Post-Wedding Blues: What's Next?

So, the wedding is over. Now what? Well, after the magical day of family, friends, food and dancing, you're likely to be exhausted. You've spent months planning, sending emails, attending bridal showers, and navigating a whole mess of emotions. It's completely understandable if all you want to do is relax. But there are still a few key tasks left to do. From thanking your guests and vendors to thinking of unique ways to reuse flowers and favours, there's a lot to be getting on with. Here are some ideas for what to do after the wedding.

Relax and reflect

After the wedding, it's common for couples to want to relax and unwind after experiencing two major life events. Here are some ways to relax and reflect as newlyweds:

Take Time to Relax

• Sleep in and have a leisurely breakfast in bed.
• Unwind and reflect on your wedding night.
• Get a couple's massage, facial, or mud bath at a spa.
• Order room service and watch movies in bed.
• Go hiking, sightseeing, or visit a museum if you prefer to be active.
• Catch up on social media posts and messages from your wedding.
• Spend time with family and friends, especially out-of-town guests.
• Host or attend a post-wedding brunch with loved ones.
• Open wedding presents and cards together.
• Look at wedding photos and sneak peeks from your photographer.
• Write down your favourite wedding memories.

Practical Tasks

• Make sure to thank your guests and vendors.
• Check your social media wedding hashtag and save photos.
• Update your relationship status and name on social media.
• Pack for your honeymoon, if applicable.
• Take care of your wedding dress and preserve it.
• Order takeout and treat yourself to your favourite foods.

Clean up the venue

Cleaning up the venue is probably the least glamorous part of a wedding, but it's important to have a plan in place for when the music stops and the lights come on. Here are some tips to help you with the clean-up process:

Secure a "Strike Crew"

It is not wise to rely on family members or the bridal party to clean up after the wedding. Instead, follow the example of event planners and hire a "strike crew" to remove whatever is left at the venue. This includes lighting, décor, florals, and rentals. Each vendor should send their own strike crew to handle their specific items.

Handle Leftover Flowers and Decorations

Don't ask your guests to take your flowers home, as they will likely end up in the dumpster. Instead, consider gifting the flowers to your vendors or donating them to a hospital or senior center. If you're getting married at a non-traditional venue, you may need to bring in your own team to sweep up and dispose of trash, ensuring that you return the venue to its original condition.

Enlist Help from Volunteers

Acknowledge that you can't do the clean-up yourself. Call in favors from friends or family members who have offered to help. Give them notice so they can plan accordingly, and put them to work packing up decorations, centerpieces, and other personal items.

Caterer's Role

The caterer will typically handle the clean-up of food, place settings, linens, and other catering-related items. Confirm with your caterer what their responsibilities are and what you need to take care of separately.

Timing and Deadlines

Find out from the venue if there is a specific time by which everything needs to be removed. Some venues may allow you to leave items overnight and pick them up the next morning, but this often comes with an additional fee. Plan ahead to ensure you meet any deadlines and avoid additional charges.

Host a post-wedding brunch

Hosting a post-wedding brunch is a great way to extend the celebrations and spend some extra time with your guests before they head home. It's also a nice treat for out-of-town guests or those staying in the hotel with the wedding party.

Choose a Theme or Vibe

Decide on a style that fits your personality and aligns with the style of your wedding. Consider the level of formality—will it be a fully sit-down meal where guests order from a menu, a relaxed grab-and-go style, or something in between?

Create a Budget

Post-wedding brunches can range from inexpensive to extravagant, so discuss food, decor, location, and other factors with your partner to determine how much money you want to spend.

Make a Guest List

Traditionally, couples invite their entire wedding guest list, but you can also opt for a more intimate gathering. Consider inviting close friends and family members, especially those who travelled for the wedding.

Develop a Menu

Offer a variety of breakfast and lunch options to cater to different tastes and dietary restrictions. Include vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free choices, and don't forget non-alcoholic beverages like juice, mocktails, coffee, and tea. If you want to serve alcohol, mimosas and Bloody Marys are brunch staples.

Send Out Invitations

Send separate invitations for the brunch so guests can plan and RSVP accordingly. The invitations can be more casual than the wedding invites, but remember to follow the same invitation wording, rules, and etiquette.

