The Ultimate Post-Wedding Checklist

After the beautiful chaos and celebration of your wedding day, many couples just want to relax and soak up the honeymoon bliss. But wait! There are still several important "post-wedding tasks" waiting for you, especially concerning legal documents, organizing belongings, and officially starting your married life.

Wedly has compiled this Post-Wedding Checklist to ensure you don't miss any crucial details. Let's dive into what needs to be done!

1. Marriage Registration

The first and most important step for couples wanting their marriage to be legally binding is "Marriage Registration," which can be done at any district office nationwide. If you have never been through it, our walkthrough of marriage registration in Thailand sets out what actually happens at the counter.

Required Documents:

• Original ID cards of both parties
• Original house registrations of both parties
• 2 witnesses (with their original ID cards)
• Name change certificates (if applicable)
• Birth certificates (if underage, parents must be present to give consent)

Wedly Tip: If you intend to take your partner's surname, be sure to inform the officer during the registration process. This allows them to issue the marriage certificate and record the surname agreement simultaneously.

2. Changing Your Name and Surname

If you agreed to adopt your spouse's surname or change your title (e.g., from Miss to Mrs.), here are the steps you need to take after receiving your marriage certificate — one slice of the wider post-registration paperwork.

Where to Go:

1. District Office: To change your name on the house registration and get a new ID card (should be done within 60 days).
2. Banks: Update your name and surname on deposit accounts, credit cards, and loans, and update your signature.
3. Department of Land Transport: Update your information on your driver's license and vehicle registration book.
4. Department of Consular Affairs: Get a new passport if your current one is expiring soon or if you want it to match your new ID card.
5. Workplace (HR): Notify HR to update your information for social security, provident funds, and other benefits.

3. Managing Finances and Joint Accounts

Now that you are legally family, financial planning requires open communication.

• Open a Joint Account: Set this up as a fund for household expenses or savings for the future (like buying a house or having a baby).
• Update Beneficiaries: Review and update the beneficiaries on life insurance, accident insurance, and various funds to include your spouse.
• Tax Planning: Study the tax deduction conditions for spouses. You can choose to file taxes jointly or separately, depending on which option saves you more money.

4. Managing Gifts, Cash Envelopes, and Thank You Cards

After the wedding, the couple needs to quickly manage the gifts and cash envelopes received from honored guests.

• Create an Income-Expense Ledger: Record the amount of money or gifts received from each guest. This serves as a reference when you attend their events in the future, when the cash-gift customs run in reverse and you can size your own envelope with the ang pao calculator.
• Send Thank You Cards: It is a lovely tradition to send a card or message to thank the guests who attended or sent gifts, even if they couldn't make it.
• Review Vendors: Write glowing reviews for your venue, photographers, makeup artists, and other vendors who helped make your perfect day a reality. (The cash side of that thank-you — who to tip and how much — should already have been handled on the night.)

5. Taking Care of the Wedding Dress and Items

Your beautiful wedding dress shouldn't be left to gather dust in the closet.

• Dry Clean Immediately: If you purchased your dress, send it to a specialized dry cleaner right away to remove stains and preserve the fabric.
• Return Rentals and Equipment: If you rented outfits or props, check the return dates carefully to avoid late fees.
• Store Keepsakes: Safely store leftover wedding favors, the guestbook, and polaroid photos in a high-quality keepsake box.

6. Following Up on Photos and Videos

Photographers and videographers typically take several weeks to edit photos and videos.

• Ask for a Timeline: Contact your photographer to find out when you can expect the final gallery (usually 4-8 weeks).
• Select Photos for an Album: Once received, spend time together selecting your favorite photos to print for an album or share on social media.

Conclusion

Following this checklist might seem tedious with so many small details, but trust us, it will help your married life start smoothly and systematically. Get these important tasks out of the way, and you can spend the rest of your time fully enjoying your happiness as husband and wife!

Wedly congratulates you on starting this exciting new chapter of your lives together!