationary, pour a glass of wine and get writing. Include your spouse in the fun....yes! This doesn't have to be a one person job, let your spouse write some of the thank you notes for their friends/family.
Note: Thoughtfulness >>> hand writing abilities.
4. Spring Clean/Purge
If you got some new household stuff, this is a great time to purge the old and donate to a local charity! Think long and hard if you really need two sets of silverware. How many old towels do you actually use for cleaning. Maybe you are moving in around the same time, even more reason to spend a little time going through your stuff and streamlining your new space together.
5. Special Thanks
Did you any have friends or family that went above and beyond to attend your wedding (long travel, expensive hotel, helped setup or clean up)? Give them a call (yes on the actual telephone!), send them a little gift or at the very least a text or email to thank them for all they did!!
6. Date Night
Plan a date night with your new spouse! Sure you just had a big wedding celebration but now more than ever it is important to take a moment to recap/debrief the last year of wedding planning and reconnect. Talk about your favorite parts of the wedding, plans for the future, etc.
7. Honeymoon
Some couples postpone a honeymoon but if you left straight away, go ahead and put together a little photo album of your cell phone shots from the trip (MPix is my favorite). If you are holding out for a few months, plan some fun excursions, research restaurants, find ways to connect to the community you are visiting.
8. Self Care
Relax, you’ve been hustling and no matter how many people you had helping make your day magical, it still involved a lot of decisions and you need some rest. Take a bath, read a book, go for a run, fill that time you were spending on wedding planning on some much needed mental and physical self care!
9. Dry Cleaners
Send your dress off to the dry cleaners, don’t leave it hanging dirty in your closet for 6 months. Also, don't forget to return that tux so you don't get charged a late fee. If you want your dress preserved, most dry cleaners offer this service. If preservation isn’t necessary, look into options to get it altered or even donated.
10. Gallery/Album Time!
Ahhhh, your photo gallery is ready!!! Don’t feel bad oversharing with all your friends and family on social media (be sure to tag the photographer!). Have you discussed wedding albums with your photographer? Want your favorites printed on canvas or hung around the house? Not all print labs are created equally and Walmart won’t do your investment justice. Your photographer is a valuable resource even after your gallery is delivered to help you get those gorgeous photos printed, on walls, or in albums to cherish forever! I personally also offer parent albums (smaller copies of main album) to gift to your parents/in-laws!
