After The Event

"If life was fair, the end of your wedding would mean the end of your planning. After all, you’ve worked extremely hard and are undoubtedly looking forward to married life with your new husband or wife. Unfortunately though, there will always be one or two loose ends to tie up even after the last paper horseshoe has settled!"

Don’t despair! the vast bulk of your work is behind you and as always, you can refer to this guide to help you hit those last few targets.

Immediate Priorities

There are some things that you can apply slightly more flexible deadlines to with regard to post-wedding activities. However, the following jobs do not fall into that category. They might not look big, but don’t be tempted to start on anything else until you have these completed as they are important! For ease of reference they are arranged to how much time you have between the end of your wedding and the time you must leave for your honeymoon. And remember: you can always enlist other people to help with this. Generally people will be very sympathetic to how much work you will have done already and may even be more confident in their own ability to assist you now all the pressure is off!

24 Hours or Less

1. Return any equipment that has been hired or rented.
2. Return any family heirlooms
3. Ensure strategies for recycling are in place (details later)
4. Have clothes professionally cleaned (and stored if desired)
5. Check suitcases and travel documents are okay.
6. Of course, if you have less time than that before you travel, you can entrust the different steps to other people.

1 to 3 Days

1. All of the above
2. If any of your items are liable for damage charges (e.g. reception linens), seek clarification as soon as they are back with the vendor about any charges incurred. Of course, you should always be upfront if you know that your best friend’s daughter decided to enhance her chair covers with orange crayon, but even if you think your deposit should be safe, press for a quick resolution on this.
3. Check with the photographer when the proofs and prints will be ready and make an appointment to view them.

3 Days to 1 Week

1. All of the above.
2. Check that all your suppliers have been paid.
3. Follow up on any additional charges you have incurred or deposits that you need returned.

1 Week to 1 Month

1. Call everyone who assisted in the preparation of your wedding to say thank you. You should also send them a thank you card, but as they put in a lot more effort than the regular guests make time to speak to them in person.
2. Return or exchange any wedding gifts that you do not wish to keep.
3. Order additional copies of the marriage certificate if necessary.
4. Begin formally changing your name if applicable.
5. Write and post your thank you letters.
6. If you have kept any memorabilia from your wedding, ensure it is safely stored.
7. Double-check bank account and credit card statements to ensure they tally with all the agreed sums between yourself and any supplier.
8. Distribute photographs amongst friends and family or upload onto your wedding site.

Recycling

Allocate someone to collect your orders of service, menus and miscellaneous paper items for recycling. Also remember that recycling works both ways! In addition to getting the big items second hand, why not consider scouring local antique fairs and markets for quirky but distinctive centrepieces and decorations?
As with so many other aspects of your wedding, the key to being an ethical newly-wed is preparation. It is a massive topic in its own right, but the good news is that any action you take with a global conscience will have an impact.

Article supplied by www.need2knowbooks.co.uk