Newlyweds checklist after the wedding

Marriage is an amazing milestone in life. It’s a time for celebration as you start a new life with the love of your life.

Weddings are fun but they require so much planning before and after the ceremony. A lot of organizing happens so that the transition is smooth with minimal hurdles.

Before the wedding, couples get into contact with wedding planners who help bring their ideas to life. They help in menu and venue selection as well as other things like wedding gown shopping and in compiling guest invitation lists. Also, couples take time to mentally and emotionally prepare for a new life beforehand. It’s important for them to agree on living arrangements, children and other intimate details of their lives.

After the wedding, certain things also have to be put in place. The process isn’t as simple as saying ‘I do’ and moving on with life. Here are some of the essential things that newlyweds should have on their check lists.

One of the first things you need to do after the dust has settled is to collect your marriage certificate. The law requires you to officially register your marriage under the marriage Act whether you are having a civil, Hindu or even Customary marriage just to name a few.

It can be quite embarrassing to be posted all over social media for unpaid bills after having such a wonderful ceremony. In some cases, suppliers can even involve the police if bills are not handled in time. The truth is that they don’t really care if you have been busy unwrapping gifts or unpacking items in your new home. Bottom line is, this was a business transaction and there is a chain of people that need to be paid so pay them without failure or delay to avoid unnecessary embarrassment.

This is a simple virtue that many forget to do. It takes a short time to send a WhatsApp message or email to your guests who attended, those who gave gifts, cooperative suppliers, wedding vendors and others who were involved. There are those suppliers who ignore calls at the last minute and leave you stranded even after being paid. For this reason, it’s best to create some space on your post-wedding checklist to thank those who made it a success. This will help them all feel appreciated for sparing their time for your event and create good rapport with you in the future.

Figure out how you’ll take care of your gown and suit based on whether they were bought or hired. If they are hired, ensure that you give them back on time to avoid any incurred fees and fines. If they are bought and you’d like them to be preserved, get them professionally dry cleaned for the best results and find a place to store it.

This mostly happens when you decide to change your name after marriage. As much as some people have opted to maintain their birth names these days, some still go with the tradition of name changing. Once you decide to do this, you will need a new identification card, new credit cards, driver’s license and other forms of identification. According to the Kenyan law, you are required to swear an affidavit known as the statutory oath and declaration Acts that will allow you to legally change your name. You have to be accompanied by a witness who has known you for some time, so that they can confirm your names during the process.

Also, once you are married, you have to decide whether you will have joint accounts or not. You also need to discuss health cover under National Hospital Insurance Fund amongst others.

If done right, this will ensure you have a seamless beginning into your new life as husband and wife.