Choose a Venue

Rent out your favourite brunch restaurant, book an outdoor space, a banquet hall, or even host it in your backyard. Consider a venue that is convenient for guests, especially if they are travelling, and make sure it can accommodate most of your guest list.

Timing and Duration

Post-wedding brunches typically take place the morning after the wedding, starting around 9 or 10 am. They usually last about 2 hours, but you can make it a drop-in event to allow guests to stop by at their leisure, especially if they need to pack or check out of their accommodation.

Dress Code

While there is no strict dress code requirement, the dress code for your wedding will likely influence the attire for the post-wedding brunch. If you prefer a specific dress code for the brunch, be sure to mention it on the invitations.

Food and Drink Ideas

• Local brunch specialties, such as shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, or biscuits
• Interactive stations: a biscuit or bagel bar, an omelet or crepe station, or a waffle bar
• Charcuterie boards or grazing tables
• Brunch cocktails: mimosas, bellinis, or Bloody Marys
• Coffee and tea
• Fresh fruit, pastries, and juices
• Brunch desserts: miniature wedding pies, acai bowls, or doughnuts

Update your social media relationship status

Updating your social media relationship status is a fun and exciting way to announce your newly married status to the world. Here are some steps and tips to help you with this task:

Check Your Privacy Settings

Before you update your relationship status, it's a good idea to review and adjust your privacy settings on social media platforms, especially if you want to keep the change more private. Most social media platforms, like Facebook, allow you to customise the privacy settings for your relationship status, ranging from public to friends-only, or even completely private. This way, you can control who sees your updated relationship status.

Change Your Relationship Status

The process of changing your relationship status varies slightly depending on the social media platform and whether you're using a web browser or a mobile app. Here are the general steps for Facebook:

• Go to your Facebook profile.
• Click on "Edit Public Details" or "Edit Profile".
• Select "Edit" in the "Details" section.
• Scroll down to the "Relationship" section.
• Click on the pencil icon next to your relationship status.
• Select the new status from the options provided (e.g., married, in a relationship, etc.).
• If you choose a status involving another person, enter their name.
• You can also add your anniversary date.

Update Your Name and Profile Information

If you're taking your partner's last name or making any other changes to your name, be sure to update this information on your social media profiles. Additionally, you may want to update your profile picture to a wedding photo or a picture of you and your spouse. This step is a great way to visually showcase your new relationship status.

Review and Respond to Wedding Posts

The day after your wedding is a perfect time to sit down and go through all the social media messages, pictures, statuses, and comments from your wedding day. It's a fun way to relive the moments you may have missed while interacting with your guests. Don't forget to check your wedding hashtag, if you had one, to see all the posts from your guests in one place.

Make It "Social Media Official"

While changing your relationship status is a big step, there are a few other ways to make your marriage "official" on social media:

• Post a wedding announcement or a favourite wedding photo with a caption announcing your nuptials.
• Tag your spouse in the post or photo to ensure it appears on their profile as well.
• Use your wedding hashtag to reach a wider audience and make it easier for others to find and follow your wedding journey.

Updating your social media relationship status is a modern way to share your happiness with your online community. Enjoy this exciting time and savour all the memories you're creating!

Open presents

Opening presents is an exciting part of the wedding recovery. Whether you planned ahead with a registry or not, opening presents is a fun part of the celebration. Here are some ideas for how to make the most of this special time:

• Host a wedding gift-opening party: This event offers a designated time and place to open gifts, and it is growing in popularity in many parts of the world. It can be super casual or elaborate, and it is usually hosted by the couple or someone very close to them, like a parent or sibling.
• Open presents at brunch: You can combine opening presents with a day-after brunch, inviting your closest family and friends to join you. This is a great opportunity to say thank you one more time and catch up on all the wedding stories you may have missed.
• Open presents in bed: If you and your new spouse want to take things easy the morning after your wedding, you can open your presents in bed while enjoying a leisurely breakfast. This is a great way to relax and relive the excitement of your wedding day.
• Keep track of who gave you what: It is important to keep track of who gave you which gift so that you can properly express your gratitude. This will also help you when sending out thank-you cards, which should be done as soon as possible after the wedding.
• Send photos of the gifts: If you received any cute couple gifts, consider sending photos of you and your spouse with the gifts to the people who gave them to you. They will surely appreciate this thoughtful gesture.

Frequently asked questions