The Day After – Things to Do After Saying “I Do”
Image Source: Unsplash
It’s no secret that weddings can require insane amounts of preparation. From the dress to the venue and guest list, your engagement celebrations will barely be over by the time you’re calling the wedding planner. But it’s not just the wedding day itself you should consider in the lead-up to your marriage.
Too many couples enjoy a meticulously-planned wedding day, only to wake up the next morning with no clue about how to proceed as newlyweds. To help you and your fiancé avoid that prospect, we’ve put together a list of things to do after you say “I do”. Enjoy!
Make the most of time with your guests
Many of your guests will have travelled from afar to attend your special day. Even if they haven’t, when was the next time you had so many of your loved ones together in one place? Particularly for out-of-town weddings, it’s a lovely gesture to organizea group activity – or five – for the days immediately following the wedding – check out the best local things to doin your destination, and treat your guests to a great experience or activity to show your thanks.
Even if you’re planning on honeymooning immediately and won’t be present to join the fun, booking everyone else into a bowling night or brunch meal out in advance is a fantastic way to unofficially extend your special day and leave your wedding party with memories of the best kind.
Image Source: Dahlia and Grace Phtography
Thank your vendors
While some couples figure that payment is thank-you enough for their vendors, most newlyweds find that they owe a lot more to their caterers, hairdressers, photographers, and so on. The vendors you choose can truly make your wedding day, which is why it’s so important to follow up with thanks.
If you’ve had a particularly positive experience with a vendor, make sure to support their business by providing a positive reviewon their site or social media page, and by sending handwritten notes to express your personal thanks.
And whileyou’re in a gracious mood, make sure to pen thank-you notes to the friends and family who made it out to see you married, as well. You might want to include a photo or two of the wedding party, or a personalised thank-you which details how you’ve used their wedding gift – anything to let them know how much their presence meant to you and your partner.
Chase up your photos
Once you’ve received your photos, it’s time to create your wedding album. Doing this as a couple is a wonderful way to relive the beauty of your dayand impress the memories while they’re still deliciously fresh.
Speaking of memories, this is the time to ensure the artefacts from your special day last a long time. This means flower-pressing any bouquets, preserving your dress, and making a wedding-box full of things like your ceremony programme and wedding invitation.
Image Source: Unsplash
Have your cake and eat it too
Waste not, want not! Make the most of that wedding cakeyou paid a pretty penny for, and luxuriate in a post-wedding feast. Nothing beats a cheeky slice of cake the morning after, but if you’re a deft hand in the kitchen, you might even want to craft what’s left into a tasty dessert. We recommend a good old wedding-cake trifleor a tasty batch of cake pops – yum!
Plan for beyond the day itself
If you’ve just had the dream garden wedding you’ve been visualising for months – maybe years – it’s only natural to wake the day after feeling a bit flat.
Post-wedding blues are a real thing! To avoid being hit by them too hard, make sure you’ve planned a treat for beyond your wedding day. This might, obviously, be your honeymoon, but it could be something like redecorating the house, getting a pet, or attending a fun event together. You’re life partners now, with plenty of great times together ahead, and we wish you all the very best in life.
Johanna Cider is a New Zealand-based writer who loves writing about all kinds of travel and lifestyle topics. She enjoys going to social functions – especially to celebrate special milestones with her loved ones. Visit Johanna’s Tumblrpage to read more of her published work.
