That's right love birds, the party is over and it's time to get on with your lives. Here's your to-do list:
1. Clean and Store Your Gown
That gown cost a fortune, and you're keen on keeping it snowy white. (Who knows, maybe your future daughter will want to wear it.) Body oils and champagne stains can discolor the fabric in just a few months, so have the gown dry-cleaned within six months of your wedding date. Find a service that specializes in wedding dresses; it's important that they use the right solvents. Make sure they stuff it with acid free tissue, avoid using metal pins or buckles (which can stain), and store it in a box. Once you've got your gown home, store it in a cool, dry place. (Think of an out-of-the-way closet, not the dank basement!)
WHEN: Within six months
2. Change Your Name
If you decided to take your spouse's last name when you got married, then you have some paperwork ahead of you. Start with your license and Social Security card, and then start calling the credit card companies. A new Social Security card is free, and you'll find the form at
socialsecurity.gov. For your driver's license, go to
dmv.org to download state information and forms. Most states require you to bring your marriage license to the DMV as proof of your new name. Don't forget your
passport. Too tired or lazy to do all the running around yourself? Go to
uslegalforms.com and pay them to do it for you.
WHEN: Within three months
3. Send Out Thank-you Notes
If you don't want snippy comments from your family and friends, you've got to get those personalized thank-you notes in the mail. Set a goal (like 10 a night) and get them done during commercial breaks of your favorite shows.
Make sure you're working off a neat list of what each guest gave you (complete with their addresses).
What to write? "Dear [fill in the blank], We loved the beautiful [blank] you sent. We already have a place for it picked out in the new apartment." If they gave you dough, begin with something along the lines of: "Dear [blank], Thank you for your generous gift. We really appreciate it and plan to use it for [blank]." And then let them know what you're planning to spend the money on. (Caution: Telling your grandmother you're going to spend the money on a new fall wardrobe or the Harley you've always wanted may not go over so well.)
To score bonus points, you both should sign your names to the cards, even if one person did most of the writing.
WHEN: Within eight weeks
>> Read our Thank-you Note Guide
>> Manage your notes here
4. Give Everyone Your New Address
Send a mass email announcement if you and yours are all online addicts (
use your address book on The Nest). If you go the more traditional route, include your new address in your wedding thank-you notes. You can buy store-bought moving announcements and slip them in with your note (make sure they're small enough to fit) or have them custom designed (m
ovingannouncementstore.com has plenty to choose from and can have them ready in 1-2 business days).
WHEN: Within six weeks
>>
Send this as an ecard! >>
Move your wedding address book to The Nest
5. Tackle Bridal Registry Returns
The three toaster ovens you received have been sitting in a corner for months; it's about time you returned them. While each store will have a different policy on when you need to make returns by, they're likely to be lenient with couples who've registered with their service and will allow you to make returns for as long as the registry is still up and running. Some stores keep registries active for up to two years. (Remember that next time you have to buy your sister-in-law something -- get it off her registry.)
But each store's policy is different about what they'll take back, so make sure you check the fine print before you try to return the vase you registered for because now you think it's ugly.
WHEN: Within two months
6. Pick Photos for Your Wedding Album and Finalize Your Wedding DVD
Don't put off your final photo selection too long: Most photographers and videographers issue a standard contract that allows you six months to a year to pick out photos for your album and whittle down footage for your wedding DVD. If you don't pick within the time frame designated in the contract, you may have to pay extra.
WHEN: Within six months
7. Tackle the Legalities
When the two of you decided to make it official, it meant more than just a tacit agreement not to hog the covers. You've got a few decisions to make now. Three things you'll want to discuss right away are: drawing up a will, changing beneficiaries, and deciding on health insurance coverage. Many people change their spouse to their beneficiary on all work and life insurance documents after they get married. You can call your insurance company and your human resources department at work to obtain the necessary forms.
Drawing up a will that reflects your newly combined asset is also an important task. Use your family lawyer or, if you don't have one, ask friends for a recommendation.
Now is also a good time to decide whose work health insurance plan you're going to use as well. Find out which carriers you both have and what the difference in cost and treatment options would be before making a decision. And if you're the one making the switch, don't forget to make sure your trusted doc is on the new plan.
WHEN: Within two weeks
>> More info on wills and insurance
>> Visit our insurance center
8. Figure Out Your Finances
Since the "money talk" is usually not a pleasant conversation, hopefully you had this one long before you walked down the aisle. Many married couples opt to merge their single accounts into one big combined one (no fights over whose turn it is to pay the electric bill). All that entails is a trip to the bank to fill out the necessary paperwork.
At the very least, have one joint account that your house bills will be funneled out of (like rent, water, electric, phone). To make life easier, set up an online banking system (which many companies now have) that will allow you to have automatic monthly withdrawals made to companies you owe.
WHEN: Within two weeks
>> Check out our article on joint vs. separate accounts
>> How to merge your married money
>> 3 examples of getting out of debt
9. Call the Tax Man
Time to check off a new box on your tax forms. Now that the two of you are married, you need to decide whether you're going to file together or continue to file separately (joint filing isn't something mandated by law, even if it's generally recommended). Before deciding, consult your accountant to see what he or she recommends for the two of you.
WHEN: December of the year you get married
>>
See the pros and cons of filing together
10. Agree on Where You're Going to Spend the Holidays
Christmas and Hanukkah may be months away, but if you want to save yourselves from one of the biggest and most common newlywed arguments, discuss how you're going to split the holidays
now. The next hurdle will be to break it to your folks. And you both know you'll want to stand in agreement on that before you have the big talk. If both of your families live near each other, you might be able to do turkey at one of your parents' house and have coffee and apple pie at the other. If not, split up this year's major holidays, depending on which ones are more important to each of you, and agree to switch things up again next year. And you could always host one of the holidays at your home so you don't feel bound to other people's traditions -- you can create your own.
WHEN: Within two months
-- The Nest Editors
See More: Couple Issues