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Write and send thank you notes - No matter how many guests you had at your wedding, taking the time to write and send personalized thank you notes will say a lot about you as individuals and as a couple. So, grab a stack of customized thank you notes and get to writing!

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Review and settle vendor invoices - In order to avoid expensive surprises later, it’s important to ensure all wedding-related bills are paid. From the photographer to officiant, make sure the people who provided their services are compensated.

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Update marital status - It’s exciting to say you’re married, be sure to also notify relevant institutions about your change in marital status. For example, tell the social security office that your status is no longer single.

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Change your name - If you decided to change your name, be sure to do so legally as well. Updating your name on legal documents and accounts, such as bank accounts, will help things run smoothly later.

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Order official marriage certificates - You never know when you will need copies of your marriage certificate and, when you do, they will often need to be official, certified copies. While it's fresh and on your mind, go ahead and get those copies.

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Return or exchange gifts -

Wedding gifts come in all shapes and sizes and can range from exactly what was on your registry to something extremely obscure. Go ahead and handle any returns or exchanges—it will be one thing off your list!

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Create a wedding photo album - These are memories you’ll want to cherish for a lifetime and be able to share with others. Consider organizing and compiling your wedding photos into an album.

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Share wedding photos with guests - Oftentimes your wedding photographer will send you a link to view a gallery of your top photos from the big day. Once you have access to the link, send it to family and friends. Remind them of the joyous occasion and how good everyone looked dressed up!

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Preserve your wedding dress -

Wedding dresses are often a huge investment of both time spent selecting one and financially buying one! Therefore, some brides choose to keep their dress. Arrange for your wedding dress to be cleaned and preserved.

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Freeze the top tier of your wedding cake - As tradition goes, couples will often freeze the top tier of their cake to later enjoy on their first wedding anniversary.

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Close out your wedding website - In today’s digital age, couples often create a wedding website listing details of the big day and even include access to their registry. After the wedding, be sure to update or shut down your wedding website.

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Write reviews for vendors - Vendors can make or break a wedding day. For those vendors who really went above and beyond, take the time to leave them a review. Not only will this help the vendor, but it will help future couples when they’re deciding who to hire.

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Update social media profiles - It can be fun to share with others who maybe you aren’t as close with that you are now married. Take a few minutes and update your social media accounts to reflect the new marital status.

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Deposit monetary gifts - Some guests will insist on giving you cash. As soon as possible, safely deposit any monetary gifts you received at the bank.

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Cancel any unused wedding services - Perhaps you joined a wedding website or community that was a paid service. Now that the big day is over, ensure all unnecessary wedding services are canceled in order to avoid future charges.

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Organize leftover decor - After the wedding, you will likely have a lot of decor that you must address. Some couples will sell their decor online for discounted prices, while others might choose to keep some or all of it.

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Set up a joint bank account - If desired, open a joint bank account with your spouse. Joint bank accounts can offer a sense of security for some, and are proof of joint assets should you ever need to prove them.

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Update wills and legal documents - An especially important task is to reflect your new marital status in legal documents like wills and power of attorney. If something unfortunate or life-changing should happen, your future self will thank you for taking care of this sooner rather than later.

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Update your health insurance - Whether it's through your work or private insurance, talk to your spouse to see if financially it makes more sense to add them to your plan (or vice versa).

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Return rental items - To avoid fees and help other soon-to-be newlyweds enjoy their day without delays, promptly return any rented items such as suits, linens, or decor. Companies need time to wash, dry, and prepare these items for others.

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Schedule a post-wedding physical -

Physical health is always important, and what better time than post-wedding? You could even encourage your spouse to book one and ensure you’re both in top shape for your new life together.

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Update your beneficiaries - Beneficiaries on things like bank accounts, investment accounts, or other similar assets should be updated to reflect your spouse and recent marriage to one another.

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Review your tax status - Before tax season sneaks up on you, adjust your tax status to reflect your marriage. And when you actually file, be sure you’ve consulted a professional to see if filing ‘married filing separate’ or ‘filing jointly’ makes more sense.

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Clean wedding jewelry - It's a nice touch to go get your wedding rings professionally cleaned and have them shining for when you’re choose to show them off.

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Plan your first anniversary celebration - Of course it’s important to cherish the wedding day and days following it, but it can be helpful to start thinking about how to celebrate your first anniversary. It will give you a next big milestone to look forward to, aside from day-to-day life together.

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Celebrate with friends and family - Host a small gathering to celebrate your new marriage status with close ones. Perhaps someone couldn't make it to the wedding or wasn’t invited for one reason or another. It’s nice to celebrate on a smaller scale with those who are important to you.

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Set goals for your first year of marriage -

Discuss and set shared goals for your first year of marriage. Whether they’re financial goals, personal, professional, or all the above, how do you and your spouse want to be known and what do you hope to accomplish?

Sources: (The Knot) (Brides) (Gwennan Rees)

See also: How to plan a dreamy destination wedding on a budget

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