The Ultimate Post-Wedding To-Do List: What Happens After the Wedding?

Congrats, you’re married! But when the last glass of fizz has been drunk and the final slice of cake devoured, the wedmin doesn’t stop there. Introducing: the post wedding checklist – a comprehensive guide to everything you’ll need to tackle after the big day. Because, as it turns out, once you’ve said, ‘I do’, there’s a whole new list of ‘to do’… (Congrats again, though!)

But before the thank-you cards and the name-changing admin, the most important thing to do post wedding is savour the moment and enjoy that just-married feeling. If you’re delaying the honeymoon, a romantic mini-moon in the UK can be a great way to do this.

Then, when you’re ready, everything you need to take care of is listed below in our ultimate list of things to do after getting married. We’re here to help as much as we can!

Prefer a physical list? Us too. We’ve even got a printable post wedding checklist so you can tick things off as you go.

Post-Wedding Checklist: What to do After Your Wedding Day

Take a Breath

The hard work of planning your wedding is over, so first and foremost, it’s important to enjoy this time soaking up that feeling of newlywed bliss with your partner. If you’re both back at work, have conflicting schedules or children to look after, this can be easier said than done, so try to set aside some time each week for just the two of you.

Celebrate All Over Again

Whether it’s sorting through all the photos, booking a brunch with your nearest and dearest for a post-wedding debrief, or organising all the incredible gifts you received (including returning or exchanging any duplicates), these are some of the moments to revel in that just-married glow.

Sure, we all love nothing more than uploading an entire album to Facebook – but why not go (even more) old school and create a physical photo album, too?

If it’s not included in your photography package, take your pick from some of the best photo albums available to buy, print your photos and spend an entire evening reliving the day as you craft the perfect keepsake. 

Preserve Your Memories

Whether it’s your bouquet, the top tier of your wedding cake or you’ve somehow acquired a whole bunch of tea light holders, there are a few things from your wedding day that you might plan on preserving – or just figuring out what to do with!

First of all, give any unwanted items to charity, or consider selling the more expensive pieces at car boot sales or on sites such as eBay. If you do want to keep them, order yourself a wedding keepsake box for trinkets and small items such as your wedding stationery.

Wondering what to do with your bridal bouquet after the wedding? If you’ve ever considered preserving your wedding flowers to enjoy long after the big day, there are lots of ways to do so. However, time is of the essence and we cannot stress enough how important it is to plan ahead with this one.

Store Your Outfits

If you plan on keeping your wedding dress or suit for sentimental reasons – or hope to pass it on to someone else when they get married – then it’s best to get it professionally cleaned as soon as possible. No matter how hard you try to keep it free from food, drink and makeup on the day, it’s inevitable that it’s going to get a little dirty!

Once your attire is cleaned and back to its original glory, it’s important to store it properly and keep it free from dust. Slip it into a clothes bag and keep it somewhere where it won’t get crumpled. If your dress is heavily embellished, aim to hang it if you can. Want more tips? We’ve got a guide to storing your wedding dress to help you keep it in pristine condition.

Tackle the Admin

It’s up to you if you want to follow the tradition of changing your name – whether that’s taking your partner’s surname or double-barrelling it with your own name. Some couples even choose to blend their last names to create a whole new one. 

Once you’ve decided, you'll need to notify the appropriate places; your place of work, HM Revenue & Customs, the DVLA and your doctor’s surgery are just some of the places that will need to know about your post wedding name change.

You’ll also need to think about your passport – will you change your name on that before you travel on your honeymoon? Make sure you book any travel tickets in the name that is on your passport!

Then (and we hate to get too morbid here) but once your marital status has officially changed, you will need to think about things such as finances and joint accounts, updating your will(s) and insurance policies.

Finally, once you’ve taken care of the legal stuff, you might want to think about your email address and social media handles – lots of platforms have the option to include your former name too, so people can still find you.

Send Thanks

Definitely one of the more time-consuming tasks on the list, but it’s important to remember that your guests put in a lot of time and effort to attend your wedding – not to mention get you a gift – so it’s important to acknowledge that and make them feel appreciated.

It might also be a nice idea to leave reviews for those wedding vendors who played a key role in your day, whether that’s via Google reviews, on their Hitched listing or simply a shout-out on social media.

Take Care of Your Yourself

Post wedding blues – they’re very real. Because, let’s face it, wedding planning is all encompassing and at some point – between picking out the perfect dress and choosing a caterer – you may have lost sight of the fact that your wedding is really just the start of a much-more rigorous lifelong event: marriage.

Not to mention, of course, that the whole journey of planning your wedding is an exciting and emotional one, and coming down from the climax that is your wedding day can feel tough to say the least.

Do what you can to beat those post wedding blues by keeping busy with social activities, taking up new hobbies (perhaps that choreographed first dance you did has opened up a whole new love of ballroom dancing?!) or consider a new project to focus your mind on the next challenge.

Plan the Next Adventure

For some, that’s moving into a new home, for others, it could be a holiday.

Perhaps you’re heading off on your honeymoon straight after the wedding (in which case, make packing for it even easier by consulting our handy honeymoon checklist), while others might be taking some time to save before heading off. If it’s the latter, have fun researching places to go together – we’ve got plenty of honeymoon destinations that come highly recommended to inspire you!

After The Wedding FAQ

What should I do the day after my wedding?

Most couples choose to either stay at their venue or book a first-night hotel straight after the wedding, and if budget and logistics allow, it can be a nice idea to extend your stay so you can really relax and make the most of the newlywed bubble. A mini break is also the perfect way to enjoy some downtime and reflect on the festivities.

For some couples, however, the idea of catching up with friends and family again over breakfast, brunch, a pub lunch or even a post-wedding barbecue is their idea of a perfect weekend – each couple is different and there is no right answer!

Why do I feel sad after the wedding?

It’s totally normal to feel sad when your wedding is over. The build-up is such an intense and exciting time filled with anticipation. When that climax has reached its peak, for some newlyweds, that feeling of ‘well, what now?’ is often what’s left behind.

Manage your feelings by being open with your partner about how you feel, make plans together so you have things to look forward to, and try keeping busy with new hobbies, date nights and new home or work projects.

When should I send thank-you cards after the wedding?

Traditional wedding etiquette says that thank you cards should be sent within three months of the wedding. Aim to do these as soon as you can, however, while everything is still fresh in your mind. The last thing you want to forget is who bought what!

You’ve got an exciting first year of marriage ahead, but it’s never too early to think about what to get your partner for your first wedding anniversary!