You’ve made it down the aisle. You can finally take a deep breath. You’re HERE and the wedding is beautiful. You and your partner say your vows and you seal your ceremony with a kiss. We always tell our couples the part that matters is making it down the aisle and saying “I do.” But, there are some very important details that you have to do after your ceremony. So, let’s break apart all of the tasks you’ll need to accomplish after the ceremony wraps.
Don’t Forget to Sign on the Dotted Line
As you work to create your day of timeline, create a moment, it can be between 10 - 20 minutes, where you can sit down with your officiant, pastor etc., and your witnesses to sign your marriage license. We highly suggest that this is done directly after your ceremony. Out of everything on your wedding day, this is the most important part – so be intentional with planning it out!. There are two different copies. One copy is yours to keep. This is the fancy copy that can be for your records. The most important copy is the official document for the state. Fill all the important information out prior, or ask your pastor or officiant to. You don’t want to miss any information or forget to fill out portions. Create a plan and stick to it and ensure that the people who need to be a part of the signing know ahead of time. The last thing you want to do is scramble to find all of these important people!
Who Sends it in?
This is another detail that needs to be planned out. Most likely, your officiant or pastor will handle sending in your marriage license. Prior to saying “I do”, determine who will handle mailing your marriage license. Be sure you have the envelope on the wedding day and that a responsible person is in charge of it! Check with your person and ensure that it is sent off in a timely manner. If you get married on a Saturday, plan on sending it off on a Monday. Get it off your hands as soon as you can!
Check it, once or twice!
We HIGHLY suggest your check with the office or courthouse if your marriage license made it there. In all of our years, we’ve had one couple that never mailed it off, and one that mailed it off but it was lost in the mail. They spent years unmarried because their license was lost and never filed. Do not let this happen to you! Call the courthouse after a few weeks and check on the status. Stay diligent and check back if they haven’t received it.
Set a Time to Open Gifts
Don’t feel like you have to open your wedding guests the next day. It is okay to take a day to decompress and enjoy your loved ones. Once your wedding guests have returned home and your life has settled and is calm, open your gifts and cards. You will need to keep track of senders and gifts and get those thank you cards out within 6-8 weeks. Don’t skimp on the thank you cards and don’t send cards that aren’t personalized. We suggest your take time to thank your guests personally, including a personalized thank you card or poster. Stay clear of mass facebook thank yous, or generic thank you cards. The last thing you want your guests to feel is a lack of graciousness.
Return all Rentals
Even though your wedding day is over, there is still a need to wrap up all loose ends. One of the biggests tasks is returning all of your rentals! Now, if you have a wedding coordinator, some of these tasks may be assigned to their team. But, if you’ve rented table decor, speciality linens etc., return them on the next business day. You definitely do not want any of the rentals damaged, or have an unexpected accident occur. It’s best to get these off your hands as soon as you can. If you assigned this task to a friend or family member, ask them to let you know once it’s been returned. You’ll want to manage all of the rental returns to ensure there are no additional fees incurred.
Often our couples say after they walk down the aisle, all of the stressors of wedding planning fades away. This is one of the biggest events, or most meaningful events, couples plan in their lifetime. Even though the doors close on the night of your wedding, there are still important tasks to complete when it’s all said and done. Don’t forget to sign and send in your marriage license, and keep checking on that document once it’s been sent in! Plan on returning any rentals the next business day and sending out those thank you cards. But, most importantly enjoy this new adventure with your partner and tackle these tasks TOGETHER!
Lori Losee is the owner of Elegant Affairs, a Seattle Wedding Planner with over 18 years of experience. We create awe-inspiring experiences—Events filled with meaning and refined elegance. Behind the scenes, our experienced team collaborates on each stage of the process, executing your vision and a wedding, celebration, or corporate event that is unique to you.